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Commentary on "Worship: From Exile to Restoration"
Day 5: Wednesday, August 31, 2011 - Your Fathers, Where Are They?
Review
The Lesson states, “Yet, as often is with prophecy, the promises are not unconditional. Humans, given free will, must make the choice to obey the Lord…”
Observations
Salvation is of the Lord. All this talk of free will in the Lesson distracts us from the beauty of God’s initiative and will in saving us while we were still His enemies. We can endlessly debate the meaning of free will and take either a “Calvinist” or “Arminian” position, but whatever our mental persuasion, we must stand on grace alone, for salvation is entirely of His doing. Yes, we choose, but God alone is the one who saves, and not because of anything innately superior in us. It is all of Him. And that is His name, “Salvation is of Yahweh,” or, Yeshua. The book of Zechariah is wonderful because here we can eavesdrop on God’s messages to His most rebellious people, revealing how Yeshua will come and save, and to the uttermost.
Zechariah has many of the most brilliant prophecies of the Messiah anywhere in the Old Testament, and I want to focus mainly on one. Israel will be given plenty of reason to repent and choose the true God again. The Messiah will come and dwell in their midst (2:14). He is called the Branch, and He will remove the iniquity of the land in a single day (3:9). God’s servant is actually their king, and He will bring righteousness and salvation. But look! He comes humble, riding on a little donkey (9:9).
And how does He bring salvation to the “clans of Judah” and Jerusalem? First, He protects them by destroying “all the nations that come against Jerusalem” (12:9). When their fears are vanquished their hearts are ready for a greater grace. Now He draws them to Himself:
“And I will pour out on the house of David and the inhabitants of Jerusalem a spirit of grace and pleas for mercy, so that, when they look on me, on him whom they have pierced, they shall mourn for him, as one mourns for an only child, and weep bitterly over him, as one weeps over a firstborn.” Zechariah 12:10
Israel’s pleas for mercy don’t come naturally, they are a supernatural gift. With this mighty spirit of grace and repentance comes a thorough cleansing of the conscience, of the kind that the blood of bulls and goats could never give.
“On that day there shall be a fountain opened for the house of David and the inhabitants of Jerusalem, to cleanse them from sin and uncleanness.” Zechariah 13:1
Rescue, repentance, a fountain of cleansing, and salvation, can all come to us in a single day? I don’t claim to know the exact order of events of the last days, or when Israel will finally repent, but I do know this: A fountain was opened for us and the inhabitants of the whole world when our humble King bowed His head on that black afternoon and cried out, “It is finished!” And it is finished, there is nothing you or I can add to it, my friend. It is all His doing. By a single offering, He has perfected for all time those that He is sanctifying. Sanctification is released when you know with confidence that you are already perfect because of Jesus’ death for you. Knowing that your sins have been completely cleansed in one day gives you sanctifying power to live in His grace. What boldness you can have because of Jesus and the forgiveness He has purchased!
“I will remember their sins and their lawless deeds no more!” Hebrews 10:18
Copyright 2011 BibleStudiesForAdventists.com. All rights reserved. Revised August 31, 2011. This website is published by Life Assurance Ministries, Glendale, Arizona, USA, the publisher of Proclamation! Magazine. Contact email: BibleStudiesForAdventists@gmail.com.
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