God’s gracious offer
Zechariah 1: Come back to me and I’ll come back to you.
Haggai isn’t the only preacher talking about rebuilding the Temple. Zechariah is right there with him calling for the reconstruction of the place of worship. In fact, long after Haggai has disappeared from the world stage we find Zechariah still proclaiming God’s message. Zechariah is an encourager to his people, reminding them that, as his name means: “The Lord remembers.” He wants them to know that God remembers the promises he made to their ancestors and that they can depend on him to keep those promises. His book starts with very good news as the Lord says to them, “Come back to me and I’ll come back to you.” One doesn’t have to have lived 2500 years ago to be stirred by these words. The Lord isn’t a hard, unforgiving Judge who’s out to destroy us. Instead, he’s compassionate and merciful; patiently inviting us to respond to his message of hope. Again, I don’t have to be one of the ancient returned exiles to be thrilled with this invitation. In Christ, that invitation is enhanced and God’s intense desire is made even clearer. When I turn to the Lord I find that he’s already met me more than half way – that happened on a hill called Calvary.
Take Away: When we come to the Lord we find that, not only is he willing to forgive us, but that he loves showing us mercy.