Words of Comfort, Words of Kindness, From the Lord of Hosts.

The Man Among the Myrtle Trees - Part 1

Zechariah receives 8 visions.  They all came in one night. ("Since the date notice—the twenty-fourth day of the eleventh month, the month Shebat (January-February), in the second year of Darius (519 B.C.)—accompanies the first vision, and the next time reference is not until 7:1, it is assumed that all eight visions came one after another on a single night (v. 8)." [1]  They do form a unity of revelation. There is an overall message.   The first vision in Zechariah 1:7–17 is important to setting the unit of thought. This is the vision of the man among the myrtle trees.

“During the night I had a vision, and there before me was a man mounted on a red horse. He was standing among the myrtle trees in a ravine. Behind him were red, brown and white horses.” (Zechariah 1:8, NIV).  Who were these myrtle trees?  Who were the horses?  A man (The Angel of the Lord) standing in the grove of myrtle trees explained to Zechariah: "They are the ones the LORD has sent to go throughout the earth" (v10). They report to the Angel of the Lord what is going on around the world.  "We have gone throughout the earth and found the whole world at rest and in peace" (v11).  How is it possible that the whole world is at peace when God's people are in such disarray?

The Angel of the Lord asks the Lord Almighty, "How long will you withhold mercy from Jerusalem and from the towns of Judah,a which you have been angry with these seventy years?" (v12) So with kind and comforting words, the Lord Almighty said,

 “Then the angel who was speaking to me said, “Proclaim this word: This is what the Lord Almighty says: ‘I am very jealous for Jerusalem and Zion, and I am very angry with the nations that feel secure. I was only a little angry, but they went too far with the punishment.’ “Therefore this is what the Lord says: ‘I will return to Jerusalem with mercy, and there my house will be rebuilt. And the measuring line will be stretched out over Jerusalem,’ declares the Lord Almighty. “Proclaim further: This is what the Lord Almighty says: ‘My towns will again overflow with prosperity, and the Lord will again comfort Zion and choose Jerusalem.’ ”” (Zechariah 1:14–17, NIV)

What appears to be an anomaly: nations at peace; Israel in a state of unrest, is going to be reversed. God is going to return mercy to His people; rebuild His House; and pour out blessing on His Nation. While evil seems to prosper, God's heart is attuned to His people. "“Although God's covenant people are troubled while the oppressing nations are at ease, God is "jealous" for his people and will restore them, their towns, and the temple." [2]

There is a lot more here to consider next, however, it is good to recognize that "the distinctive features of comfort for Israel in this first vision are: (1) the presence of the Angel of Jehovah in the midst of degraded and depressed Israel; (2) His loving and yearning intercession for them; (3) the promises of future blessings." [2] 

The Psalmist wrote: “I will listen to what God the Lord says; he promises peace to his people, his faithful servants— but let them not turn to folly.” (Psalm 85:8, NIV).  

Father, what nourishment to my soul to hear words of peace at the start of this day. Unlike Zechariah's day, the nations are in uproar.  Today there is fear and futility everywhere.  And what mercy to hear words of comfort for You today.  “No, in all these things we are more than conquerors through him who loved us. For I am convinced that neither death nor life, neither angels nor demons, neither the present nor the future, nor any powers, neither height nor depth, nor anything else in all creation, will be able to separate us from the love of God that is in Christ Jesus our Lord.” (Romans 8:37–39, NIV).  Grant to me and all who love You, this resounding confidence that You are ever committed to Your people and nothing can separate us from Your love.  May this confidence breed holiness.  May this peace erupt in Christ-exalting perseverance in our walk with You.  “no weapon forged against you will prevail, and you will refute every tongue that accuses you. This is the heritage of the servants of the Lord, and this is their vindication from me,” declares the Lord.” (Isaiah 54:17, NIV)

 

 

 

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1. Believer’s Study Bible. 1991 (W. A. Criswell, P. Patterson, E. R. Clendenen, D. L. Akin, M. Chamberlin, D. K. Patterson & J. Pogue, Ed.) (electronic ed.) (Zec 1:7). Nashville: Thomas Nelson.
2. Expositor's Bible Commentary, The, Pradis CD-ROM:Zechariah/Exposition of Zechariah/II. A Series of Eight Night Visions (1:7-6:8)/A. The First Vision: The Horseman Among the Myrtle Trees (1:7-17), Book Version: 4.0.2

Love Is Not The Goal!

Galatians 5:22–25 (NIV),

²² But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, forbearance, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, ²³ gentleness and self-control. Against such things there is no law. ²⁴ Those who belong to Christ Jesus have crucified the flesh with its passions and desires. ²⁵ Since we live by the Spirit, let us keep in step with the Spirit.

"The Apostle saith not, the works of the Spirit, as he said the works of the flesh, but he adorneth these Christian virtues with a more honourable name, calling them the fruits of the Spirit. For they bring with them most excellent fruits and commodities: for they that have them give glory to God, and with the same do allure and provoke others to embrace the doctrine and faith of Christ."[1]

"The list is not exhaustive, but representative (e.g., no mention of generosity). It presents the desires and characteristics God cultivates in believers through His Spirit. This list describes a community of believers “under the Spirit”—empowered and directed by God’s living presence rather than the dictates of the law. Just as fruit needs time to grow, these qualities require time to grow in the life of the community." [2]

"Against such things there is no law." "Although the flesh resist, yet do they walk after the Spirit. So a Christian accomplisheth the law inwardly by faith (for Christ is the perfection of the law unto righteousness, to all that do believe), outwardly by works and by remission of sins. But those which perform the works and desires of the flesh, the law doth accuse and condemn both civilly and spiritually." [1]  Or in other words: "Those who belong to Christ Jesus have crucified the flesh with its passions and desires."  This is a settled matter for the believer.  For the Christian, our identity with Christ has "indicatively" crucified the flesh (See 2:20; 6:14; Rom. 6:6.). Sin's grip has been broken.  And because this is true "indicatively" we have the power to obey this "imperatively". "The Christian is to daily give outward expression of his inward experience and in order to do this, he must constantly reckon himself “to be dead indeed unto sin, but alive unto God through our Lord Jesus Christ” (Rom 6:11)." [3]

How do we crucify and deal with the "cancelled sin" in our lives?  Answer: We live by the Spirit. We keep in step with the Spirit.  We follow the Spirit.  "For where the Spirit is, it reneweth men and worketh in them new motions: that is to say, whereas they were before vainglorious, wrathful and envious, &c., it maketh them now humble, gentle, and patient, &c. Such men seek not their own glory, but the glory of God: they do not provoke one another, or envy one another, but give place one to another, and in giving honour prevent one another." [4]

There can be the tendency as we examine these attributes of the Spirit that we so desire them for our lives that we fall prey again to making laws to arouse them and keep them in our behavior.  Not so. In fact the best way to be loving is to not try to be loving, but in fact to be filled with the Spirit, to be living and walking in the Spirit.  To follow the lead of the Holy Spirit.  “for it is God who works in you to will and to act in order to fulfill his good purpose.” (Philippians 2:13, NIV).

Father, I find it so easy to be a judaizer.  As soon as I hear that I need to be loving or patient or whatever I immediately start to think of rituals and disciplines that I can engage in to make me so. I'm a great law-keeper.  Unfortunately that always fails in my life. It is the Holy Spirit who must produce these wonders of grace, not me.   Help me today to get over this knee-jerk reaction.  Train in me the desire to look to the Spirit for help.  Sins power has already been broken.  Now with the grace of the Spirit we can produce His fruits and in a way that He gets the glory, not me.   Help me, Father, to do so.  For Your sake and Your glory.  Amen.

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1. Luther, M. (1997). Commentary on Galatians (Ga 5:22). Oak Harbor, WA: Logos Research Systems, Inc.

2. Barry, J. D., Heiser, M. S., Custis, M., Mangum, D., & Whitehead, M. M. (2012). Faithlife Study Bible (Ga 5:22–23). Bellingham, WA: Logos Bible Software.

3. KJV Bible Commentary. 1994 (E. E. Hindson & W. M. Kroll, Ed.) (2399). Nashville: Thomas Nelson.

4. Luther, M. (1997). Commentary on Galatians (Ga 5:25). Oak Harbor, WA: Logos Research Systems, Inc.