Zechariah 7:1-14
1 Now in the fourth year of King Darius it came to pass that the word of the LORD came to Zechariah, on the fourth day of the ninth month, Chislev, 2 when the people sent Sherezer, with Regem-Melech and his men, to the house of God, to pray before the LORD, 3 and to ask the priests who were in the house of the LORD of hosts, and the prophets, saying, "Should I weep in the fifth month and fast as I have done for so many years?"
4 Then the word of the LORD of hosts came to me, saying, 5 "Say to all the people of the land, and to the priests: 'When you fasted and mourned in the fifth and seventh months during those seventy years, did you really fast for Me—for Me? 6 When you eat and when you drink, do you not eat and drink for yourselves? 7 Should you not have obeyed the words which the LORD proclaimed through the former prophets when Jerusalem and the cities around it were inhabited and prosperous, and the South and the Lowland were inhabited?'"
8 Then the word of the LORD came to Zechariah, saying,
9 "Thus says the LORD of hosts:
'Execute true justice,
Show mercy and compassion
Everyone to his brother.
10 Do not oppress the widow or the fatherless,
The alien or the poor.
Let none of you plan evil in his heart
Against his brother.'
11 "But they refused to heed, shrugged their shoulders, and stopped their ears so that they could not hear. 12 Yes, they made their hearts like flint, refusing to hear the law and the words which the LORD of hosts had sent by His Spirit through the former prophets. Thus great wrath came from the LORD of hosts. 13 Therefore it happened, that just as He proclaimed and they would not hear, so they called out and I would not listen," says the LORD of hosts. 14 "But I scattered them with a whirlwind among all the nations which they had not known. Thus the land became desolate after them, so that no one passed through or returned; for they made the pleasant land desolate."
The lesson for God’s people was to observe true fasting of obedience to God or captivity to sin would carry them away to Babylonian captivity. They went through religious motions when they fasted, and mostly they just kept eating and drinking for their own satisfaction and neglected to fast for the LORD. Zechariah was at the house of the LORD when the people sent several to inquire of Him and to pray. They asked why they should weep and fast because they thought it would do no good. What they failed to realize was to put their hearts into true repentance and obedience to the word given through Moses and the prophets. Instead they went through ritualistic motions and found nothing in it for them instead of being God focused in their worship and true fasting of sincerity with tears of the soul’s anguish over their sins. God then spoke through Zechariah to tell them that they did not truly fast for him, but themselves. They wanted health and wealth in a trouble-free life without the burden of re to hear and follow the word of the LORD. They wanted God for the benefits and not with a view of His majesty and holiness in their religious acts. He reminded them of their past failings and the consequences of disobedience that led to want instead of true prosperity which He had given them before. Therefore they were reminded what they should do as the words of the Law already had told them. They were to be just and fair, yet still show mercy with compassion for each other. That meant that they were not to unfairly treat the weak and vulnerable widows and orphans who were easy target of opportunity to gain selfishly from. These targets included the foreigners and poor which were also easy prey. All these self-serving actions were but evil planned in their hearts which God commanded to be His. They were to love God with all they had and put their hearts and minds into actions (Deuteronomy 6:5, Leviticus 19:18, Luke 10:27) and they were to likewise love their neighbors and do to them as they wanted to be done to themselves (Matthew 7:12, Luke 6:30-31). The people of God had disobeyed by refusing to listen and to do what God said, hardening their hearts like flint and turning a deaf ear to His words. God’s wrath came on them because of this as they ignored those bringing His words to them, just as His wrath remains on those (John 3:18) rejecting His gospel sent to us through those of us He has given that message (Romans 10:14-15) of repentance and faith to tell them and call them to reconciling grace. Self-serving religious actions do not work the righteousness of God. Repentance by faith to turn from sin to Him and following His word are the true foundation of worship acceptable and pleasing to God. May we follow according to His word and not by selfish religion. The fasting of true obedience in faith is infinitely better than the captivity of sin. This is acceptable worship.
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