Zechariah 8:17-23
Zechariah 8:17
And let none of you imagine evil in your hearts against
his neighbour; and love no false oath: for all these are things that I hate,
saith the LORD.
Before the seventy year captivity, the imagining or the
conception of evil against each other for gain was the normal way of life but
here the LORD is telling them never to do it again.
Instead of dealing in a treacherous way with their neighbor, they must
deal in truth and compassion toward them.
Then when anyone took an oath, it was not to be done under false
pretense, that is, to gain something and then not follow through on what was
sworn. Many times they would invoke
the name of the LORD in these oaths and that was taking the name of God in vain.
When they had done the things which the LORD had listed in the last few
verses, he stated that he hated them and those things were part of the reason
that they were judged for their actions.
Zechariah 8:18
And the word of the LORD of hosts came unto me, saying,
Then Zechariah receives the word from the LORD of hosts.
Zechariah 8:19
Thus saith the LORD of hosts; The fast of the fourth
month, and the fast of the fifth, and the fast of the seventh, and the fast of
the tenth, shall be to the house of Judah joy and gladness, and cheerful feasts;
therefore love the truth and peace.
The fast of the fourth month commemorated when Jerusalem
was taken by the Babylonians, the fifth month was when the temple was burned,
the seventh month was when Gedaliah was killed, and the tenth was when the
Babylonian army had camped outside Jerusalem when they were ready to invade.
What the LORD is telling them here is not to dwell on the things of the
past which was commemorating the times of the captivity but they are now to
focus on the future. The LORD has
given them encouragement that a new era was dawning on them and there was no
reason to continue mourning about the past which would only depress but to look
forward to a new day. The feasts
will no longer be in commemorating the judgment of God but will now be filled
with gladness and joy because they are back in the land and no judgment is
pending and they are safe from their surrounding enemies.
They should now focus on the fact that truth and peace will prevail their
new times and that they should embrace them personally.
It is the same thing in the Christian life.
How many Christians make their living going around telling their
testimony of what they used to be instead of focusing on what they are going to
be when they get to Heaven. The
Apostle Paul had great advice on where our focus should be.
Brethren, I count not myself to
have apprehended: but this one thing I do, forgetting those things which are
behind, and reaching forth unto those things which are before,
(Philippians 3:13)
Zechariah 8:20
Thus saith the LORD of hosts; It shall yet come to pass,
that there shall come people, and the inhabitants of many cities:
Then the LORD tells Zechariah another great future event
which he will accomplish. The
timing of this event will commence during the time when the Lord Jesus Christ
will come on the scene in Jerusalem.
Many shall come from not only the land of Judah but will come from many
Gentile cities as well. A good
example of this was the Ethiopian Eunuch who came from Ethiopia which is about
1000 miles (1609 km) south of Jerusalem.
On the day of Pentecost there were eighteen different languages
represented such as from Mesopotamia, Egypt, Rome, Cretes, Arabians and other
who heard the initial preaching of the gospel in Jerusalem.
Zechariah 8:21
And the inhabitants of one city shall go to another,
saying, Let us go speedily to pray before the LORD, and to seek the LORD of
hosts: I will go also.
Then once world evangelization begins to take place,
missions will be formed to spread the gospel.
The Apostle Paul is a good example of this as he went and formed churches
all over the Roman empire which in turn began to send forth missionaries and
they too formed churches. The true
Christian in Christ will hastily seek the LORD for the ways in which they should
walk in their new Christian walk.
And many people shall go and say, Come
ye, and let us go up to the mountain of the LORD, to the house of the God of
Jacob; and he will teach us of his ways, and we will walk in his paths: for out
of Zion shall go forth the law, and the word of the LORD from Jerusalem.
(Isaiah 2:3) When John
the Baptizer was preaching people asked him what they should do.
And the people asked him, saying,
What shall we do then? (Luke 3:10)
Those who invite others to hear the word of God will not just send them
but will go also with them.
Zechariah 8:22
Yea, many people and strong nations shall come to seek
the LORD of hosts in Jerusalem, and to pray before the LORD.
As we read that eighteen nations were mentioned in the
book of Acts which were in Jerusalem on Pentecost and they represented strong
nations of that time. Armenia
became the first Christian nation in the fourth century.
In our time you have other strong nations which will seek the LORD such
as the United states which was founded upon Christian principles and the Bible.
There are many Christians in other large countries also such as China,
Russia, Canada, etc. When someone
becomes saved in their country, big or small, they tend to begin to evangelize
where they are in hopes of reaching the population with the gospel.
These Christians will pray before the LORD right where they are and they
pray for their country and for the opportunities to reach out with the gospel,
even in countries where the gospel is forbidden.
Zechariah 8:23
Thus saith the LORD of hosts; In those days it shall come
to pass, that ten men shall take hold out of all languages of the nations, even
shall take hold of the skirt of him that is a Jew, saying, We will go with you:
for we have heard that God is with you.