One Story That Leads to Jesus, Day 216
Zechariah 5
5I looked up again and saw a scroll flying through the air.H7725H5375H5869H7200H5774H4039 2“What do you see?” the angel asked. “I see a flying scroll,” I replied. “It appears to be about 30 feet long and 15 feet wide.”H559H7200H559H7200H5774H4039H753H6242H520H7341H6235H520 3Then he said to me, “This scroll contains the curse that is going out over the entire land. One side of the scroll says that those who steal will be banished from the land; the other side says that those who swear falsely will be banished from the land.H559H423H3318H6440H776H1589H5352H3644H7650H5352H3644 4And this is what the Lord of Heaven’s Armies says: I am sending this curse into the house of every thief and into the house of everyone who swears falsely using my name. And my curse will remain in that house and completely destroy it—even its timbers and stones.”H3318H5002H3068H6635H935H1004H1590H1004H7650H8267H8034H3885H8432H1004H3615H6086H68 5Then the angel who was talking with me came forward and said, “Look up and see what’s coming.”H4397H1696H3318H559H5375H5869H7200H3318 6“What is it?” I asked. He replied, “It is a basket for measuring grain, and it’s filled with the sins of everyone throughout the land.”H559H559H374H3318H559H5869H776 7Then the heavy lead cover was lifted off the basket, and there was a woman sitting inside it.H5375H3603H5777H259H802H3427H8432H374 8The angel said, “The woman’s name is Wickedness,” and he pushed her back into the basket and closed the heavy lid again.H559H7564H7993H8432H374H7993H68H5777H6310 9Then I looked up and saw two women flying toward us, gliding on the wind. They had wings like a stork, and they picked up the basket and flew into the sky.H5375H5869H7200H3318H8147H802H7307H3671H2007H3671H3671H2624H5375H374H776H8064 10“Where are they taking the basket?” I asked the angel.H559H4397H1696H3212H374 11He replied, “To the land of Babylonia, where they will build a temple for the basket. And when the temple is ready, they will set the basket there on its pedestal.”H559H1129H1004H776H8152H3559H3240H4369
Zechariah 6
6Then I looked up again and saw four chariots coming from between two bronze mountains.H7725H5375H5869H7200H3318H702H4818H3318H8147H2022H2022H2022H5178 2The first chariot was pulled by red horses, the second by black horses,H7223H4818H122H5483H8145H4818H7838H5483 3the third by white horses, and the fourth by powerful dappled-gray horses.H7992H4818H3836H5483H7243H4818H1261H554H5483 4“And what are these, my lord?” I asked the angel who was talking with me.H6030H559H4397H1696H113 5The angel replied, “These are the four spirits of heaven who stand before the Lord of all the earth. They are going out to do his work.H4397H6030H559H702H7307H8064H3318H3320H113H776 6The chariot with black horses is going north, the chariot with white horses is going west, and the chariot with dappled-gray horses is going south.”H7838H5483H3318H6828H776H3836H3318H310H1261H3318H8486H776 7The powerful horses were eager to set out to patrol the earth. And the Lord said, “Go and patrol the earth!” So they left at once on their patrol.H554H3318H1245H3212H1980H776H559H3212H1980H776H1980H776 8Then the Lord summoned me and said, “Look, those who went north have vented the anger of my Spirit there in the land of the north.”H2199H853H1696H559H7200H3318H6828H776H5117H7307H6828H776 9Then I received another message from the Lord:H1697H3068H559 10“Heldai, Tobijah, and Jedaiah will bring gifts of silver and gold from the Jews exiled in Babylon. As soon as they arrive, meet them at the home of Josiah son of Zephaniah.H3947H1473H2469H2900H3048H935H894H935H3117H935H1004H2977H1121H6846 11Accept their gifts, and make a crown from the silver and gold. Then put the crown on the head of Jeshua son of Jehozadak, the high priest.H3947H3701H2091H6213H5850H7760H7218H3091H1121H3087H1419H3548 12Tell him, ‘This is what the Lord of Heaven’s Armies says: Here is the man called the Branch. He will branch out from where he is and build the Temple of the Lord.H559H559H559H3068H6635H559H376H8034H6780H6779H1129H1964H3068 13Yes, he will build the Temple of the Lord. Then he will receive royal honor and will rule as king from his throne. He will also serve as priest from his throne, and there will be perfect harmony between his two roles.’H1129H1964H3068H5375H1935H3427H4910H3678H3548H3678H6098H7965H8147 14“The crown will be a memorial in the Temple of the Lord to honor those who gave it—Heldai, Tobijah, Jedaiah, and Josiah son of Zephaniah.”H5850H2494H2900H3048H2581H1121H6846H2146H1964H3068 15People will come from distant lands to rebuild the Temple of the Lord. And when this happens, you will know that my messages have been from the Lord of Heaven’s Armies. All this will happen if you carefully obey what the Lord your God says.H7350H935H1129H1964H3068H3045H3068H6635H7971H8085H8085H6963H3068H430
Zechariah 7
7On December 7 of the fourth year of King Darius’s reign, another message came to Zechariah from the Lord.H702H8141H4428H1867H1697H3068H2148H702H8671H2320H3691 2The people of Bethel had sent Sharezer and Regemmelech, along with their attendants, to seek the Lord’s favor.H7971H1004H410H8272H7278H582H2470H6440H3068 3They were to ask this question of the prophets and the priests at the Temple of the Lord of Heaven’s Armies: “Should we continue to mourn and fast each summer on the anniversary of the Temple’s destruction, as we have done for so many years?”H559H3548H1004H3068H6635H5030H559H1058H2549H2320H5144H6213H8141 4The Lord of Heaven’s Armies sent me this message in reply:H1697H3068H6635H559 5“Say to all your people and your priests, ‘During these seventy years of exile, when you fasted and mourned in the summer and in early autumn, was it really for me that you were fasting?H559H5971H776H3548H559H6684H5594H2549H7637H7657H8141H6684H6684 6And even now in your holy festivals, aren’t you eating and drinking just to please yourselves?H398H8354H398H8354 7Isn’t this the same message the Lord proclaimed through the prophets in years past when Jerusalem and the towns of Judah were bustling with people, and the Negev and the foothills of Judah were well populated?’”H1697H3068H7121H3027H7223H5030H3389H3427H7961H5892H5439H3427H5045H8219 8Then this message came to Zechariah from the Lord:H1697H3068H2148H559 9“This is what the Lord of Heaven’s Armies says: Judge fairly, and show mercy and kindness to one another.H559H3068H6635H559H8199H571H4941H6213H2617H7356H376H251 10Do not oppress widows, orphans, foreigners, and the poor. And do not scheme against each other.H6231H490H3490H1616H6041H2803H7451H376H251H3824 11“Your ancestors refused to listen to this message. They stubbornly turned away and put their fingers in their ears to keep from hearing.H3985H7181H5414H5637H3802H3513H241H8085 12They made their hearts as hard as stone, so they could not hear the instructions or the messages that the Lord of Heaven’s Armies had sent them by his Spirit through the earlier prophets. That is why the Lord of Heaven’s Armies was so angry with them.H7760H3820H8068H8085H8451H1697H3068H6635H7971H7307H3027H7223H5030H1419H7110H3068H6635 13“Since they refused to listen when I called to them, I would not listen when they called to me, says the Lord of Heaven’s Armies.H7121H8085H7121H8085H559H3068H6635 14As with a whirlwind, I scattered them among the distant nations, where they lived as strangers. Their land became so desolate that no one even traveled through it. They turned their pleasant land into a desert.”H5590H1471H3045H776H8074H310H5674H7725H7760H2532H776H8047
Zechariah 8
8Then another message came to me from the Lord of Heaven’s Armies:H1697H3068H6635H5592“This is what the Lord of Heaven’s Armies says: My love for Mount Zion is passionate and strong; I am consumed with passion for Jerusalem!H559H3068H6635H7065H6726H1419H7068H7065H1419H25343“And now the Lord says: I am returning to Mount Zion, and I will live in Jerusalem. Then Jerusalem will be called the Faithful City; the mountain of the Lord of Heaven’s Armies will be called the Holy Mountain.H559H3068H7725H6726H7931H8432H3389H3389H7121H5892H571H2022H3068H6635H6944H20224“This is what the Lord of Heaven’s Armies says: Once again old men and women will walk Jerusalem’s streets with their canes and will sit together in the city squares.H559H3068H6635H2205H2205H3427H7339H3389H376H4938H3027H7230H31175And the streets of the city will be filled with boys and girls at play.H7339H5892H4390H3206H3207H7832H73396“This is what the Lord of Heaven’s Armies says: All this may seem impossible to you now, a small remnant of God’s people. But is it impossible for me? says the Lord of Heaven’s Armies.H559H3068H6635H6381H5869H7611H5971H3117H6381H5869H5002H3068H66357“This is what the Lord of Heaven’s Armies says: You can be sure that I will rescue my people from the east and from the west.H559H3068H6635H3467H5971H4217H776H3996H8121H7768I will bring them home again to live safely in Jerusalem. They will be my people, and I will be faithful and just toward them as their God.H935H7931H8432H3389H5971H430H571H66669“This is what the Lord of Heaven’s Armies says: Be strong and finish the task! Ever since the laying of the foundation of the Temple of the Lord of Heaven’s Armies, you have heard what the prophets have been saying about completing the building.H559H3068H6635H3027H2388H8085H3117H1697H6310H5030H3117H3245H1004H3068H6635H3245H1964H112910Before the work on the Temple began, there were no jobs and no money to hire people or animals. No traveler was safe from the enemy, for there were enemies on all sides. I had turned everyone against each other.H6440H3117H1961H7939H120H7939H929H7965H3318H935H6862H7971H120H376H745311“But now I will not treat the remnant of my people as I treated them before, says the Lord of Heaven’s Armies.H7611H5971H7223H3117H5002H3068H663512For I am planting seeds of peace and prosperity among you. The grapevines will be heavy with fruit. The earth will produce its crops, and the heavens will release the dew. Once more I will cause the remnant in Judah and Israel to inherit these blessings.H2233H7965H1612H5414H6529H776H5414H2981H8064H5414H2919H7611H5971H515713Among the other nations, Judah and Israel became symbols of a cursed nation. But no longer! Now I will rescue you and make you both a symbol and a source of blessing. So don’t be afraid. Be strong, and get on with rebuilding the Temple!H7045H1471H1004H3063H1004H3478H3467H1293H3372H3027H238814“For this is what the Lord of Heaven’s Armies says: I was determined to punish you when your ancestors angered me, and I did not change my mind, says the Lord of Heaven’s Armies.H559H3068H6635H2161H7489H1H7107H559H3068H6635H516215But now I am determined to bless Jerusalem and the people of Judah. So don’t be afraid.H7725H2161H3117H3190H3389H1004H3063H337216But this is what you must do: Tell the truth to each other. Render verdicts in your courts that are just and that lead to peace.H1697H6213H1696H376H571H7453H8199H4941H571H7965H817917Don’t scheme against each other. Stop your love of telling lies that you swear are the truth. I hate all these things, says the Lord.”H376H2803H7451H3824H7453H157H8267H7621H8130H5002H306818Here is another message that came to me from the Lord of Heaven’s Armies.H1697H3068H6635H55919“This is what the Lord of Heaven’s Armies says: The traditional fasts and times of mourning you have kept in early summer, midsummer, autumn, and winter are now ended. They will become festivals of joy and celebration for the people of Judah. So love truth and peace.H559H3068H6635H6685H7243H6685H2549H6685H7637H6685H6224H1004H3063H8342H8057H2896H4150H157H571H796520“This is what the Lord of Heaven’s Armies says: People from nations and cities around the world will travel to Jerusalem.H559H3068H6635H935H5971H3427H7227H589221The people of one city will say to the people of another, ‘Come with us to Jerusalem to ask the Lord to bless us. Let’s worship the Lord of Heaven’s Armies. I’m determined to go.’H3427H259H1980H259H559H3212H1980H2470H6440H3068H1245H3068H6635H321222Many peoples and powerful nations will come to Jerusalem to seek the Lord of Heaven’s Armies and to ask for his blessing.H7227H5971H6099H1471H935H1245H3068H6635H3389H2470H6440H306823“This is what the Lord of Heaven’s Armies says: In those days ten men from different nations and languages of the world will clutch at the sleeve of one Jew. And they will say, ‘Please let us walk with you, for we have heard that God is with you.’”H559H3068H6635H3117H6235H582H2388H3956H1471H2388H3671H376H3064H559H3212H8085H430
Psalms 61
61[For the choir director: A psalm of David, to be accompanied by stringed instruments.] O God, listen to my cry! Hear my prayer!H5329H5058H1732H8085H7440H430H7181H8605 2From the ends of the earth, I cry to you for help when my heart is overwhelmed. Lead me to the towering rock of safety,H7097H776H7121H3820H5848H5148H6697H7311 3for you are my safe refuge, a fortress where my enemies cannot reach me.H4268H5797H4026H6440H341 4Let me live forever in your sanctuary, safe beneath the shelter of your wings! InterludeH1481H168H5769H2620H5643H3671H5542 5For you have heard my vows, O God. You have given me an inheritance reserved for those who fear your name.H430H8085H5088H5414H3425H3373H8034 6Add many years to the life of the king! May his years span the generations!H3254H4428H3117H3117H8141H1755H1755 7May he reign under God’s protection forever. May your unfailing love and faithfulness watch over him.H3427H6440H430H5769H4487H2617H571H5341 8Then I will sing praises to your name forever as I fulfill my vows each day.H2167H8034H5703H3117H3117H7999H5088
Dublin, OH
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