Sunday
School Lessons
Commentary by Walter Albritton
June 22
God Gives Us Hope for the Future
Zechariah 8.
Key Verse: I will return to
Haggai did not have to
stand alone in speaking for the Lord. God sent the prophet Zechariah to stand
with him. Together they encouraged the people to obey God and finish the task
of building the new temple.
An old camp meeting
song includes this refrain: “God’s not dead, He is alive; God’s not dead, He is
alive.” Zechariah wanted the Israelites to know that God was not dead, nor was
he sleeping. As the prophet said, “the Lord …has roused himself from his holy
dwelling…and he is “coming to live among” his people! (
Zechariah inspired the
people by giving them hope for the future. The prophet shared a great vision of
what God was coming to do. He persuaded the people that God had great plans for
them and for the holy city. Soon the streets of
Moreover, the prophet
said, the day is coming when God will make all who are God’s people his people,
“and I will be their God, in truth and in righteousness.”
Essentially, Zechariah
brought the people vision and encouragement. Their hope for the future was
restored. God-given prosperity would be theirs again.
The prophet’s words
“Let your hands be strong,” mean much to me. Often when I write to others, I
add a prayer that the Lord “will strengthen your hands as you serve our Lord
Jesus.”
Our hands symbolize
work. We use our hands in almost everything we do. Even as I use my brain to
compose these words, my brain is signaling my hands to punch the keyboard to
enter these sentences on the computer screen. We are a people who believe in
trained minds, warm hearts, and willing hands.
The work of ministry
is hard work. Pastors cannot inspire their people with pabulum from the pulpit.
Sermons that are inspiring, and intellectually challenging, demand hard work.
Serious study, careful preparation, and earnest prayer are required from the
preacher who wishes to offer people a fresh word from the Lord.
Pessimism, indifference,
and discouragement abound in our churches. Some of our churches seem more like
funeral chapels than a sanctuary of the living God. Little wonder, however,
that there is no excitement in the pews when the one in the pulpit is mumbling
insipid platitudes with the enthusiasm of a fence post.
Lazy preachers cannot
motivate people to believe the promises of God or to put their hands to the
plow and use their hands to serve Christ. On the other hand, preachers who are
willing to do “whatever it takes” to preach the Word with power and excitement
can expect God to make their voices, as well as their hands, strong and effective.
God still wants his
people to care for the elderly, to offer help and hope to the poor, and to make
life safe enough for boys and girls to play in our streets. He still wants his
people to see the world as our parish, and to strengthen the hands of our
missionary friends who serve him in faraway places like
Haggai had his day.
Zechariah had his. Now it is our turn. This is our day to “hear” what God is
saying to our people, and to offer them vision and encouragement for the work
He has for us to do.
Little will be gained
by merely studying and reciting what we learn from reading the strong sermons
of Zechariah. To do no more will be boring indeed.
Much may come from our
efforts, however, if after reading Zechariah, we plead with God to give us a
fresh vision of the work He wants us to do where we live. To share this vision
with conviction like that of Zechariah will give God a chance to awaken others
to the joy of kingdom living.
May God make us
willing to settle for nothing less. + + + +