As I continue exploring the Old Testament to see if we need to keep it, I read through Zechariah. This is not a very familiar book to many people. When was the last time you heard a sermon based on references from Zechariah? As you read this ask yourself if this is one book we don’t need.

Zechariah teaches us:

1:3 “Return to Me,” says the Lord of hosts, “and I will return to you.” Isn’t that good news to those who have wandered from God?

1:16 Therefore thus says the Lord, “I am returning to Jerusalem with mercy;” Again, good news. God’s mercy is what He wants to give.

2:5 “For I,” says the Lord, “will be a wall of fire all around her…” God would be a protection to Jerusalem, the first firewall!

3:4-5 “Take away the filthy garments from him.” And to him He said, “See, I have removed your iniquity from you, and I will clothe you with rich robes.” God will wash away all our sins.

4:6 ‘Not by might nor by power, but by My Spirit.’ The ability to live the Christian life comes not from our natural abilities, but from the Holy Spirit.

6:12-13 Behold, the Man whose name is BRANCH! Prophecy of the coming Messiah

7:4-7 …did you really fast for ME—for ME? Their hypocrisy is exposed.

7:11 But they refused the heed, shrugged their shoulders, and stopped their ears so that they could not hear. It is possible to refuse to listen to God. Scary!

8:3 Thus says the Lord: ‘I will return to Zion…Jerusalem shall be called the City of Truth.’ In the future Jerusalem will be called the City of Truth.

9:9 Behold, your King is coming to you; He is just and having salvation, lowly and riding on a donkey, a colt, the foal of a donkey. This prophecy foretells of Jesus and His Palm Sunday entrance into Jerusalem.

11:12 So they weighed out for my wages thirty pieces of silver. As you know, this tells us the amount of money Judas would receive for betraying Jesus.

12:3 In that day that I will make Jerusalem a very heavy stone for all peoples; all who would heave it away will surely be cut in pieces, though all nations of the earth are gathered against it. In the last days, all nations will consider Jerusalem a big problem.

14:2 For I will gather all the nations to battle against Jerusalem. It was forecast thousands of years ago that there will be a big war with all nations against Jerusalem.

Personally, I can’t imagine not having knowledge of the Old Testament, of not knowing what it teaches us. What about you? Next post will deal one more time with the importance of the Old Testament by taking a look at Psalms.

Words to light your path:

Zechariah 12:10 …then they will look on Me whom they pierced.

Eternal Father, open our eyes and ears to see and hear what You would speak to us from the Old Testament. 

All references are from the New King James Version.