“Therefore thus says the Lord; ‘I am returned to Jerusalem with mercies; My house shall be built in it.'” Zechariah 1:16
Dear Ones:
The Lord in Scripture goes to great lengths to reveal to us His ways, design, and will, with regard to that which is eternally sure and certain. Beginning specifically with Abel, to Abraham, to Moses and the people of Israel, the issue of true worship, in Spirit and truth, is fundamental to all else. It is by this act and attitude that the foundation is laid for faith, and the strength to exercise it. From the offering of that sacrifice by Abel, to that in Egypt for the salvation of the people, all true worship would be directed towards Calvary, the giving of the Son by the Father, and the Son’s work and life given on the Cross. The intervention of God is revealed in every picture, explanation, and guidance given, with regard to God’s way for man to be able to approach Him. At the end of the period of seventy years, when Israel was in exile according to the time frame declared by God through Jeremiah, we find that God AGAIN moves to re-establish worship in the hearts and minds of the people of Israel. How does He do this, and how does it apply to our lives?
After the declaration that the length of the captivity will be seventy years, the Lord begins declaring His promises, with regard to His intervention at the end of that period. Yes, He will meet the needs of the hearts, minds, and bodies of the people during the captivity, but the measure and magnitude of the blessing that he wills to give to the people is beyond what they could ever ask or think. He begins by saying, “I WILL VISIT YOU.” (Jer. 29:10) In the book of Zechariah, though the return from captivity had already begun, and part of the nation of Israel had returned to the land, He would again reiterate that declaration: “Thus says the Lord, ‘I AM returned to Jerusalem with mercies.” (1:16) In both declarations the Lord specifically promises His presence, and His blessing, so that worship can again be foremost in the hearts and minds of the people. That which is tangibly before them, so that they will SEE His glory, is the rebuilding of the temple. Though this temple will not be comparable to Solomon’s, there will be a magnificent promise associated with it: “‘I will fill this house with My glory,’ says the Lord of hosts, ‘The glory of this latter house shall be greater than of the former,’ says the Lord of hosts.” (Hag.2:7,9) The central point in the consideration of God’s commitment to return is this: God will certainly intervene, and at the right time, in that endeavor which is of Him. He does this first of all by declaring what He will do, and then confirms it to the heart and mind of the believer. But, how does He work in the believer to bring him or her to that place of worship and work, that His purposes will be realized?
Scripture tells us that King Cyrus of Persia was instrumental in commanding that the Lord’s house should be built in Jerusalem. God did this by “stirring” Cyrus up, not only to proclaim that this was to be so, but to exert his power and authority for its accomplishment. When the people had returned to the land, the Lord would “stir up the spirit” of Zerubbabel the governor, Joshua the Priest, and the remnant of the people. (Hag. 1:14) God would intervene in everyone’s heart to “will and do” of His good pleasure. Or as David wrote: “Thy people shall be willing in the day of THY power.” (Ps.110:3) It is as the Lord sovereignly, and specifically, works in the heart and mind to stir up the individual to pursue Him, and that which pertains to His purposes done in His way, that His kingdom comes and His will is done. God assuredly returns to the heart, and restores the soul of the believer.
Dear Father, Stir us up to wholly respond in faith to the overtures of Thy Spirit. In Jesus’ name, Amen.
Love, Dad