November 24th | Zechariah 1

My wife loves a good Hallmark movie. The “Hallmark Movie” is a genre that has produced many films with identical plots and is excellent for putting husbands to sleep quickly. They go like this, “City girl meets country boy. At first, they don’t get along, but after having to save the farm or convince a city lawyer not to sell the property, they fall in love.” It always ends with a kiss, and they finish the movie happily ever after. My wife, like many other wives, loves these movies. Do you know why? It is the pursuit of love! Often, when couples are dating, they woo each other and pursue one another. But after a bit of time, kids, and the stresses of life, the wooing stops. However, this is not how things should be. Couples should continually pursue and woo one another in love, but life gets in the way, right?

In Zechariah, life had come between the people of Israel and God. They had rejected God. They had faced His judgment in Babylonian exile. They had returned to Israel at the time of Zechariah but the land was desolate, the temple still in ruins, and the relationship between God and His people still on the mend. What could fix it? A God who would pursue and woo His people back to Himself. 

Zechariah 1:3, “3 Therefore say to them, Thus declares the Lord of hosts: Return to me, says the Lord of hosts, and I will return to you, says the Lord of hosts”. 

Despite all their failures, God was calling the people back! He was wooing them in a love relationship. He still cared for them and offered them mercy and forgiveness if they would return. The people chose to commit to the Lord and look at His response. 

Zechariah 1:14-17, “14 So the angel who talked with me said to me, ‘Cry out, Thus says the Lord of hosts: I am exceedingly jealous for Jerusalem and for Zion. 15 And I am exceedingly angry with the nations that are at ease; for while I was angry but a little, they furthered the disaster. 16 Therefore, thus says the Lord, I have returned to Jerusalem with mercy; my house shall be built in it, declares the Lord of hosts, and the measuring line shall be stretched out over Jerusalem. 17 Cry out again, Thus says the Lord of hosts: My cities shall again overflow with prosperity, and the Lord will again comfort Zion and again choose Jerusalem.’”

God would return! He was jealous and had a deep love for HIs people. He would restore them. Their cities would overflow with prosperity. The Lord would comfort and choose His people. How would he do this? By sending Christ to make Him king forever over His people. Zechariah is quoted by the Gospel writers more than any other prophet. Zechariah saw Christ as the one to come and restore. Christ has come to woo and pursue us to return to the Lord and follow Him. Would you respond to His pursuit of you today?