… by asking the priests of the house of the LORD Almighty and the prophets, "Should I mourn and fast in the fifth month, as I have done for so many years?" – Zechariah 7:3

 Today's Scripture Reading (August 28, 2020): Zechariah 7

It is hard to match the angst of the Psalmists in exile.

By the rivers of Babylon we sat and wept
    when we remembered Zion.
There on the poplars
    we hung our harps,
for there our captors asked us for songs,
    our tormentors demanded songs of joy;
    they said, "Sing us one of the songs of Zion!"

How can we sing the songs of the Lord
                                  while in a foreign land (Psalm 137:1-4)?

Can you feel the pain? Is it possible to place yourself in their position; to be stolen from your home and made to build a life in a foreign land. All of the landmarks that you knew, the places you liked to go to relax and enjoy life were somewhere else. And so are your friends. Nothing is the same. Everything has changed, and not because of anything that you have chosen.

I chose to go to college a thousand miles away from my home. And I remember days where the homesickness was overwhelming. In those moments, I used to like to find a quiet place and, just for a few minutes, close my eyes, and imagine myself driving the roads I drove when I was home. It made me feel closer to those that I loved.

For those living in Babylon, at first, the weeping was likely continuous. But it didn't take long for the mourning to become ritualized.   The fast of the fifth month was instituted to remember the destruction of Solomon Temple and the end of a way of life that had prevailed in Judah. But it was a mourning and a fast that was created by man, and not one demanded by God. So, as the exiles begin to return, and as they start to get to the work of rebuilding the Temple, the question that arises to be asked is whether the fast has any purpose in the current environment. Is there a reason to continue the fast, or is it time to let the fifth month fast be left behind as an artifact of the past, as something that was once important, but is so no longer?

It is an important question and one that we need to continue to ask today. The reality is that there are activities we perform in the church that we do because we are commanded to by God, and there are things that we do because the traditions of man demanded them. The first are essential, and the second are not. The first we need to continue to do (for example, celebrating communion or meeting together as the Body of Christ) and the latter are human traditions (for example, singing hymns or choruses, or what translation of the Bible is read in our worship services) that are not commanded, but that we do because it is comforting to us. We need to understand the difference, but that has proven to be complicated. But the reality is that what is demanded by God, we need to continue. But what is created by man can be changeable, and should serve the needs of the church and the people of God as they worship at any point in time.

Tomorrow's Scripture Reading: Zechariah 8

I looked up again, and there before me were four chariots coming out from between two mountains—mountains of bronze. – Zechariah 6:1

 Today's Scripture Reading (August 27, 2020): Zechariah 6

Mount Zion. Just the name fills readers acquainted with the biblical record with emotion, although the name has not always meant the same thing. Sometimes, the Bible uses Zion to indicate the whole nation of Israel. At other times, it is used to refer to a particular mountain – or one of three mountains. The first reference to Mount Zion is in reference to the fortified city of Jebus, which was built on the lower part of Jerusalem's Eastern Hill. It was this area that would eventually be referred to as the City of David. But when Solomon built his Temple on the upper portion of the Eastern Hill, the name Mount Zion migrated to the place where the Temple had been constructed. For the next thousand years, it was this home of Solomon's Temple that was called Mount Zion. But then the mountain, or at least the name, moved again. Today, the hill that biblical writers knew of as Mount Zion is simply known as Temple Mount. Mount Zion has shifted one more time, this time to the more dominant Western Hill, located just outside the Western Wall of the old city of Jerusalem. The reason for the shift was that the inhabitants of Jerusalem in the first century C.E. felt that the dominant Western Hill was more worthy of the name Zion than the lower Eastern Hill, especially after the Romans destroyed the Second Temple. And on the Western Hill, the name Mount Zion has stuck.

Zechariah looks up and sees four chariots emerging from between two mountains – mountains he says are "of bronze." The idea that the mountains are bronze indicates that strength and judgment are present in the mountains. And most scholars agree that the mountains are the Mount of Olives, located just to the east of the old city of Jerusalem, and today's Mount Zion, or the Western Hill, located just to the west of the old city.

But Zechariah wouldn't likely have recognized the Western Hill as Mount Zion. In the mind of Zechariah, the four chariots were emerging, not from between Mount Zion and the Mount of Olives, but out of Mount Zion itself, which was located between the two mountains of bronze – the Mount of Olives and the dominant Western Hill. On Mount Zion, Zerubbabel was going to build his Temple. On that mountain, God would rule once again over Israel and the earth. Not only on the two mountains of bronze but on the mountain that existed between them, the world would recognize the strength and judgment that flows from the throne of God, flowing out of Mount Zion.  

Tomorrow's Scripture Reading: Zechariah 7

And he said to me, "This is the curse that is going out over the whole land; for according to what it says on one side, every thief will be banished, and according to what it says on the other, everyone who swears falsely will be banished. – Zechariah 5:3

Today's Scripture Reading (August 26, 2020): Zechariah 5

Fantasy author Patrick Rothfuss says that "music sounds different to the one who plays it. It is the musician's curse." There is little doubt that he is right. The musician hears the mistakes or weaknesses in the music that they write and perform. But they also experience the emotion of the music in a way that is impossible for anyone who hears the music without playing it. Maybe my struggle with Rothfuss's words is found in the word "curse." Because if a "curse" is a bad thing, perhaps "curse" isn't quite the right word for the experience of the musician with their music.

I have a similar struggle when I consider these words of Zechariah. Zechariah insists that every thief will be banished, as will everyone who swears falsely. Scholars take this to be an example of what was written on the flying scroll and wonder if this scroll might have contained all of the Ten Commandments, even though only the two are actually mentioned. But the words of Zechariah seem to indicate that our actions will judge us. And part of me argues, isn't that what justice looks like in our lives. We serve a just God, and our societies struggle to be just, so that those who commit the crime, pay the penalty for their actions. Let me be clear, in our racially charged environment, the cry is not that atrocities should not be prosecuted, but instead that those who commit the crimes pay a similar penalty, regardless of their race or societal standing.

But Zechariah seems to indicate that this is a curse that is being held over the land. If you steal, or if you lie, if you contravene any of the commandments, you will pay the penalty for your wrongdoing. If you commit the crime, you will be banished. But the question remains, is receiving the just punishment for your actions really a curse.

It is a reality with which I know that even we as Christians struggle. We strongly believe that we serve a just God, which leaves us a little hazy about the role of grace and mercy in our lives. But we need to be precise. We do serve a just God. But we also serve a God who is marked just as much by grace and mercy as he is by justice, which is a good thing because we all need a little of God's grace and mercy mixed into our lives.

How it all comes together is something that we will probably never understand. But Zechariah is right, with all of the ways that we fail God in our lives, a sovereign marked only by justice is a curse. The blessing is that God took the penalty on himself so that we can receive his grace and mercy in those moments when we really need it.

Tomorrow's Scripture Reading: Zechariah 6

"Who dares despise the day of small things, since the seven eyes of the LORD that range throughout the earth will rejoice when they see the chosen capstone in the hand of Zerubbabel?" – Zechariah 4:10

 Today's Scripture Reading (August 25, 2020): Zechariah 4

Mother Theresa remarked that "The Lord likes small things best, especially those done with love." The truth is that every venture begins by doing something small. And every action is sustained by doing something small. It doesn't matter what the project might be. The undertaking might be big, but the steps to completion are always small. A day that is filled with small things is a day where significant gains could be achieved.

So, Zechariah emphasizes "the day of small things." His language might seem strange to us, but we understand the message. The "seven eyes of the Lord" is just a nod toward the idea that God sees all of our actions and our inactions. There is no small thing that is too small for God to bother to notice. There are no insignificant actions that are not worth undertaking because all of our small steps end up carrying us miles into the journey.  

Zechariah's reality is that the Temple still laid in ruins. It had likely been almost two decades since the first hesitant steps toward the rebuilding of the Temple had been undertaken. Nothing was being done, mainly because the job seemed to be so big. But Zechariah reminds them that big tasks are completed by paying attention to the small things. The steps needed for the rebuilding of the Temple needed to be broken down into several smaller actions, something that could be completed. And if the nation did the little things, the day would come when the Temple, almost miraculously, would be completed.

And the "seven eyes" of God would rejoice on the day that they got to witness the capstone in the hands of Zerubbabel. On that day, the Temple, which was too big and too hard for the people to complete, would be finished. On that day, they would realize that the day of the small things could accomplish big and impossible projects.

So, don't despise the day of the small things. Mother Theresa is right. God loves it when we do the small things. Because he knows that when small things come together, great things are accomplished. If all that you achieve today is the completion of some small things, know that God is smiling. Small things are important. And when we dare to come together as a community, committed to doing the small things, we really can change the world.  

Tomorrow's Scripture Reading: Zechariah 5

"'In that day each of you will invite your neighbor to sit under your vine and fig tree,' declares the LORD Almighty." – Zechariah 3:10

 Today's Scripture Reading (August 24, 2020): Zechariah 3

Derrick Bell, in "Ethical Ambition: Living a Life of Meaning and Worth," notes that "We live in a system that espouses merit, equality, and a level playing field, but exalts those with wealth, power, and celebrity, however gained." The American Dream, which is really just the dream of any free society, is that by working hard, we can distinguish ourselves on an equal playing field. We are beginning to realize that we have a lot of work left for us to make our playing fields fair, but it is the dream. But in practice, we celebrate wealth, power, and celebrity, no matter how those things are gained. While we say that we are a merit-based society or a society where you are honored by what you make of yourselves, in practice, we celebrate the spoiled and lazy, who have wealth but have no merit and who refuse to work hard at anything. The Canadian rock band "Bachman Turner Overdrive (BTO) summed up these people in the 1970s "I love to work at nothing all day" (Taking Care of Business, Randy Bachman, 1973). We love to watch and talk about the partiers, those who have made the most of an unequal society. This has really become our definition of prosperity, not those who have by merit and hard work distinguished themselves, but those who have accidentally fallen into the lap of wealth and power. For us, prosperity is wealth without responsibility.

But the Bible offers us a different perspective on the idea of being prosperous. Prosperity is summed up by the ability to sit with your neighbor in your back yard and just enjoy their presence. It is an ability that is impossible unless we live in a society dominated by peace and equality. Prosperity is sharing the vision with others, knowing that our community continues because we all carry our share of the load. It is being in relationships with people who have no intention of harming you, and who love you just the way you are.

This kind of prosperous world is where I want to live. I am tired of conversations with people where the only purpose seems to be to tear down someone else so that they can be elevated. I yearn to sit in my back yard with my neighbors, wanting the best for them and secure in the knowledge that they want the best for me. It is the prosperity of a society that has indeed developed an equal playing field, one where race and gender have no part in any discussion. It is a world where trust abounds. And where we love each other as we love ourselves.

And I hope that someday that is what you find under your fig tree.

Tomorrow's Scripture Reading: Zechariah 4

And I myself will be a wall of fire around it,' declares the LORD, 'and I will be its glory within.' – Zechariah 2:5

 Today's Scripture Reading (August 23, 2020): Zechariah 2

In 2016, President Trump ran a campaign that centered around the idea of building a "big, beautiful wall" along the border that separated the United States and Mexico, and maybe sometimes to a lesser extent between the United States and Canada. The problem was that people from poorer countries, mainly in Central America, were making use of the Southern border of the United States, to enter into the country to live illegally in the United States. President Trump decried the purpose, largely placing the blame for many of the ills of the nation on these illegals. Drugs were also coming across the southern border. And there is no doubt that a country has both the right and the responsibility to control its borders.

And Donald Trump was right. In ancient times, it was hard to imagine a city without a wall. Walls were essential to protect a city from the attack of the enemy and to maintain some control over those who were allowed to enter into the city. When an enemy gathered to attack an area, the people living in the countryside would move into the walled city, residing behind the protection that the wall offered until the time of the crisis had passed. But President Trump's critics sought to remind the President that this was not ancient times. Once airships were invented, the value of a wall decreased. Walls ceased to be of as much value when the enemy could simply fly over the top of the wall. And it would be impossible to build a wall high enough to stop those wanted to enter the country that way. It was already the reality of the situation. More illegals entered the nation by flying or boating into the United States, than by choosing to come over a land border that could be protected by a wall.

Zechariah imagines Jerusalem as a city without walls. On that day, God would become the wall that protects the city. He would be a wall of fire that could not be flown over or tunneled under. God would be the protection that the city needs. And as the angel measures the city, there is an idea that the walls of the city provided by God could be expandable. There would be no limit to the number of people who could find their protection inside of the City of God. God would be the wall of security, but also the glory or excitement inside of the city. The people would rally around their God and want to be present in the city because God is there.

The prophecy had a short-term application for the returning exiles. Jerusalem, as Zechariah writes these words, had no walls. It needed protection, and new walls for the city would take time. The enemies of the city were everywhere; the countryside was filled with people who wanted nothing more than for the exiles to fail. And Zechariah's promise to these people is that God would protect them as they rebuilt Jerusalem. But the main emphasis of the prophecy is that this is something that would come true in the time of the Messiah. When the Messiah comes in all of his glory, we will be living in a world that has no further need for earthly walls.  

Tomorrow's Scripture Reading: Zechariah 3

I asked the angel who was speaking to me, "What are these?" He answered me, "These are the horns that scattered Judah, Israel and Jerusalem." – Zechariah 1:19

 Today's Scripture Reading (August 22, 2020): Zechariah 1

Mahatma Gandhi argued that "The day the power of love overrules the love of power, the world will know peace." That day has never come. And the love of power is transient, passing from one empire to the next. It always has been that way. Every empire has been built on power, and every empire has eventually fallen. And that single fact should give the powers of this world reason to pause. The love of power can only lead to the temporary possession power. Power is almost an impossible thing on which to hold.

Traditionally, the use of a horn as a symbol was intended to bring about images of authority and strength, because the power of a bull or an ox was found in the animal's horn. If you dehorn a bull or an ox, you steal its power. We can imagine the "Running of the Bulls" If all of the bulls had been dehorned. The size of the beast would still make those who run afraid, but not nearly as scared as they would be if the bulls still had their horns.

Zechariah has a vision. And in the dream, he looks up and sees four, apparently disembodied, horns; at least, Zechariah makes no mention of any animal to which the horns might be connected. And he is confused. What is the intended meaning of the four horns? The angel replies that these are the horns or the powers that had scattered Judah, Israel, and Jerusalem. The angel offers no other information. And neither does Zechariah.

This leaves us to guess at what powers the angel was meaning. Adding to the mystery is that the Septuagint, the Greek translation of the Hebrew Bible written for Greek-speaking Jews during the third and second centuries B.C.E., and the Bible that was adopted by the early Christian Church, omits "Israel." The omission of Israel makes some sense because Israel had long disappeared by the days of Zechariah. But that might have also been the point.

So, who were the powers? Opinion varies. If we include Israel and concentrate on the word scattered, then it would seem that Assyria, who drove Israel into exile, and Babylon, who took Judah into exile and destroyed the city of Jerusalem, should be included as two of the horns. We should probably also include Egypt, who, while not directly driving Israel into exile, accepted Judeans, who were fleeing from Babylon into a self-imposed exile—leaving the identity of the fourth horn. Some argue that the fourth horn represents the current Medo-Persian Empire, which reached its height during the reign of Darius the Great, who Zechariah mentions in verse 1. But the Medo-Persians didn't really scatter Judah. Other Scholars have added an element a prophecy by including Greece, who scattered through their influence and the Hellenization, or the promotion of Greek Culture, throughout the Middle East. Others have argued for the Romans, who scattered Israel by destroying Jerusalem and ending Judah as an independent nation.

But regardless of which empire we assign to the four horns, the reality is that all of them fell. Only the God of Israel remained as a constant. And only he was the one on whom Judah, Israel, and Jerusalem could rely.

Tomorrow's Scripture Reading: Zechariah 2