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LESSON 9 - MESSAGES OF HOPE (ZECHARIAH 8:1-23)

INTRODUCTION: MANY REGARD ZECHARIAH 8 AS ONE OF THE MOST BEAUTIFUL
CHAPTS. IN THE ENTIRE OT.  LAST WEEK'S LESSON STARTED OUT WITH ZECHARIAH 7, JUMPED OVER MOST OF CHPT.8  AND ENDED WITH ZECHARIAH8:18&19. WHAT IT JUMPED OVER IS OUR STUDY THIS WEEK. WHAT IS INTERESTING IS THE PROGRESSION. YOU REMEMBER LAST WEEK THAT JESUS STARTED OUT REBUKING THE PEOPLE, BUT IN THE END SAID THAT IF YOU OBEY YOUR FASTS WILL TURN TO FEASTS.  NOW THE LORD SETS OUT IN CHPT. 8 TEN MESSAGES/PROMISES TO THE PEOPLE.

MESSAGES:
     A. DO YOU BELIEVE THAT THE PROMISES/MESSAGES OF THE OT ARE STILL
OPEN TO US INDIVIDUALLY AND AS A CHURCH?
          1. IF YOU THINK SO, AS WE GO THROUGH THESE PROMISES YOU NEED
TO THINK ABOUT HOW THEY COULD APPLY TO YOU.

I. FIRST MESSAGE/PROMISE
     A.  READ ZECHARIAH 8:2. IF YOU ARE "BURNING WITH JEALOUSY" ABOUT
SOMEONE
OR THEY ARE JEALOUS ABOUT YOU, WHAT KIND OF RELATIONSHIP IS THAT? IS
THAT GOOD?
     B. IS THAT TRUE WITH A SPOUSE? (THE IDEA IS THAT YOU ARE INTENSELY
INTERESTED IN SOMETHING OR SOMEONE.)
     C. WHAT IF I SAID THAT GEORGE BUSH WAS BURNING WITH JEALOUSY OVER
YOU? HOW MAKE YOU FEEL?
     D. HOW COULD THE CREATOR OF THE UNIVERSE HE JEALOUS TOWARDS US?
(JEALOUSY HAS KIND OF A NEGATIVE CONNOTATION TODAY, AND THAT FOULS
UP
OUR UNDERSTANDING. WHAT GOD IS SAYING IS THAT HE WAS INTENSELY
INTERESTED IN HIS PEOPLE. HE LOVES THEM.)

II.SECOND MESSAGE/PROMISE
     A. READ ZECHARIAH 8:3
     B. DO YOU SEE ANY ADVANTAGE IN GOD DWELLING WITH YOU, AS OPPOSED
TO BEING WITHIN "TELEPHONE" RANGE?
          1. LETS TAKE GEORGE BUSH AGAIN. IF GEORGE SAYS YOU CAN CALL
HIM ANYTIME, THAT IS A LOT DIFFERENT THAN HIM SAYING THAT HE IS
MOVING
NEXT DOOR? (ALSO SEE PICTURE LIKE A SPOUSE THAT LEAVES FOR A WHILE
AND
THEN COMES BACK.  IT IS A LOT DIFFERENT WITH THEM BACK.)
     C. THE TEXT REFERS TO THE "CITY OF TRUTH" AND THE "HOLY MOUNTAIN."
          1. WAS IT FAIR TO CALL JERUSALEM AT THIS POINT "THIS CITY OF
TRUTH" OR "THE HOLY MOUNTAIN?" (NO)
          2. WHAT DOES THIS MEAN WILL HAPPEN? ("HOLY MOUNTAIN" IS A
TERM THAT IS OFTEN USED IN IS. (27:13;65:25;66:20) TO REFER TO JERUSALEM IN
GREATNESS.  THE PICTURE HERE IS THAT JER. WILL BE A CENTER OF TRUTH AND
HOLINESS FOR THE LORD.)
          3. THIS RAISES A MATTER THAT I HAVE SHARED WITH YOU BEFORE:
EGW IN P&K p.703-4 "IT WAS GOD'S DESIGN THAT THE WHOLE EARTH BE
PREPARED
FOR THE FIRST ADVENT OF CHRIST, EVEN AS TODAY THE WAY IS PREPARING
FOR
HIS SECOND COMING."

III. THIRD MESSAGE/PROMISE
     A. READ ZECHARIAH8:4&5. WHAT DOES THIS WORD PICTURE MEAN TO YOU?
IF I
DROPPED YOU INTO A TOWN AND YOU SAW THIS, WHAT COULD YOU DEDUCE
ABOUT THE TOWN? ( 1) IT IS SAFE AND PEACEFUL BECAUSE THE YOUNG AND
OLD
ARE OUT IN THE STREETS. 2) ENOUGH FOOD AND AT LEAST SOMEWHAT
PROSPEROUS SOCIETY BECAUSE THE VERY OLD AND THE VERY YOUNG ARE
THE
MOST VULNERABLE IN SOCIETY AND THOSE OF WORKING AGE ARE
APPARENTLY
WORKING. 3) HEALTHY GROUP BECAUSE THE OLD ARE THERE. 4)PICTURE OF
PEACE
AND JOY.

IV. FOURTH MESSAGE/PROMISE
     A. READ ZECHARIAH8:6. THIS IS MY FAVORITE. THE WORD "MARVELOUS"
COMES FROM
THE HEBREW WORD MEANING, "TO BE DIFFICULT" OR "TO BE DISTINQUISHED,
SINGULAR, WONDERFUL, MIRACULOUS."
     B. WHAT DO YOU THINK THAT GOD IS SAYING WHEN HE SAYS, "YOU'LL
(THOSE THAT ARE A REMNANT NOW) BE AMAZED, BUT WHAT WILL I BE
THINKING?"
(I TOLD YOU IT WOULD HAPPEN, BUT YOU COULDN'T SEE IT, WHAT ARE YOU
SURPRISED ABOUT?)
     C. WHAT DOES THIS TEACH US WITH REGARD TO TOUGH CIRCUMSTANCES?
(THAT IF WE ARE FAITHFUL, THAT THE RESULT THAT JESUS WILL BRING ABOUT
WILL BE MARVELOUS--AND WE NEED TO EXPECT THAT FROM THE BEGINNING.)

V. 5TH MESSAGE/PROMISE.
     A. READ ZECHARIAH 8:7&8.  HAVE YOU HEARD THE PHRASE "THEY SHALL BE
MY
PEOPLE AND I WILL BE THEIR GOD" BEFORE? (YES. COVENANT WITH AX. (GEN.
17:7ff) REPEATED IN MODIFIED FORM IN HEB. 8:10ff)
     B. IS THAT OFFER OPEN TODAY? TO YOU? (YES)

VI. 6TH MESSAGE/PROMISE
     A.  READ ZECHARIAH 8:9-13
     B. WHAT WOULD YOU SAY IS THE MESSAGE HERE? WHY DOES JESUS SAY AT
THE BEGINNING AND AT THE END, "LET YOUR HANDS BE STRONG?"
          1. DOES IT SAY THAT IF YOU ARE GOOD, THEN GOOD THINGS WILL
HAPPEN TO YOU?  AND IF BAD, BAD THINGS WILL HAPPEN TO YOU? (IT MIGHT.
BUT
I DON'T THINK THAT IS THE MESSAGE. THE REMENANT STILL HAD A PROBLEM.
THEY STILL HAD TO FINISH REBUILDING THE TEMPLE. THE MESSAGE IS "TAKE
COURAGE AND DO IT!" "GO FORWARD, I WILL BE WITH YOU."

VII. 7TH MESSAGE/PROMISE.
VIII. 8TH MESSSAGE/PROMISE
     A. THESE ARE FOUND IN ZECHARIAH 8:14-17 AND 18&19.
     B. WE DEALT WITH MUCH OF THIS LAST WEEK, MOVE ON.

IX. 9TH MESSAGE/PROMISE
     A. READ ZECHARIAH 8:20-22.
     B. WHY WOULD PEOPLE COME TO JER.?  WHY WOULD SOMEONE FROM A
TOWN OTHER THAN JER. TELL SOMEONE TO COME TO JER? (MUST BE OBVIOUS
TO
THESE OUTSIDERS THAT THEY ARE DOING SOMETHING RIGHT.)
     C. CAN THIS PROMISE BE FULFILLED ON A PERSONAL LEVEL?
X. 10TH MESSAGE/PROMISE
     A. READ ZECHARIAH 8:23. DO YOU WANT 10 MEN GRABBING YOU BY THE
COAT? WHY
WOULD THEY DO THAT? (THIS IS THE PERSONAL FULFILMENT PART.)
(YOU WILL HAVE SOMETHING THAT THEY WANT.)
XI.NEXT WEEK: ZECHARIAH 9- DEALS WITH PROPHECIES OF JESUS 1ST AND 2ND
COMING.