S) "6 In that day there will be no light; the luminaries will dwindle. 7 For it will be a unique day which is known to the LORD, neither day nor night, but it will come about that at evening time there will be light."
Zechariah 14:_ (NASB)
O) This is Zechariah's final chapter, and it has a very conclusive feel. God fights a decisive battle for His people, and then He reigns in Jerusalem. Every nation that would go to Jerusalem to celebrate the Feast of Tabernacles, would receive a drought and plagues to smite them. The fact that there is the presence of an Old Covenant ordinance, and the fact that enemies of God persist, make it doubtful that this is a literal period at the end of time. I highlighted the two verses above because it seems to indicate exactly the kind of symbolism to reveal these are symbolic events. In the ancient world, people realized that light meant life. This is why so many cultures worshiped the sun. In these two verses, God is showing Himself to be sovereign and omnipotent. By this act, He shows Himself as the real giver of life (which is supported further by v.8). These verses are about establishing His holiness among all the would-be gods and the idols (see v.9), which were the source of so much contention with Israel.
A) In the modern world, I personally have little use for the sun. Don't get me wrong, as advanced as we are with electricity and technology, I know we fully need the sun (global warmth and inhabitability, agriculture, etc.), but for me personally, I can turn on light switches and my furnace. Still, since this is a symbolic passage, I find value in reassigning parts of it to my current life. If it said something like, "You will live at your job and work at your home," it would have a similar effect, The point is for me to realize God's sovereignty. I need to realize that my wellbeing is not dependent on my job, or relationships, or agriculture, or economy, or family. God could turn all of those things upside down or inside out. As long as I persist in seeking security anywhere else but with the LORD, then I will be contending with God as an enemy in that way. I cannot survive that, and I don't want to try.
P) Father, You are sovereign in every way. The universe is Yours alone to alter. Help me to humbly remember that. You are worthy of worship, simply because of who You are. My devotion to You should be about You and what You've done, not me and my needs. Give me the discipline to faithfully seek You alone, to be the only sovereign God in my heart. If I am erecting idols, seeking provision or comfort or security elsewhere, turn my world upside down and inside out. In Jesus's name I pray. Amen.
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