Rēad to Read …Again
Daily Reading: Zechariah 1-7
Zechariah 1:3
Therefore say thou unto them, Thus saith the LORD of hosts; Turn ye unto me, saith the LORD of hosts, and I will turn unto you, saith the LORD of hosts.
Such a promise cannot be passed without comment. The Lord of Hosts, the One who has all power and authority, says without further conditions that He will turn to those who turn to Him. Three times in this one verse the title “The Lord of Hosts” is used. Repetition has a meaning. Here it means this is the Lord of Hosts! No doubt. This is not only an Old Testament promise, it is one that is in effect throughout all of Scripture. In Genesis 5:22-24 we read of Enoch who walked so close to God that God took him. To walk with God one must turn to God. In the New Testament, James wrote: Draw nigh to God, and he will draw nigh to you… Then he tells the reader how to do that, …Cleanse your hands, ye sinners; and purify your hearts, ye double minded. (James 4:8)
God has always been close to those who stay close to Him. Over thirty years ago the aged preacher said something like this… “If you sense that you are far from God, know this, God did not move from you, you moved from God.” This phrase has had a definite impact. After preaching now for over thirty years, it has proven to be true over and over and over again.
The writer of Hebrews wrote of this in Hebrews 7:19. For the law made nothing perfect, but the bringing in of a better hope did; by the which we draw nigh unto God. It is that better hope that motivates believers to draw close to God. Let’s say that a multi-billionaire told you that for the rest of your life all your financial needs would be paid. You would be perfectly cared for, for the rest of your life. Would that motivate you to stay close to that individual? Of course, this is an oversimplification, but it paints the picture. You see, we have a better hope than being provided for in this temporal world. We have the better hope of eternal provision, both here and there. The law could not provide that, all the law does is condemn. But the better hope of Christ and the totality of His benefits to His sheep brings life in all its various forms: physical, spiritual, eternal.
Back to Zechariah, his message to the returning Jews was one of hope, promise, and prophecy. This short book contains many prophecies of the coming Messiah that were all fulfilled, or will be fulfilled, in and through the person of Jesus the Christ (the Branch of Zechariah 3:8, 6:12, Jeremiah 23:5, Isaiah 11:1). During the introductory remarks the prophet gives all a wonderful promise of God, which concisely put is simply this: turn to me and I will turn to you.
This was true in Zechariah’s day, Enoch’s day, James’s day, and today.
Dr. William T. Howe
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