2 Chronicles 29 & 30 Zechariah
11 & 12: 1-13:1
For
the Chronicler, successful leadership of God’s people is always a matter of
doing what is ‘right in the eyes of the Lord.’ After the disaster of Ahaz’s
reign, Hezekiah speaks uncomfortable truth to the people about their sin, and
leads them in repentance and a return to true worship, which, as we have seen
so many times before, involves sacrifice. The consistent teaching of scripture
asks the question – can anything which does not involve sacrifice be called
worship? I was struck by the closing words of chapter 29: things had seemed
bleak for God’s people – but now there
is rejoicing ‘at what God had brought about for his people, because it was done
so quickly.’
Note
Hezekiah’s intentionality at the beginning of chapter 30, as he summons the
people to celebrate the key act of worship of the Jewish Year – Passover. May
the Lord give us grace to heed Hezekiah’s words today
·
return
to the Lord … that he may return to you (30:6)
·
do
not be … unfaithful to the Lord (30:7)
·
do
not be stiff-necked … submit to the Lord (30:8)
·
serve
the Lord your God (30:8)
Lest
we have any doubt about the Lord Hezekiah is urging us to serve, he repeats one
of the Old Testament’s most enduring descriptions of God’s character – ‘the
Lord your God is gracious and compassionate. He will not turn his face from you
if you return to him.’ The result of Hezekiah’s work is movingly detailed in
30:25-27.
Zechariah
also details the Lord’s displeasure at faithless leadership (the false
shepherds who have only an eye to personal profit). How often do we heed the
Lord’s call in scripture to pray for our leaders? Verses 12 & 13 are quite
extraordinary, one of the clearest examples of an Old Testament image being
fulfilled, half a millennium later, in the life of Jesus – I can’t help but
wonder whether these words echoed in the minds of the Pharisees when they paid
Judas his blood money …
From
chapter 12, Zechariah’s prophetic vision turns to the coming of the Saviour. In
the concertina effect common to biblical prophecy, we find ourselves looking
one moment at the earthly life of Christ, and the next into the far future and
his return. We learn that Jerusalem
(member of the clergy).
(member of the clergy).