Lesson # 7

Zechariah

Scripture Readings:

Day 1: Zechariah 1-3

Day 2: Zechariah 4-6

Day 3: Zechariah 7-8

Day 4: Zechariah 9-11

Day 5: Zechariah 12-14

Zechariah was a popular name among the Jews. We find there are at least twenty-seven men with the same name mentioned in the Old Testament! This Zechariah was both priest and prophet. His grandfather was Iddo and his father was Berechiah. The name Zechariah means “whom Jehovah remembers”. The book of Zechariah has been called the sequel to Haggai. The prophet Haggai gets “the ball rolling”, so to speak, on the rebuilding of the temple and Zechariah keeps it rolling. Haggai admonished while Zechariah encouraged and promised brighter days.

A story is told about a man who was really enjoying the meat his wife made for dinner one night. With his mouth kind of full, he asked her, "What’d you marinate this in?" Well…his wife immediately goes into this long explanation about how much she loves him and how her life wouldn’t even be the same without him, and on and on.

Eventually, his confused look made her stop and ask a question of her own: "Why did you ask me that?" When he told her, she chuckled and said, "I thought you asked me if I would marry you again!" As she left the room, he called out, "Well, would you marry me again?" And without hesitation, she answered, "Vinegar and barbecue sauce." Cute, but what does this have to do with our study? God, through the prophets, time and time again asks His people, “Would you marry me again? Will you recommit and rededicate your lives to me?” I believe this to be the most important theme of Zechariah.

1. Therefore say thou unto them, Thus saith the ______ ___ _______; ______ ___ ______ ___, saith the ______ ___ _______, and __ _____ ______ ______ ____, saith the LORD of hosts. 1:3

But my words and my statutes, which I commanded my servants the prophets, did they not take hold of your fathers? and they returned and said, Like as the LORD of hosts thought to do unto us, according to our ways, and according to our doings, so hath he dealt with us. Zechariah 1:4-6 George Santayana, a Spanish born philosopher and poet said, “Those who cannot remember the past are condemned to repeat it.”

2. What verse (from the above section of scripture) shows that the people agreed with what God did?___________________________________________________________

Some scholars claim that few books of the Old Testament are as difficult to interpret as that of Zechariah. I have to agree! I will take a beloved instructor’s advice on teaching, “Little boat, stay close to shore!” I am feeling very much like a little boat

in my study of this book. I pray that in this brief study of this book, we might get the gist of it. If you would like to go into deeper waters with me, I hope to have a lesson prepared no later than March of 2015!

3-10. Give title and/or interpretation (if blank or different from what I am suggesting) to the eight night visions of Zechariah. I will do the first one for you.

4. Zechariah 1:18-21--_____________________________--God plans to punish the enemies of His people; Four Horns=Four Powers

5. Zechariah 2:1-13--______________________________--God will dwell with and bless His people again.

6. Zechariah 3:1-10--The Trial of Joshua, the High Priest--________________________

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7. Zechariah 4:1-14--_____________________________--God will bless those who do His work.

8. Zechariah 5:1-4--__________________________________--God will punish the disobedient.

9. Zechariah 5:5-11--A Woman in an Ephah or Basket--Read 2 Corinthians 6:14-18 for help on this one.________________________________________________________

10. Zechariah 6:1-8--__________________________--God will redeem His people.

What are we to learn from all of this? God loves His people and will reward those who return to Him. “Will you marry me again?”

11. But __________ _______ it is impossible to please him: for he that ________ ___ _____ must believe that he is, and that he is a __________ of them that __________ _______ _____. Hebrews 11:6

And speak unto him, saying, Thus speaketh the LORD of hosts, saying, Behold the man whose name is The BRANCH; and he shall grow up out of his place, and he shall build the temple of the LORD: Zechariah 6:12

13. And there shall come forth a rod out of the ______ ____ ________, and a _________ shall grow out of his ________: Isaiah 11:1

14. Look up the following verses. Write priest next to the verses that have to do with Jesus being our High Priest. Write king next to the verses that call Him King.

15. Read the following verse. Who might the far off be? And they that are far off shall come and build in the temple of the LORD, and ye shall know that the LORD of hosts hath sent me unto you. And this shall come to pass, if ye will diligently obey the voice of the LORD your God. Zechariah 6:15 _________________________________________

Speak unto all the people of the land, and to the priests, saying, When ye fasted and mourned in the fifth and seventh month, even those seventy years, did ye at all fast unto me, even to me? And when ye did eat, and when ye did drink, did not ye eat for yourselves, and drink for yourselves? Zechariah 7:5-6 Fasting for the wrong reasons is vain. I think the same can be said about any sacrifice that we make. If we give of our means and time begrudgingly or to be seen of men, it is vanity!

16. ___ ______ _____ shall there be upon the bells of the horses, ___________ ______ ____ ______; and the pots in the LORD's house shall be like the bowls before the altar. Zechariah 14:20

17. Yea, every pot in ___________and in _________ shall be holiness unto the ______ ___ ________: and all they that sacrifice shall come and take of them, and seethe therein: and ___ ______ _____ there shall be no more the Canaanite in the house of the LORD of hosts. Zechariah 14:21

18. Any concluding thoughts you want to share:_____________________________________________________________

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I hope you have enjoyed this lesson. This is another one that was difficult to “keep it short”. I hope that the main point of the lesson was not lost. Just remember, God loves us, wants to forgive us so that we can spend eternity with Him!

Have a wonderful week!

Jenni