Zechariah 2

“Run, speak to this young man, saying: ‘Jerusalem shall be inhabited as towns without walls, because of the multitude of men and livestock in it.  For I,’ says the Lord, ‘will be a wall of fire all around her, and I will be the glory in her midst.’” vv.4-5

Read chapter 2
I lived in the middle of nowhere for five years where we didn't lock our cars or our homes.  No one would even want to drive the long bumpy road just to break in and cause evil, yet there were still fears within me of someone coming to kidnap or murder me.  Even though I lived in probably one of the safest places on earth there is still the possibility of evil.
We continue to read of Zechariah's vision and here starts off seeing an angel with a measuring line to measure Jerusalem.  This is of course the future New Jerusalem that still is yet to come.  Yet I wonder how hard it will be to measure this city as we read that it will be without walls because of the multitude of people.  Now we don't have walls around our cities today, though Trump is trying to build a wall on the boarder with Mexico, but walls were a cities protection and defense against enemy attacks.  But in this future day there will be no enemies so no need for walls.  And even if someone knows there's no enemies trying to break in (like me) one still wants to feel secure by a protection, so the Lord says He will be a wall of fire around Jerusalem, just like He was the pillar of fire in the exodus that led the Israelites.  Yet not only will God be around Jerusalem and His people as a protector but He will be the glory in her midst.  John Piper comments, "God is never content to give us the protection of his fire; he will give us the pleasure of his presence"(Desiringgod.com).  As we still wait for that future day of the New Jerusalem, the New Heaven and New Earth, how can you live and celebrate God's glory in your midst today? 

Zechariah 1

I saw by night, and behold, a man riding on a red horse, and it stood among the myrtle trees in the hollow; and behind him were horses: red, sorrel, and white.  Then I said, “My lord, what are these?” So the angel who talked with me said to me, “I will show you what they are.” vv.8-9

Read chapter 1
The book of Zechariah we'll discover has a lot of parallels with the book of Revelation.  Starting off in this first chapter for example Zechariah sees in a vision three horses of different colors: red, sorrel (washed out yellowish color) and white and in Revelation 6 we see John's vision of different color horses (red, white, black and pale) carrying the seals of judgment.  Zechariah is assumed to be the last book written in the Old Testament (though it is the second to last book in the order we have in our Bibles) because it has recorded the latest date until Jesus' birth beginning the New Testament.  We may even assume this when Jesus references the prophet Zechariah in referring to the first death of Able to the shed blood of Zechariah summing up all those of the Old Testament prophets and wise men from the first to the last: 

Therefore, indeed, I send you prophets, wise men, and scribes: some of them you will kill and crucify, and some of them you will scourge in your synagogues and persecute from city to city,  that on you may come all the righteous blood shed on the earth, from the blood of righteous Abel to the blood of Zechariah, son of Berechiah, whom you murdered between the temple and the altar.  (Matthew 23:34-35)

We see in this record also from Matthew how Zechariah dies, a martyr's death, though we don't have that recorded here in the book of Zechariah.  Just like John's vision of the future, so Zechariah's vision of the future and His communion with Jehovah caused him to live and die for Christ.  You may have not had a revelation of the future like John or Zechariah, but we have their revelations written for us that we may believe and know.  Have you experienced and grasped the Lord's truth to cause you to live for Christ no matter what?  

Haggai 2

“For thus says the Lord of hosts: ‘Once more (it is a little while) I will shake heaven and earth, the sea and dry land; and I will shake all nations, and they shall come to the Desire of All Nations, and I will fill this temple with glory,’ says the Lord of hosts.  vv.6-7

Read chapter 2
The Jews have at this point just finished the rebuilding of the temple, yet they realize it is not as magnificent as it was before when Solomon first built it.  Yet the Lord is pleased with their hearts and desire directed to serving Him more than what they were able to do with their hands.  He encourages them with the promise that He will once more fill the temple with His glory, yet this is still waiting to come.  Once and for good the Lord will shake heaven and earth, sea and land, all nations that all will know the One True God.  He mentions this will be in a little while, yet to us over 2,500 years doesn't quite seem like a short time while we're still waiting.  Even if this meant for when Jesus became man that was still about 500 years after this prophesy.  Yet compared to eternity it will seem as nothing.
Notice this unique title of God: Desire of All Nations.  Christ is the longing of all nations whether they realize it now or not, they will when He is manifest to the world.  He will be the joy every longing heart seeks for.
Are you letting Christ fill the desires of your heart or do you have an unfulfilled longing that you're trying to gratify in other ways?

Haggai 1

“You have sown much, and bring in little;
You eat, but do not have enough;
You drink, but you are not filled with drink;
You clothe yourselves, but no one is warm;
And he who earns wages,
Earns wages to put into a bag with holes.” v.6 

Read chapter 1
Consider your ways!  That's the exclamation that God starts off with through the prophet Haggai.  Haggai was the first prophet by whom God spoke after Israel's return from Babylon captivity.  Remember that the Israelites had been in captivity for 70 years.  They have now returned to their land but their priorities are not in the right place.  The temple that was destroyed and to be rebuilt was still sitting in ruins while they were focusing more on their own homes and lifestyle.  You can imagine that after being in captivity and finally returning home felt like freedom and a chance to do their own thing, but this led to selfishness and misplaced priorities.  As they worked for themselves and not for God their seemed to be little bang for their buck.  They were never satisfied even with food or drink always feeling an emptiness that couldn't be filled.  All the money they earned just seemed to go right down the drain.  You could say they felt like they lived in perpetual frustration and discontentment.  Sound familiar?  All their time was spent on trying to get ahead in this world, on seeking comfort and status in this world rather than on seeking God and His priorities, and this is true of so many believers of Christ today too.
How does this verse reign true in your life today?  How can you reprioritize to be glorifying to God whatever you do that that emptiness you feel may be full?

Zephaniah 3

In that day it shall be said to Jerusalem:
“Do not fear;
Zion, let not your hands be weak.
17 The Lord your God in your midst,
The Mighty One, will save;
He will rejoice over you with gladness,
He will quiet you with His love,
He will rejoice over you with singing.” vv.16-17

Read chapter 3
You don't always have to be the strong one.  Zion (Jerusalem) is told to let her hands be weak, to stop all the work that her hands do and humble herself and just be in God's presence.  God was in their midst and this ought to make anyone stop and worship.  Often when we believers focus on God in our midst we see singing, dancing, shouting.  We often hear of how much people love certain worship songs at church that they can really rejoice for the Lord.  But look at what this verse says here: HE will rejoice OVER YOU with SINGING.  God's also the one that loves to sing and dance rejoicing in you too!  He will rejoice over Israel even after all the idolatry and sin they committed against Him, and so He will to you too no matter your struggle or your sin.  We see Jesus sing with His disciples a hymn (Mark 14:26), makes me wonder what that would've been like to sing with the one to whom our worship is for?  Oh that soon His silence would be broken and He would sing over each one of His people!
How can you let your hands be weak today and grasp God in your midst, be confident He will save, trust in the Lord's joy over you, be quieted by His love, and rest being sung to by your heavenly Father?  

Zephaniah 2

The Lord will be awesome to them,
For He will reduce to nothing all the gods of the earth;
People shall worship Him,
Each one from his place,
Indeed all the shores of the nations. v.11

Read chapter 2
"Totally awesome dude!" Sounds like a surfer right?  The word awesome today can be so overused to loose it's impact.  We hear someone got engaged and we say-"awesome;" a little boy just learned to ride his bike- "awesome;" we taste a new food dish- "awesome."  The word awesome appears throughout the scriptures but not always a light hearted use that we use the word today.  The word awesome here in Zephaniah is actually the Hebrew word for terrible or fear.  It's a fear of reverence, to show respect or awe of something, to be righteous in behavior.  
Here in Zephaniah the Lord is speaking to the nations of Ammon and Moab, the two nations that came from the incest of Lot and his daughters after the destruction of Sodom and Gomorrah.  God's going to show Himself awesome to them by destroying their gods.   He will be awesome to them because He will destroy all the gods of the earth and that He alone is to be worshiped.  Just as this work of His destruction of the idols of the nations cause them to be full of awe, so the greatest terrible work of God of the crucifixion of His Son to save the world ought to cause us to stand in awe at our Awesome God.
Just think of the song "Awesome God" by Rich Mullins if he would have used the word terrible instead.  I don't think it would have been as great of a hit if he did.

Zephaniah 1

“And it shall come to pass at that time
That I will search Jerusalem with lamps,
And punish the men
Who are settled in complacency,
Who say in their heart,
‘The Lord will not do good,
Nor will He do evil.’ v.12

Read chapter 1
The book of Zephaniah is the words of the Lord through His prophet Zephaniah during the days of King Josiah. This first chapter starts off strong with God's judgment and destruction to come upon Judah and Jerusalem because of their idolatry and neglect of the Lord God.  The people said in their hearts that Jehovah will not do good or evil, they've become complacent and arrogant of the wicked.  

Those that think to divide their affections and worship between God and idols, will come short of acceptance with God; for what communion can there be between light and darkness? If Satan have half, he will have all; if the Lord have but half, he will have none. Neglect of God shows impiety and contempt. (Matthew Henry's Concise Commentary)

Zephaniah's name means "Hidden of Jehovah" or in other words treasured, sheltered or protected by Jehovah.  Oh what a sweet significance of his name, especially to be true of when he had to prophesy hard to hear things where people would have sought his death because they didn't like the message.  Back then the meaning of names was like a prophesy and truth to their character.  Today names don't have the same weight but we who are in Christ can all take on the name and meaning of Zephaniah for we are God's treasure and are hidden with Christ in God as Colossians 3:3-4 says, "For you died, and your life is hidden with Christ in God.  When Christ who is our life appears, then you also will appear with Him in glory."
Take hope of the fact that you're hidden in Christ as a valued treasure of His and that you will appear with Him in glory soon.  Until then let us not grow arrogant and complacent of the wicked, but be 100% in for Christ.