Read chapter in full: biblegateway.com/passage/?version=ESV&search=Revelation+001

 

REVELATION

 

INTRODUCTION

The ancient Roman Empire defended its economic and political control in spiritual terms, calling its gospel the Pax Romana, or Roman Peace. While in exile on the island of Patmos, a Jewish Christian prophet named John received a vision showing that the cult of emperor worship would soon become deadly to followers of the Messiah. The book of Revelation (or Apocalypse, meaning unveiling) is a warning, circulated to seven cities in the Roman province of Asia Minor. John’s main point is to challenge and encourage the believers in the midst of their opposition and persecution.

Revelation is an apocalypse, a literary form well known in John’s day. In an apocalypse a visitor from heaven reveals the secrets of the unseen world and the future through vivid symbols. While the symbols may appear strange at first, they become clearer when seen in their first-century setting and in light of other Bible imagery.

John’s vision has four main parts, each marked by the phrase in the Spirit. After words of warning and encouragement to each of the seven churches, John’s visions then center on Jesus—his role in redemption and the judgments he brings to the world. The immoral political and economic forces that rebel against God will be destroyed, and the Messiah will triumph over all his enemies. The vision closes with the promise that God’s faithful servants will reign over the new creation.

Revelation also functions as the appropriate conclusion to the entire drama of the Bible. John concludes with images from the Garden of Eden, the first story in the Bible. The world will experience a fresh beginning: He who was seated on the throne said, “I am making everything new!”

 

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Revelation Chapter 1 (ESV)

¹ The revelation of Jesus Christ, which God gave him to show to his servants the things that must soon take place. He made it known by sending his angel to his servant John, ² who bore witness to the word of God and to the testimony of Jesus Christ, even to all that he saw.³ Blessed is the one who reads aloud the words of this prophecy, and blessed are those who hear, and who keep what is written in it, for the time is near.

⁴ John to the seven churches that are in Asia:

Grace to you and peace from him who is and who was and who is to come, and from the seven spirits who are before his throne, ⁵ and from Jesus Christ the faithful witness, the firstborn of the dead, and the ruler of kings on earth.

To him who loves us and has freed us from our sins by his blood ⁶ and made us a kingdom, priests to his God and Father, to him be glory and dominion forever and ever. Amen. ⁷ Behold, he is coming with the clouds, and every eye will see him, even those who pierced him, and all tribes of the earth will wail on account of him. Even so. Amen.

⁸ “I am the Alpha and the Omega,” says the Lord God, “who is and who was and who is to come, the Almighty.”

 

REFLECTION:

1. Revelation is a powerful affirmation of the sovereignty of God, the primacy of Jesus, and the certain judgment God will bring on all evil – including the evil one, Satan. We will benefit greatly as we meditate on the glory of God revealed in Jesus, and the ultimate triumph of God.
2. With this in mind, read the passage slowly and pay attention to the characteristics and actions of God described in today’s passage. What image of God appears in your mind now? What does it mean to you today?
3. Apostle John was worshipping when God’s revelation came to him. Read this passage a few times as you join John in worshipping God. What will you do and say in your worship based on today’s passage?

 

PRAYER:

Dear God! You are the Almighty God who is and who was and who is to come. I will worship You in spirit and in truth. Please help me to understand the revelation of the Lord Jesus, and strive to obey it, to be a witness for the Lord, and to be a blessed person!

 

HYMN:
To God Be the Glory (All For You) – youtu.be/GKOI3cl3EQo

Read chapter in full: biblegateway.com/passage/?version=ESV&search=Malachi+004

 

Malachi 4 (ESV)

The Great Day of the Lord

1 “For behold, the day is coming, burning like an oven, when all the arrogant and all evildoers will be stubble. The day that is coming shall set them ablaze, says the Lord of hosts, so that it will leave them neither root nor branch. ² But for you who fear my name, the sun of righteousness shall rise with healing in its wings. You shall go out leaping like calves from the stall. ³ And you shall tread down the wicked, for they will be ashes under the soles of your feet, on the day when I act, says the Lord of hosts.

⁴ “Remember the law of my servant Moses, the statutes and rules that I commanded him at Horeb for all Israel.

⁵ “Behold, I will send you Elijah the prophet before the great and awesome day of the Lord comes. ⁶ And he will turn the hearts of fathers to their children and the hearts of children to their fathers, lest I come and strike the land with a decree of utter destruction.”

 

REFLECTION:

• In the last part of the Book of Malachi, the prophet indicates that in the last days God will correct all unrighteousness. Although there are injustices today, on the day when the Lord comes to execute judgment (1), everything will be clearly explained. The oven symbolizes the holiness of God, which burns away all uncleanness (1, 3), and also represents God’s judgment on the unrighteous. And those who fear God will receive spiritual healing and joy in God’s righteousness, just like leaping calves (2).
• In God’s law, we learn of God’s will, and to live by God’s will is to turn our hearts to Him and be restored. Elijah was before Elisha, so Christ also had a man like Elijah who prepared people’s heart for Him (5), and that is John the Baptist (cf. Luke 1:17).
• Malachi specifically tells us how to commit ourselves to God: God deserves our best for Him (1:7-10), we not only have to change our wrong way of life (2:1-2), but also value our family and stay with our spouse for life (2:13-16). In addition, we should also allow God to purify us (3:3) and offer tithes (3:8-12), knowing that we have nothing to boast about (3:13-15).

 

PRAYER:

Dear God! Thank you for the reminder by your words. When I see wicked people in power, I will stand firm on the teachings of Christ, learn the example of the prophet Malachi as a faithful witness of his time, and hope that God’s righteousness and love will be manifested.

 

HYMN:
Father We Commit to You – youtu.be/MlzFfrzHTEM

Read chapter in full: biblegateway.com/passage/?version=ESV&search=Malachi+003

 

Malachi 3 (ESV)

8 Will man rob God? Yet you are robbing me. But you say, ‘How have we robbed you?’ In your tithes and contributions. 9 You are cursed with a curse, for you are robbing me, the whole nation of you. 10 Bring the full tithe into the storehouse, that there may be food in my house. And thereby put me to the test, says the Lord of hosts, if I will not open the windows of heaven for you and pour down for you a blessing until there is no more need. 11 I will rebuke the devourer for you, so that it will not destroy the fruits of your soil, and your vine in the field shall not fail to bear, says the Lord of hosts. 12 Then all nations will call you blessed, for you will be a land of delight, says the Lord of hosts.

 

REFLECTION:

• In this passage, God rebukes His people for deviating from His law and for not offering tithes and contributions (8). All God wants is for people to turn to Him, to love Him, and to keep His law. Love Him first before you are willing to sincerely offer offerings. Those who do not offer tithes are robbing God. Because tithes belong to God, they are “payables” rather than “offerings.” Contribution more than tithe is offering, and the full “tithe” is to be put into the treasury (storehouse) of the temple (10). Stealing God’s “tithes” brings a curse, and offering “tithes” to God is the source of abundant grace, the enemy is to be removed (11), and the property is preserved (11-12). God is a God willing to be gracious to us, but we must love Him first and then express our love in material offerings.
• In fact, as early as the time of Moses, the system of tithing had been established (see Lev. 27:30-34; Deut. 14:22). The Levites received part of the tithes because they had no inheritance (cf. Numbers 18:20-21). However, in Malachi’s time, the people did not tithe of what should be offered to support the servants of God, so the Levites had to go out to work and make a living, which made them not paying attention to the duty God assigned them to take care of the temple and arrange for worship. Everything we have is from God, and if we refuse to give back part of it to Him, we rob Him of His property. Are you selfishly keeping all that God has given you to yourself, or are you willing to give some back to God to build up His kingdom?

 

PRAYER:

Dear God! Please forgive me for what I owe You in the past in tithing. This reflects that I don’t love You and trust You enough. I keep it for myself, and rob the offerings to God, so that your curse comes. Lord, teach me to understand that everything I have, including my life, belongs to You, so that I can trust You with all my heart and genuinely offer to You to express my love for You.

 

HYMN:
I Surrender All – youtu.be/iu7UwhTwF0c

Read chapter in full: biblegateway.com/passage/?version=ESV&search=Malachi+002

 

Malachi 2 (ESV)

Judah Profaned the Covenant

¹⁰ Have we not all one Father? Has not one God created us? Why then are we faithless to one another, profaning the covenant of our fathers? ¹¹ Judah has been faithless, and abomination has been committed in Israel and in Jerusalem. For Judah has profaned the sanctuary of the Lord, which he loves, and has married the daughter of a foreign god. ¹² May the Lord cut off from the tents of Jacob any descendant of the man who does this, who brings an offering to the Lord of hosts!

¹³ And this second thing you do. You cover the Lord’s altar with tears, with weeping and groaning because he no longer regards the offering or accepts it with favor from your hand. ¹⁴ But you say, “Why does he not?” Because the Lord was witness between you and the wife of your youth, to whom you have been faithless, though she is your companion and your wife by covenant. ¹⁵ Did he not make them one, with a portion of the Spirit in their union? And what was the one God seeking? Godly offspring. So guard yourselves in your spirit, and let none of you be faithless to the wife of your youth. ¹⁶ “For the man who does not love his wife but divorces her, says the Lord, the God of Israel, covers his garment with violence, says the Lord of hosts. So guard yourselves in your spirit, and do not be faithless.”

 

REFLECTION:

• The sins of the Israelites were threefold:
1. Forsaking the covenant (10) of God (their heavenly Father). This affects the entire nation, just as Adam’s sin affected the entire human race; Achan’s sin caused the Israelites to be defeated at the hands of Ai.
2. The sin of marrying the daughter of a foreign god (11). This is not racism, but because God does not want His people to be infected with idolatry and other terrible sins of the Gentiles.
3. Uncleanness in marriage (14). Divorce is an abomination to God; the original meaning of verse 15 is: God could have made many wives for Adam, but He made only one Eve in order to bring forth godly offspring.
• At the time, only the man could file for divorce (14-15). They are unfaithful to their partners, and they don’t care about God’s intentions—the husband and wife become one flesh, and they educate their offspring to fear God. In fact, they not only abandoned their wives, but also ignored their relationship with God and ignored the true meaning of spiritual communication with God.
• The words “guard yourselves in your spirit” (15-16) remind us to take marriage as seriously as God takes His promises to His people. A marriage relationship needs to be maintained by affection, so that both parties can be satisfied, and this affection should only be concentrated on the spouse.

 

PRAYER:

Dear God! Thank You for establishing marriage where husband and wife are fulfilled in a loving relationship; and build spiritual family that produce godly offspring. Lord, keep me holy in my relationship with the opposite sex, so that my marriage may glorify Your name.

 

HYMN:
The Marriage Prayer – youtu.be/QGLYo-zKWHA

Read chapter in full: biblegateway.com/passage/?version=ESV&search=Malachi+001

 

MALACHI

INTRODUCTION
The rebuilding of the temple under Zerubbabel and Joshua, inspired by the prophecies of Haggai and Zechariah, was completed in 516 BC. The new temple was meant to be the centerpiece of a community in which there was true justice and genuine worship. In this way Israel could fulfill its calling and be a light, revealing God to the nations.

Unfortunately, as the years went by, the people fell further and further away from this ideal. By the middle of the next century, their worship had become corrupt, and their society was plagued with injustice. Malachi (“my messenger”) challenges the people to honor God properly in their worship and in their dealings with one another. The world could then come to know the Lord as the great king.

Malachi brings his challenges in a distinctive style. He first offers an abrupt charge, voices the anticipated objections, and finally answers those objections. The book records that some of the people repent in response to these challenges, and that God says he will spare them when he comes to judge the earth. The book ends with God’s promise to send the prophet Elijah back before that great and dreadful day of the Lord.

 

www.bible.com/zh-TW/bible/111/MAL.INTRO1.NIV

 

Malachi 1 (ESV)

1 The oracle of the word of the Lord to Israel by Malachi.

The Lord’s Love for Israel

² “I have loved you,” says the Lord. But you say, “How have you loved us?” “Is not Esau Jacob’s brother?” declares the Lord. “Yet I have loved Jacob ³ but Esau I have hated. I have laid waste his hill country and left his heritage to jackals of the desert.” ⁴ If Edom says, “We are shattered but we will rebuild the ruins,” the Lord of hosts says, “They may build, but I will tear down, and they will be called ‘the wicked country,’ and ‘the people with whom the Lord is angry forever.’” ⁵ Your own eyes shall see this, and you shall say, “Great is the Lord beyond the border of Israel!”

 

REFLECTION:

• The prophet Malachi was a contemporary of Nehemiah, when God’s people were in spiritual and moral darkness, and God called them back through the prophet to restore their spiritual lives.
• God’s first words through Malachi were: “I have loved you” (2). Although this is said to the Israelites, it is also said to people of all ages. Unfortunately, many people view God’s love in a worldly way, and they use political and economic achievement as criteria for success. Because of the political corruption, economic downturn, and poverty of the people at that time, the Israelites thought that God no longer loved them. This was a big mistake. God loves all people because He created all nations. However, the eternal reward belongs only to those who trust in Him.
• God’s love for people is as unwavering as parents’ love for their children, but people’s love for God can easily diminish. When people are far from God, they are far from God’s love, but they think that God does not love them. God’s love never changes. When people cannot feel God’s love, it is time for people to be revived.

 

PRAYER:

Heavenly Father, I want to thank and praise You, Your love for me will never change. But I often doubt Your love and take the grace You have given me for granted. Please revive my spiritual life, so that I don’t look at the ups and downs of the environment, and trust You all my life.

 

HYMN:
How Deep the Father’s Love For Us – youtu.be/btA-G4aE2x4

Read chapter in full: biblegateway.com/passage/?version=ESV&search=Zechariah+014

 

Zechariah 14 (ESV)

The Coming Day of the Lord

1 Behold, a day is coming for the Lord, when the spoil taken from you will be divided in your midst. ² For I will gather all the nations against Jerusalem to battle, and the city shall be taken and the houses plundered and the women raped. Half of the city shall go out into exile, but the rest of the people shall not be cut off from the city. ³ Then the Lord will go out and fight against those nations as when he fights on a day of battle. ⁴ On that day his feet shall stand on the Mount of Olives that lies before Jerusalem on the east, and the Mount of Olives shall be split in two from east to west by a very wide valley, so that one half of the Mount shall move northward, and the other half southward. ⁵ And you shall flee to the valley of my mountains, for the valley of the mountains shall reach to Azal. And you shall flee as you fled from the earthquake in the days of Uzziah king of Judah. Then the Lord my God will come, and all the holy ones with him.

⁶ On that day there shall be no light, cold, or frost. ⁷ And there shall be a unique day, which is known to the Lord, neither day nor night, but at evening time there shall be light.

⁸ On that day living waters shall flow out from Jerusalem, half of them to the eastern sea and half of them to the western sea. It shall continue in summer as in winter.

 

REFLECTION:

• This chapter focuses on the themes of “Battle – Victory” and “Coming of the Lord”, describing what will happen in the “Day of the Lord”: 1. Jerusalem will experience a cruel captivity (1-2); 2. During the calamity, God Himself will come to be the salvation of the chosen people (3-8). God chose the Mount of Olives as the place of His coming; the appearance of God brought about an extraordinary change in the universe (4-7).
• On the Mount of Olives (4), Jesus spoke to His disciples about the end times (see Matthew 24). Also near this mountain, the angel had promised: “This Jesus, who was taken up from you into heaven, will come in the same way as you saw Him go into heaven.” (Acts 1:11; cf. Ezekiel 11:23).
• The day of the Lord is a day of judgment and a day of grace. The description of the coming of the Lord in this chapter (3-11) is the culmination of the whole Book of Zechariah. The one and only, holy and peaceful King will come among all the peoples of the earth, fearful (3-11) and also approachable (16-17). The proper response of the people is “be holy to the Lord of hosts” (21).
• The eastern sea and the western sea (8) refer to the Dead Sea and the Mediterranean Sea respectively.
• Reading the Bible keeps us inspired to look to the day of the Lord (1). What would you do if you knew exactly when it was the Day of the Lord? Would you live a different life? Christ will come back at any time, and we must study the Bible carefully, live firmly in His will, and be ready in obedience and in our spiritual life for His return.

 

PRAYER:

Dear God! Today’s world is full of natural and man-made disasters, people are corrupted morally, and there are wars and rumors of wars. All kinds of signs tell me that the day of the Lord Jesus’ return is near. Please help me to be vigilant at all times, to be rooted in the Words of the Lord, to obey God’s will, and to welcome the Lord’s return. Come, Lord Jesus!

 

HYMN:

Yet Not I But Through Christ in Me – youtu.be/DDrXNHjLK0E

Read chapter in full: biblegateway.com/passage/?version=ESV&search=Zechariah+013

 

Zechariah 13 (ESV)

1 “On that day there shall be a fountain opened for the house of David and the inhabitants of Jerusalem, to cleanse them from sin and uncleanness.

Idolatry Cut Off

² “And on that day, declares the Lord of hosts, I will cut off the names of the idols from the land, so that they shall be remembered no more. And also I will remove from the land the prophets and the spirit of uncleanness. ³ And if anyone again prophesies, his father and mother who bore him will say to him, ‘You shall not live, for you speak lies in the name of the Lord.’ And his father and mother who bore him shall pierce him through when he prophesies.

⁴ “On that day every prophet will be ashamed of his vision when he prophesies. He will not put on a hairy cloak in order to deceive, ⁵ but he will say, ‘I am no prophet, I am a worker of the soil, for a man sold me in my youth.’ ⁶ And if one asks him, ‘What are these wounds on your back?’ he will say, ‘The wounds I received in the house of my friends.’

The Shepherd Struck

⁷ “Awake, O sword, against my shepherd,
against the man who stands next to me,”
declares the Lord of hosts.

“Strike the shepherd, and the sheep will be scattered;
I will turn my hand against the little ones.
⁸ In the whole land, declares the Lord,
two thirds shall be cut off and perish,
and one third shall be left alive.
⁹ And I will put this third into the fire,
and refine them as one refines silver,
and test them as gold is tested.
They will call upon my name,
and I will answer them.
I will say, ‘They are my people’;
and they will say, ‘The Lord is my God.’”

 

REFLECTION:

• Continuing the promises in Chapter 12, this chapter states what will be accomplished “on that day” which can be divided into two aspects:
1. Sin is to be completely eradicated among the people (2-6) – this includes the spirit of uncleanness (2) and false prophecies of false prophets (3-6). Note the words “I will cut off” and “I will remove” in verse 2, which shows that the cleansing of sin is an act of God’s own involvement and accomplishment.
2. The Good Shepherd will be rejected (7), and the chosen people will suffer the judgment of God for this sin. Those holy remnants will experience trials as if they were scorched by fire (9).
• Before His arrest, Jesus quoted verse 7 “I will strike the shepherd, and the sheep of the flock will be scattered” (cf. Matthew 26:31-32), referring to Himself and His disciples. Jesus knew early on that the disciples would be scattered when He was arrested. That “sword” refers to the military force that put Christ to death.
• The remaining third of the people is a small part of the whole (9), and whenever the nation was against God in Israel’s history, there were always some who still trusted and followed Him. These “remnants” have been tempered in adversity, just as gold and silver are refined by fire. To be the few “remnants” who obey God, we must obey Him wholeheartedly, regardless of others. There may be frequent trials and disasters, but we will be like gold and silver refined by fire, and become pure like Christ.

 

PRAYER:

May the Lord examine and test me, completely remove the filth in my heart, and guide me on the path of eternal life. Lord please give me faith and patience in trials, for I know that after the trial of fire, I will be like pure gold.

 

HYMN:

Blessings – youtu.be/ICnct8THNag

Read chapter in full: biblegateway.com/passage/?version=ESV&search=Zechariah+012

 

Zechariah 12 (ESV)

1 The oracle of the word of the Lord concerning Israel: Thus declares the Lord, who stretched out the heavens and founded the earth and formed the spirit of man within him: 2 “Behold, I am about to make Jerusalem a cup of staggering to all the surrounding peoples. The siege of Jerusalem will also be against Judah.

³ On that day I will make Jerusalem a heavy stone for all the peoples. All who lift it will surely hurt themselves. And all the nations of the earth will gather against it. ⁴ On that day, declares the Lord, I will strike every horse with panic, and its rider with madness. But for the sake of the house of Judah I will keep my eyes open, when I strike every horse of the peoples with blindness. ⁵ Then the clans of Judah shall say to themselves, ‘The inhabitants of Jerusalem have strength through the Lord of hosts, their God.’

⁶ “On that day I will make the clans of Judah like a blazing pot in the midst of wood, like a flaming torch among sheaves. And they shall devour to the right and to the left all the surrounding peoples, while Jerusalem shall again be inhabited in its place, in Jerusalem.

⁷ “And the Lord will give salvation to the tents of Judah first, that the glory of the house of David and the glory of the inhabitants of Jerusalem may not surpass that of Judah. ⁸ On that day the Lord will protect the inhabitants of Jerusalem, so that the feeblest among them on that day shall be like David, and the house of David shall be like God, like the angel of the Lord, going before them. ⁹ And on that day I will seek to destroy all the nations that come against Jerusalem.

 

REFLECTION:

• God, Creator of heaven and earth, reveals in this chapter what will happen to the chosen people in the last days. The prophet Zechariah used the key word “that day” to describe its importance. When the chosen people rely on the Lord, God will become their power (5) to bring things to completion. Under the force of the powerful nations, Jerusalem will be saved, and God will make them an invincible force – “a cup of staggering” (2), “a heavy stone” (3) and “a blazing pot and a flaming torch” (6). For God’s will is to destroy the nations that attack Jerusalem (9).
• Notice the multiple occurrences of “I will make” in this passage (2-3, 4, 6, etc.). This key word shows a fact—Jerusalem will be saved and the nations will be destroyed by the hand and the act of God.
• Verses 3-4 are considered by some to be a prophecy of a future great battle for Jerusalem. Some people say that this is the battle of Armageddon and the last great battle on earth. Those who are enemies of God’s people will not win forever. In the end, evil, pain and oppression will be wiped out once and for all.

 

PRAYER:

Dear God! You are a righteous and loving God, and You will not forget the suffering of Your children. Throughout the history of the church to this day, countless of Your children have been persecuted and even martyred for the Lord. But I believe that on that day the Lord will come again to execute judgment for Your children and destroy all those who attack the children of God.

 

HYMN:

Almighty – youtu.be/7eYZGsa_CAw

Read chapter in full: biblegateway.com/passage/?version=ESV&search=Zechariah+011

 

Zechariah 11 (ESV)

⁴ Thus said the Lord my God: “Become shepherd of the flock doomed to slaughter. ⁵ Those who buy them slaughter them and go unpunished, and those who sell them say, ‘Blessed be the Lord, I have become rich,’ and their own shepherds have no pity on them. ⁶ For I will no longer have pity on the inhabitants of this land, declares the Lord. Behold, I will cause each of them to fall into the hand of his neighbor, and each into the hand of his king, and they shall crush the land, and I will deliver none from their hand.”

⁷ So I became the shepherd of the flock doomed to be slaughtered by the sheep traders. And I took two staffs, one I named Favor, the other I named Union. And I tended the sheep. ⁸ In one month I destroyed the three shepherds. But I became impatient with them, and they also detested me. ⁹ So I said, “I will not be your shepherd. What is to die, let it die. What is to be destroyed, let it be destroyed. And let those who are left devour the flesh of one another.”  ¹⁰ And I took my staff Favor, and I broke it, annulling the covenant that I had made with all the peoples… ¹⁴ Then I broke my second staff Union, annulling the brotherhood between Judah and Israel.

 

REFLECTION:

• This chapter contrasts sharply with Chapter 10. The prophet moves from a message of comfort (Chapter 10) to God’s rebuke. Brings out the judgment of God through the portraits of the flock (representing the people) and the shepherds (representing the kings and leaders of the nations). The chosen people are punished by God for rejecting the true shepherd and following the useless false shepherds (4-17). This penalty can be summed up in the rebuke “annulling the covenant that I had made with all the peoples” in verse 10, where God determined to “no longer have pity on the inhabitants of this land” (6). What a terrible punishment to be cut off from God and rejected by God.
• Zechariah took two staffs (7), one called “Favor”, referring to kindness and perfection, which is the attribute of God; the other is called “Union”, which is the bond of love. It is like a cord of kindness and love, which binds the Israelites together, especially since the two kingdoms of the north and the south were divided before, and they must be connected again, not separated. Therefore, the meaning here is unity and oneness. He broke the first staff “Favor”, showing that God’s covenant of grace with His people was broken. He broke the second staff “Union”, showing that the friendship between Judah and Israel has been broken down (14).
• The Lord Jesus is our Great Shepherd. He watches over the damned, seeks the lost, heals the wounded, and shepherds us. What a blessing it is that we can follow this good shepherd all our lives.

 

PRAYER:

Pray that the Lord will raise up more faithful good shepherds and leaders in the Chinese church to shepherd Your scattered flocks. May the Lord have mercy, and protect the parts of the world that still do not have shepherds to shepherd their flocks.

 

HYMN:

Good Shepherd of My Soul – youtu.be/yYzE_l2AcE8

Read chapter in full: biblegateway.com/passage/?version=ESV&search=Zechariah+010

 

Zechariah 10 (ESV)

⁶ “I will strengthen the house of Judah,
and I will save the house of Joseph.
I will bring them back because I have compassion on them,
and they shall be as though I had not rejected them,
for I am the Lord their God and I will answer them.
⁷ Then Ephraim shall become like a mighty warrior,
and their hearts shall be glad as with wine.
Their children shall see it and be glad;
their hearts shall rejoice in the Lord.

⁸ “I will whistle for them and gather them in,
for I have redeemed them,
and they shall be as many as they were before.
⁹ Though I scattered them among the nations,
yet in far countries they shall remember me,
and with their children they shall live and return.
¹⁰ I will bring them home from the land of Egypt,
and gather them from Assyria,
and I will bring them to the land of Gilead and to Lebanon,
till there is no room for them.
¹¹ He shall pass through the sea of troubles
and strike down the waves of the sea,
and all the depths of the Nile shall be dried up.
The pride of Assyria shall be laid low,
and the scepter of Egypt shall depart.
¹² I will make them strong in the Lord,
and they shall walk in his name,”
declares the Lord.

 

REFLECTION:

• In Chapter 10, God promises to have mercy on the people, “as though I had not rejected them” (6). This “not rejected” situation includes God being their leader again, bringing the people back (6); being redeemed and they shall be as many as they were before (8); and further deliverance. Just as before when God led the people out of Egypt with signs and miracles.
• The abundance of God’s grace is often experienced in our lives today. Not just enough for our needs, but grace upon grace. All we have to do is to claim God’s blessings by faith.
• This picture of the return from Egypt and Assyria (10) symbolizes the return of the people from all the diaspora nations. Egypt and Assyria evoke memories of the people being slaves and separated from family. The sea of troubles refers to the Red Sea (11), the sea that the Israelites miraculously walked through during their exodus from Egypt. The Israelites will continue to be protected by God’s wondrous power just as they return from Egypt and elsewhere.
• God promises to strengthen His people (6, 12). If we have a close relationship with God, His Spirit will enable us to do His will, despite obstacles. If we turn away from God, the source of our strength is cut off.

 

PRAYER:

Dear God! Thank you for Your willingness to bestow on me every spiritual blessing in heaven. Lord, teach me to learn to receive from You by faith, and offer sacrifices of thanksgiving to You as return.

 

HYMN:

You Are The Vine; We Are The Branches – youtu.be/301PlhiRNx8