June 26, 2024

GOD’S WORD FOR TODAY:

“Then the Lord showed me four craftsmen. I asked, ‘What are these coming to do?‘ He answered, ‘These are the horns that scattered Judah so that no one could raise their head, but the craftsmen have come to terrify them and throw down these horns of the nations who lifted up their horns against the land of Judah to scatter its people.’” (Zechariah 1.20-21)

REFLECTION ON GOD’S WORD:

Let’s follow the “Knight’s Tale” imagery for a bit longer in these two verses. I am speaking of the phrase “throw down.” We all have thrown something down. Generally, we “throw down” things that we don’t like or that disgust us. It starts early on as baby’s exert their opinion on something by throwing things down. We call it a “temper tantrum.” Of course, the exhilaration of such power leads to throwing things period and not thinking of the consequences. Those consequences have to be learned, too. Sometimes that learning crosses the paths of a challenge which has been called “to throw down.” One phrase used for that which we don’t think of much anymore is “throwing down the gauntlet.” The invitation to battle may not be more than a temper tantrum for adults who lack the ability to find any other way to resolve their conflicts. Sadly, in today’s culture and climate, such challenges have extended to dangerous lengths finding a culmination in wars and rumors of wars. Jesus professed these as the foreshadowing of the “last days.” The increasing number of such challenges might well be heeded by everyone; especially the mighty ones of God. We would do well ourselves to throw our own gauntlet down which is the “gospel of peace.” We should challenge the world, nation by nation, person by person, with the authority of God’s will and His mercy and grace.

In these two verses I am reflecting upon (Zechariah 1.20-21), we hear the idiomatic phrase to “throw down.” It is what the four craftsmen do with the four horns of nations who lifted them up against Israel and Jerusalem. The horns today against nations may sound different than in the day of Zechariah and his spiritual colleagues. Then, it was the sound of shofars which announced the coming of an army as it did the prelude to worship in the temple. Have you ever heard a Minnesota Viking game when their offense or defense is facing a third down situation that is close to becoming a first down for themselves or the opposite team? There is a bellowing horn, deep and resonant, sounded (mechanically now for broader effect) to alert everyone of the situation. It is meant to strike fear and inspire confidence. When the army of Israel under Joshua’s leadership marched around Jericho, no words were spoken. They marched from their camp two miles in distance from Jericho, marched around the hill on which Jericho was built into its rock and marched back to their camp. It would have been an awesome display of power. The exact number of soldiers in the march is not known. What is known is that at the front of the column were the seven priests armed with shofars and the Ark of the Covenant. They sounded them continuously in a variety of pitches. It was quite an “orchestration.” They marched like this for six days under the direction of Joshua. The army and the citizens of Jericho watched from their perches high on the hill. Perhaps they threw down stones, clanged pots, jeered and sounded their own horns. Then came the seventh day. I think this gets lost in our modern rendering of the Battle of Jericho that they attacked on the Sabbath, the seventh day. When the army of Israel marched out of camp, they were given strict orders to not speak until spoken to. To those in Jericho who were probably weary of this scene and perhaps tentative wondering “when will they attack,” the tension was so thick you could cut it with a knife. Here the Israelites came. They could be seen on the horizon from the Tel of Jericho drawing near. The sound of the shofars rumbling across the plain. The steady cadence of soldiers marching. When they neared Jericho they turned left and marched without a word. They marched once, twice, seven times in silence as the shofars grew quiet in the march around the city. It was a deafening silence. Everyone in Jericho leaned over the walls watching, waiting, wondering. As the army completed their seventh turn on the seventh day, Joshua gave the signal. The horns gave a mighty blast, the soldiers gave a mighty cry and leapt in the air to hit the ground with one mighty stomp. The earth rumbled and shook. Those citizens and soldiers of Jericho felt the walls crumbling beneath them. The rocks of the wall behind them into which the city was built began to fall on them. There was no escape. Jericho was wounded, exposed and vulnerable to the oncoming and incoming army of Israel.

That was a serious “throw down” on the part of Israel which God Himself orchestrated. In Zechariah, we may be privileged to a similar occurrence. The four craftsmen were sent to “thrown down” the horns of foreign nations and in their place “lift up” the horns of salvation. It would be the sound of righteousness being poured out on those who were repentant as an anointing. It was a challenge and an inspiration. It was a worship service like none ever experienced before. Even that which occurred in the day of Solomon with the dedication of the first temple may not have rivaled it. It was a call to worship intended to “rock the ages.” Dueling banjos and a drumline could not compete with the four craftsmen who “Tiajuana brassed them.” It makes me wonder, mighty ones of God, if we have been given a template for reclaiming and rebuilding the promised land which God has given us. What would happen if we actually marched around our enemies silently until the word is given and then with one shout and the vibrancy of resounding horns throw down the gauntlet of faith? We wouldn’t know because we don’t believe it. The sadness is not that we don’t believe the Battle of Jericho happened but that we don’t believe God could still do such a thing. Jesus said, “These things you have seen but greater things will you see.” Jesus said, “These things I have done but greater things will you do.” Jesus said, “You believe because of what you see but greater is the faith of those who believe and have not yet seen.” Mighty ones of God it is time we begin to realign our thinking with the right worship of God and the right worship which God has called us to. Just as He used the deportation of leadership and the destruction of the Temple at the hands of foreign powers to “throw down” the gauntlet of “have faith,” so He may well be doing so today. Are we going to be like those of Jericho who feared, trembled and hid? Are we going to be like those around Jericho who marched, leapt and shouted to the Lord great praises for what He was about to do? Let’s put the enemy on notice and sound our own horns in “throwing down” the horns which have been used to keep our heads down as prisoners of the world. Lift up your heads, o mighty gates, and give praise to the Lord our God. He comes with a shout and a mighty blast!

TODAY’S PRAYER IN RESPONSE TO GOD’S WORD:

Father, before we were conceived in the womb, You had already formed us in Your love and by Your Spirit brought us into being. Each one of us is blessed with the opportunity of doing right, being good and producing the fruit of the Spirit so that others may be fed the truth of that same love so that the two will become one. It is our soul’s sincere desire to embrace the oneness You have in mind that we would know that we are Your people and that You are our God. Lead us in that discovery of the truth and the manifestation of that love for us all. In Jesus’ name, we pray. AMEN.