SPIRITUAL DIARY FOR 7/18/2016 11:05 PM
My Worship Time
Focus: God’s Instructions
Bible Reading &
Meditation Reference: Zechariah 7:8-10
Message of the verses: “8 Then the word of the LORD came to
Zechariah saying, 9 “Thus has the LORD of hosts said, ’Dispense true justice
and practice kindness and compassion each to his brother; 10 and do not oppress
the widow or the orphan, the stranger or the poor; and do not devise evil in
your hearts against one another.’”
Do not
forget what we have been talking about in this 7th chapter, and that
was the question about the feasts and the fasts. God told them that they should have listened
to the former prophets, and if they would have done this then they would not
have been in the trouble they were in at this time and the 70 years prior to
that when they were captives in Babylon.
Those people were not only not listening to the prophets, but they were
also worshiping idols, and along with the worship of idols they turned the
worship of God into just a ritualistic religion. When my mother was sick and dying we had a lady
come in to help care for her and she would wear a Star of David and also a
cross. She said she wanted to cover all
of the bases. The people of Israel were doing this when all they had to do was
listen to the prophets and read the Word of God, but they did not.
God gives
them His instructions in our verses for this evening and the first then they
had to do was to execute true judgment, something they were not doing then and
something that we in our country and not doing at this time in our
history. Money and power can get you off
the hook, but just as it was in those days, so it will be in these days, and
that is that God will be and had been watching and will care for this problem
in His way and His timing. Exodus
18:19-23 says “19 “Now listen to me: I will give you counsel, and God be with
you. You be the people’s representative before God, and you bring the disputes
to God, 20 then teach them the statutes and the laws, and make known to them
the way in which they are to walk and the work they are to do. 21
"Furthermore, you shall select out of all the people able men who fear
God, men of truth, those who hate dishonest gain; and you shall place these
over them as leaders of thousands, of hundreds, of fifties and of tens. 22 "Let
them judge the people at all times; and let it be that every major dispute they
will bring to you, but every minor dispute they themselves will judge. So it
will be easier for you, and they will bear the burden with you. 23 “If you do
this thing and God so commands you, then you will be able to endure, and all
these people also will go to their place in peace."” Good advice from Moses’ father in law.
Next we see
that they were supposed to “practice kindness and compassion each to his
brother.” This could also be seen as not
only kindness, but also sympathy is what is to be shown to their fellow
Israelite brothers.
Next he
talks about defending the widow and also the fatherless, something that is
emphasized in more than one place in the Old Testament, and also in the New
Testament. Also add to this about caring
for the stranger and the poor too. When
you do these things you show evidence of a redeemed heart, a heart that wants
to do things for the people.
Lastly “do not
devise evil in your hearts against one another.” As we look at these four instructions from
the Lord is there any wonder that we are having so many problems in our own
country at this time, a country that was built on the principles of the OT
Law. Matthew 5:23-24 says “"Therefore
if you are presenting your offering at the altar, and there remember that your
brother has something against you, 24
leave your offering there before the altar and go; first be reconciled
to your brother, and then come and present your offering.”
What we
learn here is that in order to worship the Lord in the way He desires for you to
worship Him, you have to have your heart right.
7/18/2016 11:37 PM
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