(Yes, the title of this article should probably be phrased as, “Questions to Which We Should Know the Answers”. Sometimes, I intentionally break the rules that I learned from Strunk & White, and elsewhere, just because I think that the result sounds better.)
In the previous lesson, people from Bethel had sent a delegation to ask representatives of God whether they should continue to fast at a certain time (“the fifth month”). You can read more details in Zechariah 7:1-3.
God’s response, as delivered to the Zechariah the prophet, is a series of three questions. They are rhetorical questions, though, where the answer is already known.
Then the word of the LORD Almighty came to me: “Ask all the people of the land and the priests, ‘When you fasted and mourned in the fifth and seventh months for the past seventy years, was it really for me that you fasted? And when you were eating and drinking, were you not just feasting for yourselves? Are these not the words the LORD proclaimed through the earlier prophets when Jerusalem and its surrounding towns were at rest and prosperous, and the Negev and the western foothills were settled?’ ”
Zechariah 7:4-7 NIV
If I could paraphrase or summarize these questions, it might go like this:
- When the people were in exile, was their fasting really for God?
- When the people were in exile, was their feasting really for God?
- Isn’t this the same thing that God told them “back in the day”, before the exile, when they were still living safely in Judea? And (per commentators Hahlen & Ham, p.406), weren’t commands to focus on God and to repent of their sins clearly given long before Nebuchadnezzar destroyed Jerusalem?
Here, I think that we can apply these same questions to ourselves:
When we earnestly seek God’s help, whether through fasting, prayer, or just “cleaning up our act” so that God will “like us” (even though we should know that He loves us), are we doing so because we love Him, because we are grateful to Him, because He is great and worthy of our service, and because we want to see Him glorified in His response? Are some of our pleas for God’s help on behalf of others, knowing how much He loves them?
Or, are we just trying to get something for ourselves? Maybe we are asking God to intervene when He needs us to go through a trial for a greater good, or maybe we are asking Him to do something that He has directed us to do, instead.
When we celebrate, whether through eating or otherwise, is it merely to promote ourselves and our accomplishments, or even to extol others? Is it just about us making ourselves feel good with food, drink, and company (or things that are less healthy for us)?
Or, are we bringing glory to God, acknowledging His hand in the paths of our lives, and confirming His great love for us? Are we celebrating that He has blessed us with the ability to enjoy life, and remembering that the joy we find in this earth is just a taste of eternity with Him?
And, when we seek God’s will, are we truly looking for His direction, or are we trying to get Him to change His mind and give us a “pass”? When we ask God what to do, is the answer already something that we know? Are we trying to get out of something that God has already made clear to us, whether in His word or through the Holy Spirit? Are we asking God, “Do we have to?” when He is saying that we get to follow His great plan?
To be clear, asking God for help, celebrating the blessings that He has given us, and seeking His will should all be part of His followers’ daily lives. The problem for these particular Jewish people in Zechariah’s day isn’t necessarily their actions, but rather their heart: the motivations and reasons for their actions, whether fasting or feasting.
Just as Jesus taught in the Sermon on the Mount, checking a bunch of boxes isn’t what God seeks in us, but rather hearts that try to love like He loves. Righteous behavior should be a result of a heart that loves God and trusts His way to be better than our own ideas. Trying to convince God that we love Him with a bunch of window dressing (i.e., putting on a show by trying to look good for Him through our actions) isn’t going to fool a God who knows the state of our hearts.
So, whether we are asking for God’s help, celebrating good things in our lives, or requesting direction from Him, let’s make sure that our hearts are right with God, and that our focus is towards Him first. And, if we already know His answer, let’s take action rather than trying to “negotiate” something different.
From Sunday School lesson prepared for August 11, 2024
References:
- The Lookout, August 11, 2024, © 2024 Christian Standard Media.
- Scripture taken from the Holy Bible, NEW INTERNATIONAL VERSION®, NIV® Copyright © 1973, 1978, 1984, 2011 by Biblica, Inc.® Used by permission. All rights reserved worldwide.
- The College Press NIV Commentary – Minor Prophets Vol. 2 Nahum-Malachi, by Mark Allen Hahlen and Clay Alan Ham. © 2006 College Press Publishing Co.
Those Who Sin Differently 