Who’s Running This Show?
Zech. 6
Sometimes it’s not easy to know who’s running the show.
Pete’s telling a friend how he’d lost his job. “Why did the foreman fire you?” the friend asks. “Oh,” Pete says, “you know how foremen are. They stand around with their hands in their pockets watching everybody else work.” His friend asks “But why did he let you go?” Pete answers, “All the other workers thought I was the foreman.”
Usually it’s not too hard to know who’s running the show at the job or the school; but sometimes it’s not so easy figuring out Who’s running the show called life. Some say it’s the people with political clout who run the world, or the people with the most money, or maybe even the people in Hollywood. Others say, “I’m in charge of my destiny; I decide what happens in my life.” Still others declare, “Nobody’s really running this show; things just happen with no rhyme or reason.” But the Bible tells us there really is Somebody Who runs this show:
Psalm 103:19 The LORD has established His throne in heaven, And His kingdom rules over all.
Psalm 115:3 But our God is in heaven; He does whatever He pleases.
That’s the way things are; but that’s not always the way things seem. Live long enough and you will be tempted to wonder if God really is running this show. You might ask: why is evil so powerful, why am I hurting so badly, why don’t my prayers get answered, why do things get so mixed up and confusing? How can I know that God is really in charge of this world and my life?
Tonight I want to take you back to some folks who probably struggled with some of these same questions. A group of exiles trying to rebuild a life among the ruins of the once great city of Jerusalem had some doubts about who was running the show. Ask the average Joe and they would tell you the king of Persia was ruling the world. But God sent a prophet named Zechariah to tell His people that He was still running the show. In the last vision Zechariah records in Scripture, God reminds us of some demonstrations of the truth of His sovereignty over this world, and over your life. How does God demonstrate He’ s running the show?
I. BY DEFEATING HIS ENEMIES (v. 1-8)
To understand this vision, you have to refer back to Zechariah’s first vision in Zech. 1:7-17 where these same horses are first mentioned. In that passage, the horses were patrolling the earth, reporting back to God about what they saw. But in this vision, these same strong steeds are hitched up to battle chariots. They thunder forth from between two bronze mountains, a symbol of God’s heavenly throne. They are driven by 4 spirits, who are eager to ride out. When the Lord gives the order they ride off, the black horse heading north, followed by the white horse, while the dappled horse heads south, presumably followed by the red horse.
Why are they riding out? V. 8 gives us a clue: God says, they …have given rest to My Spirit in the north country…
I’m sure when Zechariah delivered this message, all the exiles understood exactly what it was about. But you and I might need to do a little unpacking to get the message.
First, notice these horses are hitched to chariots, which means they are outfitted for battle. They ride out from between two bronze mountains (representing the presence of God) and go out from their station before the Lord of all the earth (v. 5). The black horse (perhaps representing death) and the white horse (perhaps representing God’s victory) ride to the north—the general direction of Babylon and Assyria, while the other two head south, in the general direction of Egypt. The chariots are headed to war against these enemies of Israel.
But there is something interesting going on in vs. 8. God, speaking to Zechariah, says the war horses headed north …have given rest to My Spirit in the north country…The idea is these nations angered God by their treatment of His people Israel and now God is satisfied because He has sovereignly defeated His enemies. The exiles Zechariah saw this happen when Babylon, the nation who once thought they were running the show, were defeated by the Persians. The Babylonians hadn’t been defeated by military might: God defeated them. Zechariah reminds them God is running the show because He defeats all of His enemies.
Does God defeat all of His enemies? Oh yes. There is no enemy that can stand against our Sovereign God. In this present world, God is defeating all of His enemies. Satan would like you to believe He is running this show, but over and over God defeats the devil’s plans by bringing good even out of the worst circumstances. The Cross of Christ is the best example of God’s sovereign victory over the devil. Death seems to run the show in this world, snuffing out the lives of the young, the innocent, the helpless. But God defeated death at the resurrection of Christ, opening the door for all who believe to be resurrected too. Every time throughout history when it seems goodness will die and evil will triumph, God comes through and sovereignly brings victory. The Bible reminds us that there will come a day when God’s victory will be final and complete, and all of His enemies will be destroyed forever. It may look dark and grim, we may sometimes be alarmed or confused, but always remember: God is running this show: He is undefeated and will always remain undefeated. John Jay Chapman once offered this advice to all of those who belong to the God Who runs this show:
Have plenty of courage. God is stronger than the devil. We are on the winning side.
Do you and I believe that? That’s the truth. God is running this show and defeating all His enemies. But God also demonstrates He’s running this show
II. BY CROWNING HIS KING (v. 9-15a)
One way to pinpoint who is running the show is to find out who’s wearing the crown.
Crowns have always been the sign of authority and Kingship. The ancient king Charlemagne wore an octagonal crown. On eight sides was a plaque of gold, and each plaque studded with emeralds, sapphires, and pearls. Richard the Lion Heart had a crown so heavy that two men had to stand on either side to hold his head. The crown that Queen Elizabeth wears is worth over $20 million.
Why spend so much money on a crown? Because it identifies Who runs the show. God has already demonstrated His sovereignty by destroying the Babylonian Empire; now He goes a step further and shows He’s running the show by crowning His own King.
Sometime after the last vision, the Lord informs Zechariah that 3 men named Heldai, Tobijah, and Jedaiah will arrive in Jerusalem from Babylon with an offering for the new Temple. Zechariah is to take the silver and gold they bring to the house of Josiah and make an elaborate crown, fit for a high king. Then Zechariah is to crown Joshua, the priest, with this crown, and give this message from God: Behold the Branch, Who will build the Temple of the Lord! He will rule and reign from His throne, not only as My Priest, but as My King! He will mediate between God and man, and He will rule in My Name! Through Him many other people will help build My Temple! Through Him My message through Zechariah will be fulfilled! Through Him I will rule and reign and run this show!
This was a dangerous thing to do. First of all, because in Israel, no king was allowed to also be a priest. These were offices God had separated from one another. Secondly, if word got out somebody crowned a king, the Persians step in and stop all the work on the Temple immediately. But Joshua the priest never rules Israel as King. His “coronation” is symbolic. We know the crown did not stay on his head; v. 14 tells us it is placed in the Temple …for a memorial…=an object meant to remind them of another King/Priest. They didn’t know Who this would be, but you and I do, don’t we? Hundreds of years later, another Man whose Hebrew Name was Joshua, but we know by His Greek Name Jesus, would be born God’s King and Priest. Joshua was a foreshadow of Jesus Christ, Who is both God’s King and God’s Priest.
As God’s King, the Lord Jesus has the right to rule not just over Israel, but over the universe. Right now, for the most part, He runs the show from behind the scenes, working in mysterious ways to do His will. But the Bible tells us that one day He will reveal Himself as the King Who runs the show for everybody to see.
Philippians 2:9-11 9Therefore God also has highly exalted Him and given Him the name which is above every name, 10that at the name of Jesus every knee should bow, of those in heaven, and of those on earth, and of those under the earth, 11and that every tongue should confess that Jesus Christ is Lord, to the glory of God the Father.
As God’s Priest, He is the One and Only Mediator between God and man. There is nobody else you need to go through---there is nobody else you can go through to get to God.
1 Timothy 2:5 For there is one God and one Mediator between God and men, the Man Christ Jesus,
Joshua the Priest will help rebuild the Temple in Jerusalem, but Jesus the King/Priest will build God’s Temple in the human heart. Through Jesus many …from afar… (v. 15b)- the Gentiles- will build Temples of God in their own hearts. One day people will read this prophecy of Zechariah and say he told us so!
Who’s running this show? God’s King, God’s Priest—Jesus Christ. He’s got the whole world in His hands, along with the keys to the kingdom of God. There is no higher Authority, no King more powerful or glorious, nobody who is worth your love, loyalty, and worship. There is no other Priest Who can take the hand of sinful people and the hands of a holy God and bring us together. God demonstrates His sovereignty by crowning Jesus as the one true King and one holy, faithful Priest. But there is more to this than just a theological truth to embrace, because Zechariah tells us God’s sovereignty is also demonstrated
III. BY THE OBEDIENCE OF HIS PEOPLE (v. 15b)
Zechariah personalizes this message for the Jews. No enemy can stand against God; no king is greater than God’s King, no mediator more precious than God’s Priest. But in order for God to run the show in your life, you must choose, in the words of v. 15b …to diligently obey the voice of the Lord your God.
Notice he doesn’t just say we should obey God, but that we should diligently obey Him. Carefully, consciously, making sure not only we do what He says, but we do what He says for the right reason.
Obedience is your surrender to God’s sovereignty. It is a conscious decision to invite God to run the show of your life. But it’s very important to understand that there is only one acceptable motive for obedience to God, and that motive is love. If you want God to run the show in your life, you must obey Him because you love Him.
You can understand why, can’t you? If you obey God for what you get out of Him, you won’t obey Him very well.
He who serves God for money will serve the devil for better wages.- English Proverb
You could obey God out of fear, and maybe that would be a little better. But if you serve because you’re afraid, you tend to build up a lot of resentment inside. You start looking for ways to escape, a way out of obeying.
But if you obey God from a heart of love, then you obey with a willing heart, you obey gladly, you obey Him because you know He is good and gracious, and you can always trust Him. This, Zechariah says, is the most beautiful demonstration of God’s sovereignty: reigning in the hearts of those who love Him. This is what the Lord wanted from the exiles. Could He rebuild this Temple without their obedience? But they would never have experienced His blessing on them, and they would never have been part of the wonderful work God was doing in their world. The same is true for you and me. God doesn’t need you nor I do work in this world; but He offers us a chance to be part of His plan, to be blessed by His power and presence—all by obeying Him because you love Him. This is how God’s sovereignty becomes a personal reality in our lives. This is how we live out the truth of
1 John 5:3 For this is the love of God, that we keep His commandments. And His commandments are not burdensome.
But Bro. Mike, how do I learn to love God more? Seek Him more. Talk to Him more. Read His love letter to you- the Bible- more. Look for His hand of blessing and grace in your life more. When you seek God, you will find Him, and when you find Him, you will love Him, and the more you love Him, the more diligently you will obey Him.
Late one Saturday afternoon, Pastor Harold returned home. “How did the wedding go?” his wife asked. “Fine, my dear, until I asked the bride if she would obey,” and she said, ‘Do you think I’m crazy?’ and the bridegroom, who wasn’t paying much attention, mumbled, ‘I do,’—then things began to happen!”
Things begin to happen in your life when you commit yourself to diligently obey God.
Who’s running this show? The truth is, God’s running this show. He’s working His own plan, in spite of the devil’s scheming, in spite of how we keep making a mess of things—He’s running the show. If you and I want to be part of His plan, we must trust Christ as our King and our Priest, and diligently, lovingly obey our sovereign Lord.
