THE APPLE OF HIS EYE

In The Word

Read Zechariah 1-2

A Call to Repentance

In the eighth month of the second year of Darius, the word of the Lord came toZechariah the prophet, the son of Berechiah, the son of Iddo saying, “The Lordwas very angry with your fathers. Therefore say to them, ‘Thus says the Lord of hosts, “Return to Me,” declares the Lord of hosts, “that I may return to you,” says the Lord of hosts. “Do not be like your fathers, to whom the former prophets proclaimed, saying, ‘Thus says the Lord of hosts, “Return now from your evil ways and from your evil deeds.”’ But they did not listen or give heed to Me,” declares the Lord. “Your fathers, where are they? And the prophets, do they live forever? But did not My words and My statutes, which I commanded My servants the prophets, overtake your fathers? Then they repented and said, ‘As the Lord of hosts purposed to do to us in accordance with our ways and our deeds, so He has dealt with us.’”’”

Patrol of the Earth

On the twenty-fourth day of the eleventh month, which is the month Shebat, in the second year of Darius, the word of the Lord came to Zechariah the prophet, the son of Berechiah, the son of Iddo, as follows: I saw at night, and behold, a man was riding on a red horse, and he was standing among the myrtle trees which were in the ravine, with red, sorrel and white horses behind him. Then I said, “My lord, what are these?” And the angel who was speaking with me said to me, “I will show you what these are.” And the man who was standing among the myrtle trees answered and said, “These are those whom the Lord has sent to patrol the earth.” So they answered the angel of the Lord who was standing among the myrtle trees and said, “We have patrolled the earth, and behold, all the earth is peaceful and quiet.”

Then the angel of the Lord said, “O Lord of hosts, how long will You have no compassion for Jerusalem and the cities of Judah, with which You have beenindignant these seventy years?” The Lord answered the angel who was speaking with me with gracious words, comforting words. So the angel who was speaking with me said to me, “Proclaim, saying, ‘Thus says the Lord of hosts, “I am exceedingly jealous for Jerusalem and Zion. But I am very angry with the nations who are at ease; for while I was only a little angry, theyfurthered the disaster.” Therefore thus says the Lord, “I will return to Jerusalem with compassion; My house will be built in it,” declares the Lord of hosts, “and a measuring line will be stretched over Jerusalem.”’ Again, proclaim, saying, ‘Thus says the Lord of hosts, “My cities will again overflow with prosperity, and the Lord will again comfort Zion and again choose Jerusalem.”’”

Then I lifted up my eyes and looked, and behold, there were four horns. So I said to the angel who was speaking with me, “What are these?” And he answered me, “These are the horns which have scattered Judah, Israel and Jerusalem.” Then the Lord showed me four craftsmen. I said, “What are these coming to do?” And he said, “These are the horns which have scattered Judah so that no man lifts up his head; but these craftsmen have come to terrify them, to throw down the horns of the nations who have lifted up their horns against the land of Judah in order to scatter it.”

God’s Favor to Zion

Then I lifted up my eyes and looked, and behold, there was a man with ameasuring line in his hand. So I said, “Where are you going?” And he said to me, “To measure Jerusalem, to see how wide it is and how long it is.” And behold, the angel who was speaking with me was going out, and another angel was coming out to meet him, and said to him, “Run, speak to that young man, saying, ‘Jerusalem will be inhabited without walls because of the multitude of men and cattle within it. For I,’ declares the Lord, ‘will be a wall of fire around her, and I will be the glory in her midst.’”

“Ho there! Flee from the land of the north,” declares the Lord, “for I havedispersed you as the four winds of the heavens,” declares the Lord. “Ho, Zion!Escape, you who are living with the daughter of Babylon.” For thus says theLord of hosts, “After glory He has sent me against the nations which plunder you, for he who touches you, touches the apple of His eye. For behold, I willwave My hand over them so that they will be plunder for their slaves. Then you will know that the Lord of hosts has sent Me. Sing for joy and be glad, O daughter of Zion; for behold I am coming and I will dwell in your midst,” declares the Lord. “Many nations will join themselves to the Lord in that day and will become My people. Then I will dwell in your midst, and you will know that the Lord of hosts has sent Me to you. The Lord will possess Judah as His portion in the holy land, and will again choose Jerusalem.

“Be silent, all flesh, before the Lord; for He is aroused from His holy habitation.”

New American Standard Bible (NASB) Copyright © 1960, 1962, 1963, 1968, 1971, 1972, 1973, 1975, 1977, 1995 by The Lockman Foundation


Walking In The Word

The Word of the Lord came to Zechariah as a reminder for God’s people. God was very angry with their fathers because they did not listen to His call for repentance. Later, Zechariah had a vision similar to the one John had in Revelation 6. The Lord proclaimed that He was exceedingly jealous for His people; He would be a wall of fire around them and be the glory in their midst. The one who harms them has harmed the apple of God’s eye, and He will wave His mighty hand to protect His people.

 

In the New Testament, we see the unrighteous jealousy of the Pharisees. We are also cautioned to beware of the jealousy of our own flesh. However, many places in scripture remind us that our God is a jealous God. He will not share His rightful place in our hearts. He desires that we love Him with all of our heart, mind, soul, and resources; we are meant to be faithful to Him alone, as a bride is to her husband. When we do that, we become the apple of His eye and He becomes our avenger. He becomes the hedge of protection around us. Under the new covenant, many people of many different nations have placed their trust in Him and have become His children. Have you done that? Don’t be like those that ignored His call for repentance. Be sensitive to His calling and open the door of your heart to Him. Become the apple of His eye.

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