The God Who Still Comes For His People Series

The God Who Still Comes For His People

October 19, 2008 Zech 10

Intro:

A little over a month ago, I was sitting on the LRT late one night after a football game, feeling a profound sense of sadness. No, it was not because the Eskimos lost, though they had. I’m getting used to that… and I’m not bitter! It was because of another situation, the details of which I won’t go into, but one where people for whom I care were hurting, deeply. It was a hard situation, and I felt compassion and sadness together, and as I rode the LRT listening to my iPod, feeling this sadness and loss and hurt, the question running through my mind and heart and prayers was simply, “Lord… where are You in the midst of this? Where can I find You? Where are You working, where are You going to bring something good out of such a hard place?”

Zechariah 10 (NIV)

We find some answers to that age-old question, “God, where are you?”, in Zechariah 10.

1 Ask the LORD for rain in the springtime;

it is the LORD who makes the storm clouds.

He gives showers of rain to men,

and plants of the field to everyone.

2 The idols speak deceit,

diviners see visions that lie;

they tell dreams that are false,

they give comfort in vain.

Therefore the people wander like sheep

oppressed for lack of a shepherd.

3 "My anger burns against the shepherds,

and I will punish the leaders;

for the LORD Almighty will care

for his flock, the house of Judah,

and make them like a proud horse in battle.

4 From Judah will come the cornerstone,

from him the tent peg,

from him the battle bow,

from him every ruler.

5 Together they [a] will be like mighty men

trampling the muddy streets in battle.

Because the LORD is with them,

they will fight and overthrow the horsemen.

6 "I will strengthen the house of Judah

and save the house of Joseph.

I will restore them

because I have compassion on them.

They will be as though

I had not rejected them,

for I am the LORD their God

and I will answer them.

7 The Ephraimites will become like mighty men,

and their hearts will be glad as with wine.

Their children will see it and be joyful;

their hearts will rejoice in the LORD.

8 I will signal for them

and gather them in.

Surely I will redeem them;

they will be as numerous as before.

9 Though I scatter them among the peoples,

yet in distant lands they will remember me.

They and their children will survive,

and they will return.

10 I will bring them back from Egypt

and gather them from Assyria.

I will bring them to Gilead and Lebanon,

and there will not be room enough for them.

11 They will pass through the sea of trouble;

the surging sea will be subdued

and all the depths of the Nile will dry up.

Assyria’s pride will be brought down

and Egypt’s scepter will pass away.

12 I will strengthen them in the LORD

and in his name they will walk,"

declares the LORD.

I am Here in daily provision (vs. 1-2a):

We ask, “God, where are you?”, and the first answer is “I am here in daily provision”.

1 Ask the LORD for rain in the springtime;

it is the LORD who makes the storm clouds.

He gives showers of rain to men,

and plants of the field to everyone.

2 The idols speak deceit,

diviners see visions that lie;

they tell dreams that are false,

they give comfort in vain.

Remember these words are 2500 years old, an agricultural society dependant on the spring rains to bring the essentials for life. In this setting, people across the known world related natural phenomenon to “gods”, and sought to appease them. Even the Israelites, the people of God, succumbed to that practice as we see in vs. 2, looking to idols and diviners to try to secure the daily needs. Against this God proclaims that He is the source of the rains and the storm clouds and thus the source of life and of every daily provision and it is Him that we should ask and seek. So where is God? In the daily provisions of life. The food we enjoy, the clean water, the shelter and clothing and relationships of love and security. God is the source, and God is here.

I am Here to care and lead (vs. 2b-3)

Where else is God? He is here to care and lead. Zechariah continues from this rejection of the idols and diviners, and moves on to question the leadership that has been in place over the people that have allowed them to seek answers from other “gods” rather than from the God of Israel: