Life in Plan B: The Long Arm of the Lord – Zechariah 12

John trained in the most elite assault squad the black ops personnel had ever assembled. The team was ready to go anywhere, at the behest of the President of the United States. He never knew what was next, and he never talked about what was yesterday’s assignment. He did know that his country had a much longer arm than anyone realized. They could arrive anywhere, it seemed. They could touch anyone…What seemed true of John’s work force IS true of the Creator of all. He is reaching everywhere, touching people long before they believe in Him, or are remotely aware He is there…

 

The final recorded burden of the prophet is found in the last three chapters 12-14 of the book of Zechariah. The message is too large for us to digest at once, but in three different lessons we can pick it apart. In the end, you will find the message is about a coming time called the Great Tribulation, the horrifying but essential period of time that God will use to bring Israel into a right relationship with Him. The message was given in three parts and is essentially this:

 

1. You may not have seen it, but I have been guiding events to get you to the point of surrender in your life for a long time.

2. False teachers have traded, cheated and broken you, but I will rescue you with the truth.

3. Powerful destruction is coming as the kingdoms of this world clash in mortal conflict with the God of Israel, but He will overturn the wicked in triumph.

 

Today I want to address the first of the three points. It is BOTH a national truth for the people of Israel, and a personal truth for your life. God has been watching you. He knows your name, your address, your passwords, your internet usage, your bosses’ daughter’s middle name. He knows. He sees. He has been watching every time you have cheated, lied or stolen. He knows the skeletons in the closet of your heart. He never forgets anything un-surrendered and un-forgiven. By the same token, He knows every kind thing you have ever thought, every loving gift ever given. He knows when you told the truth and no one believed you, and when you gave anonymously and no one else knew. He knows.

 

The problem is not that God is uninformed about US, The problem is that we are ignorant of HIM. He is deliberately watching over you. He stewards you according to His incredibly complex and sovereign plan. You may not be aware of it, but He was involved in getting you here today. You are not here by accident.

 

Let me show you from Scripture what I am talking about. In fact, let’s let the Scripture tell US what this is all about…

 

Key Principle: Long before you knew it, the Lord had His hand in your destiny. He stewarded and guided you through life to get to the point where you heard the truth concerning Him.

 

Five Principles That Expose the Long Arm of the Lord

 

The Revelation Principle (12:1): The truth about ME and about the FUTURE come from the God Who holds both in His hands!

 

Zechariah 12:1 The burden of the word of the LORD concerning Israel. Thus declares the LORD who stretches out the heavens, lays the foundation of the earth, and forms the spirit of man within him,

 

· OVERT- God didn’t want to be a secret: The message begins a powerful and heavy burden that Zechariah had revealed to Him in order to share with God’s people.

· SPECIFIC – God addressed people specifically: concerns Israel – God knows who you belong to, where you come from and what your family has been.

· APPROPRIATE – God expressed His Divine right to act: He is Creator of Heaven, earth and man (since the message would pummel all three by the end).

 

The sooner the believer understands that God is not playing cat and mouse games with His Word, the sooner their life will start to progress and their heart will mature. How often in the Scriptures God had to chastise people for not taking Him seriously!

 

Psalms 46: 8 Come, behold the works of the LORD, Who has wrought desolations in the earth. 9 He makes wars to cease to the end of the earth; He breaks the bow and cuts the spear in two; He burns the chariots with fire. 10 “Cease striving and know that I am God; I will be exalted among the nations, I will be exalted in the earth.” 11 The LORD of hosts is with us; The God of Jacob is our stronghold. That established that God is the Lord. Add to that the fact that His Word is sure, and we have the mix to take Him seriously.

 

You may ask how I can tell that many believers don’t take His Word seriously… that answer may surprise you. It is not the lack of Bible learning.. it is the lack of prayer. It is the key clue that something is wrong with what we understand about God from the Word…

 

A little boy one day was trying to pick up a rock. He said, “Dad, it’s too heavy.” He said, “Son, you can do it.” The boy strained and tried, but he said, “Dad, it’s too heavy.” The father insisted, “Son you can do it.” He tried again. “Dad, it’s too heavy.” The father said, “Son, you’re not using all your strength.” “Dad, I am! I am! It’s too heavy.” “Son, you’re not using all your strength.” “Dad, why are you always saying I’m not using all my strength? It’s too heavy.” The father replied, “I know your not using all your strength, because you haven’t asked me to help yet.” There is more strength available to you than what you have. Book of Illustrations, Evans, Tony, page 125, ill. 373

 

The Humbling Principle: In order for God to get the attention of people He is reaching out with something dramatic and measurable. He must break them down! (12:2)

 

2 “Behold, I am going to make Jerusalem a cup that causes reeling to all the peoples around; and when the siege is against Jerusalem, it will also be against Judah.

 

You cannot read this and not realize that the last dozen US Presidents have expended great effort on the city of Jerusalem
to realize little real improvement. It is already happening, and will grow as time passes into the Great Tribulation, and eventually to the end of that devastating period in world history. The text clues us into the reality that there will be an anti-Jewish reaction by people that perceive Jerusalem to be the center of problems. That isn’t hard to visualize.

 

Sadly, a great many believers in Jesus today harbor significant amounts of anti-Jewish sentiment. For modern European Jews, they seem caught between the Islamists’ blood libels on one side and Christian replacement theology on the other, and Europe is becoming a colder place. It has been going on for centuries:

 

· In the first century there was a division between followers of Jesus and other Jews over both internal issues of accepting Gentiles into the “church” and the attack of Rome on Jerusalem in 70.

 

· By the second century, the rise of Apostolic Fathers like Pseudo Barnabas who wrote that the Law was entirely symbolic and Sabbath was not a day of the week (Jews got it all wrong…) as well as Justin Martyr who essentially expressed that Jewish suffering was just because of the rejection of the Messiah – and the fervor spread easily.

 

· By the synod of Elvira in 306 CE, church members were told that they could not eat with Jews and certainly not intermarry with them. The Council of Nicea in 325 called Jews “evil and perverse”. John Chrysostom, so celebrated by Orthodox Christians he was called “the Golden Mouth” offered sermons about Jews calling them “leacherous, worthless, greedy and rapacious worshippers of the Devil.

 

· Theodosius the Great expelled all Jews from state positions in 379. By 613 all Jews were commanded to be baptized in Spain or leave the country to “cleanse the land”. Martin Luther by 1450’s wrote “Concerning the Jews and their Lies”.

 

· Suffice it to say the modern aversion to Israel is not just a political climate – it is rooted in a long history. Anti-Jewish fervor flourishes in Christian churches, and people that say they love Jesus Christ still refer to “Jewing a guy down”.

 

God will use the whole world to humble His people, but we must not celebrate this reality. We cannot claim to love God and then hate what He loves. We dare not poke at the “apple of His eye”. (Zech 2:8 For thus says the LORD of hosts, “After glory He has sent me against the nations which plunder you, for he who touches you, touches the apple of His eye. 9 “For behold, I will wave My hand over them so that they will be plunder for their slaves. Then you will know that the LORD of hosts has sent Me.”)

 

Let me get personal for just a minute with this principle. God will do what it takes to break us down to get through to us. That is the humbling principle. Proud and arrogant people don’t reach up to Him for love, acceptance and help. The breaking process is a good one. It isn’t because He hates us – quite the opposite! His strong arm is at work in our lives! He is shaping us and molding us to be remade by Him. It hurts, but it is necessary!

 

The Stewarding Principle: Even as God separates us out for His purpose, He puts His hand of protection on us to keep us in our place (12:3-4)

 

3 “It will come about in that day that I will make Jerusalem a heavy stone for all the peoples; all who lift it will be severely injured. And all the nations of the earth will be gathered against it. 4 “In that day,” declares the LORD, “I will strike every horse with bewilderment and his rider with madness. But I will watch over the house of Judah, while I strike every horse of the peoples with blindness.

 

God makes people that take advantage of His children pay a special price. It may not be today, and it may not be obvious – but it happens because He declares it to be so. Even while the people of Israel were being pummeled by nations, God kept some alive and re-birthed the nation from the ashes of pain.

 

Between 1933 and 1945, about 67% of the Jewish population of the earth was destroyed. In some countries the numbers were staggering: 90% of all Polish Jews were wiped out. 90% of all Baltic Jews were killed. 88% of German Jewry was eliminated, more than 1,000,000 Russian Jews perished. Who would have believed in 1945 that on May 14, 1948, David Ben Gurion would stand in Tel Aviv and announce the approved proclamation, declaring the establishment of the State of Israel. The new state was recognized that night by the United States and three days later by the USSR. Even in the ashes – God kept His hands of stewardship over the people.

 

By the way – the same God has been doing that for you as well. His long arm kept you from dangers untold, and perils unknown to you. He has kept you alive and able to respond to His message to this minute. That is the stewarding principle.

 

The Testimony Principle: God will make it obvious to those who are watching closely that the protection of His people is a sign of His hand upon them (12:5).

 

·Others who seek God’s work in them will notice: 5 “Then the clans of Judah will say in their hearts, ‘A strong support for us are the inhabitants of Jerusalem through the LORD of hosts, their God.’

 

Why do you suppose people are so willing to talk about anything to do with God as long as you don’t bring up Jesus?

 

I love what Pastor Craig Groeschel wrote in a recent message. He said: “What is funny to me is, this is different than years past, but today, you can talk about just about anywhere, you can talk about God. You can talk about God on Oprah. You can talk about spirituality. You can talk about karma … positive feelings coming your way, right now. You can talk about all these different things, but you can’t talk about Jesus. You talk about Jesus and everybody freaks out, I mean, even in public schools you can’t talk about Jesus. I like the story of one fourth grade little girl that was trying to talk about Easter, and her teacher said, “You can’t talk about Christian things here at school,” and the little girl said, “But it is Easter, and Jesus rose from the dead,” and the teacher said, “You Christians are so foolish. Jesus did not rise from the dead.” And the little girl said, “Yes, He did.” And the teacher said, “No, no, the Roman soldiers stole the body of Jesus.” And the girl said, “No! They didn’t.” And the teacher said, “Prove it,” and the little fourth grade girl was frustrated. She said, “I can’t prove it, but when I die and I go to Heaven, I’ll ask the
Roman guards and they will tell me they didn’t do that.” And the teacher said, “Yeah, but what if they are not in Heaven?” And the little girl said, “Well, then, when you die, you ask them.”

 

Don’t think people are just mad because Christians have had the floor so long and trod down all the poor and unfortunate other religious groups – that’s the line I hear in Universities today… We are supposed to be the brutal religion of If that were so, we would react differently in our public sentiment to religions that behead dissenters – but you don’t see that in our public sector. Anyone who is watching fairly will be able to see a definite bias against Jesus, as though His message was driving modern terror movements and selfish endeavors.

 

·Those who oppose God will notice: 6 “In that day I will make the clans of Judah like a fire pot among pieces of wood and a flaming torch among sheaves, so they will consume on the right hand and on the left all the surrounding peoples, while the inhabitants of Jerusalem again dwell on their own sites in Jerusalem.

 

The dear Baptist Pastor Gerald Steffy wrote: There was a man who worked for the Post Office, whose job it was to process all the mail that had illegible addresses. One day, a letter came to his desk addressed in shaky handwriting to God. He thought he should open it to see what it was about. He opened it and read: Dear God, I am an 93-year-old widow, living on a very small pension. Yesterday someone stole my purse. It had $100 in it, which was all the money I had until my next pension check. Next Sunday is Christmas, and I had invited two of my friends over for dinner. Without that money, I have nothing to buy food with. I have no family to turn to, and you are my only hope. Can you please help me? Sincerely, Edna The postal worker was touched. He showed the letter to his fellow workers. Each of them dug into their wallets and came up with a few dollars. By the time he made the rounds, he had collected $96, which they put into an envelope and sent to the woman. The rest of the day, all of the workers felt a warm glow for the kind thing they had done. Christmas came and went. A few days later another letter came from the old lady to God. All of the workers gathered around while the letter was opened. It read: Dear God, How can I ever thank you enough for what you did for me? Because of your gift of love, I was able to fix a glorious dinner for my friends. We had a very nice day and I told my friends of your wonderful gift. By the way, there was $4 missing. I think it must have been those thieves at the Post Office. Sincerely, Edna

 

·Their relatives will notice: 7 “The LORD also will save the tents of Judah first, so that the glory of the house of David and the glory of the inhabitants of Jerusalem will not be magnified above Judah.

 

·The people God is changing will notice: 8 “In that day the LORD will defend the inhabitants of Jerusalem, and the one who is feeble among them in that day will be like David, and the house of David will be like God, like the angel of the LORD before them.

 

·The enemies of God in the world will notice: 9 “And in that day I will set about to destroy all the nations that come against Jerusalem.

 

The Redemption Principle: God’s Spirit will transform the darkest part of men, as they drop to their knees in surrender to the Gospel.

 

·Changing their heart to something new: 10 “I will pour out on the house of David and on the inhabitants of Jerusalem, the Spirit of grace

 

·Asking Him tearfully to accept them:..and of supplication, so that they will look on Me whom they have pierced; and they will mourn for Him,

 

·Crying out in recognition of His special place: as one mourns for an only son, and they will weep bitterly over Him like the bitter weeping over a firstborn.

 

·Pain over lost relationships: 11 “In that day there will be great mourning in Jerusalem, like the mourning of Hadadrimmon in the plain of Megiddo.

 

·Individual Pain: 12 “The land will mourn, every family by itself;

 

The family of the house of David by itself and their wives by themselves; This speaks of the people that were of royal lineage, those who were of the house of the civil authority.

 

Some people think WHO THEY KNOW or THEIR POSITION in this life will entitle them to a place at God’s table….No CIVIL AUTHORITY of the very LINEAGE OF KING DAVID will be good enough to settle the sin account with God. Fame and lineage are no substitute for personal surrender and cleansing. David himself felt the wrath of God when he walked astray. Being his child did not protect the many kings from his line that did not personally encounter God. Momma’s faith doesn’t get you into Heaven. Having fame and a publicist in this life rates you absolutely nowhere in the next. FAME doesn’t cut it with the Creator of the Cosmos. You can be very big here, but the king of an anthill in glory.

 

The family of the house of Nathan by itself and their wives by themselves; This addresses the people from the prophetic household, those who were of the lineage of prophets.

 

Some people think WHAT THEY HAVE ACCOMPLISHED (ostensibly for God) entitles them to eternal honored status in glory…No PROPHET will be able to claim that because God used his mouth to say something significant, that his sin won’t still have to be cared for. MINISTRY cannot replace the personal need to surrender a hardened and sin sick heart to Jesus. Sunday school pins are not collateral for salvation. Prayer meeting attendance will only help you if you know the One we pray to – otherwise you killed an hour in contemplation.

 

13 The family of the house of Levi by itself and their wives by themselves; This refers to the priestly cohenim – the priestly families.

 

Some people think that because they WERE KNOWN AS RELIGIOUS they would get God’s nod in the afterlife…No PRIEST who has represented God to others – counseled wisely or cared for their practical needs in a loving and sensitive way will be able to say that exempts them from the need to have their personal sin cared for. Holiness affronted cannot simply be ignored or outweighed by some act of goodness. No murderer may plead that he should be treated with leniency for the many people he wanted to kill but did not!

 

Some people think that if the HAVE HAD A HARD LIFE God will wink at their need for a Savior and let them into Heaven…The family of the Shimeites by itself and their wives by themselves; Though Numbers chapter three included this family under the Gershoni clan, along with the Libnites, they appear to have been too small to number in the later census of Number 26 – suggesting they were representative of those who lost record of their origin among the tribes because of too small a number. The lack of blessing of numbers and the tough circumstances of their lives does not exempt them from the need to personally accept the Messiah. They don’t get a pass because of some “handicap” that lowers the standard for them. They walk the whole distance to Calvary, and kneel before the same punished Servant King.

 

14 all the families that remain, every family by itself and their wives by themselves. This closes with the simple fact that ALL of them mourn, and all of them bow – the promise that was renewed in Romans 11.

 

Every single Israelite will need to face the fact of their own sin. The generations of great things God did in their families long ago will have no bearing on their personal need to have their sin cleansed. Each will cry alone – realizing the sinfulness of their own life, the distance of their own heart from God. Each will need to experience Messiah on their own – one by one.

 

The fact is, the same thing is true of everyone here today. There are no brownie points and merit badges that will cut corners. You face God as an absolutely holy, righteous, just and magnificent Sovereign.

 

R. C. Sproul makes this insightful observation from Isaiah 6: “The Bible says that God is holy, holy, holy. Not that He is merely holy, or even holy, holy. He is holy, holy, holy. The Bible never says that God is love, love, love, or mercy, mercy, mercy, or wrath, wrath, wrath, or justice, justice, justice. It does say that He is holy, holy, holy, the whole earth is full of His glory.” The idea of His holiness is so central to Biblical teaching that is said of God, “Holy is His Name” (Luke 1:49). His name is holy because He is holy. He is not always treated with holy reverence. His name is trampled through the dirt of this world. It functions as a curse word, a platform for the obscene. That the world had little respect for God is vividly seen by the way the world regards His name. No honor. No reverence. No awe before Him.

 

 

· First, we dare not underestimate the requirements of the holiness of God in relation to salvation – not national salvation for Israel, nor personal salvation for ME. They both are overshadowed by a HOLY GOD.

 

· Second, the behavior of a believer must be governed by our understanding of a Holy God. The world’s ever sinking standard is not God’s way of doing things. God has no five miles over the limit He winks at. Be careful. Sometimes Christians use a term like “unconditional acceptance” for God’s love and desire to win a lost soul. They will posit “God unconditionally accepts us”. On further examination of Scripture, that simply isn’t the case. God accepts the one who bows to Him, accepts His terms for sin sacrifice, and is cleansed by the work God initiated. There is no “Plan B” for salvation.

 

God did not accept Cain’s offering because of Cain’s heart. He didn’t overlook his heart and reason, “Well, he at least tried and came with something!” (Genesis 4:5). God doesn’t grade on a curve. His holiness forces the issue. We cannot be guilty and exempted by any means but the one that judicially was established in the Word of the Living God. If goodness would have gotten us into Heaven – Jesus need not die. Love drove Jesus to pay the price that HOLINESS demanded. As hard as it is to hear – it is My Father’s world.

 

A little boy named Nicholas was a part of the kindergarten Christmas program. For weeks, he memorized songs for his part in the program. The night of the program, the students were led into the room. Each class, accompanied by their teacher. Each group rose to perform their song. Nicholas’ class rose to sing their song, “Christmas Love.” Nicholas was aglow, as were all of his classmates, adorned in fuzzy mittens, red sweaters, and bright snowcaps upon their heads. Those in the front row — center stage — held up large letters, one by one, to spell out the title of the song. As the class would sing “C is for Christmas,” a child would hold up the letter C. Then, “H is for Happy,” and on and on, until each child holding up his portion had presented the complete message, “Christmas Love.” The performance was going smoothly, except for a small girl in the front row holding the letter “M” upside down –totally unaware her letter “M” appeared as a “W.” The audience of kids snickered at this little one’s mistake. But she had no idea they were laughing at her, so she stood tall, proudly holding her “W.” Although many teachers tried to shush the children, the laughter continued until the last letter was raised. A hush came over the audience. In an instant, everyone understood. For when the last letter was held high, the message read loud and clear: CHRIST WAS LOVE. He still is. (Sermon Central illustrations).

 

Long before you knew it, the Lord had His hand in your destiny. He stewarded and guided you through life to get to the point where you heard the truth concerning Him. What you do with what you hear is now up to you!