Zechariah 2

Verse of the Day: V10 “Sing and rejoice, O daughter of Zion: for, lo, I come, and I will dwell in the midst of thee, saith the LORD.”

1.  Speak (V1-5)

V4 “And said unto him, Run, speak to this young man, saying, Jerusalem shall be inhabited as towns without walls for the multitude of men and cattle therein:”

The Lord commanded the angel to run and speak to a young man who was none other than Prophet Zechariah, that one day in the future, there shall be a period called the Millennium in the new city of Jerusalem. The new city shall have no wall, and the Lord Himself shall dwell among His people who believe in Him, and He shall be the glory in the midst of them, and a wall of fire round about them to protect and preserve them.

V5 “For I, saith the LORD, will be unto her a wall of fire round about, and will be the glory in the midst of her.”

2.  Sing (V6-10)

V8 “For thus saith the LORD of hosts; After the glory hath he sent me unto the nations which spoiled you: for he that toucheth you toucheth the apple of his eye.”

Those who believe and trust in God are the apple of His eye. (The pupil, which looks like an apple, is the most important part of the eye as it gives us sight to see the wonderful and colourful world.) Though presently we may be going through a rough patch, yet let us sing and rejoice in the Lord knowing that we are the apple of His eye, and He is in the midst of us. God shall protect and preserve us, and no one shall touch, hurt or harm us.

V10 “Sing and rejoice, O daughter of Zion: for, lo, I come, and I will dwell in the midst of thee, saith the LORD.”

3.  Silent (V11-13)

V11 “And many nations shall be joined to the LORD in that day, and shall be my people: and I will dwell in the midst of thee, and thou shalt know that the LORD of hosts hath sent me unto thee.”

During the Millennium, people from many nations of the world who believe and trust in the Lord shall enter the new city of Jerusalem. The Lord shall be in the midst of them, and they shall be silent before Him, showing Him respect and reverence. Let us be silent before the Lord, and let our words be few and be a blessing and encouragement to others.

V13 “Be silent, O all flesh, before the LORD: for he is raised up out of his holy habitation.”

Prayer of the Day:

Dearest God, please help me to sing and rejoice as I am the apple of Your eye.

Zechariah 1

Verse of the Day:V20 “And the LORD shewed me four carpenters.”

1.  Came (V1-11)

V1 “In the eighth month, in the second year of Darius, came the word of the LORD unto Zechariah, the son of Berechiah, the son of Iddo the prophet, saying,”

Prophet Zechariah mentioned that the word of the Lord came to him before he could prophesy and preach to the people. All true prophets and preachers must have the word of God coming to them before they can prophesy and preach His word. Zechariah told the people that the Lord was very displeased with their ancestors who had disobeyed Him.

V2 “The LORD hath been sore displeased with your fathers.”

2.  Cry (V12-17)

V12 “Then the angel of the LORD answered and said, O LORD of hosts, how long wilt thou not have mercy on Jerusalem and on the cities of Judah, against which thou hast had indignation these threescore and ten years?”

Zechariah asked the Lord why He showed mercy on the people of Jerusalem and Judah when time and again they rebelled against Him, even when they came out of their 70 long years of captivity. The angel of God then commanded Zechariah to cry to the jealous God to begin judging the people so that they would repent of their sins, and turned to the Lord.

V14 “So the angel that communed with me said unto me, Cry thou, saying, Thus saith the LORD of hosts; I am jealous for Jerusalem and for Zion with a great jealousy.”

3.  Carpenter (V18-21)

V18 “Then lifted I up mine eyes, and saw, and behold four horns.”

The 4 horns represented the 4 successive empires while the 4 carpenters represented the 4 successive empires that God would send to defeat each empire. The first empire was the Babylonians, and they were defeated by the Medes Persians, a greater empire. The Medes Persians became the second empire, and they were defeated by the Greeks. The Greeks became the third empire, and they were defeated by the Romans. The Romans became the fourth empire, and they were defeated, and this time, not by a greater empire, but by the Son of God, Jesus. Jesus left His throne of glory in heaven to become the son of a carpenter on earth, so that He would live, and then died on the cross for the sins of the world. One day Jesus shall come and establish the greatest empire, His kingdom, on earth.

V20 “And the LORD shewed me four carpenters.”

Prayer of the Day:
 
Dearest God, thank You for sending the Carpenter, Jesus Christ, to die for my sins.

Haggai 2

Verse of the Day: V7 “And I will shake all nations, and the desire of all nations shall come: and I will fill this house with glory, saith the LORD of hosts.”

1.  Glory (V1-7)

V4 “Yet now be strong, O Zerubbabel, saith the LORD; and be strong, O Joshua, son of Josedech, the high priest; and be strong, all ye people of the land, saith the LORD, and work: for I am with you, saith the LORD of hosts:”

The Lord through Prophet Haggai encouraged the wearied and tired people of Judah after they had returned from 70 long years of Babylonian captivity, to be strong, and to keep on working and rebuilding God’s ruined house. Haggai assured them that the Lord was with them, and His glory shall once again fill His house and their city, and all nations of the entire world shall know that the God of Judah is the one and only true and living God.

V7 “And I will shake all nations, and the desire of all nations shall come: and I will fill this house with glory, saith the LORD of hosts.”

2.  Gold (V8-9)

V8 “The silver is mine, and the gold is mine, saith the LORD of hosts.”

Haggai encouraged the people of Judah who just returned from captivity that God could do anything as He owned the silver and the gold and everything in this entire universe. God shall make His rebuilt house greater and with much glory than the original house they had built, and He shall certainly give peace to their city where His house was built.

V9 “The glory of this latter house shall be greater than of the former, saith the LORD of hosts: and in this place will I give peace, saith the LORD of hosts.”

3.  Garment (V10-23)

V12 “If one bear holy flesh in the skirt of his garment, and with his skirt do touch bread, or pottage, or wine, or oil, or any meat, shall it be holy? And the priests answered and said, No.”

No one except God can cleanse us from all sins and keep us holy and give us His glory. The unholy bread or pottage (stew) or wine or oil or meat can never be holy just because the holy flesh (meat) carried on a man’s garment accidently touched them. Only the Lord who chooses those who believe and trust in Him can make us holy and give us His glory.

V23 “In that day, saith the LORD of hosts, will I take thee, O Zerubbabel, my servant, the son of Shealtiel, saith the LORD, and will make thee as a signet: for I have chosen thee, saith the LORD of hosts.”

Prayer of the Day:
 
Dearest God, please make me holy and give me Your glory.

Haggai 1

Verse of the Day: V14 “And the LORD stirred up the spirit of Zerubbabel the son of Shealtiel, governor of Judah, and the spirit of Joshua the son of Josedech, the high priest, and the spirit of all the remnant of the people; and they came and did work in the house of the LORD of hosts, their God,”

1.  Word (V1-2)

V1 “In the second year of Darius the king, in the sixth month, in the first day of the month, came the word of the LORD by Haggai the prophet unto Zerubbabel the son of Shealtiel, governor of Judah, and to Joshua the son of Josedech, the high priest, saying,”

Haggai received God’s word to admonish the governor and the high priest that the people of Judah had time only to build their own houses, but had no time to build God’s house.

V2 “Thus speaketh the LORD of hosts, saying, This people say, The time is not come, the time that the LORD’s house should be built.”

2.  Wood (V3-11)

V6 “Ye have sown much, and bring in little; ye eat, but ye have not enough; ye drink, but ye are not filled with drink; ye clothe you, but there is none warm; and he that earneth wages earneth wages to put it into a bag with holes.”

Haggai patiently pleaded with the people that the Lord shall only be pleased and glorified if they would go to the mountain and gathered wood for the building of God’s house.

V8 “Go up to the mountain, and bring wood, and build the house; and I will take pleasure in it, and I will be glorified, saith the LORD.”

3.  Work (V12-15)

V12 “Then Zerubbabel the son of Shealtiel, and Joshua the son of Josedech, the high priest, with all the remnant of the people, obeyed the voice of the LORD their God, and the words of Haggai the prophet, as the LORD their God had sent him, and the people did fear before the LORD.”

Finally, the governor, the high priest and the people of Judah obeyed God’s holy word, and went to the mountain to gather wood to work and build God’s house for God’s glory.

V14 “And the LORD stirred up the spirit of Zerubbabel the son of Shealtiel, governor of Judah, and the spirit of Joshua the son of Josedech, the high priest, and the spirit of all the remnant of the people; and they came and did work in the house of the LORD of hosts, their God,”

Prayer of the Day:

Dearest God, please help me to obey Your word, and work for Your glory.

Zephaniah 3

Verse of the Day:V5 “The just LORD is in the midst thereof; he will not do iniquity: every morning doth he bring his judgment to light, he faileth not; but the unjust knoweth no shame.”

1.  Filthy (V1-4)

V1 “Woe to her that is filthy and polluted, to the oppressing city!”

The Almighty God through Prophet Zephaniah pronounced severe judgment upon the people of Judah. The people of Judah had rebelled against God. They had disobeyed His voice, received not His correction, trusted not in Him, and refused to draw near to Him. They had polluted God’s holy city, and it had become a filthy, wicked and sinful city.

V2 “She obeyed not the voice; she received not correction; she trusted not in the LORD; she drew not near to her God.”

2.  Faileth (V5-7)

V5 “The just LORD is in the midst thereof; he will not do iniquity: every morning doth he bring his judgment to light, he faileth not; but the unjust knoweth no shame.”

Prophet Zephaniah encouraged the people of Judah who believed and trusted in God that the just Lord was in the midst of them daily even though they were living in a filthy, wicked and sinful city. The Lord promised those who believed and trusted in Him that He shall never fail them, not even once, and to those who rebelled against Him, He shall judge and destroy them and their cities, until there shall be no city or inhabitant left.

V6 “I have cut off the nations: their towers are desolate; I made their streets waste, that none passeth by: their cities are destroyed, so that there is no man, that there is none inhabitant.”

3.  Fear (V8-20)

V12 “I will also leave in the midst of thee an afflicted and poor people, and they shall trust in the name of the LORD.”

Zephaniah prophesied that there shall be a remnant of people, though afflicted and poor, yet they shall trust in the name of the Lord. This remnant shall not fear God’s judgment which shall only be upon the wicked. They shall not be slack in their service of God, but shall continue to serve Him, until the Lord shall promote them to His kingdom in heaven. 

V16 “In that day it shall be said to Jerusalem, Fear thou not: and to Zion, Let not thine hands be slack.

Prayer of the Day:

Dearest God, please help me to trust You as You will never fail me, not even once.

Zephaniah 2

Verse of the Day:V3 “Seek ye the LORD, all ye meek of the earth, which have wrought his judgment; seek righteousness, seek meekness: it may be ye shall be hid in the day of the LORD’s anger.”

1.  Seek (V1-3)

V2 “Before the decree bring forth, before the day pass as the chaff, before the fierce anger of the LORD come upon you, before the day of the LORD’s anger come upon you.”

Zephaniah warned the people to seek the Lord and His righteousness and meekness before God’s anger would come upon them and destroyed them because of their sins.

V3 “Seek ye the LORD, all ye meek of the earth, which have wrought his judgment; seek righteousness, seek meekness: it may be ye shall be hid in the day of the LORD’s anger.”

2.  Sodom (V4-11)

V9 “Therefore as I live, saith the LORD of hosts, the God of Israel, Surely Moab shall be as Sodom, and the children of Ammon as Gomorrah, even the breeding of nettles, and saltpits, and a perpetual desolation: the residue of my people shall spoil them, and the remnant of my people shall possess them.”

Zephaniah reminded the people of Moab and Ammon of how the God of Israel had completely destroyed Sodom and Gomorrah which were once great and prosperous cities because of their sins and wickedness. God would again completely destroy any city when the people became proud and arrogant, and blatantly and grievously sinned against Him.

V10 “This shall they have for their pride, because they have reproached and magnified themselves against the people of the LORD of hosts.”

3.  Sword (V12-15)

V12 “Ye Ethiopians also, ye shall be slain by my sword.”

Zephaniah warned the Ethiopians that God allowed their enemies to destroy them with their swords because of their sins. He warned everyone in any city who lived carelessly and wickedly, that the Lord would surely judged and punished them, and their city shall be desolated where only beasts lived, and people who passed by them shall despise them.

V15 “This is the rejoicing city that dwelt carelessly, that said in her heart, I am, and there is none beside me: how is she become a desolation, a place for beasts to lie down in! every one that passeth by her shall hiss, and wag his hand.”

Prayer of the Day:
 
Dearest God, please help me to seek You and Your righteousness and meekness.

Zephaniah 1

Verse of the Day:V1 “The word of the LORD which came unto Zephaniah the son of Cushi, the son of Gedaliah, the son of Amariah, the son of Hizkiah, in the days of Josiah the son of Amon, king of Judah.”

1.  The Word (V1-2)

V1 “The word of the LORD which came unto Zephaniah the son of Cushi, the son of Gedaliah, the son of Amariah, the son of Hizkiah, in the days of Josiah the son of Amon, king of Judah.”

Zephaniah was not only God’s prophet but he was also from the royal line of the kings of Judah. The Word of the Lord came to Zephaniah to warn the people of Judah to repent of their sins but the people refused to obey God’s Word and continued in their sins.

V2 “I will utterly consume all things from off the land, saith the LORD.”

2.  The Wicked (V3-13)

V3 “I will consume man and beast; I will consume the fowls of the heaven, and the fishes of the sea, and the stumblingblocks with the wicked; and I will cut off man from off the land, saith the LORD.”

Zephaniah warned the wicked unless they repent of their worship of Baal or the sin of gross immorality and greed, and obey God’s Word, the Almighty God shall totally consume and destroyed them together with the beasts, the fowls and the fishes. It was a day of wrath that God would destroy every living creature because of the sins of mankind.  

V4 “I will also stretch our mine hand upon Judah, and upon all the inhabitants of Jerusalem; and I will cut off the remnant of Baal from this place, and the name of the Chemarims with the priests;”

3.  The Wrath (V14-18)

V15 “That day is a day of wrath, a day of trouble and distress, a day of wasteness and desolation, a day of darkness and gloominess, a day of clouds and thick darkness.”

Zephaniah warned the people that there shall come a day of trouble where no one, not even the richest or the most powerful, shall escape God’s wrath and jealousy. Only those who repent their sins and obey God’s Word shall escape God’s wrath and punishment.

V18 “Neither their silver nor their gold shall be able to deliver them in the day of the LORD’s wrath; but the whole land shall be devoured by the fire of his jealousy: for he shall make even a speedy riddance of all them that dwell in the land.”

Prayer of the Day:

Dearest God, please help me to repent of my sins and obey Your Word.

Habakkuk 3

Verse of the Day:V18 “Yet I will rejoice in the LORD, I will joy in the God of my salvation.”

1.  Remember (V1-7)

V1 “A prayer of Habakkuk the prophet upon Shigionoth.”

Prophet Habakkuk was afraid and fearful as he heard the voice of the Almighty God that He was about to severely judge and punish the people of Israel because they had sinned and rebelled against Him. Habakkuk prayed and pleaded with the Lord to revive the people, and in His wrath to remember to have mercy upon them. Though the people had sinned against the Lord, Habakkuk prayed that God would graciously spare the remnant who had obeyed and trusted Him, and did not shame and disgrace the name of the Lord.

V2 “O LORD, I have heard thy speech, and was afraid: O LORD, revive thy work in the midst of the years, in the midst of the years make known; in wrath remember mercy.”

2.  Rivers (V8-16)

V8 “Was the LORD displeased against the rivers? was thine anger against the rivers? was thy wrath against the sea, that thou didst ride upon thine horses and thy chariots of salvation?”

Habakkuk reminded the people that it was not because God was angry with the river Jordan and the Red sea that He miraculously parted them. God performed the miracles because He loved His people. God parted the Red sea so that His people could escape from the pursuit of the Egyptian soldiers, and He parted the river Jordan so that they could possess the Promised Land. Let us rejoice in the Lord and trust Him in everything.

V9 “Thy bow was made quite naked, according to the oaths of the tribes, even thy word. Selah. Thou didst cleave the earth with rivers.”

3.  Rejoice (V17-19)

V17 “Although the fig tree shall not blossom, neither shall fruit be in the vines; the labour of the olive shall fail, and the fields shall yield no meat; the flock shall be cut off from the fold, and there shall be no herd in the stalls:”

Habakkuk encouraged the people that if they could trust the Lord for their salvation and their souls, could they not trust Him for their physical needs, and rejoiced in Him. Even though their fig trees shall not blossom, and they shall have no fruit, or olive, or meat, or flock or herd, yet God shall miraculously supply all their needs as He had done in the past.

V18 “Yet I will rejoice in the LORD, I will joy in the God of my salvation.”

Prayer of the Day:
 
Dearest God, please help me to rejoice in You for You are the God of my salvation.

Habakkuk 2

Verse of the Day: V4 “Behold, his soul which is lifted up is not upright in him: but the just shall live by his faith.”

1.  Live (V1-11)

V2 “And the LORD answered me, and said, Write the vision, and make it plain upon tables, that he may run that readeth it.”

The Almighty God commanded Prophet Habakkuk to write down the vision upon tables which taught the people of Israel that God shall bless those who live by faith in God, and God alone. However, the people failed to live by faith in God, and instead they lived by sight and trust in their own understanding. Their souls were lifted up and they were too proud to worship God, and refused to acknowledge Him as the only true and living God.

V4 “Behold, his soul which is lifted up is not upright in him: but the just shall live by his faith.”

2.  Labour (V12-17)

V12 “Woe to him that buildeth a town with blood, and stablisheth a city by iniquity!”

God through Habakkuk warned the people to live by faith, and never to hurt and harm others in order to get power and wealth. If they hurt and harm others, it would be like labouring for fire, which would ultimately burn and consume them, and all their labour shall be in vain. God shall only bless the just who live by faith in Him, and Him alone.

V13 “Behold, is it not of the LORD of hosts that the people shall labour in the very fire, and the people shall weary themselves for very vanity?”

3.  Lies (V18-20)

V18 “What profiteth the graven image that the maker thereof hath graven it; the molten image, and a teacher of lies, that the maker of his work trusteth therein, to make dumb idols?”

Habakkuk warned the people to be weary of the teacher of lies who taught the people to make graven images and idols, and to worship these dumb idols. These false teachers taught the people to live by sight and trust in their own understanding, instead of living by faith and trusting in the true God who shall reward those who diligently seek Him.
 
“But without faith it is impossible to please Him: for He that cometh to God must believe that He is, and that He is a rewarder of them that diligently seek Him.” (Hebrews 11:6)

Prayer of the Day:
 
Dearest God, please help me to live by faith in You, and You alone.

Habakkuk 1

Verse of the Day: V2 “O LORD, how long shall I cry, and thou wilt not hear! even cry out unto thee of violence, and thou wilt not save!”

1.  The Law (V1-4)

V2 “O LORD, how long shall I cry, and thou wilt not hear! even cry out unto thee of violence, and thou wilt not save!”

Prophet Habakkuk was getting impatient with God as he saw the wicked prospered and the righteous suffered, and there seemed to be no law and justice in the land of Israel.

V4 “Therefore the law is slacked, and judgment doth never go forth: for the wicked doth compass about the righteous; therefore wrong judgment proceedeth.”

2.  The Land (V5-11)

V6 “For, lo, I raise up the Chaldeans, that bitter and hasty nation, which shall march through the breadth of the land, to possess the dwellingplaces that are not theirs.”

Habakkuk could not understand why the Lord sent the Chaldeans to invade the land of Israel, when God could have just judged His own people. Habakkuk saw the Chaldeans mocked the true God of Israel thinking that their god was more superior to the God of Israel, and continued in their wickedness and idolatry. However, God is not mocked as subsequently God judged and punished the Chaldeans for their wickedness and idolatry.

V11 “Then shall his mind change, and he shall pass over, and offend, imputing this his power unto his god.”

3.  The LORD (V12-17)

V12 “Are thou not from everlasting, O LORD my God, mine Holy One? we shall not die. O LORD, thou hast ordained them for judgment; and, O mighty God, thou hast established them for correction.”

Habakkuk finally understood that the LORD was an everlasting and holy God and that His ways and thoughts were different from man’s ways and thoughts. Habakkuk realised that the reason why God seemed slow to judge and punish the wicked was because He is longsuffering, and is not willing that any should perish, but that all should believe in Him, repent of their sins, and have a glorious heaven to gain, and a fiery hell to shun.

“The Lord is not slack concerning his promise, as some men count slackness; but is longsuffering to us-ward, not willing that any should perish, but that all should come to repentance.” (2 Peter 3:9)

Prayer of the Day:

Dearest God, please help me to be longsuffering and trust You in everything.