Zech 12:1 The burden* of the word of the Lord against Israel. Thus says the Lord, who stretches out the heavens, lays the foundation of the earth, and forms the spirit of man within him: 2 "Behold, I will make Jerusalem a cup of drunkenness to all the surrounding peoples, when they lay siege against Judah and Jerusalem. 3 And it shall happen in that day that I will make Jerusalem a very heavy stone for all peoples; all who would heave it away will surely be cut in pieces, though all nations of the earth are gathered against it. 4 In that day," says the Lord, "I will strike every horse with confusion, and its rider with madness; I will open My eyes on the house of Judah, and will strike every horse of the peoples with blindness. 5 And the governors of Judah shall say in their heart, 'The inhabitants of Jerusalem are my strength in the Lord of hosts, their God.' 6 In that day I will make the governors of Judah like a firepan in the woodpile, and like a fiery torch in the sheaves; they shall devour all the surrounding peoples on the right hand and on the left, but Jerusalem shall be inhabited again in her own place--Jerusalem.
The prophet Zechariah was serving the Lord 500 years before the coming of Jesus Christ. At the time of his prophecy, Jerusalem was a wide spot in the road, just beginning to recover from complete destruction at the hands of the Babylonians some 70 years previous, and having just been re-occupied by a smallish band of Israelites who had chosen to return to their homeland following the years in exile in Babylon.
The nation was weak, and Jerusalem was struggling to survive - threatened by enemies all around, and threatened by Spiritual weakness from within. Early attempts to get the city back off the ground had mostly failed, as those who had returned focused on their own personal needs in desperation. The city they returned to was a burned out crater with nothing to offer. No temple, no walls of protection, and no place for anyone to live. It is completely natural the people would become despondent and turn to creature comforts first. Building up their own home-places became the priority.
Along came the prophets Haggai and Zechariah to spur the people to action on behalf of the Lord. Those who had stolen from the building supplies gathered to build the temple for their own homes were chastised by Haggai. Those who were overwhelmed by the staggering nature of the work which lay before them were encouraged and exhorted by Zechariah.
The amazing things Zechariah had to say pertained to Jerusalem, and to the return of the Messiah to this particular city at a future point in time. What Zechariah was telling the people on behalf of God is that Jerusalem, this small smoldering hunk of land torn and devastated, would soon become the most important piece of real estate on the face of the earth. How impossible that must have seemed to those present at the time. “Yeah…sure!”
Fast-forward 2500 years and we find Jerusalem at the center of the universe, the most sought-after real estate on the face of the earth – exactly as Zechariah had described – a cup of drunkenness over which all the earth is staggered.
- Pastor Bill
No comments:
Post a Comment