Zechariah was a young man (2:4) when God called him to speak and minister to the struggling Jewish remnant as they continued to rebuild the temple in the ruined city of Jerusalem. Haggai who went before Zechariah had gotten the building project going again after a delay and now Zechariah would encourage the people to finish the work. God gave him ‘kind and comforting words’ (1:13) that spoke of God’s towns ‘overflowing with prosperity’ and the Lord’s ‘comfort’ and reclaiming of His people (1:17). As with Ezra, Zechariah begins with a call to repentance (1:1-6) but unlike Ezra which ends without much of God’s response, Zechariah’s call to confession is swiftly followed by God’s comfort (1:7-17), God’s vindication (1:18-21), and God’s restoration (2:1-13).
What a promise for God’s people to hear in 2:10 that: ‘“I am coming, and I will live among you” declares the Lord.’ This is like the promises their ancestors had heard pre-exile but would not have been heard again for generations! The sign of God’s presence, as it was for their ancestors, would be the Temple, the place where heaven touched earth as God dwelt with His people.
For us, this promise finds its fulfilment in Jesus! John 1:14 says that ‘The Word became flesh and made his dwelling among us.’ Jesus is the Temple, the great sign of God’s presence and therefore His comfort, vindication, and restoration. The place where heaven touches earth was now walking, talking and truly among us. But it doesn’t end there! Because when Jesus rose from the dead and ascended into heaven, we were given the Holy Spirit to dwell in each of us. God’s presence was no longer a place (a temple to visit), or a person (confined to a small radius around the land of Israel), but now God’s presence is within every follower of Jesus wherever they are in Jerusalem, in Samaria, in the Middle East, in Europe, in Norfolk, and to the ends of the earth!
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Prayer: Thank you that I can never stray from your presence, you are with me wherever I go and whatever I face. Would you make me more aware of your presence today in everything I do. Amen.