Learn Your Lessons Well

Zechariah 1:2–6 (NIV),

² “The Lord was very angry with your ancestors. ³ Therefore tell the people: This is what the Lord Almighty says: ‘Return to me,’ declares the Lord Almighty, ‘and I will return to you,’ says the Lord Almighty. ⁴ Do not be like your ancestors, to whom the earlier prophets proclaimed: This is what the Lord Almighty says: ‘Turn from your evil ways and your evil practices.’ But they would not listen or pay attention to me, declares the Lord. ⁵ Where are your ancestors now? And the prophets, do they live forever? ⁶ But did not my words and my decrees, which I commanded my servants the prophets, overtake your ancestors? “Then they repented and said, ‘The Lord Almighty has done to us what our ways and practices deserve, just as he determined to do.’ ”

We often hear that experience is a good teacher.  No so!  Only evaluated experience where lessons are learned and applied is a good teacher. God gives Israel a history lesson.  Their fathers did not heed God's call and they suffered for it.   The remedy was simple: "Return to me," declares the Lord Almighty, "and I will return to you."  "Spiritual problems are always easily solved; just do what God wants!" [1]

God cannot tolerate sin; and the point is clear: Don't do what your relatives did!  But note the Good News: "The divine wrath (v.2) is followed by the availability of divine grace (v.3)." [2] ""Then they repented" ("came to themselves," "changed their minds") is apparently a reference to what happened to the preexilic forefathers and/or to their offspring during the Exile and immediately afterward (cf. Ezra 9-10; Dan 9:1-19)." [2]

Zechariah's message is from the King. It is staggering to consider that the King of all kings is extending grace to His people. The LORD Almighty (or LORD of Hosts) is "a divine title used extensively by the postexilic prophets Zechariah, Haggai, and Malachi. It has military connotations (God as leader of Israel’s armies, 1 Sam. 17:45), but it also highlights God’s sovereign kingship over all creation." [3]

The Broadway musical, Godspell's song: Learn Your Lessons Well included these lyrics:

First ya gotta read 'em then ya gotta heed 'em
Ya never know when you're gonna need 'em
Just as old Elijah said to Jezebel
You better start to learn your lessons well!

Heavenly Father, I don't learn my lessons well.  How discouraging I can become when I repeat the same old sins.  Like a sideshow at the fair, they just keep popping up.  I am so grateful for grace, this morning.  Grace always follows wrath.  Grace always follows Your displeasure.  All doubt is diminished when we hear, "Confess .... and I will forgive."  Grace, grace, God's grace, Grace that will pardon and cleanse within; Grace, grace, God's grace, Grace that is greater than all our sin. Thank you, Father, for Your Son and my Savior, who is full of grace and truth.  Who forgives all my sins and heals all my diseases, who redeems my life from the pit and crowns me with love and compassion, who satisfies my desires with good things so that my youth is renewed like the eagle’s.” (Psalm 103:3–5, NIV)

 

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1. KJV Bible Commentary. 1994 (E. E. Hindson & W. M. Kroll, Ed.) (1795). Nashville: Thomas Nelson.

2. Expositor's Bible Commentary, The, Pradis CD-ROM:Zechariah/Exposition of Zechariah/I. The Introduction to the Entire Book (1:14)/B. A Call to Repentance (1:2-4), Book Version: 4.0.2

3. Whitlock, L. G., Sproul, R. C., Waltke, B. K., & Silva, M. (1995). The Reformation study Bible: Bringing the light of the Reformation to Scripture: New King James Version (Zec 1:3). Nashville: T. Nelson.