“1 In the eighth month, in the second year of Darius, came the word of the LORD unto Zechariah, the son of Berechiah, the son of Iddo the prophet, saying, 2 The LORD hath been sore displeased with your fathers. 3 Therefore say thou unto them, Thus saith the LORD of hosts; Turn ye unto me, saith the LORD of hosts, and I will turn unto you, saith the LORD of hosts. 4 Be ye not as your fathers, unto whom the former prophets have cried, saying, Thus saith the LORD of hosts; Turn ye now from your evil ways, and from your evil doings: but they did not hear, nor hearken unto me, saith the LORD. 5 Your fathers, where are they? and the prophets, do they live for ever? 6 But my words and my statutes, which I commanded my servants the prophets, did they not take hold of your fathers? and they returned and said, Like as the LORD of hosts thought to do unto us, according to our ways, and according to our doings, so hath he dealt with us” (Zechariah 1:1-6).

     How important is it to God that believers are sensitive to the sin in our lives? How important is it that believers understand that sin (any sin) is a great offense against the holy character of our heavenly Father? Does God merely want us to recognize the fact that we are sinners and that sin is therefore inevitable in our lives? God’s Word clearly teaches that He expects His children to both recognize what sin is and turn from that sin in our lives. God wants us to hate sin as He hates sin. God wants us to have a broken heart about the sin in our lives.

     Have you ever found yourself saying, “Sure, I did that but what do you expect, after all, we are all sinners?” How easy it is to justify our failures before a forgiving God of grace and mercy. How easy it is to justify our rebellion and refusal to obey God’s commands. How easy it is to justify our refusal to do the work He has saved and called us to do. How easy it is to take His grace and mercy for granted.

     The central theme of the book of Zechariah (as well as Haggai and Malachi) is that the children of Israel were expected to live exemplary lives of holiness before a world of people who were very hostile to the absolute truths of God’s Word. Regardless of how morally and politically wicked the world was toward God’s children, they were to maintain a relationship of personal holiness with God and before the world. That relationship involved maintaining sensitivity towards sin while the world around them was becoming completely insensitive about sin.

     They were to maintain a Biblical perspective of who they were as a people – God’s children. Their first and foremost responsibility was to live in such a way as to please God and bring Him glory (doxological) regardless of how peculiar that lifestyle appeared to the world around them.

     We need a little historical background to understand Zechariah’s prophecy. Sixteen years had passed since king Cyrus’ degree in 536 B. C. That degree allowed 49,897 Jewish exiles to return to Jerusalem from Babylonian captivity to begin rebuilding the Temple.

“64 The whole congregation together was forty and two thousand three hundred and threescore [42,360], 65 Beside their servants and their maids, of whom there were seven thousand three hundred thirty and seven [7,337]: and there were among them two hundred [200] singing men and singing women” (Ezra 2:64-65).

     According to Ezra 1:3, only the most dedicated of the people were chosen to return. These were the cream of the crop.

“Who is there among you of all his people? his God be with him, and let him go up to Jerusalem, which is in Judah, and build the house of the LORD God of Israel, (he is the God,) which is in Jerusalem” (Ezra 1:3).

     By the second month of 535 B. C. (less then one year later), they had laid the foundation of the Temple.

“10 And when the builders laid the foundation of the temple of the LORD, they set the priests in their apparel with trumpets, and the Levites the sons of Asaph with cymbals, to praise the LORD, after the ordinance of David king of Israel. 11 And they sang together by course in praising and giving thanks unto the LORD; because he is good, for his mercy endureth for ever toward Israel. And all the people shouted with a great shout, when they praised the LORD, because the foundation of the house of the LORD was laid” (Ezra 3:10-11).

     The people were unified and serving the Lord with gladness of heart in holiness. They were set apart unto God in their work and consecrated to God in their hearts. Then the contaminating spirit of uncleanness came. Satan began his attack. Satan wanted the work to stop.

“1 Now when the adversaries of Judah and Benjamin heard that the children of the captivity builded the temple unto the LORD God of Israel; 2 Then they came to Zerubbabel, and to the chief of the fathers, and said unto them, Let us build with you: for we seek your God, as ye do; and we do sacrifice unto him since the days of Esarhaddon (ay-sar' Chad-dohn') king of Assur, which brought us up hither” (Ezra 4:1-2).

     The holy leaders of Israel refused to join hands (fellowship) with those who did not love God as they loved Him. As soon as the holy leaders of Israel refused, the true character of these people was revealed. They were “adversaries” to the purposes of God.

“3 But Zerubbabel, and Jeshua, and the rest of the chief of the fathers of Israel, said unto them, Ye have nothing to do with us to build an house unto our God; but we ourselves together will build unto the LORD God of Israel, as king Cyrus the king of Persia hath commanded us. 4 Then the people of the land weakened the hands of the people of Judah, and troubled them in building, 5 And hired counsellors against them, to frustrate their purpose, all the days of Cyrus king of Persia, even until the reign of Darius king of Persia” (Ezra 4:3-5).

     When the world cannot get you to accept them the way they are and do things the way they want, they will do everything they can to oppose you and destroy you or discredit you if possible. The politics started. As a result, the work of the Lord “ceased.” That is where we are at in Zechariah 1:1.

“23 Now when the copy of king Artaxerxes’ letter was read before Rehum, and Shimshai the scribe, and their companions, they went up in haste to Jerusalem unto the Jews, and made them to cease by force and power. 24 Then ceased the work of the house of God which is at Jerusalem. So it ceased unto the second year of the reign of Darius king of Persia” (Ezra 4:23-24).

“Then the prophets, Haggai the prophet, and Zechariah the son of Iddo, prophesied unto the Jews that were in Judah and Jerusalem in the name of the God of Israel, even unto them” (Ezra 5:1).

     Fourteen years had passed since the work had stopped. Zechariah and Haggai began to call the people back to the Lord’s work. However, the people of God had lost something absolutely essential to their motivation to serve the Lord. It would be absolutely essential to re-establish three things before the people would put their hearts into God’s work once again. The leaders soon found out how hard it is to get people back to God’s work once they had lost their focus, purpose and perspective.

     First, the people had lost their FOCUS. They were serving their own needs and were preoccupied with their own self-satisfaction. Secondly, they had forgotten their PURPOSE. They had been sent back to Israel to do the work of God, but were now caught up in building their own houses and their own businesses while the work of God fell into ruin.

“1 In the second year of Darius the king, in the sixth month, in the first day of the month, came the word of the LORD by Haggai the prophet unto Zerubbabel the son of Shealtiel, governor of Judah, and to Joshua the son of Josedech, the high priest, saying, 2 Thus speaketh the LORD of hosts, saying, This people say, The time is not come, the time that the LORD’S house should be built” (Haggai 1:1-2).

     “This people say” (Haggai 1:2). Essentially, they were saying, “Leave us alone. The world does not want this Temple to be built.” They were more concerned with what the world wanted then with what God wanted. Therefore, they began pandering to the world.

     Thirdly, they lost their PERSPECTIVE of life (vision). They became temporal in their thinking rather then eternal.

“3 Then came the word of the LORD by Haggai the prophet, saying, 4 Is it time for you, O ye, to dwell in your cieled houses, and this house lie waste? 5 Now therefore thus saith the LORD of hosts; Consider your ways. 6 Ye have sown much, and bring in little; ye eat, but ye have not enough; ye drink, but ye are not filled with drink; ye clothe you, but there is none warm; and he that earneth wages earneth wages to put it into a bag with holes. 7 Thus saith the LORD of hosts; Consider your ways” (Haggai 1:3-7).

     God was telling them that their lives were without any real fulfillment because they were aimlessly going through the motions of existence without a Biblical focus, purpose or perspective. No matter how much they accomplished or gained materialistically, those things would not and could not fulfill them. According to what God said in Haggai 1:6, everything they were doing was a waste of life and effort.

     After God spoke to them through the prophets, they wanted to get back to the work. There was a sense of duty. After all that is why they were freed from Babylonian captivity. Their consciences would not let them be at peace in the Promised Land without doing what they were sent there to do. They thought that all they needed to do what get back to work. They needed much more. They had lost their zeal for God’s work because they lost their focus, purpose and perspective. Without those realities in their lives, the work would always be a burden to them. Before the work could ever be a joy once again, the people needed to return to hungering and thirsting after God. God could not bless their work or use the Temple they built until their hands were clean and their hearts were right.

“12 If one bear holy flesh in the skirt of his garment, and with his skirt do touch bread, or pottage, or wine, or oil, or any meat, shall it be holy? And the priests answered and said, No. 13 Then said Haggai, If one that is unclean by a dead body touch any of these, shall it be unclean? And the priests answered and said, It shall be unclean. 14 Then answered Haggai, and said, So is this people, and so is this nation before me, saith the LORD; and so is every work of their hands; and that which they offer there is unclean” (Haggai 2:12-14).

FOCUS: it was God Himself Who had sent them their. They were working for Him. PURPOSE: they were there to build a Temple for worship and praise of God. PERSPECTIVE: the only way their work could be blessed of God and accepted by Him was when their hearts were right with Him.

     Oftentimes our emphasis is simply to get God’s children to work when God’s emphasis is to first get people to holiness and right living, and then the work will not be a burden.

“18 Consider now from this day and upward, from the four and twentieth day of the ninth month, even from the day that the foundation of the LORD’S temple was laid, consider it. 19 Is the seed yet in the barn? yea, as yet the vine, and the fig tree, and the pomegranate, and the olive tree, hath not brought forth: from this day will I bless you” (Haggai 2:18-19).

     God is not primarily concerned with getting you to serve Him. God wants your heart. When He has your heart, He can use your hands. When your heart is right and clean your hands will be clean and blessed. From the day Israel would regain their right FOCUS, PURPOSE and PERSPECTIVE, God would begin to bless (restoration and revival). This is the promise that introduces the book of Zechariah.

“The LORD hath been sore displeased with your fathers” (Zechariah 1:2).

     Literally, this says, “The LORD has been angry with great anger.” God was severely displeased. Remember, these people were the cream of the crop of Israel, the most spiritual of the lot. They may not have been the Baal worshippers that went into captivity, but they were far from where they should have been. Their idols were their own ambitions.

     We think that all we need to do is get the outside of our sepulchers looking good and God will be satisfied, not so my friend. God wants the inner man of the heart right with Him. It is the inner man of the heart God calls to “turn unto” Him. ( Zechariah 1:3).

     It is said that if you can control a horse’s head, you can control his body. When God controls your heart (will), He will be in control of the rest of you also. Yet so many Christians end up going nowhere and doing nothing for God because they refuse to completely turn their hearts over to God’s control. When that continues, this world and all it offers becomes a ball and chain to spiritual growth and Christian service.

     When God says, “Turn unto me . . . And I will turn unto you,” it signifies two turnings. When our hearts are not completely turned to God, we join ourselves in an unholy alliance with whatever captivates the attention of our hearts (will or desires). When that happens, we turn FROM God. When that happens, God’s hand of blessing, peace and joy turns from us (two turnings).

     The word “and” in Zechariah 1:3 expresses a subordinate idea of purpose. It could read, Return unto me in order that I may return unto you.” Unless and until we realize the necessity of a complete turning of the heart (will and desires) to God, we will constantly be taken into spiritual captivity. God does not just want a return to the work. God wants a return to Him first.

“12 Therefore also now, saith the LORD, turn ye even to me with all your heart, and with fasting, and with weeping, and with mourning: 13 And rend your heart, and not your garments, and turn unto the LORD your God: for he is gracious and merciful, slow to anger, and of great kindness, and repenteth him of the evil. 14 Who knoweth if he will return and repent, and leave a blessing behind him; even a meat offering and a drink offering unto the LORD your God? 15 Blow the trumpet in Zion, sanctify a fast, call a solemn assembly: 16 Gather the people, sanctify the congregation, assemble the elders, gather the children, and those that suck the breasts: let the bridegroom go forth of his chamber, and the bride out of her closet. 17 Let the priests, the ministers of the LORD, weep between the porch and the altar, and let them say, Spare thy people, O LORD, and give not thine heritage to reproach, that the heathen should rule over them: wherefore should they say among the people, Where is their God” (Joel 2:12-17)?

     “Between the porch and the altar” was where the priests got their hearts right with God before they offered a sacrifice to the Lord. Hearts must be broken about sin before God can accept the offerings of our hands. However, when we refuse to be this kind of people, the world will look on us and mockingly say, “Where is their God?” We need to be broken hearted about sin! Holiness is not measured just by how far away from the world we stand. Holiness is measured by how close to God we stand!