For a full description of the (Y3) reading plan, see the “About” page.
- What attributes of God’s character does this passage reveal?
- How does the passage point to Jesus?
- How should the truth of this passage change me?
- How do the events of today’s reading help you better understand the grand narrative of Scripture?
Zech. 7-8
The returned exiles rightly desired to seek God’s favor. So they asked, “Should we mourn and fast in the fifth month as we have done these many years?” (Zech. 7:3b). God pointed out that these things they did during their exile they didn’t do for Him but for themselves. I see an important truth in that for coming to God and finding His favor. That truth is that we can’t keep doing things the way we did before. Just as the people left their land of exile behind, they needed to also leave their exiled ways behind. They needed to stop serving self and truly serve God. The beautiful thing is that when we turn away from self and devote ourselves to God, obedience to His law, rather than a source of mourning, becomes a source of joy and gladness.
Zech. 9-10
I understand that the promises God gave through His prophets, He gave to the Jews. However, I still believe those promises apply to the rest of us as well. God’s plan for the Jews is His plan for the whole world. I don’t mean that we will follow in their same physical journey. However, the spiritual journey represented in that is one that we all travel. God desires that all of us let go of our human desires, turn from our fleshly ways, and give ourselves to Him with wholehearted love, joy, and devotion. He desires to be our God and we His people.
I see evidence of this within the prophecies themselves. And there are a couple of good examples in Zechariah 9. Of the other nations God says, “Then they too will become a remnant for our God; they will become like a clan in Judah” (from Zech. 9:7). And of His promised King He says, “His dominion will extend from sea to sea, from the Euphrates River to the ends of the earth.” (Zech. 9:10b). It isn’t just the Jews who need God’s salvation. And it isn’t just the Jews for whom God has a plan for redemption. We all have the opportunity to become a part of Judah because we all fall under God’s dominion.