Come Out of Captivity

Zechariah 1:1-6

1 In the eighth month of the second year of Darius, the word of the LORD came to Zechariah the son of Berechiah, the son of Iddo the prophet, saying, 2 “The LORD has been very angry with your fathers. 3 Therefore say to them, ‘Thus says the LORD of hosts: “Return to Me,” says the LORD of hosts, “and I will return to you,” says the LORD of hosts. 4 “Do not be like your fathers, to whom the former prophets preached, saying, ‘Thus says the LORD of hosts: “Turn now from your evil ways and your evil deeds.” ’ But they did not hear nor heed Me,” says the LORD.

    5      “Your fathers, where are they?

    And the prophets, do they live forever?

    6      Yet surely My words and My statutes,

    Which I commanded My servants the prophets,

    Did they not overtake your fathers?

“So they returned and said:

    ‘Just as the LORD of hosts determined to do to us,

    According to our ways and according to our deeds,

    So He has dealt with us.’ ” ’ ”

Notice how many times Zechariah (inspired by the Holy Spirit) informs the reader when the Lord is talking. The phrases are “the word of the Lord came… saying”, “Thus says the Lord…”, “says the Lord of hosts…”, “says the Lord…”, and so on. There should be no controversy, if the word of God is inspired by God, that God is the one speaking through Zechariah. In English this can become redundant and even feel unnecessary. However, the purpose is clear, God is speaking. When God speaks, we listen.

            The main point in verses 1-4 is “Return to Me… and I will return to you” (1:3). It is important to note that this is after captivity. Technically they have already returned, but spiritually they have not. This was the problem with the Israelites. Technically God had brought them out of Egypt, but spiritually they did not leave Egypt. The apostle John later will write by inspiration, “For all that is in the world… is not of the Father but is of the world. And the world is passing away… but he who does the will of God abides forever…” (1 John 2:16-17). Israel left Egypt but did not leave Egypt. Judah left Persia, but apparently did not leave Persia. In Christ we come out of the captivity of this world, but spiritually, have we come out of the world?

            The prophets and apostles are long gone, but the word and will of God abide forever. Will we abide in His word, or will we abide in this world? This is a timeless truth: if you return to God, He will return to you. Jesus reminds us that when we return to God, not only does He return to us, but He does so running and with open arms (Luke 15:20).