Verse of the Day:V6 “Then he answered and spake unto me, saying, This is the word of the LORD unto Zerubbabel, saying, Not by might, nor by power, but by my spirit, saith the LORD of hosts.”
1. Spirit (V1-6)
V2 “And said unto me, What seest thou? And I said, I have looked, and behold a candlestick all of gold, with a bowl upon the top of it, and his seven lamps thereon, and seven pipes to the seven lamps, which are upon the top thereof:”
The Lord through an angel showed Prophet Zechariah a vision of a golden candlestick which represented the Spirit of God. God reminded the people of Israel that it would not be their might, or their power, but by His Spirit that enables them to rebuild His house.
V6 “Then he answered and spake unto me, saying, This is the word of the LORD unto Zerubbabel, saying, Not by might, nor by power, but by my spirit, saith the LORD of hosts.”
2. Small (V7-10)
V9 “The hands of Zerubbabel have laid the foundation of this house; his hands shall also finish it; and thou shalt know that the LORD of hosts hath sent me unto you.”
God encouraged Zechariah not to be discouraged or dismayed by the small group of people who returned to Jerusalem to rebuild His house. God assured Zechariah that it would be His Spirit that would empower and enable the small group to rebuild His house. Let us not be discouraged and dismayed when we are small and weak, because God’s Spirit and power can do wonders and miracles even in the day of small and weak things.
V10 “For who hath despised the day of small things? for they shall rejoice, and shall see the plummet in the hand of Zerubbabel with those seven; they are the eyes of the LORD, which run to and fro through the whole earth.”
3. Stand (V11-14)
V11 “Then answered I, and said unto him, What are these two olive trees upon the right side of the candlestick and upon the left side thereof?”
The Lord revealed to Zechariah that the two olive trees represented the two anointed ones, namely, Zerubbabel, the head of the tribe of Judah, and Joshua, the high priest, who shall stand by the Lord through His Spirit in rebuilding His house for His glory and honour.
V14 “Then said he, These are the two anointed ones, that stand by the Lord of the whole earth.”
Prayer of the Day:
Dearest God, please help me to stand by You through Your Spirit for Your glory.
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Posted by: Pastor Davy Sim AT 08:21 am
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Verse of the Day:V8 “Hear now, O Joshua the high priest, thou, and thy fellows that sit before thee: for they are men wondered at: for, behold, I will bring forth my servant the BRANCH.”
1. Brand (V1-5)
V1 “And he shewed me Joshua the high priest standing before the angel of the LORD, and Satan standing at his right hand to resist him.”
Satan accused Joshua of being a brand (burning wood) or unworthy to be God’s high priest. Satan’s most devastating strategy of discouraging people from serving the Lord is to accuse them of their sins, because all have sinned, and come short of the glory of God.
V2 “And the LORD said unto Satan, The LORD rebuke thee, O Satan; even the LORD that hath chosen Jerusalem rebuke thee: is not this a brand plucked out of the fire?”
2. Branch (V6-8)
V7 “Thus saith the LORD of hosts; If thou wilt walk in my ways, and if thou wilt keep my charge, then thou shalt also judge my house, and shalt also keep my courts, and I will give thee places to walk among these that stand by.”
The Almighty God, the Creator shall always prevail against His fallen creature, Satan. God told Zechariah that He shall send the BRANCH, the Christ, the Son of God, to die and shed His blood for the sins of the whole world, so that those who believe in Christ shall have His righteousness, and Satan shall no longer accuse God’s people of their sins.
V8 “Hear now, O Joshua the high priest, thou, and thy fellows that sit before thee: for they are men wondered at: for, behold, I will bring forth my servant the BRANCH.”
3. Behold (V9-10)
V9 “For behold the stone that I have laid before Joshua; upon one stone shall be seven eyes: behold, I will engrave the graving thereof, saith the LORD of hosts, and I will remove the iniquity of that land in one day.”
God commanded Zechariah to behold the stone that was laid before Joshua, and revealed to him that the stone was Christ, the BRANCH, and that the 7 eyes were God’s perfect wisdom that one day every man shall acknowledge that the BRANCH is the Son of God.
V10 “In that day, saith the LORD of hosts, shall ye call every man his neighbour under the vine and under the fig tree.”
Prayer of the Day:
Dearest God, I believe the Branch that He is the Christ, the Son of God.
Posted by: Pastor Davy Sim AT 01:06 pm
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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.
Posted by: Pastor Davy Sim AT 08:14 pm
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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.
Posted by: Pastor Davy Sim AT 01:24 pm
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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.
Posted by: Pastor Davy Sim AT 03:18 pm
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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.
Posted by: Pastor Davy Sim AT 02:39 pm
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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.
Posted by: Pastor Davy Sim AT 10:27 am
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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.
Posted by: Pastor Davy Sim AT 10:30 pm
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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.
Posted by: Pastor Davy Sim AT 10:06 am
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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.
Posted by: Pastor Davy Sim AT 10:03 pm
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