journey through the bible - the post exhilic prophets, obadiah, haggai, zechariah

Journey Through The Bible

The Prophets of the Return: Obadiah, Haggai, Zechariah

Bible ReadingsZechariah 7:1-8:8 Page 671Matthew 24:1-14 Page 701

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Wednesday, 17 December 2014

• Most of those who returned had been born in Babylon.

• They spoke Aramaic not Hebrew

• They had lived comfortably in the world class city of Babylon.

• “When the Lord restored the fortunes of Zion, we were like those who dream. Then our mouth was filled with laughter, and our tongue with shouts of joy; then they said among the nations, “The Lord has done great things for them.”” (Psalm 126:1–2, ESV)

• What they imagined in their minds was very different to the reality of a ruined abandoned city.

Returning to Jerusalem

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• Obadiah proclaimed the Lord’s judgement on Edom.

• Edomites (descendants of Esau) (Arabs): age old enemies of the Jews.

• When the Babylonians smashed Jerusalem and took away the survivors, the Edomites cheered and gloated over the fate of their brothers the Jews.

• The Edomites joined in the pillaging of the city. They hunted and killed the Jews who had escaped.

• Over the years of the exile they had systematically robbed and persecuted the struggling survivors living in the ruins of Jerusalem.

Obadiah: The Unknown Prophet

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• Edom’s sin:

• They had no compassion on those suffering and did nothing to help the survivors.

• They enjoyed and cheered when the Babylonians sacked Jerusalem.

• “You did harmful things to your brothers, the people of Jacob. So you will be covered with shame. You will be destroyed forever. Strangers entered the gates of Jerusalem. They cast lots to see what each one would get. They carried off its wealth. When that happened, you just stood there and did nothing. You were like one of them.” (Obadiah 10–11, NIrV)

Obadiah: The Unknown Prophet

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• When the people first returned to Jerusalem they built an altar and laid a foundation stone for a new temple.

• After 20 years they had built themselves houses and King Darius had given permission for the temple to be built. But nothing had been done.

• The new nation was facing economic problems.

Haggai: The Temple Prophet

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• A poor gross national product, in other words, they worked hard but as a nation they were still poor.

• They had no personal satisfaction – there was always a feeling that something was missing from their lives.

• They never seem to be able to get ahead financially, savings and investments seemed to just evaporate.

• The price of everything was always going up.

• The harvests even from the best land were always less than hoped for and disappointing.

Haggai: The Problem

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• The root cause of these problems: God was not first in their lives.

• They worshipped the Lord but the reality was that He was not first in their hearts.

• The true state of their relationship with the Lord was shown in the fact that they had built themselves luxurious houses but the Lord's house, the Temple, was still in ruins.

• The temple was God's chosen way of living among His people. By neglecting to build the temple when their was nothing stopping them, the people showed that the presence of God in their lives was not important to them.

Haggai: The Solution

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• Today Jesus is God’s appointed way of grace and salvation.

• People can not come to God on their own terms in their own way because Jesus is now the only way to come into a living relationship with our Creator and Judge.

• Jesus said, “I am the way the truth and the life. No one comes to the father except through me.” (John 14:6)

• God has appointed a way by which He can save and bless each person but unless he or she actually accepts that way, the Lord will not live in them by His Holy Spirit.

Haggai: The Way of Grace

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• Under the leadership of their governor Zerubbabel and the high priest Joshua the second temple was built.

• The second temple was very small and plain.

• Those who remembered the great temple of old looked at the new one with sad and disappointed eyes.

• Haggai proclaimed the word of the Lord to the people reminding them that it was not the temple itself that was important but the fact that the Lord was with them.

Haggai: The Temple Built

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• “In the seventh month, on the twenty-first of the month, the word of the Lord came by Haggai the prophet, saying: “Speak now to Zerubbabel the son of Shealtiel, governor of Judah, and to Joshua the son of Jehozadak, the high priest, and to the remnant of the people, saying: ‘Who is left among you who saw this temple in its former glory? And how do you see it now? In comparison with it, is this not in your eyes as nothing? Yet now be strong, Zerubbabel,’ says the Lord; ‘and be strong, Joshua, son of Jehozadak, the high priest; and be strong, all you people of the land,’ says the Lord, ‘and work; for I am with you,’ says the Lord of hosts.” (Haggai 2:1–4, NKJV)

Haggai: “I am With You”

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• Zechariah was a visionary prophet, a bit like Daniel. He saw strange and vivid visions full of symbols.

• For example in the first six chapters he records nine amazing and strange visions,

1. The vision of three coloured horses

2. The vision of horns

3. The vision of the surveyor

4. The vision of the high priest

5. The vision of the lamp stand and the high priest

6. The vision of a giant flying scroll

7. The vision of an evil woman in a lead basket

8. The vision of the four chariots of God

9. The vision of the high priest becoming both priest and King

Zechariah: Repentance and End Times

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• Then I will pour out a spirit of grace and prayer on the family of David and on the people of Jerusalem. They will look on Me whom they have pierced and mourn for Him as for an only son. They will grieve bitterly for Him as for a firstborn son who has died. The sorrow and mourning in Jerusalem on that day will be like the great mourning for Hadad-rimmon in the valley of Megiddo.” (Zechariah 12:10–11, NLT)

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• “But when they came to Jesus and saw that He was already dead, they did not break His legs. But one of the soldiers pierced His side with a spear, and immediately blood and water came out. And he who has seen has testified, and his testimony is true; and he knows that he is telling the truth, so that you may believe. For these things were done that the Scripture should be fulfilled, “Not one of His bones shall be broken.” And again another Scripture says, “They shall look on Him whom they pierced.” (John 19:33–37, NKJV)

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• Zechariah's prophecy says all the people will mourn His death because the Lord had poured out upon them a spirit of grace and prayer. This did not happen when Jesus was crucified in Jerusalem in AD 33.

• This prophecy will be completely fulfilled when Jesus returns.

• The people of Israel will see who He is and realise with horror and grief that the Messiah they had been waiting so long for had already come and that they had crucified Him.

• In His mercy the Lord will pour out upon His grieving people a spirit of prayer so that they will repent and be saved.

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• “And it shall come to pass that everyone who is left of all the nations which came against Jerusalem shall go up from year to year to worship the King, the Lord of hosts, and to keep the Feast of Tabernacles. And it shall be that whichever of the families of the earth do not come up to Jerusalem to worship the King, the Lord of hosts, on them there will be no rain.” (Zechariah 14:16–17, NKJV)

• Impossible? Remember Who is in charge of history.

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The event to which the Old Testament was pointing to and longing for.

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journey through the bible - the post exhilic prophets, obadiah, haggai, zechariah

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