THE MESSAGE OF ZECHARIAH
Number 16
THE FRUIT OF GOD'S JEALOUSY
Zechariah 8:3
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GOD is jealous for Zion and Jerusalem, that is he is jealous for his people. In the past he has been jealous because of his people's sins and the dishonour that these had brought to his holy name by their idolatry, and he brought judgement in exile upon them. Here God's jealousy is for their honour as the world despises them, and the dishonour which this brings to his holy name as the people of the world despise the God of Jerusalem. God sees the shame of his people. He sees their desperate state and their humiliation. He sees their loss, their impotence and bondage to sin and Satan's cruel power, and God is jealous for his people, and comes with grace and mercy to bless them and raise them up. In his jealousy God declares what he will do. He promises action in grace for them, and he binds himself with promise.

This jealousy of God for his people stretches beyond the immediate time of Zechariah. He is looking ahead to what he will do in Christ, for he speaks by the prophet of many people and inhabitants of foreign cities entreating for the blessing which the Lord brings to his people. In view of this we can see the spiritual and saving blessings of Christ in this action and promise of God as we study this verse and this chapter.

GOD'S RETURN.

The great thing that God promises is that he will return to his people. Although the judgement on Israel which brought the fury of Babylon upon Jerusalem, which then destroyed the city and carried off the people into slavery, was positive and direct, his judgement more usually is one of withdrawing his presence from his people and from his church, so they are left on their own to manage in their own strength. This is a sore judgement, because it leaves his people without the comfort of God's love, and further it leaves God's people to the consequence of their choice to depart from him to the world. This judgement is to give them what they are craving for which is a return to what they feel is freedom in the world. But it is not freedom but a cruel bondage, for this giving of people up to their choice of the world, is to give them up to their corrupt nature, where the things of God grow dim, and the world takes over, and the fleshly lusts become dominant, and evil of all sorts increases, and with it all the misery which sins brings upon humanity. This is the judgement Paul speaks of in Romans 1 where Paul tells us that in judgement for godlessness and unrighteousness of men, God gives them over to their fleshly lusts, which bind them in slavery and all sorts of evil begin to flourish. We see this sort of judgement in our world today, and even in Britain which has known the blessing of the presence of God in the past. Because of this people can't see that salvation is only in seeking that the Lord may return to us in blessing, and that he is calling us back into his care and love.

The greatest blessing people can know is for the Lord to return to them, and be their God and bring his saving blessing. This returning of the Lord is not just to tidy things up and leave, but the promise is that God will return and dwell with his people. He promises to be his peoples God, and give his people the privilege of being his people under his rule and blessing.

This is surely what we long for, but the trouble is that our hearts are so corrupt that this longing tends to be one sided. We want the blessing of God, but the blessing which then allows us to still go our own way. We want God to protect us, and take evil and death and misery from us, but we don't want him to meddle in our lives. This will not do! God will not countenance the love of his people being given to another, but the Lord knows our sinfulness and shame, and his return is with blessing to change his people, so that they have a new heart and new mind. He comes to write his laws on our minds and hearts which gives us a disposition to obey and love his law, and which gives us the heart to praise him and please him. This is expressed here in this verse before us.

Before in the history of Israel God had sent his prophets to call his people back to him. The word of the Lord then was coming from outside the people and giving them instruction, but their hearts were totally disinclined to the ways of the Lord, and so the ways of God became a duty which was oppressive or seen to be oppressive, and after a short reformation, the people turned to their idolatry again. So in this return of the Lord, which finds its fullness in Christ and his coming, it is God who not only returns in love but returns with power, firstly to cleanse from sin, and then to put his power within so that we become his own, not just by name, but in heart and life.

CITY OF TRUTH.

God's promise in his return to be with his people is first that his truth flourishes and brings life to his people. When God judges his people by departing from them, his truth is still with his people, but it is unperceived and not understood. Though his truth in his word still can be read, it is meaningless, and though with the mind the message can be analysed, yet it has no real understanding of it in the heart, and there is no attraction to it, and the mind of human corruption denies its message, or seeks to change it to fit what the sinful flesh would be more comfortable with. In the main, although the truth is there, it is neglected and not heeded. The fact is that God's judgement is his withdrawing his gracious presence and operation by his Spirit in the hearts and minds of people, and so they have no spiritual perception or ability to understand or receive God's truth. The Gospel and the life in the spiritual realm is shut to them.

The blessing of God, on his return, is to bring his truth in the power of the Spirit to the hearts and minds of the people. Jerusalem will become the city of truth. This is a place where truth flourishes and where truth is known. Truth is where every aspect of life is seen through the eyes of God, and so it is perceived in truth, and not just perceived but received so that the truth effects the mind, the heart, and the will.

In the city of truth people are made to face who they are and what they are like. When we live in truth we see ourselves as God's creatures who belong to God, and who owe God full obedience. In the city of truth we are unable to hide from what we are like. We are made to confess our sins and all the wrong which we have done, and we realise that our greatest sin of all is to depart from the Lord and not give him all the love of our hearts. In the city of truth it is not only that we are made to see that we have sinned, but made to see also that we are sinners at heart, and that corruption and evil lies at the heart of our being, and that our hearts are in rebellion against God. In the city of truth we are made to feel hatred for this evil disposition, and we are caused to realise that we are lost in the bondage of it and are helpless and hopeless and have no strength of ourselves to help ourselves. So the city of truth produces poverty of spirit and mourning over sin and rebellion, and produces meekness which owns we are but dust and ashes and defiled. This is the birth pangs of new birth by the Spirit.

But in the city of truth there is a gracious opening of the mind and heart given by God. Because of this we see that he still loves us, and we see the truth of that love, so deep and so all embracing, which is that God has given us his Son. So the city of truth is where the truth concerning Jesus Christ is made known in all its wondrous saving power. In the city of truth, the Spirit filled church of God, we are caused to know that Christ was our sin-bearer when he died on the cross, and through that precious death we know the truth that we are forgiven all our sins, accounted righteous in God's sight for ever for Christ's sake, and are born anew as God's children. We are taught the truth that Christ is our life, and that are life is hid with him in God. We know the truth that Christ is our strength and without him we can do nothing. We know the truth that Christ reigns in heaven now at the right hand of God, and that he is our advocate before the Father, and by his powerful and totally effective advocacy we are accepted, and that a place in that heavenly glory is reserved in heaven for us. Also we know the truth that we are not alone in this earthly pilgrimage because Christ is our shepherd and he has promised to never leave us or forsake us. These are the truths made known in the city of truth

HOLY MOUNTAIN

Together with being a city of truth the renewed Church of God is called by the Lord a Holy Mountain. How can a body of sinful people, which is still true of every believer because of the corruption of our flesh, be called a Holy Mountain.

In the first place we are a Holy Mountain because God as the judge of all declares us to be righteous in his sight through Christ and on account of his righteousness put to our account. This is our gift by faith, that is also given us by God's grace, to believe in Jesus as our Saviour and redeemer and Lord. Because of Christ and his work done for us, we are washed and covered in white robes, the very robe of the righteousness of Jesus. This is a spotless robe because it is made of the very holiness and righteousness of Jesus, and so is divine righteousness.

But this is not the whole story, because we have been raised with Christ to new life. We have been created to be like God in righteousness and true holiness. Our life is hidden with Christ in God. In this new life we are holy and ready for heaven. In this new holy life created by God in new birth the Spirit of God dwells. In the new person we are in Christ we are a holy mountain, and this holiness is not defiled or tarnished by the sin that still resides in our flesh, which causes us to sin continually in our bodies as we make our way through this life to glory. There is also a further part to this holiness. Because we are new born, and because we have been created anew as holy, and because the Spirit of God dwells within this new creation, we hate the sin still in our flesh, and we turn from it, and by the power of the Spirit we are enabled more and more to mortify and put to death the desires of the flesh, so that in our daily living we become more holy in thought, affections and actions. Because our standard now is the perfect holiness of the Lord, and because the nearer we dwell with Jesus makes us see the evil of sin more forcefully, we may feel we are not progressing much in holiness, but even if we mourn over our sin and see little progress, the world sees more of Christ in us, just as Jesus does, and we show the evidence that we live up to the name of Holy Mountain.

CONCLUSION.

This is the glorious blessing which descends on the church when God returns to his people and dwells amongst his people. The church has life only as Jesus our Saviour dwells in our midst, and is working by his Spirit. His presence revives the faint life, which has become sick when the Lord departed, and renews again the joy of redemption, and revives the new life that has been created within, and it grows and flourishes in the air of heaven.

With the Saviour in the midst of his people, his people are strong, and they go forth to show his glory in the world, and so by the operation of the Holy Spirit, Christ calls in his elect people, which have been chosen by the Father from the foundation of the world and given to Christ. People are added to the church as God adds to his church those who are being saved. When Christ returns to dwell amongst his people, God's church grows in holiness and in numbers.

When God returns to dwell with his people, the church of God is filled with praise, and the hearts of God's people long to show forth the praise of him who has loved them, purchased them by his precious blood, and keeps them in his love day by day.

If we know this renewing grace praise the Lord and give him thanks. If the church is languishing the first and foremost thing the few who are seeking Lord need to do is to fall on their knees, and in sorrow and repentance plead with the Lord that he will return to his people and bless them.