I’ve come to the end of the Old Testament. The minor
prophets, Zechariah and Malachi, have powerful messages and lessons that we can
heed today. Zechariah’s messages came from visions of powerful things to come
and instructions on how to live. He was speaking to the people who had just
returned to their land after their captivity in Babylon. Zechariah is the most
apocalyptic of the Minor Prophets as his visions detailed coming judgment. He
also speaks of the coming Messiah. His purpose was to give hope to the people
with the messages of the coming Messiah. Malachi’s message first focused on the
sins of the priests and then the sins of the people but ended with a message of
hope for those who remain faithful. His purpose was to confront the people with
their sins and to restore their relationship with God.
The first half of the book of Zechariah is filled with
powerful visions, many visions of things to come. I will discuss two which
stood out to me. First, the vision of the Lampstand in Zechariah 4:1-14. He
sees a solid gold lampstand with a bowl at the top and seven lights on it,
seven channels of light to the lights and on either side of the lampstand is an
olive tree. An angel of the Lord tells him that the vision means that the
lampstand is fueled by the Lord’s Spirit. Verse 6 says “Not by might, not by
power, but by Spirit.” The lampstand is kept burning by an unlimited reservoir
of oil. It is a vision to remind the people and us that it is only through
God’s Spirit that we will succeed, not by our own might and resources but by
the pouring out of his spirit. Second, the vision of the four horses and
chariots in Zechariah 6:1-8. The first chariot had red horses, the second
chariot had black horses, the third had white and the fourth had dappled (spots
or patches) (verse 2). The horses represent the four spirits of heaven who go
out into the world (verse 5). The chariot with the black horses was sent north,
the chariot with the white horses goes west and the one with the dappled horses
goes south (verse 6). It is interesting that the chariot with the red horses
isn’t mentioned specifically. In verse 7, Zechariah sees the powerful horses go
out, “straining to go throughout the world” does this include the red horses as
well? Was the chariot with the red horse held back? The Bible is silent about
this and I’ve read different commentaries with no clear answer. I'd like to think the chariot with the red horses were held back for some reason, a reason God did not reveal to Zechariah.
The second half of the book of Zechariah was written
approximately 38 years after the first half and contains prophecies of the
Messiah. Some have been fulfilled with Christ’s life and death and others have
not yet come to pass. In Zechariah 9:9-13 is a specific prophecy concerning the
Messiah. Verse 9 -10 states that the king will come to the people, first, riding
on a donkey (Matthew 21:1-11, Mark 22:1-11, Luke 19:28-38 and John 12:12-16)
and second as a powerful ruler. The Messiah will proclaim peace to the nations
and he will rule from sea to sea. Zechariah 10:4 speaks from Judah will come a
cornerstone, a tent peg, a battle bow and a ruler. The Messiah will be a
strong, stable, victorious and trustworthy. In Zechariah 12:10-14 is the image
of mourning. “They will look on me, the one they have pierced, and they will
mourn for him as one mourns for an only child, and grieve bitterly for him as one
grieves for a firstborn son” (verse 10). This mourning can easily describe the
crucifixion of the Messiah. Verse 12 states that the land will mourn as well.
Lastly, Zechariah 14 describes the eventual triumph of the Messiah over the
earth and his reign on earth. The Feast of the Tabernacle, the feast of
thanksgiving, will be celebrated with the king (verse 16). It is the only feast
that will be celebrated. The other feasts are no longer necessary as they were
fulfilled through Christ. The Passover with his death. The Day of Atonement
with acceptance of salvation through him. The Feast of First fruits with his
resurrection.
The first half of Malachi focuses on the sins of the priests
and the people. First, In Malachi 1:6-14, the Lord speaks to the priests for
their use of blemished sacrifices. In Leviticus 1:3, the Lord instructed that
burnt offerings must be a male without defect, however, the priests were
allowing people to offer offerings with defects. Blind, crippled and diseased
animals were offered as sacrifices to God in clear violation. God tells the
priests by allowing this violation to occur they were dishonoring him and
showed him contempt. They were offering sacrifices as they wanted and not as
God commanded. Second, in Malachi 2:1-9, God admonishes the priests for setting
their hearts against him and thus breaking the covenant he made with their
ancestor, Levi. He calls them to follow Levi’s example. Levi spoke with “true
instruction” and “nothing false was found on his lips” (verse 6). He walked
with the Lord “in peace and uprightness and turned many from sin” (verse 6).
Because they have turned away from this covenant, God has caused the priests to
be despised and humiliated before the people (verse 9). Lastly, God turns to
the sins of the people in Malachi 2:10-16, specifically to the kingdom of
Judah. Judah has broken faith with Israel and married “daughters of a foreign
god” (verse 11). The people also weep and wail that their offerings are no
longer accepted by God (verse 13). God tells them is it because they have
broken faith (divorced) the wife of their youth (verse 14) and failing to raise
godly children (verse 15). He tells them to guard themselves in their spirit
and keep the faith their wives (verse 15-16).
The second half of Malachi is a message of the Lord’s coming
and the attitudes of the people. In Malachi 3:1-5, the Lord tells the people he
is sending a messenger who will prepare the way for him (this part is
understood to refer to John the Baptist) and the Lord will appear like a
refiner’s fire (verse 2). He will sit as a refiner and purify of silver and
gold (verse 3). This is the image that God will remove the impurities of our
hearts and souls like a refiner does with silver and gold in order to make them
pure. As the refiner purifies gold and silver with fire, God will refine our
hearts and souls by using the difficulties and storms of life. In Malachi 3:6-15,
God accuses the people of robbing him from his proper tithes and offerings
(verse 8) as well making harsh statements against him (verse 13). Verse 14-15
is particularly meaningful to me as it reminds me of current attitudes toward
God. It states “You have said, ‘It is futile to serve God. What did we gain by
carrying out his requirements and going about like mourners before the Lord
Almighty? But now we call the arrogant blessed. Certainly the evildoers
prosper, and even those who challenge God escape.’” Wow! Sound familiar? These
verses point out the selfishness of this attitude. It’s about “what did God do
for me? What good did it do for me?” instead of “what did I do for God?” It is
the same attitude of those today who turn from God and deny his existence. Often
times when I met someone who doesn’t believe God exists, it’s because they
treat God like a genie who grants wishes and that someone didn’t get what he or
she wanted, then God must not exist. Lastly, God speaks about the faithful few
in Malachi 3:16-18. He calls them his treasured possession (verse 17). Those
who revere his name will be healed with the rising of “the sun of
righteousness” and they will be freed like calves free from the stall (Malachi
4:2).
In conclusion, as the words of the prophets come to a close,
we are left with the same warning. Turn back to God, keep the covenant, and
prepare for his coming or prepare for his judgment. Zechariah’s message was
filled with visions of the coming Messiah and the end times. His prophetic
messages were a blending of present, near future and end time visions. His
message is clear that our hope is only found in God and his Messiah who are in
complete control of the world. Malachi’s message gives us a practical guideline
to serve our commitment to God. Give him the best we can, be willing to change
from our wrong way of life and welcome God’s refining process in our lives. Malachi
was the last of the prophets. When he died, the voices of God’s prophets became
silent.
No comments:
Post a Comment