Title In That Day/Zech 12:1-9
Content 22. On that day
Zechariah 12:1-9
“In that day I will make the chiefs of Judah like a furnace in the woods, and like torches among the sheaves, and they will burn up all the peoples that surround them on their right and left, and the people of Jerusalem will again live in Jerusalem, the place where they saw it” (Zechariah 12:6).
In Zechariah 12, 13, and 14, the word 'in that day' appears numerous times.
On that day, we look at how Jehovah appears to us on that day, in what form, and as a God.
1. God who warns
“It is a warning from the word of the Lord” (Zech 12:1).
Verses 1-2 of the text show what kind of God God will appear and what form he will come in that day.
God appears to us as a God of warning, but He warns us through His Word.
Before taking the scourge of wrath, God must first give a warning with the Word.
God also reveals Himself as the God of creation and end, who has a beginning and an end.
He stretches out the heavens, establishes the earth, and reveals them as the maker of human life and hearts.
It is the One who stretches out the heavens, the one who made all we have the same words as Genesis 1.
This word is in the present tense in the Korean Bible, but if you look at the original Hebrew, you can see that it is in the present participle form, not the present tense nor the past tense.
The present participle means that the heavens of the past have been stretched out and are still being stretched out, and the foundations of the earth have been laid in the past and are still being formed.
Also, man's heart is not set once and is decided even now. That's why man's heart, which has been captured by God's hand, is continuously being shaped before God.
This shows that He is not a God who only creates, but is a God who exists and provides providence.
God provides all of us.
He provides with the economy.
Today, the living Word of God sustains, stretches, and shapes all of us, and continues today.
We listen to sermons countless times, read the Bible more than anyone else, and it is a privilege to enjoy the blessing of being in a position to study and learn God's Word, but hearing God's warning to prepare for that day is more than a blessing from God. It is a very important and glorious privilege.
That is why we must not neglect to listen to the warnings through the Word of God every day and every hour.
The word we hear now is not a passing word, it is not a word to a third party, but a word of warning to each of us.
Knowing for sure who God is will strengthen our faith action and all aspects of our lives.
The God who stretched out the heavens, established the foundation of the earth, and formed the hearts of men, He is giving warnings from the Word about what will happen on that day.
2. God who works
“In that day I will make Jerusalem a heavy stone for all nations” (Zechariah 12:3).
Jerusalem is a word that symbolizes religion, and the church continues to be expressed as Jerusalem.
How will the power of God who created the heavens and the earth be revealed to the church of God on that day?
At that time, the hard work of those who were enemies of God's people, those who harassed God's people, and those who were enemies toward the church will be in vain.
God protects His chosen people.
How dangerous is that day? But God is blinding the horses that are attacking the house of Judah.
God is looking around, but who dares to run? Also, God said that He will burn those who oppose His servants and protect the inhabitants of Jerusalem on that day, so the saints will become as strong as David before God.
David simply obeyed the word of God by faith.
Therefore, the saints who obey God will receive God's grace and protect them.
As we live in this world, we cannot help but hate others at all.
Even if there are some of us who have such a heart, do not resist those who believe in Jesus, and moreover, I hope that you will quickly release such a heart to those who are known as servants of God.
No matter how sinful Jerusalem was, God saved Jerusalem in the end.
We must trust that God will protect His chosen people.
If we believe in God's Word, rely on it, and obey it completely, we will not sweat cold even when times of pain come. Our failure to live like that is because we do not have faith, we do not obey, and we do not hold fast to God's Word.
Is there anyone among us? Has anyone ever had an adversary in the flesh? Does anyone have a thorn that pierces me? Is there anyone sick in the body? Is there anyone with a broken heart? Or is there someone who is straight and stuck in an impenetrable area? Trust that God protects us and blinds our adversaries.
I hope that you and I will surely believe in the God who stretches out the heavens, establishes the foundation of the earth, and forms the hearts of people even today and his word, and hopes for victory in the Lord.