If I forget you, Jerusalem
The times of Haggai and Zechariah were times of spiritual
rebirth for the children of Israel. They were times of renewing of faith, and
rededication to the work of God. Times had not always been so favorable for
God's people.
Many alive at this time could recall the great destructions
which Nebuchadnezzar's armies had accomplished upon the city of Jerusalem and
its glorious Temple. And everyone could remember the degradation and misery (or
perhaps, for some, the temporary prosperity and consequent distraction from
God's Way) which had been their fortune while in captivity in Babylon. Sadly
they had asked themselves the question -- "How shall we sing the Lord's song in
a strange land?" (Psa 137:4).
But the Jews had not been plagued and distressed in the same
way as another nation might have been. The treatment and the purpose were
different, for they were -- and are still today -- God's chosen people. God
Himself told them (Jer 30:11): "Though I make a full end of all nations whither
I have scattered thee, yet will I not make a full end of thee: But I will
correct thee IN MEASURE and will not leave thee altogether
unpunished."
Why does God trouble His people? Why does He bring trials upon
those who profess to serve Him?
Job has answered this question. In Job 23:10, this man --
burdened with poverty, sorrow and disease, is able to say -- "But He (God)
knoweth the way that I take: when He hath tried me, I shall come forth as
gold."
Paul, in his letter to the Hebrews, presents a clear statement
of God's purpose with His children (Heb 12:5): "My son, despise not thou the
chastening of the Lord, nor faint when thou are rebuked of Him. For whom the
Lord loveth He chasteneth, and scourgeth every son whom He receiveth. If you
endure chastening, God dealeth with you as with sons; for what son is he whom
the father chasteneth not? But if ye be without chastisement, whereof all are
partakers, then are ye bastards, and not sons."
And in v 11 he concludes:
"Now no chastening for the present seemeth to be joyous, but grievous:
nevertheless afterward it yieldeth the peaceable fruit of righteousness
unto them that are exercised
thereby."
And God did exercise His people by trials in the land
of the enemy. Jeremiah foresaw this in his Lamentation at the fall of Judah, and
he asked: "Wherefore doth a living man complain -- a man for the punishment of
his sins?"
Israel was this "living man". Every other nation that God ever
punished had remained a dead man. God was to make a full end of every nation
except Israel.
Jeremiah understood this, and he thanked God for the special
position of himself and his fellow Jews. Therefore he cried to everyone who
would listen (including us, spiritual Israel):
"Let us search and try our ways, and turn again to the Lord. Let us lift up our
hearts with our hands unto God in the heavens" (Lam
3:40,41).
And thus, by the controlling hand of their Father, the
children of God were sent into a far nation for 70 years -- years of slavery and
hardship in the main part.
But they emerged from Babylon (as they had from the wilderness
many years before) as a stronger people -- more ready to listen to God because
of their sufferings. The weaker elements had been purged from the people, just
as the dross is separated from the pure metals, by the fire-the fire of God's
furnace.
The Israel of the kings had constantly rebelled and sought
after idols, but the Israel of Zechariah's time now realized very soberly the
meaning of the one God, the God of Abraham, Isaac and Jacob. And they learned
the lesson exemplified in Psa 137:
"If I forget thee, O Jerusalem, let my right hand forget her cunning! If I do
not remember thee, let my tongue cleave to the roof of my mouth, if I prefer not
Jerusalem above my chief joy!"
***
Zec 6:9-15 concerns Joshua, the son of Josedec, the High
Priest of Israel's return. The prophet Zechariah was commanded to take crowns of
silver and gold, and to place them upon the head of Joshua.
This act was to commemorate something of great importance. Our
duty and our privilege, is to determine what is signified here. And if we will
study these verses in the light of God's Word, we shall find an inspiring and
uplifting picture of Jesus Christ and his work -- past, present, and
future.
Verse 10 tells us of three men -- Heldai, Tobijah and Jedaiah
-- who came to Jerusalem from Babylon, bringing precious gifts. (In the
Septuagint, these three names are translated by the common words which their
names signify. Thus we read, in this version, that "chief men, useful men, and
men of understanding" came from Babylon, bringing gifts.)
It is easy to see that this verse expresses, for our
instruction, the true character of the true Israel. Each of us must leave the
darkness and ignorance and wickedness of spiritual "Babylon", and each of us
must come to God in understanding, ready to sacrifice our wealth and time in His
service: "Ye turned to God from idols to serve the living and true God" (1Th
1:10).
And this must be a continuing renewal of purpose. It must not
merely be a single decision made at baptism which can be nullified by later
actions. As Paul implies, idolatry is a far wider evil than the simple worship
of graven images. And we might add, "Babylon" has far more followers than we
might first be willing to admit.
One of the most difficult trials was one which drew very
little if any complaint from God's people. This was the temptation of ease and
plenty, and many Jews succumbed to this even when others had no
effect.
But a few were able to overcome this as well. They had
achieved comfort and respect in the land of their sojourning -- in Babylon, the
wealthiest and grandest city ever seen in the world, but they gave up their
positions there as of no comparison with the things of God. They left behind
them friends, and possibly even families, and they came to a devastated land to
face the open hostility of the Samaritans, who hindered their work on the Lord's
Temple.
These are the same kind of choices which we must make: choices
between Babylon and Jerusalem; choices between a life of ease and
pleasure-seeking, and a life of patience and faith. Let us pray to God that we
may make the right choices and that we may be given the strength to continue in
them.
***
The pilgrims to Israel had brought with them silver and gold
which they had gained in the land of their captivity.
Cyrus, the Persian king who had been God's instrument to
overthrow Babylon, had issued some decrees concerning the Jews, about 20 years
before this time. He had given the Jews permission to return to their land and
to rebuild their Temple.
And to aid them in this, he had authorized them to receive
gifts of silver and gold, with other goods and beasts, as offerings from their
neighbors -- much as Israel had done when leaving Egypt under Moses.
This is the means whereby such men as those of v 10 were able
also to bring riches for God's temple. But the credit was not be theirs for
bringing the gold and silver. God says:
"The silver is Mine, and the gold is Mine, saith the Lord of hosts" (Hag
2:8).
God gave them the gold and the silver: but it was to be used
in honoring Him. These precious metals are also representative of other gifts
which we receive from God, with which we must also honor Him.
The gold represents a pure faith which is pleasing to
Him. It is His desire:
"That the trial of your faith, being much more precious than
of gold that perisheth, though it be tried with fire, might be found unto praise
and honor and glory at the appearing of Jesus Christ" (1Pe 1:7).
For this loving attention, we must -- as was Paul -- be
thankful to God (2Co 12:10): "Therefore I take pleasure in infirmities,
reproaches, necessities, persecutions, distress, for Christ's sake: For when I
am weak, then am I strong!"
How is it possible to find pleasure in every kind of
discomfort and unpleasantness? Only when we learn to see the hand of God in all
our affairs, preparing and shaping us:
"We glory in tribulations also, knowing that tribulation worketh patience; and
patience, experience; and experience, hope; and hope maketh not ashamed" (Rom
5:3,4).
The silver was offered at times by the Jews as a type
of sacrifice -- as atonement. In the beginning, under Moses, they were commanded
to pay a portion of silver to redeem each one of themselves
individually.
But the fact remained as before, that the money was God's in
the first place. In other words, God was providing them with the means of
redemption. The redemption of their lives was a gift of God, and not gained by
their own labors.
Is it not easy to see in this God's provision of a Son through
whom He might righteously forgive our sins?
"For God so loved the world that He gave His only begotten Son, that whosoever
believeth in him should not perish, but have everlasting life" (John
3.16).
***
This silver and this gold were constituents of the crown which
Zechariah placed upon Joshua. Joshua is a representative of Jesus Christ, and
the events concerning him as recorded by Zechariah are prophetic of our Saviour.
Joshua was a priest who succeeded in his work of leading the people of God in
building God's temple. Therefore he received a crown -- but a crown reserved
only to be worn by kings. We can see in this transaction a preview of the time
when Jesus, our High Priest, will become King as well.
And at this time, we are assured, we shall have the
opportunity to become "kings and priests" also (Rev 5:9). Our promotion to such
an estate will be upon the principles which this silver and gold represent: the
silver being the redemption which is in Christ Jesus by the mercy of God, and
the gold the proving of our professed faith by our character and actions (1Pe
1:7).
In the New Testament, different crowns figure very
prominently; but they are all in truth the same crown. In the consideration of
these crowns we can see the hand of God working through His Son to help us in
attaining to His Kingdom. The victory of Christ over sin has opened for us the
way of life:
"Be though faithful unto death, and I will give thee a crown of Life"
(Rev 2:10).
"Blessed is the man that endureth temptation, for when he is tried he shall
receive the crown of Life which the Lord hath promised to them that love
Him" (James 1:12).
In Jesus Christ we have an Advocate with the Father, a man who
can be touched with the feelings of our infirmities, and an intercessor through
whom we may pray to our Father. It is because of this that we may be accounted
righteous before God-
"Henceforth there is laid up for me a crown of righteousness, which the
Lord, the righteous Judge, shall give me at that day. And not to me only, but
unto all them also that love his appearing" (2Ti
4:8).
Thus, only through Christ can we attain to a glorious
immortality:
"And when the Chief Shepherd shall appear, ye shall receive a crown of
glory that fadeth not away" (1Pe
5:4)
A Crown of Life, a Crown of Righteousness and a Crown of Glory
-- here is the reward set before us: an immortal life based upon righteous
principles, and the privilege of serving with Christ as kings and priests in the
kingdom which he will establish upon the earth -- a Kingdom that will break in
pieces and consume all the Babylons and Persias and Russias and Americas of this
present time.
Zechariah has now placed this symbolic crown upon the head of
the priest-king. Now he recites words which can apply in the fullest sense to
only one person, Christ:
"Behold the man whose name is the Branch. And he shall grow up out of his
place, and he shall build the Temple of the Lord. Even he shall build the Temple
of the Lord; and he shall bear the glory, and shall sit and rule upon his
throne; and he shall be a priest upon his throne" (Zec
6:12,13).
In v 14 we see that this crown was to be placed in the new
Temple (which at this time was still under construction) for a memorial.
This was evidently done as God had commanded. But there still remains a greater
fulfillment of this instruction, which will be realized in the near future. When
the people in that time saw the small and insignificant Temple of the Jews as it
was being built, many wept and felt discouraged that it was so meager in
comparison to the grandeur of Solomon's destroyed Temple. But God does not look
upon the outward appearance: He rejoices in an inward frame of mind which is
directed toward Him.
Thus He blessed the efforts of the faithful and He spoke
reassuringly of another Temple in the distant future:
"And I will shake the nations, and the desire of all nations shall come; and I
will fill this House [that is, the future Temple] with glory, saith the Lord of
Hosts. The glory of this latter House shall be greater than of the former, saith
the Lord of Hosts, and in this place will I give peace" (Hag
2:7).
This is the Temple and the Age to which Zechariah's thoughts
are pointing. It is the one to which Christ referred --
"My Father's House... a House of Prayer for all
nations."
In this Temple will be placed the true crowns -- Christ and
the Saints -- a righteous, immortal body of the redeemed ones who have come
faithfully through trials to bear the glory of their Father. We live in a time
when little can be done on behalf of the Truth. But we are told not be "despise
the day of small things." We must always work to the limit of our opportunities,
undeterred by present difficulties -- even with no immediate return on our
labors -- in anticipation of this glorious Kingdom Age.
"They that are far off shall come and build in the Temple of the Lord" (v
15).
This is the promise of all the prophets, and of Christ
himself: a world of peace; its people enjoying the blessings of God's Kingdom,
and following the way of Truth, as taught by the Saints. Then they will say to
one another --
"Let us go speedily to pray before the Lord, and to seek the Lord of Hosts. Yea,
many people and strong nations shall come to seek the Lord of Hosts in
Jerusalem, and to pray before the Lord" (Zec
8:21,22).
Brethren and sisters, this is certainly a glorious picture
that we find in God's Word. At times it seems almost beyond belief that it can
happen. But we have God's guarantee that it will happen, as Zechariah
says:
"And this shall come to pass if ye will diligently obey the voice
of the Lord."
God's promises will come to pass. They are as certain as the
sun and the moon in their courses. But the question for us to consider
especially is whether or not they will come to pass for us. Look at the
alternative:
"Depart from me, ye workers of
iniquity..."
"Come, ye blessed of my Father, inherit the
kingdom."
The choice is ours. Shall we remain in a comfortable
but wicked "Babylon", OR shall we make the hard and perilous journey and bring
our gifts to the Lord in Jerusalem? Let us -- "Diligently obey the voice of the
Lord our God."
