“Thus saith the LORD of hosts; The fast of the fourth month, and the fast
of the fifth, and the fast of the seventh, and the fast of the tenth, shall
be to the house of Judah joy and gladness, and cheerful feasts; therefore
love the truth and peace.”–Zechariah 8:19
My time for discourse upon this subject will be limited, as we shall gather
around the communion-table immediately afterwards. So in the former part
of my sermon I shall give you an outline of what might be said upon the
text if we had time to examine it fully. It will be just a crayon sketch
without much light and shade. You will be able to think over the subject at
your leisure, and fill up the picture for yourselves!
We have, in the chapters we have read, a blessed message of peace to God’s
people in the day of their trouble. In the land of their captivity the Jews
were in great perplexity. Their sad lament is on record; “By the rivers of
Babylon, there we sat down, yea, we wept, when we remembered Zion. We
hanged our harps upon the willows in the midst thereof.” But their trouble
led many of them to seek the Lord and he was found of them. Welcome is
such misery which leads to such mercy. In the seventh chapter we are told
that, when they sent unto the house of God, to pray before the Lord, and to
say, “Should I weep in the fifth month, separating myself, as I have done
these so many years? Then came the word of the Lord.” Jehovah has put
their tears into his bottle, and in answer to their sighing sent them a
message of hope. That message has in it much that is very practical. It is a
letter full of mercy, but it is directed to certain characters. God does not
send indiscriminate mercy. If men go on in their sin, he sends them words
of judgment; but when they turn from their wickedness, and are renewed
by his grace in the spirit of their minds, then it is that words of comfort
are spoken to them.
Reviewing the whole message which Zechariah was commissioned to deliver,
and which is summed up in our text, there are three things which stand out
in clear prominence. The first is, that God calls for transformation of
character in the people he is going to bless. The second is, that he
promises translation of condition to those whose characters are thus
changed and beautiful. And, lastly, he ordains transfiguration of
ordinances as the result of the new character and condition. The whole
subject is exceedingly suggestive, and well worthy of careful study when
you reach your homes.
We must not lose sight of the fact that, primarily, this message is for Israel
according to the flesh, and contains a prophesy of their latter-day glory.
God hath not cast off his people whom he did foreknow, and there are
majestic words here which still await their fulfillment when the set time
shall have come. The Lord “will dwell in the midst of Jerusalem”, and
make the place of his feet glorious in that day. But as “no prophesy of
Scripture is of any private interpretation,” so the message to the Jews also
bears a message for us. Let us seek to learn its lessons well.
I. My text reminds me–and the chapter before us emphasizes the fact–that,
when God means to bless his people, HE CALLS FOR TRANSFORMATION OF
CHARACTER.
The promise of the abiding presence of the Lord God Almighty is ever
proceeded by the call to separation and holiness. “The words which the Lord
had cried by the former prophets” made it very clear that only with the
righteous nation would God dwell; and Zechariah delivers a similar message.
Very remarkable will be the transformation of character which God shall
work. According to the text, love of truth is to be one of the main effects of
the change. These people certainly did not set much value on the truth
before; they were in love with every lie, with every false god, and with
every false prophet. But God would have them taste of his covenant
blessings, and be set free from every false way. It is the only truth that can
set men free; yet many there are even to-day who delight to be in bondage
to error. How is it with you? Do you love the truth, or can you put up with
that which is not true, if it is only pleasant? Say, dear heart, are you
anxious after truth–truth in your head, truth in your heart, truth on your
tongue, truth in your life? If you are false, and love falsehood, you are
taken with a sore disease; and unless you are healed of the plague, you can
never enter heaven. You must be transformed and made true, and only the
Spirit of truth can effect the mighty change.
Another sign must follow: love of peace. The text also says: “Therefore
love peace.” In some men it is a plain proof of conversion when they desire
peace. Some are naturally very hot-tempered, and soon boil over. These are
the men of great force of character, or else of great shallowness: it is the
small pot which is soon hot. Some are malicious; they can take enmity
quietly, and keep it in the refrigerator of their cold hearts, even for years.
Such love is not peace; they are at war with all who have in any degree
disappointed or displeased them. When the grace of God takes away an
angry, passionate, malicious disposition, it achieves a great wonder. But
then grace itself is a great wonder; and unless this change is wrought in
you who need it, you shall not see God, for you cannot enter heaven to go
into a passion there. Depend upon it, unless you lose your bad temper, you
will never be amongst the ranks of the glorified. It must be conquered and
removed, if you are to join the happy hosts on high. “They are without fault
before the throne of God;” and so must you be if you are to be numbered
amongst that company.
Moreover, those whom God blesses have undergone a transformation as to
their conduct with each other. Righteous dealing is another effect of the
change. Notice the ninth verse of the seventh chapter: “Thus speaketh the
Lord of Hosts, saying, Execute true judgment.” This is at all times a
necessary admonition, but never more necessary than new, when so many
never dream of justice and goodness: in business and in private life many
seem to have no care for righteousness. If the thing will pay, they will rob
right and left; and they will only be honest because there is an old saw that
saith, “Honesty is the best policy.” But he that us honest out of policy is
the most dishonest man in the world. May God grant us grace to do what is
right at all costs! Christian men, when the grace of God reigns in their
souls, would rather be the poorest of the poor than get rich by a single act
contrary to uprightness. O beloved members of this church, be upright in
all your transactions, clear and straight in your dealings; for how shall you
call yourselves the children of the righteous God if you make gain by
unholy transactions?
“This article originally appeared here at Bible Bulletin Board.”
