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Turning a Curse Into a Blessing (Daily Portion 10324)
Scripture Passage:
Zechariah 8:13-23 Earlier in the passage that includes chapters 7 and 8 of Zechariah, the Lord had used a question about continuing one of the fasts as a basis to reprove the Jews for their insincerity. Now, He tells them that He has chosen to bless them. And more, there is coming a time when all the fasts will be turned to cheerful feasts. As Judah and Israel have been a curse among the nations, so they will be a blessing. Once again, God shows His grace and mercy.
What Does It Say?
- The Lord tells the Jews, “so will I save you, and ye shall be a __________: fear not, but let your hands be ___________.
- “Speak ye every man the _________ to his neighbour.”
- They are to let none of them ___________ evil in their hearts.
- The fasts shall be to the house of Judah ________ and gladness, and cheerful __________.
- The tie will come when the inhabitants of one city will say, Let us go speedily to ________ before the Lord and to _________ the Lord of hosts.
What Does It Mean?
- In verse 16, Zechariah tells them to “execute the judgment of truth and peace in your gates.” In verse 19, the Lord tells them, “therefore love the truth and peace.” See also 2 Kings 20:19Then said Hezekiah unto Isaiah, Good is the word of the LORD which thou hast spoken. And he said, Is it not good, if peace and truth be in my days?
See All...; Esther 9:30And he sent the letters unto all the Jews, to the hundred twenty and seven provinces of the kingdom of Ahasuerus, with words of peace and truth,
See All...; Jeremiah 33:6Behold, I will bring it health and cure, and I will cure them, and will reveal unto them the abundance of peace and truth.
See All.... God evidently sees a connection between truth and peace. How do you think the two are connected? Is it possible to have one without the other? Why or why not? - This section of Zechariah began with a question about the fast in the fifth month (Zechariah 7:3And to speak unto the priests which were in the house of the LORD of hosts, and to the prophets, saying, Should I weep in the fifth month, separating myself, as I have done these so many years?
See All...). But in Zechariah 8:19Thus saith the LORD of hosts; The fast of the fourth month, and the fast of the fifth, and the fast of the seventh, and the fast of the tenth, shall be to the house of Judah joy and gladness, and cheerful feasts; therefore love the truth and peace.
See All..., God mentions special fasts in four different months. We are not told here what the fasts were for, but they seem to be connected with the Babylonian captivity (they wanted to know if they were needed now that they were being allowed to return to their homes – Zechariah 7:3-5 [3] And to speak unto the priests which were in the house of the LORD of hosts, and to the prophets, saying, Should I weep in the fifth month, separating myself, as I have done these so many years? [4] Then came the word of the LORD of hosts unto me, saying, [5] Speak unto all the people of the land, and to the priests, saying, When ye fasted and mourned in the fifth and seventh month, even those seventy years, did ye at all fast unto me, even to me?
See All...). Jewish tradition also connects all of these fasts with the tragedies surrounding the time of the captivity. To see what the fasts may have commemorated, carefully read the entire chapter of 2 Kings 25. Pay attention to the timing of the events and what month they occurred. What tragic event happened in the fourth month? Fifth? Seventh? Tenth? - Read verse 23. What is happening here? Why is it happening? When do you think this will happen?
What Does It Mean to Me?
- As God made the Jews a curse, so He will make them a blessing (v.13). As He repented not from punishing them, so He will not repent from His decision to bless them (v.14). God has the ability to turn a curse into a blessing (see Deuteronomy 23:5Nevertheless the LORD thy God would not hearken unto Balaam; but the LORD thy God turned the curse into a blessing unto thee, because the LORD thy God loved thee.
See All...; Nehemiah 13:2Because they met not the children of Israel with bread and with water, but hired Balaam against them, that he should curse them: howbeit our God turned the curse into a blessing.
See All...; Matthew 5:44But I say unto you, Love your enemies, bless them that curse you, do good to them that hate you, and pray for them which despitefully use you, and persecute you;
See All...). What are some examples of God turning a curse into a blessing? How have you seen in your life or in the lives of those you know times when God has taken something that seemed bad (a curse) and turned it into something good (a blessing)? - The Lord tells His people to “love no false oath” (v.17). What is a false oath? How would you define it? What do you think it means to love a false oath? What kinds of things should this warn us about in our own lives?
Suggested Memory Verses
Zechariah 8:16-17 [16] These are the things that ye shall do; Speak ye every man the truth to his neighbour; execute the judgment of truth and peace in your gates:
[17] And let none of you imagine evil in your hearts against his neighbour; and love no false oath: for all these are things that I hate, saith the LORD.
See All...