Seeking God’s Favor – part 2
Zechariah 7:1-14 (8-10)
December 11, 2016
Last time we met we began looking at this new section of the book of Zechariah.
• It occurred two years after the night visions.
• It is a section prompted by the arrival of a group of men from Bethel.
Scripture says that they came to “seek the favor of the LORD,”
(Literally: “to soften the face of the LORD” or “to stroke the face of the LORD”)
They were after God’s favor.
And I think this is a pretty important point for us to consider.
Now certainly we don’t want to confuse this with salvation.
That is to say that we in no way want anyone to think that
We are seeking to please God to such an extent to cause him to save us.
THAT IS IMPOSSIBLE.
Paul is clear that “there is none who does good, not even one.”
Galatians 2:21 “I do not nullify the grace of God, for if righteousness comes through the Law, then Christ died needlessly.”
We know that justification only occurs through faith in Jesus Christ.
It is His righteousness that is credited to our account
Whereby God then declares us righteous based on what He has done.
That is justification…that is not what we are talking about.
We’re talking about those who are already saved.
(We’re talking about the justified, the elect, the chosen, the redeemed)
That is what Israel was.
God had already revealed that through those night visions.
What we are talking about is
How we as believers continue to seek the favor of God,
And what sort of reward we can expect for it.
And while Christ has made us pleasing to the Father,
We are still those who seek to please God with our lives.
Colossians 1:9-10 “For this reason also, since the day we heard of it, we have not ceased to pray for you and to ask that you may be filled with the knowledge of His will in all spiritual wisdom and understanding, so that you will walk in a manner worthy of the Lord, to please Him in all respects, bearing fruit in every good work and increasing in the knowledge of God;”
Saying also:
2 Corinthians 5:9 “Therefore we also have as our ambition, whether at home or absent, to be pleasing to Him.”
2 Timothy 2:4 “No soldier in active service entangles himself in the affairs of everyday life, so that he may please the one who enlisted him as a soldier.”
So it is clear that for a believer there is still the issue of
Seeking to please God in the way in which we live.
But that is an issue that has been VERY CONFUSING for God’s people,
Not only today, but clearly also in the past.
And that is what we are here talking about.
• We have a group of people who have traveled to Jerusalem to seek God’s favor.
• Just from our reading it seems as though perhaps this was a group who was curious why God’s favor wasn’t more readily seen in their lives.
In fact, they came asking a question.
(It was the question which provoked the response of Zechariah 7 and 8)
“Shall I weep in the fifth month and abstain, as I have done these many years?”
Just by way of REMINDER:
• There was no fast commanded for the fifth month anywhere in the Law.
• The fifth month was the month that the temple was destroyed.
• No doubt it became a commemorative and yearly time of weeping and fasting as the anniversary of that terrible event came each year.
• But it wasn’t commanded.
HOWEVER, we noted that it had been 70 years since the temple had been destroyed.
• Odds are good that these who have made the 12 mile journey from Bethel to Jerusalem weren’t even alive when the event occurred.
• For them it was far less about grief and emotion and despair, and much more about tradition.
• They did it because they had always done it. One such indicator is the fact that they are still going by their Babylonian names and not Jewish names
These people were most likely raised in Babylon
And had merely continued on with this uncommanded fast
Out of tradition.
Now they have returned to Israel
And they want to know if they should continue.
As we said last time this feels a little like a LOADED QUESTION.
It’s almost as if they have given God their resume,
Reminding Him that they have faithfully participated in this fast for many years.
The reality is that they want to know if
There is any pay off for what they have done.
What sort of spiritual currency have they accumulated?
And why isn’t it more apparent in their lives?
And we noted that it is human nature to gravitate here.
Most of us (though none would admit it) like to believe that
We deserve certain amounts of God’s favor
As a reward for the things we do well.
Like Peter who asked Jesus, “Behold we have left everything and followed You; what then will there be for us?”
To which Jesus responded that they would be rewarded,
But that God’s reward system is not like you think.
In fact Jesus gave that cryptic statement and the parable that followed, “But many who are first will be last; and the last, first.”
There Jesus indicated that God does reward His children,
But that reward is not based upon merit, but upon God’s generosity.
It didn’t matter if you came to work early in the morning, at midday, or in the evening, God’s generosity rewarded the same.
But we like to think that when we do religious things
That we deserve more favor than those who don’t.
After all, we attend church…on Sunday night…in the cold!
Surely God will reward us better than those who didn’t.
That was sort of the attitude of this delegation.
They wanted to know what sort of favor they would be receiving
For their tremendous sacrifice.
But if you’ll remember God had a question for them.
In fact it was a question God had already asked
Many years before through Isaiah in Isaiah 58.
#1 CONSIDER YOUR REAL PURPOSE
Zechariah 7:4-7
The question God asked was this:
(5) “When you fasted and mourned in the fifth and seventh months these seventy years, was it actually for Me that you fasted?”
And of course you notice that God added in there the “seventh” month
Which they had not mentioned.
The 7th month was the murder of Gedaliah.
God actually beats them to the punch and says
“I know all about your fasts”
What I want to know is were any of them done for Me?
And of course the answer God reveals is “NO”
(6) “’When you eat and drink, do you not eat for yourselves and do you not drink for yourselves?”
The first answer given to these who want to know their reward
Is that their sacrifice was invalid
Because it wasn’t actually a sacrifice.
When you sacrifice one thing just so you can gain another,
That’s not called sacrifice, that’s called an investment.
I could tell you that I gave $15 dollars Friday morning to a couple in need. And that sounds sacrificial until you find out that
They gave me donuts in response.
Yes I parted with my money but the payoff was baked sugary goodness!
You can’t call that a sacrifice.
And it works the same for religious involvement.
TURN TO: Matthew 6
• (READ 6:1-4)
• (READ 6:5-6)
• (READ 6:16-18)
Jesus was making that same point wasn’t He?
You can’t call your giving or your praying or your fasting a sacrifice
Because you were receiving reward for it.
Consider what Paul said:
1 Corinthians 13:1-3 “If I speak with the tongues of men and of angels, but do not have love, I have become a noisy gong or a clanging cymbal. If I have the gift of prophecy, and know all mysteries and all knowledge; and if I have all faith, so as to remove mountains, but do not have love, I am nothing. And if I give all my possessions to feed the poor, and if I surrender my body to be burned, but do not have love, it profits me nothing.”
Love is self-sacrificing, but if all your religious deeds
Were done without sacrificing self, then there is NO REWARD.
You are getting the point aren’t you?
SO, WHY WEREN’T THESE PEOPLE GETTING A REWARD?
What was wrong with their motive?
Are we to assume they only fasted for public reputation like the Pharisees?
Possibly, but it doesn’t say that.
Are we to assume that they only fasted without truly sacrificing (love)?
Possibly, but it doesn’t say that.
LISTEN CAREFULLY HERE.
Let’s say you do you religious deed AND you do it in secret.
Let’s say you do it in a truly SACRIFICIAL way (you don’t get donuts in return).
CAN YOU STILL BE DOING IT WRONG?
YES
How?
If you are doing it only for a temporal reward and not for the glory of God.
It is true that God is promised to reward us when sacrifice ourselves correctly,
We just read that in Matthew 6.
“And your Father who sees what is done in secret will reward you.”
But that reward is an eternal one, not a temporal one.
Many people have gone astray because they thought that
If they sacrificed and did it secretly
That God would reward them with a temporal payoff.
And many of those same people grew disillusioned with God
When it didn’t happen.
Remember Asaph in Psalm 73 upset because the wicked are prospering and he wasn’t?
Remember what Paul told Timothy?
1 Timothy 6:3-10 “If anyone advocates a different doctrine and does not agree with sound words, those of our Lord Jesus Christ, and with the doctrine conforming to godliness, he is conceited and understands nothing; but he has a morbid interest in controversial questions and disputes about words, out of which arise envy, strife, abusive language, evil suspicions, and constant friction between men of depraved mind and deprived of the truth, who suppose that godliness is a means of gain. But godliness actually is a means of great gain when accompanied by contentment. For we have brought nothing into the world, so we cannot take anything out of it either. If we have food and covering, with these we shall be content. But those who want to get rich fall into temptation and a snare and many foolish and harmful desires which plunge men into ruin and destruction. For the love of money is a root of all sorts of evil, and some by longing for it have wandered away from the faith and pierced themselves with many griefs.”
There are people who do try to sacrifice in mighty ways
And in secret ways who still don’t please God,
Because they think it is a means to a temporal reward.
I’m going to secretly put $10,000 in the offering plate
So that God will give me $50,000!
Are you really doing that for the glory of God
Or are you doing it for your benefit?
Do you see the point?
So when questioning is God pleased with
my sacrifice or with my ministry or with my action
The first thing you must do is CONSIDER THE REAL PURPOSE.
• Who are you really seeking to benefit?
• Who are you really seeking to honor?
• Why are you really doing it?
To that one would have to ask:
WHAT IS THE PROPHER MOTIVE FOR SEEKING GOD’S FAVOR?
1 Corinthians 10:31 “Whether, then, you eat or drink or whatever you do, do all to the glory of God.”
• That passage comes as Paul is examining the freedoms of the Corinthians, especially their propensity to eat meat sacrificed to idols.
• Theologically they knew that false gods were not real and therefore eating the meat was not sinful.
• However, their testimony could offend their brother and cause him to stumble, and it could run the risk of leading them back into idolatry.
So as a summation of the issue Paul simply reminded them
To do all things for the glory of God.
When we tell a person to check their motives this is what we are asking.
Who were you seeking to benefit?
• Why did you pray?
• Why did you give?
• Why did you fast?
• Why did you attend church?
• Why did you preach that sermon?
Who were you seeking to glorify?
Because I can promise that if your religious involvement was for the purpose of glorifying you, then God will not be pleased.
To revisit that passage we saw last week in Isaiah 58
Isaiah 58:3 “Why have we fasted and You do not see? Why have we humbled ourselves and You do not notice?’ Behold, on the day of your fast you find your desire, And drive hard all your workers.”
YOU’VE GOT TO EXAMINE YOUR MOTIVES,
Because if it is only done for your own personal benefit or glory
Then you need not expect that God will reward that.
You already have your reward.
However, if your motives are pure, then Scripture promises that
God does in fact reward His children in eternity because He is generous.
So you are one who is seeking God’s favor…
• First, Consider the Real Purpose
#2 CONSIDER SCRIPTURES REITERATED PROPHECIES
Zechariah 7:8-10
So let’s say we’ve answered that first questioned regarding our motives
And to the best of our ability we can say that
We really do only want to please God, for His glory.
SO WHAT DO WE DO?
(What sort of action should we do?)
And this is so obvious…
(8-9a) “Then the word of the LORD came to Zechariah saying, “Thus HAS the LORD of hosts SAID,”…
Did you catch the tense there?
Do you want to do the thing that please God?
THEN LOOK AT WHAT GOD HAS SAID.
And in this case, it is not some obscure message
Only repeated in dark corners with secret handshakes.
(9-10) “Thus has the LORD of hosts said, ‘Dispense true justice and practice kindness and compassion each to his brother; and do not oppress the widow or the orphan, the stranger or the poor; and do not devise evil in your hearts against one another.’”
Do you really want to please God?
Then do what God says.
• Things like “true justice”
• Things like “kindness”
• Things like “compassion”
• Things like caring for “the widow or the orphan, the stranger or the poor”
And what is so obvious here is that anyone
Who ever wondered what God wanted them to do
And even read their Old Testament a little
Could not possibly miss what God wanted.
THE SCRIPTURES CONTINUALLY REITERATE WHAT GOD WANTS
TURN TO: 1 SAMUEL 15:22-23
• You remember the message Samuel had for Saul.
TURN TO: PSALMS 50:7-23
• Do you hear God there telling them that their religious sacrifice are of little value?
• Do you hear God telling them to focus on things like justice and integrity?
TURN TO: ISAIAH 1:10-17
• Same message isn’t it?
• I’m not interested in your religious sacrifices, I want you to take care of the helpless.
TURN TO: JEREMIAH 7:1-11; 21-23
• And again we find that God is not so interested in religion as He is in them taking care of the widows and the poor
TURN TO: EZEKIEL 18:5-9
• Are you catching a theme here of the things God thinks are important?
TURN TO: DANIEL 9:11-13
• Daniel figured it out didn’t he? It wasn’t about sacrifice and religion, it was about obedience to God’s word.
TURN TO: HOSEA 6:4-6
• There again, I’m interested in obedience, not ceremonial religion.
TURN TO: JOEL 2:12-13
• There it is, “rend your heart and not your garments”. I want true devotion, not ceremony.
TURN TO: AMOS 5:21-24
• You’re picking up a theme aren’t you?
TURN TO: JONAH 4:10-11
• The entire purpose was to reveal Jonah’s lack of compassion.
TURN TO: MICAH 6:6-8
• Again, it’s the heart not the religion
We look at those because I want you to understand the situation here.
• After all of those prophets for all of those years have said the same thing over and over and over about religion verses obedience, are you really confused as to what it means to seek the favor of the Lord?
• You come with a resume about some fast you have kept for 70 years expecting God to reward you with His favor.
• I think it’s time you open your Bible and figure out what God has said over and over and over regarding obtaining His favor.
But in case you are short on time,
Zechariah actually summarizes it for them (again).
(I can almost hear Zechariah sigh as he says it)
(9-10) “Thus has the LORD of hosts said, ‘Dispense true justice and practice kindness and compassion each to his brother; and do not oppress the widow or the orphan, the stranger or the poor; and do not devise evil in your hearts against one another.’”
This was hardly new information by the time Zechariah preached it.
If they had only paid attention to the messages of the prophets from the past
This would have been crystal clear.
With that we’re out of time, and we’ll get the rest next time.
But let me just leave you with a closing thought here.
Let’s say you are a person who really does simply want to live in a manner that pleases God.
Let’s say that your motives are even the right place. That is to say that you aren’t doing it for your own glory or for some sort of temporal payoff.
You really just want to live your life in a manner that pleases God.
Let me put it to you like this:
IT IS IMPOSSIBLE TO DO THAT WITH A CLOSED BIBLE.
God has not kept His desires for how you should live your life a secret. In fact in most cases He has said it over and over and over; just as we saw here.
These people were working going through strenuous religious ordinances in order to try and earn God’s favor; how much easier it would have been to just read the Bible and see what God had already said He wanted.
