Thought from today’s Bible reading from Zechariah 8-14.
“‘It will come about that just as you were a curse among the nations, O house of Judah and house of Israel, so I will save you that you may become a blessing. Do not fear; let your hands be strong’” (Zechariah 8:13).
Though God’s people had been punished by Him for their unfaithfulness – and it had been done in a manner that was very visible and obvious to the nations around them – God was going to bless them such that they would “become a blessing.” This refers to the promise made to Abraham: “And in you all the families of the earth will be blessed” (Genesis 12:3). God would keep His promise. But the people also needed to respond appropriately to the grace which God would show to them.
“So I have again purposed in these days to do good to Jerusalem and to the house of Judah. Do not fear! These are the things which you should do: speak the truth to one another; judge with truth and judgment for peace in your gates. Also let none of you devise evil in your heart against another, and do not love perjury; for all these are what I hate,’ declares the Lord” (Zechariah 8:15-17).
This passage mentions three things which the people were to do:
- Speak the truth – They were not to deceive others, but were to be honest in their communication.
- Deal justly – They were to judge with truth in order to obtain peace. Lies and perjury, even in an attempt for “peace,” were not to be practiced. Justice must always be based upon truth.
- Desire good for others – Not only were they to do good to others (which is implied), but they were to desire good and not evil in their hearts toward others. This means their desire for the good of others was sincere and not superficial.
God would bless the nations through the seed of Abraham. But the people could also be a blessing to others by behaving in the way God instructs them here.
Tomorrow’s reading: Esther 1-5
[I’m using the Chronological reading plan on the Bible Gateway website if you’d like to follow along, too.]
Daily Notes & Observations contains all 365 articles from this series and is available in paperback from Gospel Armory.
