September 2, 2024

GOD’S WORD FOR TODAY:

“This is what the Lord Almighty says: ‘The fasts of the fourth, fifth, seventh and tenth months will become joyful and glad occasions and happy festivals for Judah. Therefore, love truth and peace.‘” (Zechariah 8.19)

REFLECTION ON GOD’S WORD:

You have to love how God speaks to us. If we pay attention to His methods, we will begin to appreciate the fact that God is listening and anticipating us in short-term and long-term ways. On Friday, I mentioned verse 8.18 which boldly declared “The word of the Lord Almighty came to me.” I mentioned that it was said in chapter 7, verses 4 and 8, as well. But it was important to focus directly on it in chapter 8 because it signaled not only that God was speaking to Zechariah, as He had before, but that it signaled the change in perspective which God was initiating for Israel (the Northern Kingdom) and Judah (the Southern Kingdom) and indeed for the whole through the unified nation. In chapter 7, we hear “The people of Bethel had sent Sharezer and Regem-Melek, together with their men, to entreat the Lord by asking the priests of the house of the Lord Almighty and the prophets, ‘Should I mourn and fast in the fifth month, as I have done for so many years?’” (verses 2 and 3). If you remember, they were asking only about one month of four which God had directed were essential for the Jewish people who were impacted greatly by the exile to maintain. It was a means of remembering their loss and projecting the hope of restoration. Sadly, when we suffer loss, the who of who we are and what we think tends to be reduced to “one” thing. It is the focal point of our attention and by it everything else is identified. it is the lens through which we see the entire world. Something else happens, too. We become so focused on the “one” negative that everything else is seen with apathy, passivity and neglect. What takes the place of everything else with those attitudes in mind but self-centeredness and entitlement. (Does that sound like a modern-day culture and climate attitude? Not so modern, is it?)

What God reminded them of, as recorded in chapter 7, was there were four feasts/fasts that should be conducted throughout the year for the specific purpose of mourning and celebration. God challenged them on the intent of their hear for maintaining these feasts (now seemingly reduced to only one.) I even suggested that while God focused only on the fifth (which was their original question and already in the past of that year) and the seventh (which had already passed as well as it was now the ninth month), He had in mind the whole of the command. We might think, at this point, of the Rich Young Ruler to whom Jesus asked only about 6 of the Ten commandments. Thinking that Jesus had provided a loophole, of sorts, gave the man courage. It was, however, only to show the condition of his heart and thus of his request. Jesus then brought him to the realization of the whole of the Law which required obedience and trust. Jesus said to the man “There is yet one thing then that you must do. (Actually there were three!) Sell all that you possess, give it to the poor and follow Me.” This was more than what the man bargained for. Looking for simplicity and convenience, the man walked away because it was more than he could bear to surrender. Eternal life is the blessing for those who will be disciples of Jesus. Are the men from Bethel to be confronted as well? They asked for “one” thing. God reminded them of two things. Their hope was to walk away with no further requirements having reduced four to one. God had something different in mind. They not only were to maintain all four feasts/fasts but to “love truth and peace” as joyful and glad occasions and happy festivals. Such feats would require giving and sacrifice so that everyone would be included and reminded of what God had done and was doing.

What was God doing? Reclamation! Restoration! Reconciliation! The sackcloth and ashes should be put aside (if they were ever put on.) There was to be singing, dancing, feasting and praising. Once again, the focus was to be on not meeting minimal standards but see all that God had done, was doing and was yet to do. Their future depended on God alone and their trust in Him would reveal it all. The challenge is not minimums but maximums; not the less but the more. What seems impossible for us is fully possible for God!

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 in order that others 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 so we would know we are Your people and 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.