Good evening and welcome to our
studies of the book of Zechariah. I was just thinking as preparing
for this message tonight that it's what a blessing it is that
we have God's Word. And we have the Holy Spirit to
teach us. And I pray that as you listen here and those listening
online, that we'll just count that as a true blessing that
we get to study the Word of God and we have the Teacher, God
Himself, to teach us the truth of God's Word. And no passage
of Scripture contradicts the other passages of scripture.
They are all will completely align themselves when we see
that in the truth of the gospel. So tonight we're going to be
looking at Zechariah chapter 1 and I would like to read here
beginning with verse 13. It's just been real hard for
me to get beyond this verse of scripture because there's so
much in it but let's look at just uh... a few for a few moments
tonight and some of the thoughts that are here and then we're
going to go on uh... to some other verses of scripture
here in the book of Zechariah chapter one Zechariah chapter
one and there in verse thirteen it says and the Lord answered
the angel that talked with me with good words and comfortable
words these good words were ultimately the gospel a Savior supplied
Not after there was a problem But long before there was a problem
With Adam or with the human race there was a lamb slain from the
foundation of the world What comfortable words that is to
a believer today? It may not be that comfortable
before we are born again before we're saved but it is comfortable
words to look back and see that God had already taken care of
the problem. He's not reacting to the fall.
He has already taken care and He has the results already set
up in the person of His Son, the Lord Jesus Christ. In this
wonderful passage of scripture here where it shares with us
that the Lord answered the angel or the messenger with good words
and comfortable words. As we've already said, these
have to be, they are the only thing that can be, are words
pertaining to the gospel. And the gospel shares with us
good words and comfortable words about a savior. We are in desperate
need of a savior. We are in desperate need of someone
who can take care of the problem that we have, the problem that
we're in, as a result of the fall. We are taught in the scriptures,
and though before we're saved we don't realize much about it,
if anything, but we're taught in the scriptures that there's
no way that our works our activities will ever be recognized by God. And when we have that knowledge
given to us by the Holy Spirit, We realize how important it is
to have a Savior. Now, He has to be a mighty Savior.
He has to be an almighty Savior. He has to be a Savior that can
save, and not just one that promises good things or possibilities
of salvation. But we need a Savior. We need
a real Savior to save us from our sins. I'm reminded of that
passage of Scripture in the book of Matthew chapter 1, the instructions
that the stepfather of the Lord Jesus, What received before he
was born thou shall call his name Jesus for he shall save
his people from their sins We need that Savior So let's look
at a few verses here in the old as well as the New Testament
that declare unto us This goodness of God these good and comfortable
words these good words and comfortable words That share with us about
our God turn with me if you would to Isaiah chapter 43 Isaiah chapter
43 And verse 11, would you turn
there with me Isaiah chapter 43 and verse 11 as we have here
and I apologize But for time, I cannot read chapters tonight. I will leave that to you. But
I will read this verse of scripture, verse 11 of chapter 43, where
it says, I, even I, am the LORD. Now that word LORD is in capital
letters, and that always shares with us that the translators
intended for us to know that this is Jehovah. I even I am
the Jehovah I am Jehovah and beside me there is no Savior
there's none other name given under heaven whereby we must
be saved there's only the salvation that god has given to us in christ
jesus the lord and here he is described that there is no other
savior beside me there is no savior he is a savior that really
actually completely totally Saves his people from their sin, and
he is the only one now there may be saviors that deliver us
out of a problem that we've got into or a savior that talks us
out of That getting caught we shouldn't have got caught and
go on with the rest of your life But there's only one Savior that
saves us from our sins the preacher can't save us from our sins the
Sunday school teacher Cannot save us from our sins the prophets
the priests the Kings could not save us from our sins, but this
Savior This one, who we read is spoken of in comfortable words
and good words, this Savior actually saves us from our sins. Again,
here in the book of Isaiah, would you turn with me? Isaiah, chapter
63. Isaiah chapter 63 and there in
verse 8. Isaiah chapter 63 and verse 8,
it tells us in this wonderful passage of scripture, and again
I'm breaking in on a passage of scripture, a lengthy passage
of scripture, that glorifies the Lord Jesus Christ, speaks
of Him as the Savior, and in this one verse it says, Isaiah
chapter 63 in verse 8 for he said surely thy people are my
people children that will not lie for he was their Savior now
will not lie will not lie about where they got the Savior they
will not lie about where they got the word it came out of the
Word of God they will not lie about him as They're absolute
totally and complete Savior They're trusting only in the salvation
of the Lord Jesus Christ and his righteousness his blood and
righteousness and nothing else So he is the Savior of his people
Again, if you will look at a passage of scripture here in the book
of the oath of the oath the Old Testament in the book of Hosea
in the book of Hosea There's a passage of scripture that we'd
like to look at and it's found in Hosea 13 and verse 4 Hosea
chapter 13 and verse 4 Yet I am the Lord thy God Hosea chapter
13 and verse 4 Yet I am the Lord thy God from the land of Egypt
and thou shalt know no god but me for there is no savior beside
me." That's a wonderful thing about God's people. They know
one God. They know one Lord. They know
one master. They know one king. They know
one prophet. They only know one priest. That's
the Savior, the Lord Jesus Christ. Their whole attention is toward
Him. I press towards the mark of the
high calling which is in Christ Jesus. So that's our whole attention
is in Christ Jesus. When we go to the Word of God,
we're looking for the Lord Jesus Christ. Moses wrote of me is
what the Lord Jesus said. And if you'd have believed Moses,
you'd believe me. That's what the Lord Jesus Christ
said. So He is the Savior. There's no Savior beside Him. There's no Savior to present
us before the throne of grace. There's no Savior that would
save us from our sins and would completely and totally make us
respectable before God because of His blood and righteousness.
We can come boldly before His throne of grace. Another passage
of scripture, and now we're going to be going over to the book
of 2 Timothy. 2 Timothy chapter 1 verse 9 Here we find in 2 Timothy chapter
1 verse 9, and we're going to read verses 9 and 10, where it
says, who hath saved us and called us with a holy calling. Now these
are all good words and comfortable words. These are the words the
church just enjoys hearing over and over and over again. The
Lord in his great providence in saving his people from their
sins by the one sacrifice Once in all time forever Once he hath
put away sin forever and here it says who has saved us and
called us with a holy calling not according to our works but
according to his own purpose and grace which was given us
in Christ Jesus before the world began. Here's where it starts,
before the world began. God's love for his people before
the world began. The lamb slain before the foundation
of the world, before the world began. God had an interest in
the people. The covenant of grace was drawn
out. The Father, the Son, and the Holy Spirit in covenant mercy
determining what would be done. how it must be done, how it must
be carried out, how they would deal with the problem that is
going to come, Adam's sin. And it was brought out that there's
only the blood of Jesus Christ puts away sin. The blood of bulls
and goats do not, but the blood of Jesus Christ puts away sin
for time and forever. Purpose of grace, which was given
us in Christ Jesus before the world began, but is now made
manifest by the appearing of our Savior Jesus Christ. Our Savior Jesus Christ. No other
Savior is ever mentioned in the Scriptures. There are those that
pretend to be, but there is no Savior. They can't save. They can't save themselves. They
can't save a leg, an arm, an eye, a mouth. They can't save
any part. And here it says, our Savior, Jesus Christ, who hath
abolished death and hath brought life and immortality to light
through the gospel. And then Paul says, I'm appointed
a preacher about these very things. That's what Paul preached. Jesus
Christ is Savior. It is God that saves. Salvation
is of the Lord. So, these wonderful truths cause
the church to rejoice and they're good words and they're comfortable
words and we never, never get finished in wanting to hear about
Him. Turn with me just another book over here to the book of
Titus. Titus chapter 1. Titus chapter 1. And verse 4, Titus chapter 1
and verse 4, it says here, to Titus, my own son after the common
faith, grace, mercy and peace. Those three words what they entail
what they hold what they have for us. They are good words and
comfortable words grace God's grace God's favor to a people
who did not deserve favor of any kind and mercy he would withhold
what we deserve and peace and the outcome that we'd have peace
with God through our Lord Jesus Christ. We have all of these
rich blessings and they're comfortable words and they're blessed words
and good words to the church and we never tire of hearing
about the grace of God, the mercy of God, and the peace of God
from God the Father and the Lord Jesus Christ our Savior. He is the Savior. He's God's
Savior and being God's Savior, He's the only Savior. He is the
God, the Savior. And God has authorized Him. The
covenant of grace authorized Him. The covenant of grace recognized
Him as the only Savior into the church. Those are good words
and they are comfortable words. One more time here in the book
of Titus. Would you turn with me to Titus chapter 2. Titus chapter 2 and there in
verse 13. Titus chapter 2 and verse 13
looking for that blessed hope and glorious appearing of the
great God and our Savior Jesus Christ I think at every age There
have been circumstances going on that caused God's people to
yearn for the returning of the Lord Jesus Christ for his return
we're looking for that blessed hope and that glorious appearing
of our great God and our Savior Jesus Christ, one and the same,
our great God and our Savior Jesus Christ. And He has promised
to return. As He went, He shall come back.
The day or the hour, we don't know. It's not up to us to know.
But we do know this, that His promise that he will save all
his people and when that last person that he has directed that
he has ordained that he has elected that his name was written in
the Lamb's Book of Life that Jesus Christ died for on the
cross that he arose again the third day for and ascended back
to the to the throne room of God for that last one is saved
then this will be over and we surely will see the blessed hope
fulfilled the glorious appearing of our great God and Savior Jesus
Christ what a glorious thing and it's good words and comfortable
words that we have and one more here in the New Testament would
you turn with me to 2nd Peter 2nd Peter chapter 3 and verse
18 2nd Peter chapter 3 in verse
18 as we look at this passage of scripture. It says but grow
in grace and and in the knowledge of our Lord and Savior, Jesus
Christ. What a glorious thing that is,
that we get to grow in grace. That's why we study God's Word.
That's why we want to hear the gospel. That's why we want to
go hear preachers preach. That's why we want to listen
to preachers preach the truth of the gospel, not some falsehood. Oh my goodness, how that just
brings God's people down to hear people lie about God, lie about
His purpose, lie about Who he is, lie about his salvation,
lie about him being a savior. The first thing that someone
might say about God that doesn't know, the first thing about him
is he's trying. And when they use that word trying,
they are just identifying themselves as someone who has never been
saved by the grace of God. Says but grow in grace grow in
the unmerited favor of God grow in all that he's done More and
more launch out into the deep launch out look at the scriptures
as a whole as they declare and picture and type and shadow of
the Lord Jesus Christ and throughout the Old Testament throughout
the New Testament Growing grace and in the knowledge of our Lord
and Savior Jesus Christ We will not see anything about Christ
unless it be revealed to us But oh, let us study the word and
pray that the Holy Spirit will open up these scriptures to us
that we might see him As he is we might see him in his glory.
We might see him in his ministry we might see him as he is the
Savior and saving his people from their sins and that he doesn't
go anywhere without a purpose. Never did while he was on this
earth, and he never went anywhere that he didn't have an appointment
to keep, and that's the way it is today. He goes, everything
he does is on purpose, and he goes where he pleases, but it
is an appointment. He must, needs go, and he brings
the gospel faithfully wherever his lost sheep are, and the Holy
Spirit in companionship with the Father and the Son is willing,
able, great, mighty, powerful enough to give the new birth
in the preaching of the gospel. It's a glorious thing. In fact,
as the prophet summed it up, they're good words and comfortable
words. Grow in grace and in the knowledge
of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ. To Him be glory both
now and forever. Amen. What good words, what comfortable
words those are. But let us go back and look at
some more here in the book of Zechariah. Zechariah, and I won't
promise that I won't be back here in this verse 13 again,
but let's go back to chapter one again of the book of Zechariah.
Zechariah chapter one, and let's read verses 14 and 15, and we're
not making a lot of comment there, but we want to get into verse
16. Verse 14, so the angel that communed with me and said unto
me, cry thou saying. OK, preach. Declare this. In some ways, we have that mentioned
similar over in the book of Ezekiel at the Valley of Dry Bones. Can
these dry bones live? And Ezekiel said, Lord, thou
knowest. And he says, declare unto them. Preach unto them. Call unto them. Cry unto them. Now, there wasn't
a thing that Ezekiel could do, and there's not a thing that
Zechariah could do, and there's not a thing that you and I could
do to produce this work, but there is a need to declare the
Word of God, and in that, God has purposed, He has purposed
in the covenant of grace through the preaching of the gospel to
save them that believe, those He gives belief to, those He
has faith given to. So it says here, Declare thus
saith the Lord of hosts. I am jealous for Jerusalem and
for Zion Oh, please may we get past what is so commonly taught
in the world today? There's such a dishonor to God
dishonor to the gospel dishonor to the church dishonor to to
the very message of the grace and let's get beyond looking
at all of this only fulfilled literally let's look at this
as it truly was meant and and that is in a spiritual context
where we have in this passage of scripture that the Lord of
hosts, thus saith the Lord of hosts, I am jealous for the church
and for the people that make up the church with great jealousy. That means I care about them. I'm zealous for them. Wherever
they are, I am jealous for them. I am zealous for them. Whatever pit they have dug themselves
into, whatever trade they have gone to, whatever lie they're
living, whatever desecration they're mixed up with whatever
attitude towards a thrice holy God they hold God said for my
people for Jerusalem and Zion. I am jealous for them. I Will
retrieve them. I will find them and bring them
back I will go into the mountains and the highways and the byways
and I will find all that belong to me I'm jealous for them. I
care about them and Want them in fact we find that the covenant
of grace as it's determined in Jesus Christ the Lord God needs
them to Fulfill his eternal purpose so he will take care of it. I'm
jealous for them And then he talks about there in verse 14
or 15 I am very sore displeased with the heathen now the heathen
have the world Esau Esau has hated God's people the Esau's
of the world hate God's people and here it brings it out there
I'm very displeased with the heathen. I'm very displeased
with the Esau's that are at ease. They they don't mind putting
the Jacobs in Uncomfortable positions they don't mind punishing Jacobs. They don't mind holding them
down, but God's jealous over them. I'm very Displeased I'm
a little displeased and they and they helped forward the affliction
So God said I am jealous over them and I will find them and
those folks that have been mean and ornery just as they were
to national Israel God punished them and He will greatly much
more deal with those who deal with the church with Zion with
Jerusalem and bring heaviness upon them He will deal with them
in his manner at the appointed time He is the one that can make
them pay the very last farthing and he will well as we move on
here, I want to get to a Verse 16 here verse 16. Let's look
at verse 16 for a few moments in the time We have left verse
16 of the book of Zechariah Zechariah chapter 1 verse 16. We have these
beautiful words said about the Lord Jesus Therefore thus saith
the Lord I am returned to Jerusalem with mercies my house shall be
built in it saith the lord of hosts and a line shall be stretched
forth upon jerusalem now we're not going to get over here to
this portion of scripture tonight but would you look with me at
the next chapter Chapter 2, verses 1 and 2. Just to keep these things
in mind as we read through, let's read ahead if you can and have
time. I lifted up my eyes again and
looked, and behold, a man with a measuring line in his hand. Then said I, what a blessing
that is that we get to ask God questions. We get to ask of him.
Now, sometimes he doesn't answer, and that's his business. But
we're satisfied that that is his business. But here we have
these words asked, Then said I, Whither goest thou? Zechariah
said, Then he said unto me, To measure Jerusalem, to see what
is the breadth thereof, and what is the length thereof. He has
a measuring line. That's the wonderful thing about
a line, as it's mentioned here. Jerusalem, the church, has specific
measurements. It has specific outlines. It has specific alleys, doors. It is a city whose builder and
maker is God, and He has done it and ordained it with great
pleasure. Now, we find that too many people,
too many people this way is just too straight and they want to
go somewhere else. But the church is compacted together
and God's people don't mind being attached to the Lord Jesus Christ
and embracing themselves at the same time. What a glory that
is. And we'll get to that in the
future here. But let us look here In the first
part of this verse, the first part of verse 16, the Word shares
with us these wonderful things. And I mentioned at the beginning
what a blessing it is that we can hold God's Word. Hold God's
Word in our hands. We can have it before our eyes.
We can read it. We can be blessed by it. We have
God's Word. We can hear someone preach it
in truth, in simplicity, glorify God in it. And what a blessing.
But verse 16, I am, therefore, thus saith the Lord, I am returned
to Jerusalem with mercies. It was Jerusalem that had turned
away and was carried into captivity. It was Adam that fell and carried
us all away into captivity, though there was only ruins. There was
the memory of what it was. You know, we have that recorded
in the scripture. In the book of Genesis, the first
couple chapters, three chapters there, we have what it was. God
visiting with his people. God visiting with Adam, with
Eve. And in the fall, we have the man hiding himself and covering
himself with fig leaves. He knew he was naked. So God
tells us a little bit about what it was. And here we have, I,
thus saith the Lord, I am returned to Jerusalem. is glorious that
God would return the clear promise from the covenant of grace I
Will return and more than that I am returned to Jerusalem with
mercies We find that at the very beginning when God provided in
his mercy He provided coats of skins. In his mercy, he called
out Abel. And Abel, not on his own by any
means, but because of the grace of God, the mercy of God, and
the peace of God, he was able to offer a more excellent sacrifice. Abel was declaring to his brother,
to his mother, and to his father, I'm a sinner in need of a substitute. That's what he was doing. And
we have the only way that could happen That God returned with
mercy returned to Jerusalem. I will return I am returned to
Jerusalem with mercies the presence of the Lord is better than life
itself to Jerusalem and to Zion the mercies that we have Recorded
in the scripture. I've just listed a few but there
are many different aspects of the mercies of God we have pardoned
and We have God's pardon. He has pardoned us from our sin,
and the only way that He could do that is that our sin was placed
on a substitute. We have been imputed His righteousness. He was imputed our sin. We have
been given the quickening of the Holy Spirit. What does that
mean? That means we've been raised from the spiritual dead. We've
been made to be alive. We've been raised in spiritual
life in Christ Jesus. We have a renewing. The renewing
of our mind, dead as it was, darkened as it was, we've been
given the light of the Lord Jesus Christ. We've been revived. We've
been brought back. We have comforting. God comforts
his people with a comfortableness that will get nowhere else. He
speaks to us in good words and comfortable words, and he strengthens
his people. Oh, he strengthened those folks
that left Babylon and went to Jerusalem. Two different groups
of them went, and he strengthened them. They made it. There's no
record of anybody being lost in the wilderness. There is no
deaths in the wilderness. They are brought to Jerusalem.
There is no barren hearts, barren land where our God comes. So it's going to be a sweet place. Jerusalem that now is, is not
a sweet place. We don't get any comfort in Judaism,
and by that I mean in legalism. We don't get any comfort there.
We get comfort in Christ. We don't get comfort in the law.
We get comfort in Christ as the fulfiller of the law. So let's
look at a few verses that have to do with this wonderful blessing
that God has given as His mercies are brought back as they come
to Jerusalem. As He has promised, I have these
sure mercies of David. In fact, I am returned to Jerusalem
with mercies. How glorious that was. He says
in the scriptures as a type, it actually happened to national
Israel, to many of those, that they were taken off into Babylonian
captivity. But he also promised them that
that captivity would last only 70 years. Now to some people
that may be a long time. But if you're waiting for grace,
and you know it's coming, 70 years is not that long. when
it comes to eternity. So we're thankful that it was
70 years in the fullness of time, in the fullness of time, at the
right time, when it pleased God, they were set free. Now turn
with me, if you would, over to the book of Deuteronomy, chapter
32, for a moment. Old Testament with New Testament
words. And I say that. But if you just
turn with me here to the book of Deuteronomy. Deuteronomy,
chapter 32. verse 2 Deuteronomy chapter 32
in verse 2 now let's read verses 1 & 2 give ear O ye heavens and
I will speak and hear O earth the words of my mouth my doctrine
shall drop as the rain my speech shall distill as the dew as the
small rain upon the tender herb and the showers upon the grace
upon the grass excuse me I'll publish the name of the Lord
ascribe you greatness unto our God my doctrine my teaching my
Salvation my glory my mercy my peace my grace are like drops
of rain Now you may live in a place that gets lots of rain but the
church here in the Dow's lives in a place where we get 14 inches
of rain a year on the average and And we've had a long time
without rain. And Wednesday night, tonight,
it rained. It's just a blessing to get that
rain and we're looking forward to more rain Help put out some
of the fires and settle the dust and here we have that very blessed
thing living in a dry and thirsty land and have it rain and the
Lord says my doctrine my teaching my grace my glory my mercy my
peace shall drop as the rain of My speech shall distill as
the dew. Oh to have that dew on and the
morning What a glorious thing it is to have this very blessing
and the Lord said I'll come to Jerusalem with mercies I'll pour
out my mercies upon Jerusalem and he continues to do that to
this very day when it comes to the church All right, turn with
me if you would to the book of Isaiah Isaiah chapter 26 Isaiah
chapter 26 and verse 19 Isaiah 26 and verse 19 we back up here. We'll find some more about the
Lord It says here in verse 19 though thy dead men shall live
now that's an impossibility unless God's in it and that's the business
of God to raise the dead and That's the business of Jesus
Christ to raise the dead. He raised them physically while
he's upon the earth. He raised them spiritually while
he's upon the earth. There was a man that was next
to him on the cross that God gave to him spiritual resurrection
just before he met the grave. This wonderful promise here thy
dead men shall live together with thy dead body shall they
arise Awake and sing ye that dwell in dust For thy dew is
as the dew of herbs and the earth shall cast out the dead thy do
that sure mercies the mercies of the Lord how blessed they
are they're like dew in the morning they're like rain and The early
and latter reign were dependent upon those mercies of God, and
they are ours because of Jesus Christ the Lord. Again in the
book of Isaiah, would you turn there to the book of Isaiah?
Isaiah chapter 44. Isaiah chapter 44, and there
in verse 3. Isaiah 44 in verse 3. Will pour water upon you that
is upon him that is thirsty But mercy God has declared here as
he uses a metaphor to speak of spiritual blessings I will pour
water upon him that is thirsty and floods upon the dry ground
and My goodness, can you just see that in your mind's eye,
the picture that the Lord gives us of His spiritual blessings
to us? Can you see that with me? I'll pour water upon him
that is thirsty. Oh my, to be so thirsty and to
have that water given to us, and we don't know. until the
Lord gives us that thirst. Blessed is he that hungers and
thirsts after righteousness. That blessed is only something
God can do for us. Otherwise, we'll just continue
on as the prodigal son, enjoying swill, pig's food, and not even
think a thing about it. It wasn't until the Lord gave
him a mind to see, eyes to hear, and And ears to eyes to see and
ears to hear that he had any interest in going back home He
was satisfied with eating that garbage food and people are until
the Lord blesses them as we read here I'll pour water upon him
that is thirsty and floods upon the dry ground and Will pour
my spirit upon thy seed and my blessing upon thine offspring
Might have the Spirit of God come and raise us teach us Teach
us the Word of God teach us about the covenant of grace teach us
about the Lord Jesus teach us about the father Teach us about
his word teach us about heaven teach us all the things about
salvation. Oh the that Jesus Christ is the
means of every spiritual blessing That's what God does, and those
words are good and comfortable, and it just declares unto us
how that God brings mercies. I'll bring mercies to Jerusalem
and to Zion. Another passage that we want
to look at is found here in Micah chapter 5. Micah chapter 5. Micah chapter 5 and verse 7. Micah chapter 5 and verse 7 it
says and the remnant of Jacob Shall be in the midst of many
people as a dew from the Lord as the showers upon the grass
The remnant of Jacob they're scattered all over Like as the
gospel goes out His word is used in the truth of the gospel, not
this phony stuff that's being preached that nobody's saved
by but everybody gets religious and becomes Pharisees. That's
not the gospel. The gospel is there's a remnant
of Jacob. There is some people that God
had his eye on before the foundation of the world. God had an interest
in before the foundation of the world. God knew their names and
he wrote their names down before the foundation of the world.
That remnant That is, be in the midst of many people, as the
dew from the Lord, as showers upon the grass, that tarrieth
not for man, nor waiteth for the sons of men. And the remnant
of Jacob shall be among the Gentiles in the midst of many people,
as a lion among the beasts of the forest, as a young lion among
the flocks of the sheep, who, if he go through, both treadeth
down and tarreth in pieces, and none can sever. None can deliver
this remnant of Jacob this beautiful picture is they're scattered
I'll go find them. I'll show them the sure mercies
of David and also if you'd look with me in In the book of Hosea
chapter 15 Hosea chapter 15 Hosea chapter 15 and verse 5 Hosea chapter 14 and verse 5,
I will be as the dew unto Israel. He shall grow as the lily and
cast forth his roots as Lebanon. His branches shall spread, and
His beauty shall be as the olive tree, and as the smell as Lebanon. I will be as the dew unto Israel. My mercies will be upon them."
Oh, the blessings of this. The blessings that God has for
His people are immeasurable. And yet, he sums it up there
when he says, I will show Jerusalem mercies. I'll show Jerusalem
my mercies. Isaiah chapter 62. Isaiah chapter 62. Isaiah chapter
62 and verse 4. Thou shall no more just remember
this I am returned to Jerusalem with mercies I Am returned and
here we read in verse 4 of Isaiah 62 Thou shalt no more be termed
forsaken Neither shall thy land be anymore be termed desolate
But thou shalt be called Hesba Hepsaba And thy land, Beulah,
for the Lord delighteth in thee, and thy land shall be married. Hephzibah, that is, my delight
is in her. And Beulah, married. What does that say there? Thou
shalt no more be termed forsaken. I will show mercies. I will give
mercies to the church. And so as we think about these
things, how glorious is the mercies of God. God's mercy is to give
us some part to perceive, a heart
to perceive, to hear, eyes to see, ears to hear. Until this
very day, God is doing that, giving that to people through
the preaching of the gospel. He tells us in Deuteronomy chapter
29 and verse 4, with regard to most of national Israel, I don't
give that to you. Yet the Lord has not given you
a heart to perceive and eyes to see and ears to hear. And
to this day, that's why they couldn't do anything but what
they did. I've had people tell me, if I was back there, I'd
do something different. No, you wouldn't. You wouldn't either,
unless God gave you a heart to perceive and eyes to see and
ears to hear, you'd be stuck where you are. Why was there
10 evil spies? Because they didn't have a heart
to understand. They came back with the words,
great land, great land. but we can't do it. God can't
help us." And those two spies came back who understood the
gospel, who understood grace, who understood mercy, who understood
somewhat about God and said, he is able. So as we look at
the mercies of God, the sweet mercies of God to Jerusalem,
we are thankful again to be able to recount the mercies of God
towards the church. He is like dew from heaven. He
is like the rain from heaven. He is like the sweet blessings
of Israel. He is the balm of Gilead. He is the milk of the kind of
Bashan. He is the rivers of water that
flow. He is everything to the church.
Well, we are going to close now and we look forward to the time
when we can return to the book of Zechariah and we hope you
can too. May God bless you. Amen.