Oct. 30, 2005

Chap.7:11-14- In order for Zechariah’s generation to understand their failure, the question posed in vs.7 called for a review of what God required of pre-exile Israel “through the former prophets”.    That review involved two items:

   (1)  vs.9-10- the nature of the obedient behavior

   (2) vs. 11-14- the magnitude of Israel’s failure to obey “the former prophets”

    with its subsequent results

  There are four expressions given in vs.11-12 to describe the nature of Israel’s disobedience:

“they refused to heed”- the sin of Israel was negative volition.  It was not a matter of a question of what they were to do, rather it was a matter of refusing to do it.  This is disobedience; it is sin and rebellion—see vs.12 “refusing to hear the law..” also note “forsaken” in Jere.2:13,17.

“shrugged their shoulders” –KJV- “pulled away the shoulder”- NIV- “turned their backs”—the Hebrew is taken from the thought of an obstinate animal that refuses to respond to any restraint or yoke –used of rebellious youth in Deut.21:18.  It is an defiant posture of opposing any control over them.

“stopped their ears so they could not hear”- this gesture indicates a child-

like gesture of absurd defiance and unresponsiveness.  Since hearing the truth is necessary for compliance with truth, this movement shows hostility toward any rebuke, correction or guidance.

“made their hearts like flint”- KJV- “as an adamant stone”- causing their hearts to become impenetrably hard so as not to be pierced by the power of the Word of God.  Here is stubbornness of a grave and damaging magnitude.  It

would involve repeated acts of negative volition toward the word of God and were no long responsive to either pleadings or threats.

  As a result, they were “refusing to hear the Law and the words…sent by His Spirit through the former prophets”- here is an indication that the Law was not the final revelation of God—He spoke thru others=the former prophets;

that would be Isaiah, Jeremiah, Ezekiel, Hosea, Amos, Joel, Obadiah and Micah.

  As a consequence, several serious circumstances came to pass:

“great wrath came from the LORD of hosts”-

This is the promised action by God with respect to the Palestinian covenant-

Deut.28:20-68.  It is the fulfillment of how Divine Justice will deal with those lacking righteousness and who refuse to be corrected.

“so they called out and I would not listen”- disobedience will bring forfeiture of the privilege of prayer and supplication- Psa. 66:18.  It closes the avenue to seeking God thru prayer.

“I scattered them with a whirlwind among all the nations which they had not known”- again, God does exactly what He had cautioned He would do

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if they practiced rebellion- Deut.28:64 and Lev.26:33.  While Israel may have failed their provisions under the Covenant, God would not!

“thus the land become desolate after them…for they made the pleasant land desolate.”—the beautiful land chosen by God for Israel, said to ‘flowing with milk and honey’-Ex.3:8; that is, filled with domesticated and wild

resources.  It is land said to be owned by God- Lev.25:23 and called ‘good’ in

Deut.8:10 that the ‘eyes of the LORD…are always upon it..’- Deut.11:12.

  Such a precious gift as this, given under grace to Abraham, is dry, barren and desolate due to Israel’s disobedience.

  In one sense, the land and the nation are identified together; what happens to one happens to the other.  A sinful people causes a sick land.