Having been armed with an expansive view of the faithfulness of God, Zechariah turns our attention to the Future of Israel. It is alarming at first, that the narrative the Prophet provides is set in the context of great and terrible struggle. He speaks of Jerusalem under siege, "like a cup of staggering," in verse 2.
There is no sugar-coating of our reality, sometimes life is hard! There is ongoing hostility between the world and the people of God - and it is often nasty and vicious and dangerous - - we are after all in a war!
BUT GOD! BUT GOD, is assuring us that no matter how intense the conflict and how hard we are pressed by the stark realities and trials that confront us - - God will make us an army that will be greatly instrumental in overcoming our persecutors.
I realize contextually this speaks of Israel, but I am confident that it speaks of the church of today as well. And look at verse 3,the prophet depicts the people of God as a heavy stone that injures those who try to move it. What a wonderful picture of the stability and immovability of the people of God. Here is the church! Not a temporary institution under threat. Not held together by the creativity and ingenuity of its leaders; not merely surviving by the good graces of popular opinion and the most clever and "relevant" theological fads, not surviving on the backs of the best praise band and youth group. No - Not at all! The church is immovable because it is sustained by God
All of the world - the very foundation and elements of this great globe will - as Tomlin sings - melt like snow! But the Church, the Lords beloved bride, will last forever! The Church is an eternal thing, it will endure for ever! What glorious a glorious hope for the people of God!
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