TRADITIONS OF MEN OR TRUE WORSHIP - PART 2 (Zechariah 7:1-14)
INTRODUCTION:
Last Sunday we began a new section of Zechariah that elaborates on what we have already heard from the visions, but instead of giving us more word pictures this section is mostly direct revelation from the LORD to Zechariah. The book began with a call to repentance in the opening verses in chapter one, and chapter seven is also a call to repentance and a warning to all the people of the land and to all the priests to not forsake true worship for the false worship of ritualism. In other words, don’t just go through the motions and think that will earn you favor with God. The chapter began with a delegation from Bethel asking if they needed to continue fasting and mourning in the fifth month as they had done for so many years. God’s response was to ask them if they were fasting for Him. Then He went on to show them that whether they were fasting or eating and drinking it was for themselves and not for the LORD. They thought that by going through the motions they could earn favor with God, they did not understand what God desired, what God required, what was true worship. Then He reminded the people that this had been a problem that the former prophets had addressed when Jerusalem was inhabited and prosperous and the cities and towns of all Israel were flourishing. They had been warned about ritualism, and the consequences of their not listening was seen in the Israel of Zechariah’s day, Jerusalem was just being rebuilt from its destruction, and the land was not inhabited and flourishing because only a small remnant had returned to inhabit the land. This morning as we finish up this chapter the LORD will again explain what true worship looks like in everyday life and then remind the people of their ancestor’s response to the word of the Lord and the result because of their response. This was to warn the people not to go the same way as their ancestors. Let’s pray and then get into our passage.
--PRAY--
SCRIPTURE:
Turn in your Bibles this morning to Zechariah 7:1-14, we are going to read the whole chapter but focus on verses 8-14 this morning. Please, if you are able, stand in honor of the reading of God’s word, and follow along as I read.
Zechariah 7:1-14,
“In the fourth year of King Darius, the word of the Lord came to Zechariah on the fourth day of the ninth month, which is Chislev. Now the town of Bethel had sent Sharezer and Regemmelech and their men to seek the favor of the Lord, speaking to the priests who belong to the house of the Lord of hosts, and to the prophets, saying, ‘Shall I weep in the fifth month and abstain, as I have done these many years?’ Then the word of the Lord of hosts came to me, saying, ‘Say to all the people of the land and to the priests, “When you fasted and mourned in the fifth and seventh months these seventy years, was it actually for Me that you fasted? When you eat and drink, do you not eat for yourselves and do you not drink for yourselves? Are not these the words which the Lord proclaimed by the former prophets, when Jerusalem was inhabited and prosperous along with its cities around it, and the Negev and the foothills were inhabited?” ’ Then the word of the Lord came to Zechariah saying, ‘Thus has the Lord of hosts said, “Dispense true justice and practice kindness and compassion each to his brother; and do not oppress the widow or the orphan, the stranger or the poor; and do not devise evil in your hearts against one another. But they refused to pay attention and turned a stubborn shoulder and stopped their ears from hearing. They made their hearts like flint so that they could not hear the law and the words which the Lord of hosts had sent by His Spirit through the former prophets; therefore great wrath came from the Lord of hosts. And just as He called and they would not listen, so they called and I would not listen,” says the Lord of hosts; “but I scattered them with a storm wind among all the nations whom they have not known. Thus the land is desolated behind them so that no one went back and forth, for they made the pleasant land desolate.”’ ” (Zechariah 7:1–14, NASB95)[1]
TRUE WORSHIP (Zechariah 7:8-10)
In verse 8, the word of the LORD, the word of Yahweh again came to Zechariah, and again like in Zechariah’s first call to repentance in chapter one, he refers to the warnings of the former prophets. Zechariah exhorted the people of the land and the priests to produce authentic fruit of righteousness. The essence of true worship is real obedience, and it takes place in everyday life. It is not the rituals and traditions of men that God desires, but hearts devoted to Him seen in the actions and deeds that produce the fruit of righteousness. The word of Yahweh that came again to the prophet was a parallel message to what had just been revealed in verses 4-7. Godly sincerity or piety was not only to be a part of Israel’s religious practices, but also a part of their daily life. It was not a list of religious activities that needed to be checked off throughout the year, but it was a lifestyle that revealed your loyalty to the LORD through real obedience. Jesus addressed this same issue with the people of His day. He asked the Pharisees in Matthew 15:3, “Why do you yourselves transgress the commandment of God for the sake of your tradition?” (Matthew 15:3b, NASB95)[2] The Pharisees did not genuinely love God, or they would have accepted Jesus, so they had replaced heartfelt, genuine obedience with a set of extrabiblical rules that were inconsistent and burdensome. As this verse just quoted shows us, Jesus informed them, that they had elevated their manmade traditions and legalistic rituals above the Word of God. The only righteousness that they produced was self-righteousness.
In verse seven, the prophet used the ancestors, the former generation of Israel to illustrate the need for genuine worship. Zechariah continued that approach here in discussing the essence of genuine worship as seen in righteous living. The past tense verb “said” in verse nine where Zechariah writes, “Thus has the LORD (Yahweh) of hosts said…” (Zechariah 7:9a, NASB95)[3] shows us that the words Zechariah is to record are God’s words that He has said throughout Israel’s history. The prophet speaking the word of Yahweh of hosts looked back to the prior generations to demonstrate the nature and importance of real obedience in his own day. How we live our life day to day shows were our devotion and loyalty lies, and as such obedience to the word of God then becomes an act of true worship.
The words spoken by the LORD of hosts revealed four characteristics of genuine obedience, the kind that honors, glorifies, and pleases Him. First, true obedience required Israel to “Dispense true justice.” (Zechariah 7:9b, NASB95)[4] As stated above, none of these characteristics of genuine obedience recorded by Zechariah were new. This first characteristic was spoken by various prophets throughout the Old Testament. Moses had declared it and Jeremiah and Ezekiel had denounced unrighteous judgment as appalling to the Lord. The word “dispense” is the Hebrew word for “judge” and the call to judge or dispense are legal words that speak about the practice of pronouncing a legal verdict or making a legal decision. This command of judging with true justice applied to leadership in the courts of Israel, but it also pertained to the common people as they made decisions to treat others justly in day-to-day society. In our Scripture reading this morning the prophet Micah declared, “He has told you, O man, what is good; And what does the Lord require of you But to do justice, to love kindness, And to walk humbly with your God?” (Micah 6:8, NASB95)[5] When the LORD of hosts declared that the people were to dispense true justice, this meant that they were to show no partiality. James picks up this characteristic in James 2:1 when he states, “My brethren, do not hold your faith in our glorious Lord Jesus Christ with an attitude of personal favoritism.” (James 2:1, NASB95)[6] In other words, James is saying that partiality is incompatible with true faith in Christ. To dispense to others true justice is to do for others exactly what God’s Word commands.
Second, genuine obedience which is an act of worship requires God’s people to “practice kindness and compassion each to his brother.” (Zechariah 7:9c, NASB95)[7] The word translated kindness could also be translated lovingkindness and is a word that is used to call for one to use all of one’s strength to extend mercy or kindness to another person. The New Testament captures the idea of this word by the word “grace.” Just as God graciously intervenes in our lives, as God’s people we are to engage with grace and kindness in the lives of others. The Lord also exhorted the Israelites to have compassion for one another, a word that carries the idea of showing immense care and concern for a person, as a mother does toward her child. God’s desire is not that we merely treat people fairly or do the minimum the law requires, but that we extend genuine grace and compassionate care to our brothers and sisters in Christ. This exhortation does not apply only to some, but to each individual. This characteristic carried out to the full will truly be an act of worship as we are obedient to our Lord’s words.
Third, genuine obedience does not take advantage of others. The prophet conveyed this characteristic by the Lord’s exhortation, “…do not oppress the widow or the orphan, the stranger or the poor…” (Zechariah 7:10a, NASB95)[8] The word “oppress” is a word that speaks of harsh treatment and pressure used to force or coerce a weaker people to fulfill the oppressor’s own desires. This oppressive action could be a manipulation for financial gain or to beat down and burden the helpless or vulnerable in society. God has always held a special place in His heart for widows and orphans because of their lack of a husband or father to protect and provide for them. The stranger is a foreigner living in your country, an immigrant, as such he could be easily neglected as an outsider, thus lacking support from the community. Also, the poor and suffering Israelite would have been an easy target, not possessing the strength or resources for defending himself. These were the people to whom Israel was to show kindness and compassion, the kind of attitude reflecting the character of God. In Deuteronomy 10:18-19 speaking of God, Moses wrote, “He executes justice for the orphan and the widow, and shows His love for the alien by giving him food and clothing. So show your love for the alien, for you were aliens in the land of Egypt.” (Deuteronomy 10:18–19, NASB95)[9] Because God has a special love for the oppressed and exploited, He exhorted His people to do the same. This reveals a profound, foundational principle of true spiritual life—it seeks to reflect, to imitate the moral character of God. Scriptural commands about morality are based on God’s law, but that law is a reflection of God’s holy nature. Obedience to the Word of God is devotion to God Himself and this is an act of true worship. It is because of this principle that James wrote in James 1:27, “Pure and undefiled religion in the sight of our God and Father is this: to visit orphans and widows in their distress, and to keep oneself unstained by the world.” (James 1:27, NASB95)[10] Many of the Israelites of Zechariah’s day were bound to traditions and rituals, thinking such practices would earn them favor with the Lord. The prophet speaking for the Lord reminds the people that no religious ritual or ceremony would please Yahweh unless it came from a heart of love for Him and for others.
Fourth, genuine obedience refuses to ponder evil in the heart. Yahweh of hosts said, “and do not devise evil in your hearts against one another.” (Zechariah 7:10b, NASB95)[11] The term “devise” refers to imagining, plotting, or planning. When you pair that with evil, it indicates how one intends harm toward others. The exhortation states that such wicked planning is formed in your hearts, the area of our life that contains our volition and will, hidden from man, but known to God. That God ended with a command dealing with the heart is very fitting. The remedy for false worship and ritualism is a transformed heart that loves the Lord and is devoted to serving Him while also seeking the good of others. This is the answer that the Lord Jesus gave to the Pharisees when asked which is the greatest commandment. Matthew 22:37-40 records His response, “And He said to him, ‘You shall love the Lord your God with all your heart, and with all your soul, and with all your mind.’ “This is the great and foremost commandment. The second is like it, ‘You shall love your neighbor as yourself. On these two commandments depend the whole Law and the Prophets.’ ” (Matthew 22:37–40, NASB95)[12] Relating this back to the fast that was originally asked about, the fast that God accepts as true worship is not a hypocritical ritual, but a life of righteousness, obedience, and self-sacrifice characterized by love and devotion for God and kindness and compassion for others.
FORMER RESPONSE AND RESULT (Zechariah 7:11-14)
As I already stated, these exhortations, these characteristics of genuine obedience, did not originate with Zechariah, but were the same commands Yahweh had given to the previous generations. Yahweh of hosts has not changed, He is the same yesterday, today, and forever. The sad truth is that the earlier generations, the ancestors of those living in Zechariah’s day had heard these same exhortations, and they openly rejected them. Zechariah speaking the words of Yahweh of hosts bluntly recounted the response of the former generation. He writes, “But they refused to pay attention and turned a stubborn shoulder and stopped their ears from hearing.” (Zechariah 7:11, NASB95)[13] That the former generation refused to pay attention does not mean that they were confused or unclear about God’s will, but it does mean they made a deliberate choice to reject His Word. Then that choice was put into action as they “turned a stubborn shoulder.” This same expression is used in Nehemiah 9:29 to describe Israel’s persistence in turning their back on God as they intentionally moved away from Him in rebellion. The ancestors also showed their resistance to the Yahweh by stopping their ears from hearing. Like bad-tempered and rude children, the previous generation of Israel plugged their ears to shut out God’s unwanted instruction. So rooted in their sin, Israel refused to hear God’s voice.
Yahweh declared that this stubborn rebellion of the previous generation came from the heart. He said, “They have made their hearts like flint…” (Zechariah 7:12a, NASB95)[14] This statement reveals that Israel’s resistance to God came from deep within. Look at these words carefully, they made their hearts hard. They set their minds, including their thinking, perspective, and attitude, against the Lord, hardening their hearts to the point of absolute rebellion. A heart as hard as flint is impenetrable.
Why did the past generation make their hearts so hard? “So that they could not hear the law and the words which the LORD of hosts had sent by His Spirit through the former prophets.” (Zechariah 7:12b, NASB95)[15] Sin, so deeply rooted, produced a deadly condition of spiritual self-destruction. The ancestors deliberately determined to resist the Word of God, refusing to hear it, much less obey it. They rejected all of it, both the law and the words, which are the first five books of Moses along with the rest of the Old Testament. And they did this knowing that the source, the true author of the Scriptures was Yahweh of hosts, the One who commands all the powers of heaven. They ignored His Word, even though they understood it was sent by His Spirit, every word inspired. They hard-heartedly rejected God’s Word though it came by the hand of the former prophets. Who worked signs and wonders to authenticate the inspired words which they spoke. Instead of trembling before God’s Word, Israel stubbornly hardened their hearts and plugged their ears. Throughout Israel’s history, Yahweh of hosts repeatedly called the nation to sincere worship and devoted obedience, but what they offered God instead were superficial rituals and hard-hearted rebellion.
What was the result of this rejection and rebellion? “Therefore great wrath came from the LORD of hosts.” (Zechariah 7:12c, NASB95)[16] Yahweh who controls the hosts of heaven, expressed severe displeasure toward His people for their hypocrisy and rebellion, and the result was an onslaught of fury that leveled the nation and sent the people into exile. Here’s what is so incredible, this divine punishment was directed at a people who appeared highly religious. The people of Israel never stopped holding on to external rituals even as their hearts wandered far from God. In judging that past generation, Yahweh did to Israel as they had done to Him. “’And just as He called and they would not listen, so they called and I would not listen,’ says the LORD of hosts.” (Zechariah 7:13, NASB95)[17] To the former generation Yahweh had called out to them to obey Him from the heart. But those ancestors would not listen. Instead, they responded with empty ceremonies and heartless rituals, which were nothing but disobedience in disguise. So, when God unleashed His fury, Israel called out to Him in prayer, in desperation they were pleading for help and deliverance from their enemies. But Yahweh would not listen to them. Because they had ignored His Word and His voice through the mouths of the former prophets, Yahweh ignored their cries in the day of their distress. His people experienced the hollowness of their own hollow ritualism.
In stead of answering their cries for help and deliverance, God said, “…but I scattered them with a storm wind…” (Zechariah 7:14a, NASB95) This is the same word used in Jonah 1:11-13 to described the storm that raged with gale-force winds that threatened to sink the ship Jonah was aboard when he was running from the Lord. This description tells us that God was not only scattering His people but doing so with violent intensity. Yahweh scattered the disobedient Israelites “…among all the nations whom they have not known. (Zechariah 7:14b, NASB95)[18] This is precisely what God had promised in the law and through the former prophets if they would have been listening and paying attention. God dispersed His people to places so foreign that they were essentially unknown to the nation. Yahweh by sending Israel into captivity moved them far away from Jerusalem and the temple, God was separating His people from Himself. To those who think their religious ritualism brings them close to God, this judgment proved otherwise. God casts out those whose religion is purely external; it is a relationship of love and devotion to the Lord that He is looking for among those who seek Him, a relationship where we love Him and love our neighbors as well.
This judgment on Israel was severe. Zechariah records, “Thus the land is desolated behind them so that no one went back and forth, for they made the pleasant land desolate.” (Zechariah 7:14c, NASB95)[19] To be desolate is to be deserted and to become a wasteland without any inhabitants. This phrase that no one went back and forth means that it remained empty, no one was even passing through and then returning. The word “they” refers to the Babylonians who made the pleasant land desolate, but in truth the people of the pleasant land should be blamed for making the land desolate. It was because of their sin, their rebellion, their hardened hearts and plugged ears that brought about the desolation. The responsibility for the pleasant land being desolate was theirs. The destruction of the Promised Land exhibited the fury of God’s wrath that He brought against His people because of their superficial obedience and false worship. It was a demonstration of the nature of their externalism, they gave God empty worship, so God gave them an empty land. The past generation was a clear illustration that God rejects false worship, and desires true worship from the heart that is devoted to Him.
CONCLUSION:
This is a warning for our own day as well. Not only do we have the definition of true worship from the Old Testament prophets, but we also have the same definition from the New Testament writers. The essence of true worship begins in our heart and is seen in our attitude and action toward others. This is the evidence of a heart devoted to the Lord Jesus Christ and eager to produce the fruit of righteousness that pleases Him. If this is not the case and we are just going through the motions so we can check it off of our religious to-do list, then we are no better than the former generation of Israelites that Zechariah spoke of, if this is what we have been doing then we need to repent, ask God to soften our hearts, and renew our relationship with Him. Paul in commending the Colossian believers for their steadfast faith in the Lord Jesus wrote in Colossians 1:9-12, “For this reason also, since the day we heard of it, we have not ceased to pray for you and to ask that you may be filled with the knowledge of His will in all spiritual wisdom and understanding, so that you will walk in a manner worthy of the Lord, to please Him in all respects, bearing fruit in every good work and increasing in the knowledge of God; strengthened with all power, according to His glorious might, for the attaining of all steadfastness and patience; joyously giving thanks to the Father, who has qualified us to share in the inheritance of the saints in Light.” (Colossians 1:9–12, NASB95)[20] Paul commends them and prays for them that their devotion to the Lord might be evident in their bearing fruit in every good work and increasing in the knowledge of God. This is where true worship begins, not in the church on Sunday morning, but in helping a neighbor, or a family member, showing kindness and compassion to those around us, dispensing true justice and visiting the widow and orphan in their distress, and keeping oneself unstained by the world.
[1]New American Standard Bible: 1995 Update. 1995. La Habra, CA: The Lockman Foundation.
[2]New American Standard Bible: 1995 Update. 1995. La Habra, CA: The Lockman Foundation.
[3]New American Standard Bible: 1995 Update. 1995. La Habra, CA: The Lockman Foundation.
[4]New American Standard Bible: 1995 Update. 1995. La Habra, CA: The Lockman Foundation.
[5]New American Standard Bible: 1995 Update. 1995. La Habra, CA: The Lockman Foundation.
[6]New American Standard Bible: 1995 Update. 1995. La Habra, CA: The Lockman Foundation.
[7]New American Standard Bible: 1995 Update. 1995. La Habra, CA: The Lockman Foundation.
[8]New American Standard Bible: 1995 Update. 1995. La Habra, CA: The Lockman Foundation.
[9]New American Standard Bible: 1995 Update. 1995. La Habra, CA: The Lockman Foundation.
[10]New American Standard Bible: 1995 Update. 1995. La Habra, CA: The Lockman Foundation.
[11]New American Standard Bible: 1995 Update. 1995. La Habra, CA: The Lockman Foundation.
[12]New American Standard Bible: 1995 Update. 1995. La Habra, CA: The Lockman Foundation.
[13]New American Standard Bible: 1995 Update. 1995. La Habra, CA: The Lockman Foundation.
[14]New American Standard Bible: 1995 Update. 1995. La Habra, CA: The Lockman Foundation.
[15]New American Standard Bible: 1995 Update. 1995. La Habra, CA: The Lockman Foundation.
[16]New American Standard Bible: 1995 Update. 1995. La Habra, CA: The Lockman Foundation.
[17]New American Standard Bible: 1995 Update. 1995. La Habra, CA: The Lockman Foundation.
[18]New American Standard Bible: 1995 Update. 1995. La Habra, CA: The Lockman Foundation.
[19]New American Standard Bible: 1995 Update. 1995. La Habra, CA: The Lockman Foundation.
[20]New American Standard Bible: 1995 Update. 1995. La Habra, CA: The Lockman Foundation.