the book of Zechariah and I'd
like to read the first eight verses of chapter six. We jumped ahead and looked at
the high priest Joshua, as he represents the Lord as our great
high priest. We also looked at the other Joshua,
the son of Nun, who represents our Lord Jesus as the captain
of our salvation. And in that same verse, it mentions
the term branch. And the translators put that
in capital letters because they understood, as we understand,
that that branch is speaking about the Lord Jesus Christ.
Now we're going to back up just a little bit here to verse 1
and read down through verse 8 of this chapter and it shares with
us about four chariots pulled by different colored horses. Now we're not going to get apocalyptic
here because I know that the scriptures teach the message
of Christ Now, the Bible declares much, and in many ways, about
only a handful of subjects. Think about that. The Bible declares
much, and in many ways, about only a handful of subjects. Now, the number one subject that
I have scriptures is about God, the greatness of God, and all
of the characteristics and attributes that he has. The Bible shares
with us, and that's what we're going to find here in these eight
verses, we're going to find much about our God. But the Bible
spends a lot of time telling us about many ways about the
greatness of our God as he covers all the subjects that we can
think of about God. His creativity or creation, his
sovereignty, his power, his might, all of the characteristics and
attributes the Bible is filled with. When we get to the new
creation we find that he is the creator there also when he Raises
people from the dead now another thing that we find a lot about
him and many types and shadows in the scriptures is man and
particularly the fall of man because we have little history
in the bible about pre-fall man and not much written, but we
have much written in many places and in many ways describing the
fall of man. So we have a great God, we have
a fallen man, and then we have a great deal about the only hope
to recover any of the fallen men And that is the Lord Jesus
Christ. We have Christ the only Savior. Now He's described in many ways,
but He's the only Savior. We get to the Old Testament in
many types and shadows and pictures. Not once did we find another
man was to take the place of a substitute when it came to
the law. It was always an animal. Took
a substitute though the declaring our very need of a substitute
because we are fallen We're falling in Adam. We're sinners by nature.
We sin every day of our life We are the ones that Jesus Christ
came for for he came to die for sinners. I the solution of the
problem of the fall of man. He is the only salvation. So
in all through the scriptures, we have descriptions about him
being the savior of his people. We have a description all through
the scriptures about the natural inclination of man is never towards
God, but it's always towards their own lusts and own sin. And then we have the description
of the Lord Jesus Christ, the Father, the Son, and the Holy
Spirit in the great God that the Bible describes. So we have
a handful of subjects, but the Bible is filled with the declaration
about Him, about them, and about our Savior. So here in this chapter
of the book of Zechariah, chapter 6, and beginning with verse 1,
we find that Zechariah is called to see another sight. If we are looking at the Bible
aright, Will not be long before we discover that which is worth
seeing Now that's a little quote from Matthew Henry if we look
at the Bible, right It will not take long for us to discover
that which is worth seeing so as Isaiah described the Lord
is holy holy holy that's worth seeing and If we see him as the
substitute, that's worth seeing. If we see him as the almighty
lord, king of kings and lord of lords, that's worth seeing.
If we see him in a manger, that is worth seeing because he came
as God in flesh. Emmanuel that's worth seeing
and it's worth our time to look at these beautiful pictures and
Types and shadows and then the reality of it in our Savior the
Lord Jesus So if we look at the Bible, all right There's going
to be things that are going to be worth finding and it's going
to be far greater than eschatology It's going to be far greater
than doom and gloom. It's going to be glorious to
God Almighty the description now here In this passage of scripture
it says, I turned and lifted up my eyes, and looked, and behold,
there came four chariots out from between two mountains, and
the mountains were mountains of brass. God, and God's word, and God's
purpose, and God's salvation is as immovable as these mountains
of brass. It's immovable. He's showing
with us. Now there's going to be four horses, four different
colors, and they're going to be drawing a chariot. These verses found in this chapter,
and I just would like to sum up a little bit before we go
further. These first few verses of the chapter of Zechariah gives
us a great deal of information about God and his omnipotence,
omnipresence, and omniscience. Now that's what these are representing.
They're not representing war horses. They're representing
our God. They are pictured as ambassadors. They're pictured as Pictures
of God himself and how he moves about to do his business now
God doesn't have horses And he doesn't have chariots that he
uses, but he is sharing with Zachariah and he's sharing with
us that God is very involved with all the things that go on
in this world and he shares it here in these verses of scripture
that The picture of horse-drawn chariots now. There's something
about a horse Turn with me if you would over to the book of
Job for just a moment the book of Job Job chapter 39 Job chapter
39 In Job chapter 39 Job is being
spoken to by him who this Bible is about and It's worth seeing
here in Job chapter 39 in verse 19 Hast thou given the horse
strength as God is speaking to Job God as he asked you a number
of questions Were you there when the mountains were created were
you there when I put the eagle in the sky were you there and
Job had to say no I wasn't Well, that means I'm greater than you
are, I'm all powerful, I have all knowledge, I have all strength,
and I know everything that is going on. Here in Job chapter
39 and verse 19, as we finish that verse, hast thou given the
horse strength? Hast thou closed his neck with
thunder? We think about this verse and
the verses over here in the book of Zechariah We have four colored
horses now. There are some things about the
colors. I don't know But I do know this They are an example
of the almighty power of God demonstrated here his his omnipotence
is all Presence is all knowledge is all power is demonstrated
by these chariots and horses. And they are God's chariots and
they are God's horses. I want to remember that. These
are God's horses and these are God's chariots. Now, as they're
pictured here and as Zachariah gets to see them in this semblance
of a vision, he gets to see some things about God that the church
gets to see about God. And that is that there is nothing
in this world that happens without God's purpose, permission, and
providence involved in it. And nothing happens by chance
or happenstance. And in fact, he is the one that
purposed all things that happen in this world. He's not just
the observer of them. He's just not caring for them,
but he's the one that has purposed them all. They are God's horses
and chariots, and they tell us much about God and God's character. These declare the great power
and the great speed and the great purpose of God's movement. God
is not slothful, but sometimes the mill, I like what Charles
Spurgeon said one time, How slow the mill of God, but how fine
the flower. It seems like an eternity, but
what comes out of the purpose of God in that eternity is the
best. And we know that all things work
together for the good of them that love God to those who are
the call according to his purpose. We are given that information. So these horses and chariots
are strong. They're quick. Can you imagine
what happened among the armies of this world when someone came
along with a two-wheel cart pulled by horses? What happened to warfare? It changed dramatically. Someone
came up with that idea. God gave them the idea. They
brought it to fruition. And here we have what was put
in the hearts of the Israelites when they saw all those chariots
of Egypt headed their way. There was a demonstration of
great power. There was a demonstration of
great strength and there's a demonstration of great speed. They could outrun
any foot soldier. Now God's declaration in this
passage of scripture is He moves in His providence and in His
power and in His knowledge with great power. He moves with great
speed. He moves with great purpose in
mind. And that's demonstrated by these
four chariots being pulled by these various colored horses
out here that Zachariah gets to see. Now also, we notice here
as we read on that they are positioned to the four corners of the world. Let's read on. The first chariot
was a red horse. And the second chariot, black
horses. Excuse me. The first chariot were red horses.
and the second chariot, black horses, and in the third chariot,
white horses, and in the fourth chariot, grizzled and bay horses.
Now, I looked up, and that word bay could have been translated
strong horses. Well, that's the same thing that
could have been translated about all of these. They're strong.
God's providence is strong. His power is strength. His omniscience
is speedy. I mean, it's just, Then I answered
and said unto the angel that talked with me. What are these
my lord now? I've mentioned when we've ran
into that in the past It gives me great comfort because I don't
have to worry about asking God questions about his word He's
pleased That we would be in the word and have some questions
about the word now does he always answer? Oh, no, he's going to
share with Zacharias and things and he's still going to have
questions about it. He says I The angel answered and said, these
are the four spirits of the heavens. Now, are there four spirits in
heaven? Nope. Are there seven eyes in heaven?
Nope. We have the perfect number of
knowledge. We have these four spirits representing God's spirit
moving through all corners of the earth. It's interesting because
there in the book of Numbers, we found that all of those The
tribes of Israel were put on the four, what is that? There's a word for this. North,
south, east, and west. The what? The compass, yes, but there's
another name. Anyway, I have it in a note somewhere
else. But he put those tribes. Judah and those two on east,
and then we go north and south and west. And here he is, he's
sending these four chariots, his providence, his purpose,
his power to the four winds of the earth is what we find in
another place in the book of Daniel. Says the angel thereof
said, these are the four spirits of the heavens which go forth
from standing before the Lord of all the earth. Now God doesn't
need these spirits to tell him what's going on in the world.
Sometimes we need to have that information of how God does his
business The black horses are there and go forth into the north
country And the white go forth after them and the grizzle go
forth to the south country in the bay went forth and sought
to go that they might walk to and fro through the earth and
He said get you hints walk to and fro through the earth so
they walk to and fro through the earth and Then cried he upon
me, and spake unto me, saying, Behold, these that go forth the
north country have quieted my spirit in the north country. Now we're going to find out that
God's providence in some areas is a savor of death unto death,
and to some it is a savor of life unto life. Why doesn't God
have his word in every country, village, and town in the world.
That's God's business. And why does he have it where
he has it? That's God's business. But I know this, that where they
are, places where the gospel is preached, there are sheep
there. And that's the only reason that
there is a group of people that are believers in that place.
There's sheep in that place. Now, these horses and chariots
are strong and quick Sent to specific directions to some they
bring great calm As in the north country and to some they stir
up great fear God's word is going to do that God's providence will
do that Some say I know this is falling out from God. I know
this is God's purpose. I know this is God's work Those
men that were cast into jail there in the days of the apostles,
they looked at that as the providence of God. And when he set them
free, he looked at it as the providence of God. And we said,
thank you, Lord, because you rule in heaven and in earth and
in all the oceans and under the earth. And here we are, out of
the mess we were in. God's providence over that. And
some brought great fear. Those people that went into that
jail, Found that there was no captives They had answered with their
life Now I have several verses of
scripture that I'd like to read now some of them are just my
favorites About God's providence about God's omniscience about
God's omnipotence about God's All Gloriousness so turn with
me if you would to the psalms if you turn with me to the psalms
Psalm 115 Psalm 115 now these horses began
in heaven They're brought down as Zachariah gets to see him
going to the north the south the east and the west and Powerful
horses pulling a chariot great speed carrying out Demonstrating
the purpose of God here in psalm 115 and there in verse 3 would
you read that verse of scripture with me psalm 115 in verse 3
it says but our God is in the heavens He hath done whatsoever
He hath pleased Now I take comfort in that verse of scripture. I
take comfort in this 115 psalm That verse of scripture is found
in their idols are silver gold and work of men's hands They
have mouths, but they speak not they have the eyes they have
but see not now He can he can be describing the idols that
people worship, but he's also describing the man that worshiped
them but our God is in the heavens and He hath done whatsoever He
hath pleased Psalm 147, would you look there
with me? Psalm 147, as we think of these
speedy horses and chariots traveling to the four winds, great power,
great speed, great purpose. They're God's horses, they're
God's chariots, they're moving according to the will of God. They're demonstrating His great
omnipotence, omnipresence, and omniscience. They're demonstrating
His purpose of grace. Zechariah gets to see them. And
down here, so many hundreds of years later, we get to see them.
We get to see them working at the command of God. It doesn't
tell us that there is one horseman in those chariots. It tells us
they are driven by God, moved by God, and that's what His providence
is. Here in the book of the psalms
psalm 147 and verse 5 great is our Lord and of great power His
understanding Did you read that word is? infinite We're finite
at best We have such a limited understanding of the scriptures,
but I've said many times if we have a grain of understanding
It's because of grace. It's not because of our interest
or our power to understand the scriptures. It's by revelation.
It's God revealing his word to us. So we are thankful for the
grain of revelation. We're thankful for the grain
of understanding. And if He gives us two or three
grains, how much better off are we? But it's all of God. It's not us. It's not because
we spend 24-7 in the Word of God. Because I know people that
spend almost that much time in the Word of God and have not
come up with the right conclusion. They've read it, and read it,
and read it, and still don't know what it's about. And most
of those folks are very quick to put someone else under the
thumb, because that's what they interpret from God's word. It's
legalism, and I'm going to put you under the thumb. Well, let's
turn to the book of Isaiah for just a moment, Isaiah 55. The
book of Isaiah speaks a lot about his word. Visiting I'm supposed to say
hello from brother Gary Shepard with this last week He spoke
from the book of Isaiah 53, and he said who has believed our
report And he said a reporter reports Who what when where how
so he went through there and looked at those things you know?
All we are reporters. We're not editorialists. We're
reporters all right, Isaiah 55 and verse 11 Isaiah 55 and verse 11 it says
so shall my word be That goes forth out of my mouth now. When
does that happen? It's read in the pulpit out there
Yeah When we read it on our own yeah When someone declares the
gospel to us yeah when we hear a message of God's grace on sermon
audio or a tape or a CD When my word goes out When my word
goes out, is sent forth out of my mouth, it shall not return
unto me void. I take great comfort in that.
I take comfort in what those four horses were going to do.
They are the providence of God sent forth throughout all the
world to demonstrate his speed and authority and strength. Going back to Isaiah chapter
55 and verse 11 it shall not return unto me void But it shall
accomplish that which I please now I Remember someone saying
if we could beat it into them everybody would be black and
blue But the word says it shall accomplish
that which I please I God's purpose will be accomplished. It shall
prosper in the thing where to I sent it. So God's word in that
illustration of that parable that we heard recently about
the sower went forth to sow and the four grounds that that seed
went into by God's providence it went to the place he intended
it to go. He intends to show in three quarters
of that, if I'm not in it, nothing's going to happen. Same seed. But when I'm in it, I prepared
the soil. I prepared it. Something's going
to happen. And that's what happened. And it came forth and produced
much. All right. Turn with me, if you
would, to the book of Jeremiah. Just the next book over, Jeremiah
chapter 32 and verse 17. So we think of the power and
the speed. The authority of these four horses
going into the four cardinal directions. The four cardinal
directions. We see them, God's providence
everywhere. Not just happening, but purpose
to be happened. In Jeremiah chapter 32 and verse
17, and there is hope Chapter 32 and verse 17 it says
ah Lord God behold thou hast made the heaven and the earth
by thy great power and Stretched out arm, and there is nothing
too hard for thee Thou show us loving kindness unto thousands
and recompense us the iniquity of the fathers into the bosom
of their children after them and The great, the mighty God,
the Lord of hosts, is his name. Great in counsel and mighty in
work, for thy hands are open upon all the ways of the sons
of men to give everyone according to his ways and according to
the fruit of his doings. And it continues on with some
very sublime verses of scripture from this point on. But notice,
O Lord God, behold thou hast made the heavens and the earth
by thy great power. Now in the first creation, he
made it by his great power. And we have to go again and say
in his new creation, in the second creation, what kind of power
does it take? The same power that it took to
raise the Son of God from the tomb is what it takes to raise
Blasphemer a liar a cheat a sinner to newness of life in Christ
Jesus Because he only raises sinners That's his promise I
came to save sinners all right Let's go over to the New Testament
for just a bit in the book of Romans now excuse me the book
of Acts Let's look stop in the book of Acts for just a moment
chapter 2 These verses have been read many times from the pulpit
in messages in lessons Because it is imperative that these words
be declared about what happened to the Lord Jesus Christ. Oh
my, look what they did to Jesus. Oh my, look what God did to Jesus. Oh my, look what the covenant
of grace did to the Lord Jesus. Oh my, look what our sins did
to the Lord Jesus. And here in the book of Acts,
there in chapter two and verse 23, it says him, The Lord Jesus, being delivered,
given over, placed in the hands of, by the covenant of grace,
placed in the hands of, delivered by the determinate counsel and
foreknowledge of God, ye have taken and by wicked hands have
crucified and slain, whom God hath raised up, having loosed
the pains of death, because it was not possible that he should
beholden of it. It's not possible that he'd stay
there, because he's going to be an effectual, he is going
to be a successful savior. So he's going to put away sin
by the sacrifice of himself, and by doing so, he can come
out of the tomb. And that was purpose before the
foundation of the world, that that would be accomplished. So,
he was delivered. We don't want to get in the dither
about a mistrial a bad trial We don't want to get a dither
about those folks that testified against him. They did what was
natural They did what normal men do normal women do normal
children do lie about God? enmity against God He came on purpose he submitted
himself to the cross on purpose he gave himself over and He was,
as we read in the 53rd chapter of the book of Isaiah, our sins
were laid upon him on purpose. He died on purpose. He was buried
on purpose. The third day he came back to
life on purpose, resurrected on purpose, and is now ascended
back to the Father on purpose, just like was planned in the
covenant of grace before the foundation of the world. So,
let's not get too, Heavy-handed about those Jews and those Roman
soldiers This is according to purpose. This is according to
God and in that same chapter or excuse me that same book chapter
4 chapter 4 in verse 28 Verse 27 and 28 for of a truth
against thy holy child Jesus whom thou hast anointed with
And he's anointed for the foundation of the world. That's the word
Christ means, Messiah means, anointed, set apart one. He said,
there, your holy child Jesus, whom thou hast anointed, both
Herod and Pontius Pilate, with the Gentiles and the people of
Israel, were gathered together for to do whatsoever thy hand
and thy counsel determined before to be done. I'm glad for those verses They inform us this isn't a mistake
He didn't come down here to set up a kingdom. He came down here
to lay down his life a ransom for many on Purpose and he did
that and he accomplished his purpose all right Acts chapter
13 I Love this verse Acts chapter 13 verse 48. I As those four chariots, four
teams of swift horses move through this world, demonstrated as we
read in the book of Zechariah, pointing out the word of God
and all of its greatness about God's purpose of grace. Going
to the north, to the south, east, and the west, nothing is left
undone. His providence is over the entire world. At the same
time, he's doing what is according to his purpose. And here he finds
one maniac of Gadara, one Lydia, one Ethiopian, one tax collector, a couple of
fishermen I like it because here it says, when the Gentiles heard
this, they were glad and glorified the word of the Lord. What word? He's all-powerful, knows all
things. He's omnipotent, omniscient,
omnipresent. And as many as were ordained
to eternal life believed. Maniac of Gadara. Lydia, whose
heart the Lord opened. And as God moves and preaches
his gospel in wherever he has commanded it to be preached,
same results are going to take place. He's going to be saving
people who are not his people but are now the people of God. The book of Acts chapter 16,
Acts chapter 16, verse 14 and 15, Acts chapter 16, Verse 14 and 15, and a certain
woman named Lydia, a seller of purple of the city of Thyatira.
Now, when we went to the Book of Acts many years ago, I knew
how far Thyatira was from where Paul was with her. It's quite
a walk. She's a long ways from home,
which worshiped God, heard us, whose heart the Lord opened.
Now, that's the only way that she could really worship God.
Before that, she could worship gods. but she couldn't worship
the God. In an unregenerate state, we
cannot worship God. It is so foreign to us. We need
to be given the right and the privilege to worship God. And
by our first birth, we don't have that right and we don't
have that privilege. We're dead in trespasses and sin. So whose
heart the Lord opened, that she attended unto the things which
were spoken of Paul, And when she was baptized in her household,
she besought us, saying, if thou have judged me to be faithful
to the Lord, come into my house and abide there. And she constrained
us. Now, I've had people tell me,
well, there had to be infants in that house. No, there didn't. Neither baptism is for infants. Water baptism isn't for infants.
And God's spirit baptism isn't for infants. Spirit baptism comes at the new
birth. Water baptism comes after that. In the book of Romans, let's
look at Romans chapter 9 and verse 18. The book of Romans
chapter 9 and verse 18, the word says this. Therefore, just think about these
four chariots going off in the four directions, and in their
movement, in their power, in their strength, as a horse and
speed of a chariot, they're saying this. As they go, therefore hath
he mercy on whom he will have mercy, and whom he will he hardeneth. And did you notice Romans chapter
nine is before Romans chapter 10? whom he will, he hardeneth."
The word of God going out across this world, represented by those
horses and chariots, speed and power, on purpose, with deliberation,
Carrying out the purpose and will of God are saying this I
will have mercy on whom I will have mercy That's what he told
Moses. That's what he shared with Moses
I will have mercy on whom I'll have mercy and then in the 11th
chapter of the book of Romans verse 33 Romans chapter 11 in
verse 33 oh the depth of the riches of the wisdom and knowledge of
God. Can you grasp that? Oh, the depth of the riches,
both of the wisdom and knowledge of God. How unsearchable are
his judgments and his ways past finding out. For who hath known the mind of
the Lord? Or who hath been his counselor?
Or who hath first given to him? And it shall be recompensed unto
him again. For of him, and through him, and to him are all things,
to whom be glory forever. Amen. Just hear those, as those
providence of God moves in the world, declaring these truths
about God. Never a contradictory remark
as they travel in the various parts of this world. No contradictory
remark about God. In the book of Lamentations,
the last passage, right after Jeremiah, there's a little book
of the Lamentations of Jeremiah, the Lament of Jeremiah. Lamentations, chapter 3. Lamentations, chapter 3. Verse 37 Who is he that saith, and it
cometh to pass, when the Lord commandeth it not? Out of the
mouth of the Most High proceedeth not evil and good. Wherefore
doth a living man complain, a man for the punishment of his sins?
Let us search and try our ways and turn again unto the Lord. Who is he, verse 37, who is he
that saith, and it cometh to pass, when the Lord commandeth
it not? My goodness, what a statement.
And we just find that falling right on the heels of great is
thy faithfulness, O Lord, unto me. All right, we're going to
stop there and we'll pick up this book of Zechariah in three weeks.