Sermon #34[1] Zechariah Series

Title: Wrath Deserved

Mercy Determined

Text: Zechariah 7:1-8:2

Subject: In Wrath God Remembers Mercy

Reading:

Habakkuk 3:1-19

1. A prayer of Habakkuk the prophet upon Shigionoth.

2. LORD, I have heard thy speech, and was afraid: O LORD, revive thy work in the midst of the years, in the midst of the years make known; in wrath remember mercy.

3. God came from Teman, and the Holy One from mount Paran. Selah. His glory covered the heavens, and the earth was full of his praise.

4. And his brightness was as the light; he had horns coming out of his hand: and there was the hiding of his power.

5. Before him went the pestilence, and burning coals went forth at his feet.

6. He stood, and measured the earth: he beheld, and drove asunder the nations; and the everlasting mountains were scattered, the perpetual hills did bow: his ways are everlasting.

7. I saw the tents of Cushan in affliction: and the curtains of the land of Midian did tremble.

8. Was the LORD displeased against the rivers? was thine anger against the rivers? was thy wrath against the sea, that thou didst ride upon thine horses and thy chariots of salvation?

9. Thy bow was made quite naked, according to the oaths of the tribes, even thy word. Selah. Thou didst cleave the earth with rivers.

10. The mountains saw thee, and they trembled: the overflowing of the water passed by: the deep uttered his voice, and lifted up his hands on high.

11. The sun and moon stood still in their habitation: at the light of thine arrows they went, and at the shining of thy glittering spear.

12. Thou didst march through the land in indignation, thou didst thresh the heathen in anger.

13. Thou wentest forth for the salvation of thy people, even for salvation with thine anointed; thou woundedst the head out of the house of the wicked, by discovering the foundation unto the neck. Selah.

14. Thou didst strike through with his staves the head of his villages: they came out as a whirlwind to scatter me: their rejoicing was as to devour the poor secretly.

15. Thou didst walk through the sea with thine horses, through the heap of great waters.

16. When I heard, my belly trembled; my lips quivered at the voice: rottenness entered into my bones, and I trembled in myself, that I might rest in the day of trouble: when he cometh up unto the people, he will invade them with his troops.

17. Although the fig tree shall not blossom, neither shall fruit be in the vines; the labour of the olive shall fail, and the fields shall yield no meat; the flock shall be cut off from the fold, and there shall be no herd in the stalls:

18. Yet I will rejoice in the LORD, I will joy in the God of my salvation.

19. The LORD God is my strength, and he will make my feet like hinds’ feet, and he will make me to walk upon mine high places. To the chief singer on my stringed instruments.

Introduction:

When God’s prophet, Habakkuk, declared to Israel the judgment of God upon the nation, declaring that the Lord God would lay the land desolate in his wrath, Habakkuk said, “When I heard, my belly trembled; my lips quivered at the voice: rottenness entered into my bones, and I trembled in myself” (Hab. 3:16). When he heard God’s word of judgment against his people, his determination to invade the land of Israel with troops and carry the nation away in the fury of his holy wrath, his belly trembled, his lips quivered and he trembled in himself. Then he lifted his heart to God in prayer, and said, “O LORD, I have heard thy speech, and was afraid: O LORD, revive (that is — preserve, keep alive) thy work in the midst of the years, in the midst of the years make known; in wrath remember mercy” (Hab. 3:2), and declared that even in his terrible judgments, “His ways are everlasting” (Hab. 3:6), “Thou didst ride upon thine horses and thy chariots of salvation” (Hab. 3:8). Even as he marched through the earth in his indignation, threshing the heathen in his anger, God’s prophet comforted himself with this sweet word of grace — “Thou wentest forth for the salvation of thy people, even for salvation with thine anointed” (Hab. 3:13). And with that sweet assurance, his soul was at peace (Hab. 3:17-19).

(Habakkuk 3:17-19) “Although the fig tree shall not blossom, neither shall fruit be in the vines; the labour of the olive shall fail, and the fields shall yield no meat; the flock shall be cut off from the fold, and there shall be no herd in the stalls: (18) Yet I will rejoice in the LORD, I will joy in the God of my salvation. (19) The LORD God is my strength, and he will make my feet like hinds’ feet, and he will make me to walk upon mine high places. To the chief singer on my stringed instruments.”

Like David, many years earlier, he found rest for his soul in God’s great purpose of grace, even when it appeared that everything was contrary to it (2 Sam. 23:5).

(2 Samuel 23:5) “Although my house be not so with God; yet he hath made with me an everlasting covenant, ordered in all things, and sure: for this is all my salvation, and all my desire, although he make it not to grow.”

Habakkuk and Jeremiah lived in the days of Israel’s apostasy and prophesied that God’s wrath would fall upon them, warning them of the seventy years of Babylonian captivity. Zechariah’s prophecy commenced after Israel’s return, during the rebuilding of Jerusalem and of the temple. In the eighth month of the second year of Darius’ reign he received a message from God in a series of visions, conveyed to us in chapters 1-6. Two years later, he received another message from God, a message declaring the cause of God’s wrath and his determination to save his people.

Proposition: I want you to see, and see clearly, that God’s wrath is that which he executes in response to man’s rebellion and sin, and his salvation is the determination of his free mercy and grace. As Paul puts it in Romans 6:23, — “The wages of sin is death but the gift of God is eternal life.”

Representative Messengers

(Zechariah 7:1) “And it came to pass in the fourth year of king Darius, that the word of the LORD came unto Zechariah in the fourth day of the ninth month, even in Chisleu.”

The Word of the Lord was precious in those days. There were plenty of prophets, but few who were true prophets. Few were those men who had a word from God. Few were those men who were sent of God. Few were those men who spoke for God. It had been two years since God’s had spoken from heaven, two years since he had given his prophet a message. Then, “the word of the Lord came unto Zechariah.” — What a blessing! God says, “He that hath my word, let him speak it faithfully” (Jer. 23:28). And Zechariah here gives us God’s Word faithfully.

(Zechariah 7:2) “When they had sent unto the house of God Sherezer and Regemmelech, and their men, to pray before the LORD.”

The message God gave to his prophet was God’s response to this delegation sent by those who had recently returned from Babylon, who came to the house of God “to pray before the Lord.” Two of the men in the delegation are specifically identified, — “Sherezer and Regemmelech.” “Sherezer” means “man of fire.” “Regemmelech” means “king’s heap.” They were, apparently men of significant importance among the Jews.

These men were sent as representatives of the nation of Israel; but they might just as well have been representatives of any nation, or any people. Indeed, they well represent all natural men, because all men are anxious to have a form of religion to pacify their guilty consciences, any form of religion that is of their own making and allows them to retain a sense of self-worth and self-righteousness before God. All men “take delight in approaching God” (Isa. 58:2) on their own terms. Until we are born of God and taught of him, we all vainly imagine that we can do or give something to God that will appease his wrath and win his favor (Mic. 6:6-7).

(Micah 6:6-7) “Wherewith shall I come before the LORD, and bow myself before the high God? shall I come before him with burnt offerings, with calves of a year old? (7) Will the LORD be pleased with thousands of rams, or with ten thousands of rivers of oil? shall I give my firstborn for my transgression, the fruit of my body for the sin of my soul?”

The leaven of the Pharisees permeates the hearts of all men. As Robert Hawker stated, Satan “infused this deadly poison unto our nature at the fall, and it runs like blood through the veins of the whole race.”

Seeking Approval

(Zechariah 7:3) “And to speak unto the priests which were in the house of the LORD of hosts, and to the prophets, saying, Should I weep in the fifth month, separating myself, as I have done these so many years?”

They did not really come to the temple to worship the Lord. They came seeking approval for their devices, their religious customs. In their proud arrogance and self-righteousness, presuming that they had done good by inventing ways to worship God, according to the traditions and customs of their fathers, they came to the priests and prophets of God, expecting them to approve of their inventions. It was in response to this that God sent his Word to Zechariah; and Zechariah faithfully declared it to all the people and to those self-serving prophets priests in Israel who were so highly admired and greatly loved because they dealt treacherously with the people in the name of God (Jer. 5:30-31).

(Jeremiah 5:30-31) “A wonderful and horrible thing is committed in the land; (31) The prophets prophesy falsely, and the priests bear rule by their means; and my people love to have it so: and what will ye do in the end thereof?”

Will Worship

(Zechariah 7:4-6) “Then came the word of the LORD of hosts unto me, saying, (5) Speak unto all the people of the land, and to the priests, saying, When ye fasted and mourned in the fifth and seventh month, even those seventy years, did ye at all fast unto me, even to me? (6) And when ye did eat, and when ye did drink, did not ye eat for yourselves, and drink for yourselves?”

The Jews had kept up a form of godliness throughout their 70 years of captivity; but they had utterly abandoned the worship of God, continuing to ignore his Word, just as they had in the days of Habakkuk and Jeremiah. All that they did in their pretense of worshipping God was nothing but “a show of wisdom in will worship, and humility, and neglecting of the body…to the satisfying of the flesh” (Col. 2:23). There was nothing in their religion to honor God, nothing glorifying to him.[2]

The gospel of Christ, redemption by his blood, salvation by grace alone, gives all glory to the triune God alone (Eph. 1:3-14). They asked “Should I weep in the fifth month, separating myself (That is Nazariting myself, sanctifying myself, making myself holier than others.), as I have done these so many years?” (v. 3) Like their fathers before them and their children after them, to this day, these self-righteous men stumbled at the stumbling stone, Christ Jesus. Going about to establish their own righteousness, they refused to submit themselves to the righteousness of God found in Christ alone (Rom. 9:30-10:4).

(Romans 9:30-33) “What shall we say then? That the Gentiles, which followed not after righteousness, have attained to righteousness, even the righteousness which is of faith. (31) But Israel, which followed after the law of righteousness, hath not attained to the law of righteousness. (32) Wherefore? Because they sought it not by faith, but as it were by the works of the law. For they stumbled at that stumblingstone; (33) As it is written, Behold, I lay in Sion a stumblingstone and rock of offence: and whosoever believeth on him shall not be ashamed.”

(Romans 10:1-4) “Brethren, my heart’s desire and prayer to God for Israel is, that they might be saved. (2) For I bear them record that they have a zeal of God, but not according to knowledge. (3) For they being ignorant of God’s righteousness, and going about to establish their own righteousness, have not submitted themselves unto the righteousness of God. (4) For Christ is the end of the law for righteousness to every one that believeth.”

Faith in Christ is such a self-emptying, self-denying thing, that none, except those who are taught of God the Holy Spirit can or will trust he Son of God alone for salvation and acceptance with the holy Lord God. Religion without faith, religion that does not look to the blood and righteousness of Christ alone is but the mockery of God. God says it is the religion of a rebellious people, walking in an evil way, after their own thoughts, provoking him to anger continually, — “Which say, Stand by thyself, come not near to me; for I am holier than thou. These are a smoke in my nose, a fire that burneth all the day.” (Isa, 65:2-5).

Word Despised

(Zechariah 7:7) “Should ye not hear the words which the LORD hath cried by the former prophets, when Jerusalem was inhabited and in prosperity, and the cities thereof round about her, when men inhabited the south and the plain?”

God had spoken to them by his prophets Hosea, Jeremiah, Isaiah, before he sent his furious judgment upon them and carried them away into Babylon, but they refused to hear his Word. And though he had now brought them back from seventy years of bondage and captivity, they persisted still in their rebellion, refusing to believe his Word, refusing to trust Christ. They continued to follow the way of Balaam, refusing to “know the righteousness of the Lord” (Mic. 6:5), mixing works with grace, trying to sanctify themselves, rather than trust Christ for redemption, righteousness and sanctification.

In all their pretended sanctity and fasting, in all their holy observances, there was a total disregard to the Word of God. What delusions men choose, what refuges of lies, who set up for themselves a form of godliness, while denying the gospel of Christ, which is the power of godliness!

God’s Requirement

(Zechariah 7:8-10) “And the word of the LORD came unto Zechariah, saying, (9) Thus speaketh the LORD of hosts, saying, Execute true judgment, and show mercy and compassions every man to his brother: (10) And oppress not the widow, nor the fatherless, the stranger, nor the poor; and let none of you imagine evil against his brother in your heart.”

They had despised his prophets, despised his Word, and despised the Lord God himself. Yet, he spoke the word of the gospel to them again, repeating exactly what he had told them before (Isa. 58:4-14; Jer. 5:1-4; Hosea 4:1).

(Isaiah 58:4-14) “Behold, ye fast for strife and debate, and to smite with the fist of wickedness: ye shall not fast as ye do this day, to make your voice to be heard on high. (5) Is it such a fast that I have chosen? a day for a man to afflict his soul? is it to bow down his head as a bulrush, and to spread sackcloth and ashes under him? wilt thou call this a fast, and an acceptable day to the LORD? (6) Is not this the fast that I have chosen? to loose the bands of wickedness, to undo the heavy burdens, and to let the oppressed go free, and that ye break every yoke? (7) Is it not to deal thy bread to the hungry, and that thou bring the poor that are cast out to thy house? when thou seest the naked, that thou cover him; and that thou hide not thyself from thine own flesh? (8) Then shall thy light break forth as the morning, and thine health shall spring forth speedily: and thy righteousness shall go before thee; the glory of the LORD shall be thy rereward. (9) Then shalt thou call, and the LORD shall answer; thou shalt cry, and he shall say, Here I am. If thou take away from the midst of thee the yoke, the putting forth of the finger, and speaking vanity; (10) And if thou draw out thy soul to the hungry, and satisfy the afflicted soul; then shall thy light rise in obscurity, and thy darkness be as the noon day: (11) And the LORD shall guide thee continually, and satisfy thy soul in drought, and make fat thy bones: and thou shalt be like a watered garden, and like a spring of water, whose waters fail not. (12) And they that shall be of thee shall build the old waste places: thou shalt raise up the foundations of many generations; and thou shalt be called, The repairer of the breach, The restorer of paths to dwell in. (13) If thou turn away thy foot from the sabbath, from doing thy pleasure on my holy day; and call the sabbath a delight, the holy of the LORD, honourable; and shalt honour him, not doing thine own ways, nor finding thine own pleasure, nor speaking thine own words: (14) Then shalt thou delight thyself in the LORD; and I will cause thee to ride upon the high places of the earth, and feed thee with the heritage of Jacob thy father: for the mouth of the LORD hath spoken it.”

(Jeremiah 5:1-4) “Run ye to and fro through the streets of Jerusalem, and see now, and know, and seek in the broad places thereof, if ye can find a man, if there be any that executeth judgment, that seeketh the truth; and I will pardon it. (2) And though they say, The LORD liveth; surely they swear falsely. (3) O LORD, are not thine eyes upon the truth? thou hast stricken them, but they have not grieved; thou hast consumed them, but they have refused to receive correction: they have made their faces harder than a rock; they have refused to return. (4) Therefore I said, Surely these are poor; they are foolish: for they know not the way of the LORD, nor the judgment of their God.”

(Hosea 4:1) “Hear the word of the LORD, ye children of Israel: for the LORD hath a controversy with the inhabitants of the land, because there is no truth, nor mercy, nor knowledge of God in the land.”

How often we refused to hear. Yet, the Lord God continued to speak! What mercy! What goodness! What longsuffering! What patience! How I thank him!

God’s Word has not changed. The gospel sent to Israel by Hosea, Isaiah and Jeremiah is the same message he sent by Micah and Zephaniah (Mic. 6:8; Zeph. 2:3).

(Micah 6:8) “He hath showed thee, O man, what is good; and what doth the LORD require of thee, but to do justly, and to love mercy, and to walk humbly with thy God?”

(Zephaniah 2:3) “Seek ye the LORD, all ye meek of the earth, which have wrought his judgment; seek righteousness, seek meekness: it may be ye shall be hid in the day of the LORD’S anger.”

And that is exactly the same message our Savior declares in the sermon on the Mount (Matt. 5:1-9).

(Matthew 5:1-9) “And seeing the multitudes, he went up into a mountain: and when he was set, his disciples came unto him: (2) And he opened his mouth, and taught them, saying, (3) Blessed are the poor in spirit: for theirs is the kingdom of heaven. (4) Blessed are they that mourn: for they shall be comforted. (5) Blessed are the meek: for they shall inherit the earth. (6) Blessed are they which do hunger and thirst after righteousness: for they shall be filled. (7) Blessed are