Zechariah - Chapter 1a
ZECHARIAH 1:1-6
THE CALL TO REPENTANCE
In the eighth month, in the second year of Darius, came the word of the Lord unto Zechariah, the son of Berechiah, the son of Iddo, the prophet, saying, The Lord hath been sore displeased with your fathers.
The first words of the prophet were harsh and startling enough to rivet the attention of the people. The Hebrew original language actually means the strongest displeasure, almost to the point of abhorrence.
This statement was a clear fact that could be denied by none. The evidence was strong with proof considering the desolation of their own land and the seventy years of captivity of the chosen people in Babylon.
While Jehovah was angry with them due to their long practiced falling away and provocations of idol worship, His anger was now turning away and He was ready to comfort them if they would but turn from the evils which had brought destruction on their fathers and return to God with all their hearts. The prophet now invites them to do exactly that.
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.
The repetition of the name is given to assure the authority and importance of the call, and to emphasize the results that would occur as a blessing if obedience was the response of the people.
The gracious invitation and assurance is to be followed by a warning should this newer generation choose to follow in the footsteps of their fathers and disobey which would incur the wrath of the Lord, just as has been seen by all.
Be not as your fathers, unto whom the former prophets have cried, saying, Thus saith the Lord of hosts; Turn ye now from your evil ways, and from your evil doings: but they did not hear, nor hearken unto me, saith the Lord.
Here is a kind of resume of the former prophet workers and the results.
The mission of the prophets was to speak fully all that had been revealed to them by God who knows all things and controls not only the present but also the future. The constant call to the people had not changed. It was “repent”.
Isaiah said in his 55th chapter “... seek ye the Lord while he may be found, call ye upon Him while He is near...”.
Jeremiah had spoken similar thoughts as he said in his 3rd chapter “... Return thou backsliding Israel, saith the Lord, and I will not cause my face to fall upon you in anger...”.
Ezekiel made his touching appeal in his many times as is seen in his 18th chapter “... Repent and be turned from your transgressions … and iniquity shall not be your ruin...”.
Hosea had the same message in his 14th chapter “... O Israel, return unto the Lord thy God, for thou hast fallen by thine iniquity...”.
Zephaniah said in his 2nd chapter “... seek righteousness, seek meekness: it may be ye shall be hid in the day of the Lord's anger...”.
To all these cries, Israel had turned a deaf ear.
After Malachi, there was a pause of 400 years of silence from the Lord in which no prophet was raised to speak for Him. When the long silence was broken by the appearance of John the Baptist, his first teachings started with the word “Repent: for the kingdom of God is at hand...”. The proud Pharisees and scribes, like their fathers before, did not think they themselves needed to repent. They showed themselves to be just like their fathers had been, stoning newer prophets who had been sent.
Christ Himself came and taught by word and deed and willingly took death to atone for the sins of all, just as had been prophesied. After He arose He provided a message to His disciples for the entire world which was repent and sins would be given remission. (Luke 24:46-49).
Should we clearly understand that the question of repentance touches the very heart of the commanded relationship between man and God?
Now the last two verses of the call of Zechariah are given as a warning against disobedience, enforced by the sad experience of their fathers.
Your fathers, where are they? And the prophets, do they live forever?
Probably we see here a small dialogue between the prophet and the people showing the fathers died under suffering and captivity and the prophets sent by the Lord shared in those sorrows and died under suffering as well. The prophets, while called by God, remained as mortal men living and dying as mortal men do.
But my words and my statutes, which I commanded my servants the prophets, did they not take hold of your fathers? And they returned and said, like as the Lord of hosts thought to do unto us, according to our ways, and according to our doings, so hath he dealt with us.
The prophets sent are no more, but the words which those holy men of older days spoke as they were moved by the Holy Ghost are still with us. In spite of man's unbelief they still are accomplishing the purposes for which they were sent which were judgment on those who refuse to repent and believe, and mercy on those who repent and accept.