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This is a podcast sharing thoughts and insights for the accompanying the daily reading schedule for the book, Reading the Bible Cover to Cover in 365 Days.
Welcome to day 358 of Reading the Bible Cover to Cover in 365 Days!
Let us pray:
O Lord, thank You for Your Word that teaches us more about You and Your heart. Help us learn more about You today. In Jesus’ name, amen.
We start the book of Zechariah!
Zechariah lived at the same time as Haggai and Ezra. Haggai and Zechariah are mentioned in the book of Ezra and encouraged the people to continue building God’s temple. Zechariah’s name means “the Lord remembered.” After seventy long years, God led a remnant of His people back to Jerusalem to build His temple, showing them that He remembered His people.
In the first chapter, Zechariah reminds them about their fathers’ sins and the exile that occurred as a result of their sins. In verse 3, the Lord tells His people to return to Him, and He will return to them. God was re-establishing His relationship, but it required that they participate and do the same. It must have been challenging to be the first ones tasked with rebuilding the temple. They couldn’t have had much money, and the homes had been destroyed, so there was very little to work with. They were starting at square one without a square, so the encouragement from Zechariah and Haggai was much needed.
Next, Zechariah sees a man on a red horse among other men on horses. They were tasked with walking the earth and patrolling it. We read about an Angel of the Lord, who is proposed to be Jesus. He tells them the patrols see peace in other nations. While this is usually good, the Lord is roused to jealousy because His people worked so hard without relief while other nations rested and enjoyed peace. However, God promised that Jerusalem would be restored, which comforted the people and gave them hope in their difficult situation.
Next, Zechariah saw four horns and asked what they meant. He was told they represented the four nations that had come against them, Judah and Israel. He also saw four craftsmen and was told workmen would come to cast judgment on those nations. God will avenge His people.
In chapter 2, Zechariah sees an angel with a measuring line who wants to measure the perimeter of Jerusalem to see if it will be large enough to contain all the people and all of God’s blessings. God planned to make a great city of Jerusalem and bless it abundantly. This must have seemed odd to Zechariah because of the city's current state. But God promised to bless them and take down the nations who had plundered their nation and taken the people captive in exile.
Last, in verse 11, God talks about the millennium when many nations will join Jerusalem and be His people. This is excellent news for us! We have much to look forward to.
Let’s see what Proverbs chapter 27 has to teach us today!
Verse 1 says, “Do not boast of [yourself and] tomorrow, for you know not what a day may bring forth.” Are you someone who makes plans? I know I am, so I need to be reminded that God’s plans come first. His plans are right, and we need to check in with Him about our plans to make sure they align with His.
Verse 4 says, “Wrath is cruel and anger is an overwhelming flood, but who is able to stand before jealousy?” Jesus was crucified because of jealousy; let us pray against it. It is worse than wrath and anger, according to Solomon.
Verse 14 warns us to be wary of flatterers. Rarely are their motives pure.
Verse 18 says, “Whoever tends the fig tree shall eat its fruit; so he who patiently and faithfully guards and heeds his master shall be honored.” We are encouraged to do our work and be patient and faithful in doing it. God honors those who keep moving in the face of difficulty and distress. Many people quit when things get tough. Let’s press in and ensure we only quit when God says He’s done.
Verses 23 through the end of the chapter tell us to be diligent with our flocks. In our case, it means to be careful with our businesses and work because riches don’t last forever. If we don’t tend to our livelihood, it will be lost. Again, God shows us the importance of working hard and not letting ourselves become lazy.
Let us pray:
O Lord, thank You for being the Great I AM. Thank You for vindicating Your people and for the promise of living in peace in eternity with You. Help us be vigilant in our walk with You and be obedient to You. Keep us Yours, Lord, In Jesus’ name, amen.