Today’s passage: Zechariah 8
Helpful thoughts:
- The prophecy of this chapter continues the response to the question from those who had come from Bethel in the beginning of chapter 7. (Compare verse 19 with 7:3)
- God promises future blessing to Israel and bases the commands for righteous living on these promises.
- This is NOT, “Do good or else…”
- It is, “I am surely going to do these things, therefore you should live in light of it.”
- The word is truth (John 17:17), Jesus is the truth (John 14:6), the Spirit is truth (John 14:17), and God’s city will be the city of truth (Verse 3).
Questions to consider:
- Though the number ten is probably figurative in verse 23, what is the ratio given of Gentiles to Jews in the millennial kingdom? What is the implication of what the worship of Christ will look like in Jerusalem “in those days?”
- Why would it make sense to look forward to God’s promises as motivation for obedience? How is that different (Other than timing…) than looking back at His previous faithfulness? If God’s future promises are absolutely certain, what does that teach us about His sovereignty?
- We are motivated to lie and fight because we want something, or we fear the results are not going to go our way. How does God’s control of the outcome free us to love peace and truth (Verse 19)? How can we apply that to our relationships today?