What to do when God probes our heart (Zechariah 7)

As in many European countries, church weddings in Hungary are not valid, so when I got married, we had to have a civil ceremony first. Since we considered the church wedding the real thing, we opted for a no-frills registry office procedure, which only involved the absolutely necessary legal bit with questions asked and answered, ‘Will you take this man… this woman…’, ‘I do’, sign the register and head out the door. I remember thinking how unreal it felt that I said just one word in Hungarian and was from then on in a legally binding relationship. It was only when we went through the church wedding complete with wedding dress, vows, rings, friends and family to witness it all, that the truth started sinking in. Rituals can help bring home to us an intangible reality, such as the commitment of a couple to each other, the end and summing up of life (in a funeral) or something else.

Acting for yourself or for God?

The exiles’ fasting in the fifth month was an expression of their grief over the destruction of the temple (on its anniversary; 2 Kings 25:8-9).[1] It was a reminder of how important the temple was as a symbol of God’s presence in their midst. However, given the work that has already been done to rebuild the temple over the last two years (Hag 1:14-15; Zech 7:1), the question arises whether mourning is still appropriate as the hope of God with them is slowly taking shape (Zech 7:3). God’s answer sounds harsh, but it probes their motivation. Were their fast days really done for the Lord or was it like their eating and drinking – for their own satisfaction or needs (Zech 7:5-6)? This seems a strange comparison, since fasting is a form of self-denial (abstaining from satisfying our hunger). The key is in the phrase ‘for the Lord’. In other words, were they really mourning for the loss of their relationship with God that is expressed in the destruction of the temple or were they grieving for themselves, for the loss of benefits and blessings that come from such a relationship? Or worse still, was it only done for show?

The proof of a changed heart

Zechariah’s next prophecy seems to change topic but this focus on ‘loving neighbour’ links back to the previous section. It implicitly suggests that true and heartfelt fasting (‘for the Lord’) can be judged by the fruits of a person’s life. Specifically, a heart for God is demonstrated in how we treat each other (Zech 7:9-10). As 1 John 4:20 puts it, how can we say we love God when we do not love our brother? As Zechariah’s words explain, an attitude that is turned towards the Lord will show compassion and covenant faithfulness/love (v.9) and will not take advantage of others who are vulnerable (v.10; in Israelite society these were the women and children who lost their male support, the resident foreigner without the rights of the citizen [NASB ‘stranger’] and the poor). The Lord reminds the people that Israel’s refusal to listen (and obey God) before the exile led to judgment (Zech 7:11-14) and this is an unspoken warning for the returnees to examine themselves and repent of self-seeking ways. At the beginning of this new section in Zechariah, the message for repentance that we started with in Zechariah 1:1-6 is implicitly repeated.[2]

A re-orientation to God

It is a sad fact of our sinful nature that even our best efforts can be and, at times, are tainted with selfishness. The exiles were stopped in their tracks to ask what was in their hearts and the question addressed to them is one we need to hear, too. Do we seek the Lord for Himself? Do we cling to Him and long for Him with the urgency of a deer panting for water (Ps 42:1)? Do we show the fruit of love and compassion towards others? These are hard questions and so often we fall short of what we could be. Yet, our answer, as it was for the Jews, is to seek the Lord with repentance, to grieve, not because we fall short but because we have hurt the loving heart of God. May He awaken in us a love for Himself that can move us to be people who pass on that love to others.

[1] The fast in the seventh month mentioned later (Zech 7:5) is probably for mourning the assassination of Gedaliah, a pro-Babylonian Jewish governor appointed for the people who were left in Judah after the rest had been taken into exile. Gedaliah encouraged the people to submit to Babylon and promised that things would go well for them. Having one of their own in leadership would have given hope to the defeated Jews in an otherwise devastating situation. His death spelt further disaster and the threat of possible Babylonian reprisals. The people were so terrified of repercussions after Gedaliah’s murder that they fled to Egypt even though Jeremiah advised them not to leave and promised that God would look after them in Judah. A summary of the events can be found in 2 Kings 25:22-26 and an extended version with Jeremiah’s involvement in Jeremiah 40-44.

[2] Barry Webb, The Message of Zechariah, BST (Nottingham: IVP, 2003), 115-16.

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