Pastor's Blog

Recently, while preaching through the book of Zechariah, I was struck by a passage in the thirteenth chapter in which the prophet spoke of a time when the Lord would so work in and among his people that they would no longer tolerate the presence of idols or the prophets who served them.   So adamant would they be in this that even the family members of the false prophets would rebuke and discipline them.   What’s more, the false prophets themselves would come to be grateful for this.   Every prophet will be ashamed of his vision when he prophesies.   He will not put on a hairy cloak in order to deceive, but he will say, “I am no prophet, I am a worker of the soil…” And if one asks him, “What are these wounds on your back?” he will say, “The wounds I received in the house of my friends” (Zech. 13:4-6). The genuineness of their repentance would be proven by the fact that they would regard as friends , those who had reproved them and rescued them from their er...

When the Lord brought back the captives of Zion, he raised up the prophets Haggai and Zechariah to encourage the people to rebuild the temple under the leadership of Zerubbabel (the governor) and Joshua (the high priest). It was a long, arduous task that began with fits and starts, and many wondered if it could ever be completed, and if so, whether it could match the glory of Solomon’s temple that had been destroyed two generations earlier. The meager beginning was none too promising and many disdained it. Enter the prophet Zechariah: Then the word of the L ord came to me, saying, “The hands of Zerubbabel have laid the foundation of this house; his hands shall also complete it. Then you will know the L ord of hosts has sent me to you. For whoever has despised the day of small things shall rejoice, and shall see the plumb line in the hand of Zerubbabel.” (Zech. 4:8-10) We are tempted to “despise the day of small things.” But it’s often the small things that prepare us fo...