September 16, 2024

GOD’S WORD FOR TODAY:

“The Lord their God will save His people on that day as a shepherd saves his flock. They will sparkle in His land like jewels in a crown. How attractive and beautiful they will be! Grain will make the young men thrive, as will new wine the young women.” (Zechariah 9.16-17)

REFLECTION ON GOD’S WORD:

My grandmother was a rock collector. No, I do not mean she had a lot of hard heads in her family (although it could have been debated as such sometimes.) She loved collectibles and rocks were one of them. I don’t know if it was inspired by my uncle’s interest in geology or the other way around. What I do know is there were shelves of rocks from a great number of states and countries in one bedroom. One Christmas, she got a rock polishing machine. It was nothing fancy but serviceable. She had to put it out in the washroom because it was also noisy and had to run non-stop until its task was completed. Ordinary stones would come out looking like something of great value. It was fascinating to see the before and after. This morning in my usual devotional reading time, I was reminded of a scripture (Philippians 1.6), “The Lord has begun a good work within you. He will continue His work until it is truly finished on the day of Christ’s return.” Of course, Paul was speaking of God’s work of salvation which is an internal transformation of a person’s heart, mind and soul from sin to salvation. It was never intended to be a verbal declaration “You are saved; now all things are made well.” It was a hands-on process of refining, restoring and resurrecting a person to become who they were intended to be passing through this life with faith, hope and love through trials and tribulations. Just like my grandmother’s rock polishing machine, it was the friction of grit and other rocks combined to create a smooth and shiny transformation. The difference, of course, was the transformation is internal for us. Does that mean it is not externally visible? By no means! As the eyes are the windows to the soul, the change internally can be seen. It can be seen in the change of attitude and relationship to others based on what had been the baseline previously. It can be seen in the works of their hands as in the meditations of their hearts. Such a transformation was prophesied to happen to God’s people whether they were Jews as descendants of Abraham or those of other nations who came to believe in Yahweh Elohim as their one true God before whom there would be no other.

The very stones which had been gathered for their slings to defeat the enemy at God’s command would be refined in the struggle to become like jewels set in king’s crown. They would shine brilliant, fiery and valuable. They would be sought out (remember Jesus’ parable of the pearl of great price) like lost sheep in the wilderness and gathered together in the storehouse of God. The efforts of the good shepherd (as we see outlined in Psalm 23 and in the Luke’s remembrance of Jesus’ teaching concerning the Lost Sheep and John’s of Jesus’ teachings about The Good Shepherd) are extensive in preserving the flock and increasing it. For that we can see such intentionality as recorded in the story of Jacob with his father-in-law Laban. To Laban, the spotted sheep were of little to no value. Jacob saw it differently and, as the trickster he was known to be, created a flock of them from a few of the “culls” out of Laban’s flocks which he faithfully removed as a good shepherd to keep that flock as his master wished. To Jacob, to David, to Jesus and to God these were all priceless gems. We even hail to the one as recorded in scripture, and as Jesus taught, “The stone which the [original] builders rejected has been chosen as the chief cornerstone [in some translations it is best read as “capstone”].” The story of Michelangelo’s statue of David bears some resemblance to this. The original carving was begun by Agostino de Duccio but was never completed. After a few years, Michelangelo took on the badly mishappened marble and created the masterpiece as we have it today. On the day when Christ returns, the work of God which has begun in us and continues through our years will be completed.

But there is more in this vision of God’s people. It, too, reflects the change from old to new in a transformative sense. Previously it was mentioned about those who would be gathered together to fight this great fight. It was said (verse 15) they would have their fill of drink and roar as those who were filled with wine. Did the wine give them the courage to carry on such a fight? Or was it speaking to the toasts of anticipated victory before the battle began? Regardless, it matters most that they were committed to the task at hand and the whole world, at least the enemies before them, knew of it. The conclusion of the battle is reflected in the fullness of the bowls used to anoint the corners of the altar in thanksgiving for the victory won and the liberation it granted. After that, we are told of a different fullness. In this “restored” land the young men will thrive (the word tends toward virile in heart, soul and economy). The young women will be as a taste of new wine: fresh, uncommonly good and equally prosperous in their way. We might consider not only the prosperous future of Israel’s people who are being restored to their “promised land,” but hear it in an internal fashion. That word would be described in Joel, which Peter recited on the Day of Pentecost, “And afterward, I will pour out My Spirit on all people. Your sons and daughters will prophesy, your old men will dream dreams, your young men will see visions. Even on My menservants and maidservants, I will pour out My Spirit in those days.” (Joel 2.28,29) The power and promise of restoration prophesied in Zechariah and again in Joel was seen as being fulfilled in the “first coming of Christ” because of His resurrection. There is little wonder as to why the people from “all nations” responded with such gladness and fervor as the corners of the altar were being anointed with “the blood of the Lamb” for the first fruits of the harvest. In them, as Peter preached, the sacrifice was made in full for the fullness of God’s promise to all generations yet to come.

Mighty ones of God, there is such treasure in the promise of God. In our confession of sin and profession of faith and faithfulness in Jesus as the Christ we are transformed from exiles to sons and daughters of the Most High God. We share in the promise which Christ Himself made real by example in life, in death and with the resurrection as He trusted God in all things. And let us hear God’s word echoing now from Isaiah (52.7) and Paul (Romans 10.14) “How beautiful on the mountains are the feet of those who bring good news, who proclaim peace, who bring good tidings, who proclaim salvation, who say to Zion, ‘Your God reigns!‘” Zechariah heard it declared (.17a) “How beautiful and attractive they will be!” God was speaking about those who would share in faith the fulfillment of the Messianic promise. We are those rough stones fit for slingshots and made worthy of diadems! We are those committed to battle against the dark and sinister enemy with the light of faith and truth. The victory we are a part of in a battle already won and in a war that shall never be lost will fill the bowls and cups to overflowing. It will usher in the day of the Lord where there will be the kind of prosperity that does not separate one person from another but unites all who would believe “Our God reigns!” That day is coming.

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.