Any Hope?

Zechariah 1 -2 When Cyrus became the ruler in Babylon, he permitted the Jews to emigrate from Babylon back to Jerusalem to rebuild the Temple. God in his sovereignty had had Isaiah prophesy that this was His plan and even named Cyrus as the ruler years before his birth! (Isaiah 44:28) Back in Jerusalem, Zechariah and Haggai began to encourage the exiles to now begin rebuilding the Temple.

But, before they could rebuild, Zechariah would remind them that God wanted his people to learn from the past, learn from what their fathers did not do; remember their disobedience lest they fall back into that same frame of mind. He had sent prophets but they did not pay any attention or listen to them. He also offered hope to them if they turned from their evil wickedness but their words fell on deaf ears. Micah had reminded them God would turn and have compassion upon them and cast all their sins into the depths of the sea. Now with this ringing in their ears, they listened and began to confess:  “The Lord of Heaven’s Armies has indeed done what he said he would do to us, because of our sinful ways.” Words of repentance are a sweet balm to the Lord in heaven. He loves to hear of our words: I am sorry and I am willing to obey.

It is then that the floodgates of heaven swung open! “Sing out and be happy!” but also a simple reminder to do just as Zephaniah had said: “be silent in the Lord’s presence,”