1993 issue 1 - sermons on zechariah, history, providence and redemption - counsel of chalcedon
TRANSCRIPT
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8/12/2019 1993 Issue 1 - Sermons on Zechariah, History, Providence and Redemption - Counsel of Chalcedon
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Zechariah 9:1-7; Colossians 1:9-23
Isrnel
is
a small nation that may
seem
at
first
glance to
have
had
little
impact on the development of human
history.
Israel never
grew
t be a great
power
projecting
empire like
Egypt,
Assyria,Babylon,Medo-Persia, Greece,
or
Rome. Its
political influence during
the era of these
great political powers
was,
at
best,
minor. Yet,
looks
are
deceiving.
Despite the minor political impact
of Isrnel on the development ofworld
history, shehasdramatically
altered the
flowofhistory. The modemman tends
to thinkofnationalsignificancein
erms
ofpolitics. But
Israel's importance was
not primarily
political. Rather
her
significance lay
in the
fact
that
she was
used of God as the protecting sheath
through which theseedofthe
covenant
flowed. In
other
words, she was the
agency through which God
providentially brought Christ into the
world. And the impact of Christ on
history has
been
enormous.
n this message
we
will consider
some importantprinciples that
may
be
drawn
from
the
prophecy
contained
in
Zechariah 9:1-7.
Wewill
deal with the
historical
particulars,
butwillalso
draw
forth several important implications of
those
events for
world
history.
1.
The Futility ofHuman Strength.
n order to properly
assess
the
text
before
us,
we must bear in mind its
historical context. We should
remember that
Israel
had
weathered
the Babylonian Captivity, when she
was exiled
from
her land
for
seventy
years. But now she
is presently
under
the dominion of the
Medo-
Persian
empire.
Though back in the land and
relatively
free,
Israelisnotexperiencing
the degree of freedom enjoyed
before
the Babylonian Captivity.
Hence,
the
significance
of the
earlier
statement in
Zechariah
1:11:
Israel
was
perplexed
that the whole
world
(i.e., the empire
aroundthem) was atpeace, while God's
people
were
in poverty and under
restrictions
of
another
empire.
So
now comes thefamiliarrefrainof
the prophets: God yet will protect
His
people
and
ultimately
will
seat
His
Messianic King as ruler over the affairs
ofmen. Thisisthethrustoftheentirety
of
Zechariah
9. The centralfocus of
the
chapterisonverses9-10,whichwewill
consider in our next
message. n hese
opening
verses,
however,
we find the
initial stages of
God's
protection and
blessing.
In Zechariah 9:1 we should
understand that the first several words
serve as
a heading
for
the prophecy:
The
burden o
heword
o he
Lord
in
the
land ofHadrach
The word translated
burden indicates the liftingup of the
voice in a threatening manner. It
introduces judgment prophecies
throughout the prophetic Old
Testament.
The
basic burden is set against a
place called Hadrach. The
conjunction and in verse 1 actually
sets off the headingfrom the
city
names
that follow, according to Hebrew
scholars. The burden, then
is
directed
ultimately against Hadrach.
But
what
is
Hadrach'? This term
historically has been difficult to
determine.
Yet
there are good
indications that it
is
a
symbolic
name
created by Zechariah for the
Medo-Persian empire: (1) n the
prophets
elsewhere
symbolic names
aregivenforimportantplaces.Sheshach
for
Babylon(jer. 25) ;ArielforJerusalem
(Isa 29); Dumah
for
Edom
(Isa
. 21).
Such would not be unusual, then.
(2)
Daniel
,whoprophesiednotlongbefore
Zechariah,
had
prophesied the
overthrow of
Persia,
whichseems to be
whatis treatedhere
(Dan.
7:5-7;20:21).
(3) Closerto the
matter,
since enemies
of Israel tried to convince Persians of
Israel's
desire to rebell
(Ezr.
4:12,13),
there is good
reason
for
Zechariah
to
avoid use ofMedo-Persia's literal name
in this
burden
prophecy.
(4)
n
verse
13
thenarne
Greece
appears
as
the next
empire. Alexander
the
Great
ofGreece
conquered Medo-Persia. So
Medo-Persia
would
bevery relevant in
verses 1-8.
(5)
The following cities
mentioned were parts of the
Medo-Persian empire existing in
Zechariah's
day.
Thename Hadrach
seems
tostand
for
the Medo-Persian empire. The
January,
993 THE COUNSEL of
Chalcedon 21
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8/12/2019 1993 Issue 1 - Sermons on Zechariah, History, Providence and Redemption - Counsel of Chalcedon
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word means
brave/soli.
It
involves
twoconflictingideas.Assuchitindicates
that thoughMedo-Persia waspresendy
strong, it would be humbled. This fits
very well with the context and the
historical events that occurred about
2
years after Zechariah, when
Alexander humbled
Medo-Persia. The
idea of the burden is that powerful
Medo-Persia, with all of its parts,
including those close to Israel
(Damascus, Hamath, Tyre,
Sidon,
and
Philistia)
will
be conquered.
. Regarding our interestin the futility
of human strengthwe learn that one of
the world s great empires
is
going
to
fall.
The
word rest (v. 1
indicates the
threatened judgment
will
rest on it
until it
is
utterly destroyed. In other
words, though it
will
take awhile,
the
city of Damascus and all
the
others
cities ofMedo-Persia
will
be destroyed
until the empire is gone. Her powerful
armies, her great wealth, her
furflung
influence would vanishinsmoke.
Once
again in historywill be illustrated the
bestlaid plans ofmiceand menolien go
astray.
But Zechariah focuses his keenest
concentration on those
cities
of the
Medo-Persian
Empire closest to
Israel:
Tyre and the Philistinecities inverses 5
and 6. We
will
focus on Tyre for our
purposes in considering the futility of
humim strength. In verses 2 through 3
we have a prophecy of Alexander
the
Great's conquest of Tyre. The history
and the prophecy are fasCinating.
Tyre was on an island in the
Mediterranean
Sea,
about a half mile
from the mainland. Notonlywasitout
in the sea; but it was surrounded with
great defensive
walls.
In fact, records
indicate it had a double sea wall 150
feet high that gave her virtually
impenetrable protection
from
enemies
(Zech.
9:3).
Ezekiel alludes to
these
impressive fortifications in Ezekiel
26:17; 27:4; 28:2.
Tyreshoweditswisdominbuilding
a
fomess
and heaping up
gold
and
silver, Zechariah
9:2-b-3.
1he
mighty
Assyrian
king Shalmaneser besieged
Tyre for five years
and the
Babylonian
kingNebuchadnezzarfor13 years.
Both
unsuccessfully.
T
yre s fortifications
proved
invinCible.
History records the great labor
Alexander used
to
get
to
the island and
destroy T
yre.
After a naval blockade,
Alexandertookseveralmonths
to
build
acausewayfromthemainlandbywhich
he
besieged and
entered
the city,
alier
only seven months (Zech. 9:4).
Alexander's
efforts were so successful
that from that time Tyre ceased
to be
a
major
influence
in
the
area. In
fact,
his
construction work
was
so
fine
thatTyre
evenceasedtobeanisland. Ezekielput
it well in Ezekiel 28:2-9 .
In verse 5 we learn of the
shock
of
the fall of mighty Tyre. Ashkelon,
Gaza, Ekron, Ashdod are Philistine
cities. These cities willieam
of
the
fall
of T
yre
to
their amazement. The
land
of these Philistine cities
was
not
far
from
Tyre. Vv'hen they heard of proud
Tyre's fall they
would have cause for
alarm: their cities were less well
protected.
Ekron sexpectationthatTyrewould
notfall would beashamed. Thatis,she
expected Alexander to be stopped in
hismarchat
that
point.
All
hePhilistine
citieswere destined to fallaswell,verses
5-6.
ThefallofthekingofGazaindicates
the
collapseof
the
government, verse 5.
TheWlinhabitedconditionofAshkelon
indicates the total route of the
people,
verse 5. The presence of a mongrel
people in the place of the native
inhabitants indicates a total overrun by
invaders,
verse 6. In short,
the
entire
Philistine
nation would be cut off:
verse 6.
We must leam that
we
cannot oust
in human wisdom, wealth, or
power.
22 l lIE COUNSELof Chalcedon January, 1993
America's great
wealth and military
strength are not what
will
save her.
Some ttust in horses, that is, military
strength.
But
we must trust in God
(Psa.
20:7).
Our own wisdom and
abilities
are
not what
will
bless us as
indiViduals. Onr trust mustbe in God.
Ihaveheard Christianssay thatGod
wbuld not judge America
because
of
her hristian heritage. But God is
able
to
raise up other nations for His own
glory,
n fact,
Orristianity is booming
inAfrica and Asia right now. A recent
article in the May, 1990, hristianity
Today
magazine noted: Orristianity is
experiencing staggering growth
...
in
previously non-Christian parts of the
world.
InallofAsiaandmostofAfrica,
unprecedented numbers
are
coming
to
Christ.
Will
God tUm
from
our nation
t
blessAsiaandAfrica? Ifwe continue
to
tUm from Him and trust in our own
strengthand
wealth,
He just
may do so.
let us pray for
ourselves
and our land
that this not happen.
2. 1he Agency of Cultural Upheaval
It is clear
from history that Greece
conquered
Medo-Persia.
But to
say
that it wll 5 ultimately Greece that
conquered would be a grave error
leading
us
back onceagain to a trusting
in human strength. In fact, the context
gives the proper perspective on the
events,
which
were to occur
some
two
hundred
years
later. That perspective
is that Alexander the Great was but
an
instrument in the hand of God.
We
should notice
first
that
the
judgment
is
set forth as the burden of
the
word
of the
Lord in [oragainstl the
land of
Hadrach.
The threatened
judgmentwasnotultimatelybyGreece.
It
was by the word of the Lord.
This
is
the very word that created
the
entire universe in
the
beginning
(Gen.
1). Rather
than the universe
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8/12/2019 1993 Issue 1 - Sermons on Zechariah, History, Providence and Redemption - Counsel of Chalcedon
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appearing by irrational
chance,
it
has
been wisely
created
by the infinitely
rational word of the living God. The
rationalityand order of the universe are
the result of
God s
mere
utterance..
his
word
s
the word that
w ll
not
return unto God void, without
accomplishing
His
work
Osa.
55:11).
It
is
the living and
active
word of
Almighty God
that enters
history to
perform His will Oer.
23:29).
It is the
word of
God,
not the
armies
of
men,
that
are
determinative in
history. God
is
the
One who determines
the
end
fromthebeginning(Isa.46:1O).ItisHe
who determines the destinies of
rulers
Osa. 40:23-25).* n
Editor s
note--Computers
are one
the greatest tools
ever
invented.
They
can
be a
tremendous asset
in so
many
ways. lhey can also be a
source
of
extreme
frustration. Dr. Gentry learned
that at this juncture in
his
series on
Zechariah.
His
messages
on the book
of Zechariah did not
survive disaster
to
his computer
hard
disk and hence
we
must abruptly end this
series.
Dr
. Gentry has agreed however
to
allow
us
to
reprint a shonsection ofhis
new
book, e Shall ave Dominion
which contains a study in the
interpretation of
the
14th chapter of
Zechariah.
Itisa
fiiting
and
interesting
conclusion
to
this
series. We
hope also
to
do a book
review
of He Shall Have
ominion
in the near
furure
. It is the
best exegetical defense of post
millenialism that I
have seen.
You may
order
it
directly
from
the author
below
oritwillbe sent
to
you in rerum fora gift
toTheCounselof 50.
Please
mention
that you
desire the
book when you
send the gift
January,
1993
TIlE COUNSEL
of
Chalcedon
3