Zechariah 1:3 Therefore, say to the people, `This is what the LORD Almighty says: Return to me, and I will return to you, says the LORD Almighty. I liked how this commentary by Chuck Smith puts it: “This basically is God’s message to the people through the ages. “If you’ll turn to Me, I will turn to you.” When the king Asa had come back from great victory over the Ethiopians and the Nubians, the prophet of God came out to meet him and he said, “The Lord is with you while you are with Him, and if you seek Him, He will be found of you. But if you forsake Him, He will forsake you” (II Chronicles 15:2). Through the ages this is always the case. God is always waiting for man to come. And if you will come to God, you can have fellowship with God, and the Lord will be with you. But the Lord does not force Himself on people. God does not force you to love Him. God does not force you to come to Him. He does not force you to serve Him. He just tells you of His love for you. And because of His love for you, this is what He will do for you if you’re walking in fellowship with Him. But when it comes right down to it, you are the one that has to make the decision. God has done all that He will do to save you. He has provided all that you need. But you must initiate now. God has already done all the initiating He will in providing the way. Now He waits for you to come, and He invites you to come, but you have to do it.”
I started reading Joel today. It’s similar to Hosea and Jeremiah and Isaiah in that it also warns Israel’s enemies of their coming doom. But Matthew Henry’s Concise Commentary on the Bible says something interesting: “GOD employed a shepherd, a herdsman, to reprove and warn the people. Those to whom God gives abilities for his services, ought not to be despised for their origin, or their employment. Judgments are denounced against the neighbouring nations, the oppressors of God’s people.” I hadn’t really thought much about the author, but imagine what it must have been like. You are a simple farmer, not known for your wisdom (except perhaps in caring for sheep) or learning. You probably didn’t spend much time in rabbi school. You aren’t rich or famous. And suddenly the Most High God of Israel speaks to you and tells you to go and inform the high and mighty and your enemies that they’re going to be crushed. If it were me in this situation I’d think God was messing with my head. What on earth would make these people listen to me? What would keep them from killing me? How would I even be heard? And what about my sheep? Often it’s easy to think of people in a profession or in a financial or social status below ours as inferior and less intelligent. But here is a case where that is clearly disproved. God chose a simple shepherd to be his prophet. Sound familiar? God also chose a simple shepherd to be Israel’s greatest king. And God also sent his Son to a simple carpenter. (And somewhere in there God made a donkey speak to a man who wasn’t listening.) Social standing and financial capability don’t mean much to God since He can do anything. Next time I’m tempted to ignore someone because they seem insignificant, I hope I remember this piece of commentary and listen to what he or she is saying before dismissing him or her.
Be perfect as your heavenly Father is perfect – rough version of the Leviticus verse used in Matthew 5:48. Skip points out that in Leviticus it says to be holy, but that’s not the point. Skip also digs into the word that was originally used for “perfect” or “holy.” I always thought when it said to be perfect, it meant to not do anything wrong, ever. That’s just not possible for a human. But Skip points out that the word used in the Hebrew can mean complete or blameless. Obviously the translation with “holy” means to be blameless, but it can also mean complete… so to be perfect is not so much being good, it’s being perfected and complete. He also wonders if perhaps the author uses an ambiguous term so that the verse can mean either thing. As he writes, “Did Yeshua tell us to be fully complete or to be blameless – or maybe both at the same time? Maybe walking toward the Lord with a forgiven heart is the same as being complete.” That’s pretty cool! Want to read more? Go to Skip’s website.