If you join me tonight in the
book of Zechariah. The book of Zechariah. And we're
going to be in chapter 7. Zechariah chapter 7. And I'd
like to read verses 4-7. Now a couple of weeks ago when
we started this chapter, we read this passage, made a few comments.
I was so thankful for our speaker last Tuesday, Brother Wayne.
Remember him in prayer? I was blessed by his message.
And he was so thankful to be here. and just continue to remember
Him in prayer. But here we are in the book of
Zechariah chapter 7. There's a couple of incidents
that are mentioned here, specifically by month. the fifth month and
the seventh month. In the book of Zechariah chapter
7 it says, then came the word of the Lord of hosts unto me
saying, and in this book we have found a great number of times
the Lord has addressed himself to us as hearers and to Zechariah
as a writer as Lord of Hosts. He is the Lord of the armies
of heaven. He is Almighty God. And that's who we need to remember
who is speaking in this book. And it says, Speak unto all the
people of the land, and to the priests, saying, When ye fasted
and mourned in the fifth and seventh month, even these seventy
years, Did ye at all fast unto me, even unto me? And when ye
did eat, and when ye did drink, did ye not ye eat for yourselves,
and drink for yourselves? Should ye not hear the words
which the Lord hath cried by the former prophets, when Jerusalem
was inhabited in prosperity, and the cities thereof round
about her, when men inhabited the south and the plain? Turn
with me back to this passage of scripture, verse five, if
you would. In verse five, we have these
two separate months mentioned, and it's interesting to note
that these months are mentioned, as we brought out last week,
or two weeks ago, we'd like to spend a little more time on them.
As these two months were mentioned, there was a time that we find
that those who were fasting were mourning, And there was a time
that these that were fasting were celebratory. They were celebrating
something. And we went back to the book
of Second Kings. So would you go back to the book
of Second Kings with me? In Second Kings chapter 25, we
find here the reason that they had fasting and mourning in the
fifth month in the book of Second Kings chapter 25. And the Lord
brings out through this prophet Zacharias is when you're doing
this, you are really only doing it to yourselves. You're only
fasting to yourselves. You're only mourning to yourselves.
because you were paying no attention. God never asked them to do that. God never prescribed that they
mourn for those 70 years, the fifth month when Jerusalem was
destroyed, because the reason Jerusalem was destroyed was their
disobedience. and the temple was destroyed
was because of their disobedience. It was not a time of mourning
over it, it was the time of mourning over their sin. It was the time
of mourning over their attitude. So here in the book of 2 Kings
chapter 25 and there verse 8, 9, and 10. 2 Kings chapter 25
verse 8 it says in the fifth month and on the seventh day
of the month which is the 19th year of the King Nebuchadnezzar,
King of Babylon, came Nebuchadnezzar, captain of the guard, the servant
of the King of Babylon to Jerusalem, and he burnt the house. Now,
by whose authority? By Nebuchadnezzar's authority.
By whose permission? God's. God granted the permission. He purposed it to take place.
And it's on this specific month, the fifth month, and he burnt
the house of the Lord and the king's house and all the houses
of Jerusalem and every great man's house, burnt he with fire.
So he is there by direct command of Nebuchadnezzar and Nebuchadnezzar
could not have done this if he had not been given permission
by God. Just as we find Satan was used
on Job, but by permission of God, Nebuchadnezzar, a wicked
king, a terrible king, was given permission to go and destroy
the temple that Solomon built in Jerusalem and to burn the
city, the temple, and all the houses of important people that
lived there. Who would they be? priests and prophets who have
lied on God. That's what happened there. So
we have the fifth month and it turns out that during those 70
years, every time, and it wasn't the month of May to them, but
to us, the month of May comes around. Well, we're going to
have a great fast because it's this time of year, one year ago,
two years ago, 69 years ago, 70 years ago, that our temple
was burned. Well, they could care less about
that temple when they were there. They could care less about the
service of God when they were there. But now, as even we find
that they would kill the prophets and then build a beautiful headstone
over them or a sarcophagus about them. You'd kill the prophets
and then honor them today, and that just continues to go on.
Well, and then we find in the seventh month in that same chapter,
verse 21. Now, King Nebuchadnezzar got
a viceroy, someone to rule Jerusalem in that area, and he was a Jew. Now, he's much like a publican.
He's not very much liked. And so we're gonna have some
celebratory, we're gonna have a celebration the seventh month
because during that time, we have a man that was the viceroy
sent by Nebuchadnezzar to rule over that area is assassinated. So here in the book of Second
Kings chapter 25, verse 24, or excuse me, verse 21. And the
king of Babylon smote them and slew them at Riblah in the land
of Hamath. So Judah was carried away out
of their land. Judah is carried away. Now it's
interesting that Israel, the 10 tribes are already gone. They
have been dispersed. They're no longer a player in
this. And the only reason Judah and
Benjamin are still in existence is that through Judah, the Messiah
will be born. They are going to be set aside
in Babylonian captivity for 70 years, and that's the group that
comes back or the descendants of that group come back to Jerusalem
under Zechariah the prophet. And that's who he's been speaking
to there in Jerusalem and saying why you were gone. Those 70 years,
you had a fast in the fifth month and the seventh month, and really,
you were just doing it for religious purposes, doing it for self-righteous
purposes, because God never authorized any of that stuff to go on. It
goes on to tell us here in verse 22 of the 25th chapter of 2 Kings,
And as for the people that remained in the land of Judah, whom Nebuchadnezzar
king of Babylon had left, even over them he had Gedaliah, the
son of Ahiakam, the son of Zaphion, ruler. And when all the captains
of the armies, they and their men, heard that the king of Babylon
had made Gedaliah governor, they came to Gedaliah, to Mizpah,
even Ishmael, the son of Nathanael, and Johan, the son of Koriath,
and Zerahiah, the son of Tanhumath, the Nethothite and Jeazaniah,
the son of a Macintype, they and their men and Gadaliah swear
to them and to their men and said unto them, fear not." Listen
to this. This just sounds like a bunch
of folks there in Galatia. We're here to do thee good. We are here to spread the nonsense
about you must be circumcised, but we're here to do you good.
And he says, fear not to be the servants of the Chaldeans, dwell
in the land and serve the King of Babylon and it shall be well
with you. Who's the King of Babylon? He
is a nasty guy now. I really appreciate the Lord
working on him at least to come out with that confession about
God there in Daniel when God turned him out like an animal
if you please and his hair grew like feathers and his nails grew
like claws and at the end of that time God allowed him to
come to some sense, at least, and confess about God Almighty. None can stay his hand or say,
what doest thou? Thou rule in the armies of heaven
and among the inhabitants of the earth, and none can stay
your hand or say, what are you doing? Can the clay tell the
potter? That is essentially what this
man is saying. Now, I appreciate what he said
over here, but here, he will do thee well. And it came to
pass in the seventh month that Ishmael, the son of Nathanael,
the son of Elisha, of the seed royal came, and ten men with
him, and smote Gadaliah, that he died. And the Jews and the
Chaldeans that were with him at Mizpah, and all the people,
both great and small, and the captains of the armies arose,
and came to Egypt, for they were afraid of the Chaldeans. What's
going to happen to us now? Well, that's why they're celebrating
or having a fast, a celebratory fast on the seventh month. Now, God brings this back, their
history back to themselves. He brings that burning of the
temple in the city of Jerusalem, all those houses back to them.
And he also brings this murder of this man back to them thinking
they were doing good. and God had not authorized any
of it. The two months had the special
note among the Jews of the Babylonian captivity. They had these celebrations
going on, celebrations in the sense of a fast. And we find
out what God had to say about fasts in the fifth chapter of
the book of Matthew. Nothing is as religious as a
fast, almsgiving, or prayers. loud prayers on the street corners,
people being told what they did as their almsgiving, or fasting
and smearing ashes or flour all over your face and letting everybody
know about it. Well, God never authorized this, and we find
that this is such a symbol as God brings out through Zachariah,
you were only doing it for yourself. You were only worshiping for
yourself. You were only fasting for yourself. Was it really for me you were
fasting? God asked, was it really for
me you were fasting? And there in verse six of Zechariah
chapter seven, aren't you eating and drinking just to please yourselves? Let's go over there and look
at that. Again, it is the book of Zechariah chapter seven, verse
five and six. It says there, when you fasted
and mourned in the fifth and seventh month, even though 70
years, did you at all fast unto me? Did you ever think of me? No. Religion does not think of
the real God, the true God. Gods come into play, yes, but
the true God, never. And then in verse six, it says,
and when you did eat and when you did drink, did you not eat
for yourselves and drink for yourselves? That's the only reason
you did it. You had these. special days. You had the honor of these special
days, but they really meant nothing. Merely and only for your own
refreshment and pleasure, and not for the glory of God. These
were never for the glory of God. That was for their own pleasure,
for their... Oh, today Have you ever known
anybody so historical that they, oh, 10 years ago today, 15 years
ago today. I like celebrations of history. Every January I say, we've been
in this building this many years. I'm thankful, but this. We don't celebrate, well, 2,200
or 20 years ago, Jesus died on the cross. It's not the day. It's never been the day. Whatever
you do, whether you therefore eat or drink or whatsoever you
do, do all to the glory of God. Now, religious people soon turn
to worshiping only shadows of Christ. and his ministry, only
shadows. Days become important. I was
told one time that if I didn't worship on the Sabbath, on Saturday,
I was going to hell. Well, I said, show me in the
book. Show me in the book. The reason
people go to hell is they are sinners and without Christ. Now the Christian Sabbath. I
get an email from a guy that talks about the Christian Sabbath.
We don't have a Christian Sabbath. We have a day that we meet together
to celebrate the resurrection of Jesus Christ, but we better
be doing it on Monday too. And Tuesday. and Wednesday and
Thursday and Friday and Saturday, we celebrate the resurrection
of Jesus Christ. My friends, if you pray and sincerely
pray in your closets, you're celebrating the resurrection
of Jesus Christ because he is the only reason that we can pray
and expect something to be done. He is the one that wills and
purposes all things to be done. Do you remember the days when
you traveled on Sunday and you came to a town And you just had
to go to church. Didn't matter where you went.
But you had to go. Well, didn't matter. Now, Christ is our Sabbath. That is established in the scriptures.
That's the reason God rested on the seventh day. That's the
reason God gave them the Sabbath. That's the reason he gave them
the The great 50-year celebration,
that's the reason. It was a reminder to them and
to us that Christ is our Sabbath. And the author of the Hebrews
comes along and straightens it all out for us. But if you look
into the Old Testament, it was straightened out there too. Christ
is our Sabbath. Here, Christ is the Sabbath. Since we are complete in him,
we don't need the other stuff. Turn with me, if you would, to
the book of Colossians. Colossians chapter two. Colossians
chapter two. I have found, and forgive me
if you don't agree, but I have found that if I'm traveling and
there isn't a gospel church, I am better off sitting in my
room, my motel room. or going to look at the creek
or the Great Grand Canyon than to go and hear swill from a person
that doesn't know the gospel. I just can't do it anymore. I
cannot do it anymore. The last time I went to a church
It was the church that my wife grew up in, and the preacher
got up and said, this is how God answers prayer. And he flipped
a coin and put it like that. I said, that's it. Never again. I will not. I shouldn't have
been there in the first place. But it was just one of those
instances you said, this is enough. This is enough. So do what you
feel like you have to do. But I am not. I'll go to the
Grand Canyon and look at it. Think about my great God. But
here in the book of Colossians. Colossians, we find so often
in the scripture that we are so complete in Christ. We're
so complete. We are absolutely complete in
Christ. Second, or Colossians chapter
two. verses 16 and 17. Take the time
to read this whole chapter sometime, but these two verses here, we're
just so complete. We have everything in Him. We
have everything. We don't need days. We don't
honor days. We get together. I suppose it's
probably more out of tradition than anything, but it's kind
of a good tradition. We get together on the first
day of the week, celebrate the resurrection of Christ. But like
I said, we need to do that on Monday and Tuesday also. Colossians
chapter two, verse 16. Scripture say here, let no man
therefore judge you in meat or in drink or in respect of a holy
day or of the new moon or the Sabbath days, which are a shadow. of things to come, but the body
is of Christ. This is not where it is. Those
guys down there in Babylonian captivity, I know there were
a few that knew the gospel. There were three that I know
of that knew. There was another one I know
of. Daniel, Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego. They knew something
about God. They knew something about Christ.
They knew something about salvation. They knew something about regeneration.
They knew something about the new birth. God had given it to
them. He was the author and finisher
of their faith. There's no doubt others in there,
but the bunch of them had no knowledge whatsoever of Almighty
God, and they were going through these forms and formalities on
certain days of certain months, and we find that there is nothing
there. There is nothing there. Let no
man, therefore, judge you in meat or in drink or in respect
of a holy day, which is just a shadow, a shadow of good things
to come. Now, I ask this question, and
this is the name of my lesson tonight. What makes a holy day? What makes a holy day? You know,
that word has been corrupted to holiday. I like holidays. But what makes a holy day? Now,
does it because it's Sunday or Saturday make it a holy day?
What makes it a holy day? Well, over in the book of Nehemiah,
we are told this is a holy day. Now, notice what happened on
this day. If you turn with me to the book of Nehemiah chapter
8. Nehemiah chapter 8. Here is the sum and substance
of a holy day. In the book of Nehemiah chapter
8. Nehemiah chapter 8. We have the sum and the substance
of a holy day. Chapter 8. Now this is some real good reading. This passage of Scripture was
pointed out to me when I came to the Dalles to be pastor. This first verse, verse 8. I
think it's verse 8. So they read in the book of the
law of God. the Word of God, they read it,
and how they do it, distinctly, and gave a sense, and caused
them to understand the reading. Now that's the three things that
a person in the pulpit has a responsibility to do. Connected to Christ as
soon as you can. Look to Christ as soon as you
can. Go to Christ as soon as you can. They read in the book
of the Word of God. That's what that word law means
there. Now, if we just want to settle it down to the Pentateuch,
Genesis through Deuteronomy, the same thing is true. Look
and find Christ. All right. This is what we're
to do. Read in the book. And then in
verse nine, and Nehemiah, which is the Tereshithah and Ezra,
the priest, the scribe, And the Levites that taught the people
said unto all the people, now notice this, in the reading of
the word of God, this day is holy. Did you know that this
is a holy day? When we read God's word, it's
a holy day. It's not holy in the sense that
most people look at it, but it's a day that we honor God by reading
his word. You take this Bible down in your
own private home and open it up and read the Word of God,
you have a holy day. This is a holy book about a holy
God, has holy salvation, and that's a holy day. We don't need
a day. As we read over there in Colossians,
don't let anybody rob you. of the completeness in Christ
by imposing days and hours and moons and so forth and so on.
Don't do that. Don't allow that to happen. That's
nothing more than idolatry. Worshipping a day is idolatry. It's pure and simple idolatry. So here he said, this is a holy
day unto the Lord. More not. Nor weep, for all the
people wept when they heard the words of the law. And then in
verse 10, then he said unto them, go your way, eat the fat, drink,
what in the world? Read the word of God and rejoice. Go your way, eat the fat. That
was considered the best. And drink the sweet. and send
portions unto them for whom nothing is prepared for this day is holy
unto the Lord. Neither be sorry for the joy
of the Lord is your strength. So when the word is read, whether
we read it to ourself, whether someone else reads it to us,
whether we read it in a service, whether it's in a Bible class,
whether it's in a service like this, whether it's wherever it
is, whether it's in a conference, wherever it is, that turns that
day into a holy day. We have the privilege of hearing
the glorious gospel of our Savior, the Lord Jesus Christ. I was
just reading a track by Brother Henry of what it is to preach
the gospel. I wish I could remember all five points, but the number
one is tell about, honestly about God. Be honest about Christ and be
honest about man. You say those three things. God
is a great God, a sovereign God, a merciful God. Jesus Christ
is the only savior. He will save his people from
their sins. And mankind is without hope,
without Christ. So we have a holy day, a day
of worship, a day when the word is read. It isn't because we're
celebrating the burning of the temple. It isn't because things
are going bad or good. A holy day is when we worship
the King, when the word is read and we worship the King. Turn
with me, if you would, over here in the book of Acts, in the book
of Acts. I just made a note of the 62
times in the book of Numbers, and we're in the book of Numbers
for some time, but 62 times alone, it is recorded, the Lord spoke. And that's the sum and substance
of the whole Bible. The Lord spoke. Well, let's go
over here to the book of Acts chapter four. Acts chapter four. As we think about this day that
we heard the gospel, I was talking to a young man today and he said,
well, when were you saved? And I said, I can only tell you
this, after I heard the gospel. I don't know what day. I don't know. And it wasn't a
slap of lightning. It was, I knew something about
Jesus Christ that I never knew before. I had an honor of God
that I never had before. I had an honor about his word
that I never knew before. And sin was something that I
never understood like I understood now. And grace was the same way.
I told a man after that whole thing happened, I don't know
all about it, but I know more about grace now than I've never
known in my life, that God would save sinners. That is glorious. That was a holy day. All right,
here in the book of Acts chapter four, look with me in Acts chapter
four. As we think about this, a time, The important times. What is
the important thing? What makes a holy day? Acts chapter
four and verse four. How be it many of them which
heard the word. You know, that's a blessing. To have ears to hear. To be given
ears to hear. That it's more than just words
out of Genesis or Revelation. It's more than just history.
It's more than just what we're used to. To have, how be it,
when many of them which heard the word, to hear the word, what's
in the word? The message of Christ, the message
of salvation, the message of what we are by nature, and the
message of the only one that can take care of the problem.
How be it many of them which heard the word, and what happened
here? Believed. Now how did that happen? They had to have the new birth.
There is no believing and then getting the new birth. The new
birth procures that. We can only believe, only believe
saving belief after we've been born again. I talk about saving
with God's belief. belief that is in something,
someone. The number of the men was about
5,000. Now we think that would be a
wonderful revival meeting. But you know what? I'm convinced
that Philip had the same rejoicing over one I was told today that the reason
that the Ethiopian eunuch couldn't understand the book of Isaiah
was he didn't know how to read Hebrew. I said, are you kidding
me? He had become a Jew. He could read that book better
than we could. That's not the reason he couldn't
understand it. it had been revealed to him.
Now, over in chapter 8, chapter 8 of the book of Acts, in chapter
8, verse 14, as those whole host are gathered
there in the book of Nehemiah, and they read the Word of God
and the effect of the word of God on those folks. And then
those guys up there says, rejoice, rejoice, rejoice. Well, it's
kind of like what Christ said to his disciples, rejoice that
your names are written down in heaven. Well, here in the book
of Acts chapter eight and verse 14, the scripture says, now when
the apostles, which were at Jerusalem heard, that Samaria had received
the word of God. The word of God became important.
There are some folks over there in Samaria had received the word
of God. What is he talking about? Some
Gentiles. had received the word of God, they sent unto them Peter
and John, who, when they were come down, prayed for them that
they might receive the Holy Spirit. For as yet he was fallen upon
none of them, only they were baptized in the name of the Lord
Jesus, and they laid their hands on them, and they received the
Holy Ghost. And when Simon saw that through the laying on of
the apostles' hands of the Holy Ghost was given, he offered them
money. So we know something has taken place here, and this guy
was willing to pay money for it. But the people, these people
in Samaria had received the word of God. What did they have? They
had a holy day. This was a great day, a better
day than they'd ever had in their life to hear, with ears to hear,
with ears to hear the word of God. A little further in Acts
chapter 11, Acts chapter 11. As we think about
throughout the Old Testament, how many times the Lord spake
just in the book of Numbers, the book of Zechariah, the Lord
of hosts spake. How many times the Lord spoke
through all of those books in the Old Testament? How often
He spoke in the New Testament? The Lord spake, this is His word,
this is His word to us. And yet, to our natural ears,
it's, well, it's no wonder that in colleges, the Bible is studied
as literature. Because to most people, that
is all it is, is literature. And to the church, it is the
message of Christ. To natural man, it means very
little. To the believer, it tells us
of the one who saved us from our sins. Acts chapter 11, verse
one, and the apostles and brethren that were in Judea heard that
the Gentiles had also received the word of God. Now, what did
they receive before? All kinds of nonsense. All we
have to do is read a little history, and we know the nonsense that
people have picked up over the years. All we have to do is go
visit some places, historical sites, and see what they worshiped. But these folks who are accustomed
to worshiping these kinds of idols, whatever they were, these
folks received the word of God. And when Peter was come up to
Jerusalem, they that were of the circumcision contended with
him. Of course, what else do you expect
when people who don't believe the word of God hear about people
believing the word of God? There's going to be a controversy
here. Well, that's the people that followed Paul wherever he
went and said what he had to say is good up to a point, but
you need the rest of it. And that's what Paul wrote in
almost every one of his books. We're complete in Christ. We're complete in Christ. Well,
this wonderful verse in chapter 13 and verse 48, Acts chapter 13 and verse 48.
Don't get hung up on the days of the burning of the tabernacle
or the temple. Don't get hung up on celebrating
the death of some viceroy of Nebuchadnezzar. All you were
doing it was for yourself anyway. Yourself pity, yourself religion,
whatever it was. The truth of the matter is it
is the word of God. and he to whomsoever he should
reveal the word of God, the Lord Jesus. Blessed art thou, Simon
Bar-Jonah, for flesh and blood hath not revealed this unto you,
but my Father which is in heaven. All right, Acts chapter 13, verse
48. Every time I read this, I'm just thrilled. It's just a thrilling
verse of scripture. It's a wonderful passage of scripture,
just like the rest of it is, but look at this. Now, chapter
13, there in verse 48. And when the Gentiles heard this,
they were glad and glorified the word of the Lord. That's
a good word. That's a saving word. That's
a holy word. That's the word of God. That's
not some hocus pocus. That's not some history lesson.
It's the word of God. And it says here, the only reason
that they could believe, even after hearing this glorious Word
of God, and as many as were ordained to eternal life, believed. God is the first cause of all
true belief. He's the first cause of all true
repentance. He's the first cause of all the
new birth. He's the first cause of all salvation. He's the first cause of giving
all his word. So here we rejoice with a group
of Gentiles just like happened when you were saved. They that
were ordained to eternal life believed. They heard the word
of life, the word of the Lord. And then if you'll turn with
me to Acts chapter 19. In Acts chapter 19, we have this,
don't get hung up on days or moons. Don't get hung up on fasting
because the temple was burned down. Or, you know, today they're
almost fasting because they want the temple rebuilt and animal
sacrifices to be started over. What? I don't understand how anybody
would think that God would be pleased with that when he sent
his son to the cross. But here in Acts chapter 19,
and there in verse 10, it says, and this continued by the space
of two years so that all they which dwelt in Asia heard the
word of the Lord Jesus, both Jews and Greeks. We have somebody
there preaching for a period of two years. And what did he
preach? the word of the Lord Jesus to
the Jews and to the Greeks. That's what he preached. He didn't
preach politics. He didn't preach sentimentalism.
He didn't preach the law. He didn't preach progressive
sanctification. He didn't preach any of that
stuff. He preached Christ in him crucified. And what does
it say there? the those that dwelled in Asia
and this is Turkey or Asia Minor heard the word of the Lord Jesus
both Jews and Greeks. So we have the same is for both
Jews and Gentiles, same message for old and young, same message
for bond and free, same message for male and female, same message,
the message of Christ. So over here in the book of Zechariah,
we have a preacher of righteousness preaching the gospel to some
folks, and he's just reminding them that what you've been hanging
on to, what you've been spending your time with for 70 years,
appears only to be for your own benefit. For your own belly. That's all it appears to be.
And he was honest when he said that there in the book of Zechariah.
It says there in verse 6 or verse 5 and 6, speaking to all the
people in the land to the priest saying when you fasted and mourned
in the 5th and 7th month, even though 70 years Well, folks, it's the fifth month
of the 55th year. Let's do it again. And it just
become rote, just become a zero. And then it says there, did ye
at all fast unto me, even to me? And when you did eat and
when you did drink, did you just eat to yourselves and drink to
yourselves? Should you not hear the words
which the Lord hath cried by the former prophets, when Jerusalem
was inhabited and in prosperity, and the cities thereof round
about her, and when men inhabited the south and the plain, when
things were going good in your eyes, and the prophet came along
and says, except ye repent, ye shall all likewise perish. lest
God grant you hearing. You're going to spend your time
here and then 70 years in Babylonian captivity. So what makes a holy
day? The word of God.