Subject: Zechariah #2 Title: God Never Forgets! Text: Zechariah 1:1-21

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1 Subject: Zechariah #2 Title: God Never Forgets! Text: Zechariah 1:1-21 Bulletin Blurb - June 14, God Never Forgets Where did the phrase an elephant never forgets originate from? The origin of the phrase seems to go back to observations that elephants follow the same paths and even hand down genetic memories of directions and place grounds across generations. Each elephant clan has a certain burial place, like many human communities, and always help the dying ones get back there if they are not killed traumatically first. It has been demonstrated in the 20th century that elephants also have a high friendship skill with humans, as well as developing lasting relationships with other elephants, and in fact do remember individuals of the human and their own species even when separated for decades. Chicago Daily Tribune Friday, January 9, 1959 (Price:.7 ) Headline: Elephant Forgets: Tramples Former Keeper to Death, Rochester, New York, January 8, 1959 An elephant that forgot trampled a former handler to death Thursday. Harold B. Cannon, 40, was killed when he sought a reunion with Sally, an Indian elephant. Cannon had been one of her handlers at Seneca Park Zoo until he left to take another job a year ago. He came back to work at the zoo Tuesday as a maintenance man and was warned to stay away from Sally. Thursday, the screams of a woman visitor to the zoo brought workers rushing to Sally s enclosure. They found Cannon lying in a corner with his head crushed. The woman said Sally had attacked him. City officials ordered Sally destroyed. Curator Earl Wells said Cannon probably thought she d remember him. Four Important Components of a Successful Life - Know what you believe and why - Knowledge. - Have a sense of belonging - Relationships. - Be part of a cause or mission greater than self - Meaning/Purpose. - Have hope for the future - things can be better and I can have a part in that - Future. Zechariah Factoids * Zechariah means God Remembers. The book is a book of encouragement: God has not forgotten His promises to His people Israel. 1

2 * Zechariah is one of three post-exilic minor prophets. Israel returns from Babylon/ Mede-Persia to rebuild the temple and the walls of Jerusalem. * Zechariah and Haggai were commissioned to get the stalled temple rebuilding project moving again. * It is believed that the book was written in two parts about 40 years apart. Both parts are highly motivational. The second part resembles Daniel and Revelation for its abundant prophetical statements. General Outline of the Book I. Messiah s Coming Anticipated (1-8) II. Messiah s Arrival and Rejection (9-11) III. Messiah s Return and Reception (12-14) * Last week we surveyed several themes found in the first half of the book, the first eight chapters: - Sovereignty - Judgment - Love - Christ - Wisdom - Worship - Holiness - Hope * My intent in bringing this series of messages is to encourage you, give you confidence in the promises of God and His Word. Life can be discouraging. We can lose heart and live a defeated life without the full confidence and realization of God s promises. * We are faced with many challenges, personally and as a culture: - economy - moral disintegration - health - PC - relationships - bag full of holes - etc. - etc. * Zechariah - God Remembers - God never forgets. * Last time we concluded with the promises of Zechariah 8:7-8: Zechariah 8:7 Thus saith the Lord of hosts; Behold, I will save my people from the east country, and from the west country; 8 And I will bring them, and they shall dwell in the midst of Jerusalem: and they shall be my people, and I will be their God, in truth and in righteousness. * The first eight chapters are dominated by eight visions that Zechariah had. Some of these visions are interpreted, some not. These non-interpreted visions lend a veil of mystery to the book much like Daniel and Revelation. 2

3 * Visions: - The horsemen among the myrtle trees (1:7-17) - The four horns and craftsmen (1:18-21) - The man with a measuring line (2:1-13) - The golden lampstand (4:1-14) - The flying (sc)roll (5:1-4) - The woman in the ephah (basket) (5:5-11) - The four chariots (6:1-8) - The crowning of Joshua (6:9-15) Zechariah One - Outline I. Introduction: The Commissioning of Zechariah (1-6) II. The First Vision: Spirit Horses (7, 8) III. The Vision Explained (9-11) IV. Judgment on Judah s Enemies (12-15) V. Judah and Jerusalem to Be Restored (16-19) VI. The Second Vision - Four Horns (18, 19) and Four Carpenters (20, 21) I. The Commissioning of Zechariah (1-6) Zechariah 1:1 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. * Israel is given a second chance. * God is a God of His Word - 70 years of captivity. * These are the times of the Gentiles spoken of in Luke 21:24. * Again, the Temple project has stalled. * The message begins with repent (1:3). * The words and judgments of God will be fulfilled. Men die. God does not die and he does not forget (1:5, 6). * God remembers - this truth is communicated through the first vision. 3

4 II. The First Vision: Spirit Horses (7, 8) Zechariah 1:7 Upon the four and twentieth day of the eleventh month, which is the month Sebat, 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, 8 I saw by night, and behold a man riding upon a red horse, and he stood among the myrtle trees that were in the bottom; and behind him were there red horses, speckled, and white. * This takes place three months after God first spoke to Zechariah (7). * Vision = as a man is wakened out of sleep * Three things: a man riding a red horse; myrtle trees; red, speckled and white horses. III. The Vision Explained (9-11) Zechariah 1:9 Then said I, O my lord, what are these? And the angel that talked with me said unto me, I will shew thee what these be. 10 And the man that stood among the myrtle trees answered and said, These are they whom the Lord hath sent to walk to and fro through the earth. 11 And they answered the angel of the Lord that stood among the myrtle trees, and said, We have walked to and fro through the earth, and, behold, all the earth sitteth still, and is at rest. * What are these? (9) * The horsemen are on a recon mission. * The report: all is quiet and still - peace (11). IV. Judgment on Judah s Enemies (12-15) Zechariah 1:12 Then the angel of the Lord answered and said, O Lord of hosts, how long wilt thou not have mercy on Jerusalem and on the cities of Judah, against which thou hast had indignation these threescore and ten years? 13 And the Lord answered the angel that talked with me with good words and comfortable words. 14 So the angel that communed with me said unto me, Cry thou, saying, Thus saith the Lord of hosts; I am jealous for Jerusalem and for Zion with a great jealousy. 15 And I am very sore displeased with the heathen that are at ease: for I was but a little displeased, and they helped forward the affliction. * The question of v.12. * Judah has suffered at the hands of her enemies for 70 years. God, are you going to allow them to get away with that? How long is this going to continue? 4

5 * The Lord answers with good and comforting words! (13). He has not forgotten them! * I am jealous for Jerusalem (14) and I am greatly upset with the heathen (15). They have poured salt on the wounds. V. Judah and Jerusalem to be restored (16, 17) Zechariah 1:16 Therefore thus saith the Lord; I am returned to Jerusalem with mercies: my house shall be built in it, saith the Lord of hosts, and a line shall be stretched forth upon Jerusalem. 17 Cry yet, saying, Thus saith the Lord of hosts; My cities through prosperity shall yet be spread abroad; and the Lord shall yet comfort Zion, and shall yet choose Jerusalem. * Comforting words: - I am returned...with mercies (16). - my house shall be built - a line shall be stretched (The idea is that the surveyor is measuring out the city). - The temple must be rebuilt - it is the center and symbol of Israel s worship life. Worship precedes everything! * God Remembers! * Look at verse 17! VI. The Second Vision - Four Horns (18, 19) and Four Carpenters (20, 21) Zechariah 1:18 Then lifted I up mine eyes, and saw, and behold four horns. 19 And I said unto the angel that talked with me, What be these? And he answered me, These are the horns which have scattered Judah, Israel, and Jerusalem. 20 And the Lord shewed me four carpenters. 21 Then said I, What come these to do? And he spake, saying, These are the horns which have scattered Judah, so that no man did lift up his head: but these are come to fray them, to cast out the horns of the Gentiles, which lifted up their horn over the land of Judah to scatter it. * Horns represent power, authority, strength, kingdoms. These represent the nations that have (and will?) scatter Israel. The horns could represent their kings. * These nations have introduced the Times of the Gentiles. Those times will end when the Millennial Kingdom is set up. * The carpenters are craftsmen who will fray the horns (21). They will overpower them. * God will bring justice! He remembers. He does not forget! 5

6 Precious Bible Promises, Samuel Clarke, 1750, 107pp (encouraging promises.com/p- Promises/Pr-Prom-Library/Precious Bible Promises.pdf) God will perform all of His promises: Deuteronomy 7:9 Joshua 23:14 Psalm 119:99, 90, 160 I Kings 8:56 Numbers 23:19 Isaiah 54:10 Hebrews 6:18 II Timothy 2:13 Hebrews 10:23 II Peter 3:9 Isaiah 25:1 Romans 4:21 Psalm 89:34 II Corinthians 1:20 Isaiah 46:11 Titus 1:2 Psalm 105:8 I Samuel 15:29 Deuteronomy 4:31 Psalm 9:10 II Peter 1:4 Practical Application God s Promises for Every Need - Thomas Nelson, 152pp Review the Promises of Zechariah 8:7, 8 God will not forget! Great Promises: Proverbs 3:5, 6 Hebrews 4:16 I Peter 5:7 James 1:5 Philippians 4:19 James 4:7 Jeremiah 33:3 II Corinthians 12:9 Psalm 119:165 Psalm 23 Matthew 11:28, 29 Hebrews 13:5 John 3:16 6

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