Would you join me in the book
of Zachariah? Zachariah. It's so good to be
home. We'd been there about 30 minutes
and I says, I'm looking forward to being home. It was a great time. I enjoyed
being with those folks back there. They seem to enjoy the messages. Zachariah chapter 1. If you turn
there with me in Zachariah chapter 1 and I'm gonna start reading
with verse seven. Now we started a section here
in this book of Zechariah that most commentators share with
us that it's the end times. But it is in reality, it is sharing
with us the omniscience of God. And I wanna say this right up
front tonight. There's only one being that is omniscient. So
often I hear about other created beings, Satan, being omniscient,
omnipresent, and omnipotent, almost in the same regard that
God is. And I'm here to tell you, he
is not. He cannot read your mind. He
doesn't know what you're doing. Only God knows that. And we are
so thankful. Now, whatever capacity that Satan
has today in this world, he's God's Satan. Whatever capacity
the demons have in this world today, they're God's demons. So they're not running rampant.
They're under harness. They have reins on. God is controlling
them as he does all things. So when we look at omniscience,
we're looking at one being and one being alone that has omniscience,
and that is Almighty God. And he's sharing with that in
that very thing here in this passage of scripture. It tells
us, beginning with verse 7, and upon the fourth and twentieth
day of the eleventh month, which is the month Sebat, in the second
year of Darius came the word of the Lord unto Zechariah, the
son of Berechiah, the son of Ido, the prophet, saying, I saw
by night, and behold, a man riding upon a red horse, and he stood
among the myrtle trees that were in the bottom. and behind him
were their red horses speckled and white. Then said I, oh my
Lord, what are these? Now, I brought a message from
this back there in Missouri, and I got some nods when I said,
isn't it wonderful that we can find in the scriptures that we
don't have to know everything? Here, this prophet says, what
does this mean? What is this about? And so it's
okay for us to be there. It's better to be there than
to make a statement about things we don't know about and then
find out we're completely wrong. So what does this mean? Then
said I, O Lord, what are these? And the angel that talked with
me said unto me, I will show thee what these be. The man that
stood among the myrtle trees answered and said, these are
they whom the Lord has sent to walk to and fro through the earth.
Now this is a symbolic language sharing with us concerning the
omniscience of God. He does not need to send out
anybody for information. He didn't need to have information
given back to him by Adam, identifying where he was in the garden. He
knew where he was, but we have him ask that question for us
to know that Adam didn't know where he was. He's the problem,
is he didn't know where he was. He hid himself in the garden
with all of those fig leaves on, and God came to him. Now
here, in this day and this time, when Zachariah is a prophet in
Jerusalem, after the first wave at least, maybe even after the
second wave of settlers came back from Babylon, He is here
and this is being shared with him that God Almighty knows everything
that is going on wherever they are. And they answered the angel
of the Lord that stood among the myrtle trees and said, we
have walked to and fro through the earth, and behold, all the
earth sitteth and is at rest. Now we notice there in the Psalms
that the author of one of the Psalms says, I almost slipped.
I was almost on slippery places when I got to thinking about
how good lost people have it, that they have wealth, and they
have power, and they have everything they want, apparently, it looks
like that. And then, the Lord showed me
their end. When I went to the house of the
Lord, when I heard the gospel, when I heard the word of God,
and I considered their end, I saw their end, I wanted no part of
it. So it's better to have the Lord
than riches. And then, the angel of the Lord
answered and said, O Lord of hosts, how long wilt thou not
have mercy on Jerusalem, and on the cities of Judah, against
which thou hast had indignation these threescore and ten years."
Now, if you notice that, that's a 70-year period that they'd
spent in Babylonian captivity. We're going to look at that.
That was some of the best news that anybody could have heard.
Only 70 years. He could have sent them off forever.
There was nothing attractive about Judah or Jerusalem that
would prevent God from sending them off forever except his covenant
that he promised the Messiah through Judah. And Judah must
be preserved for that reason alone. And the Lord answered
the angel that talked with me. Now, we're going to spend some
time on this verse tonight because it says, talked with me with
good words and comfortable words. So the angel that communed with
me said unto me, cry thou saying, thus saith the Lord of hosts,
I am jealous for Jerusalem and for Zion with great jealousy.
Well, in that verse of scripture, that last one that we read, and
we'll not spend a lot of time there, but I want to say this,
that In that verse of scripture, the Lord is sharing that he has
a great deal of care for the church. Even though it may be
in bad circumstances, he has a great deal of care for the
church. Now let's just review a little
bit about omniscience. He knows everything, everything
possible, everything actual, all events, all creatures, the
past, the present, and the future as if it was always the present. He is so intimately acquainted
with the events that went on in the Garden of Eden as he is
with us being gathered here tonight. There is no history with God
in the sense that we know history. It is a present item and it was
covered in the covenant of grace. He had purposed the things that
were going to happen long before they happened. So he has all
knowledge about it because he has purposed all things. He knows
the end from the beginning. So he has such intimate knowledge
of what happened in the heart and mind of Adam, there in the
Garden of Eden when he completely and totally disobeyed God. He
knew that very event and it is just as real to God this moment
as you and I meeting here tonight. All events like that and smaller
events and greater events, even the amount of hair you lost this
morning when you took your shower. He knows the hair of our head,
every number by name and all the planets. All right. Turn
with me if you would to a verse over in the book of Hebrews chapter
4. What a wonderful verse of scripture this is when it comes
to the church. When it comes to those who are
not part of the church, it's no wonder that People do their
dead level best not to think about their responsibility before
God. Because if there is a God, and
he is a God that is going to do what the Bible said he's going
to do, then everything, everybody will stand before him in judgment. Now notice this verse of scripture
in Hebrews chapter 4 and verse 13. Hebrews chapter 4 and verse
13, neither is there any creature that is not manifest in his sight. They're not hidden from him.
There's not one creature, not one gnat, not one person, not
one whale, not one galaxy, nothing. Neither is there any creature
that is not manifest in his sight, But all things are naked and
open unto the eyes of him with whom we have to do. We said we're
gonna have to do with him. Now we're gonna have to do with
him personally if we don't have to do with him in Christ. Those
on the left hand will deal with him personally. And the mouths
will be shut and they will, I grew up with this saying, they're
gonna say nobody ever told me. And that's not gonna happen.
because their mouths will be shut before Almighty God, and
they will know exactly that they're getting justice. Justice will
be served, and they will be told, I never knew you, and they will
understand that in their whole being. They'll understand that
the judgment that is passed upon them is just judgment. God is
going to let them know that. just as much as it is upon the
church, we will know that we didn't deserve any of this. We
don't deserve the very glories of the Lord, we don't deserve
the very presence of the Lord, we don't deserve the very hope
of the Lord, we don't deserve any grace of the Lord. And that's
the difference between the church and the world, is the world says
I deserve it, and the church says I don't deserve it. And
sinners, I guarantee you this, sinners will go to heaven. Self-righteous
will go to hell. That's it. All right. Now, turn
with me over to the book of Hosea, if you would. There's a lot said
in the book of Hosea. I hope, sometimes I wonder, but
I hope I never forget that message that we heard from the book of
Hosea long time ago. Hosea. chapter 7, Hosea chapter
7, and there in verse 2, Hosea chapter 7 and verse 2, and they
consider not in their hearts that I remember all their wickedness. Now isn't that an interesting
verse? I had to check that verse to make sure the ink was dry
because I read Hosea several times, and I've never noticed
that verse. And they consider not in their
hearts that I remember all their wickedness. Now their own doings
have beset them about. They are before my face. Now aren't you thankful that
the opposite to the church, he says, I looked for your iniquities
and could not find them. That's a wonderful thought, and
yet to the goats, he said, you are trying your very best to
hide this from me, but you can't do it, and the church is saying,
oh, thank you that you didn't remember that. And here we are,
many years past the day that God acquainted himself with us,
and we have the blessed privilege of having him say again, on this
day, your mercies are new every morning. One more time, you have
promised not to remember my iniquities and my sins again. What a blessed
thing it is. In the book of Acts chapter 4,
let's go back to the book of Acts chapter 4 for just a moment,
and then we're going to go back and read that verse over in the
book of Zechariah again. Acts chapter 4. Some disciples
were threatened. They were really threatened.
They were threatened, don't you dare preach this man again. Don't you preach the resurrection
of Jesus Christ. I'm sure those in authority all
said, that's an old wives tale. But those disciples knew different,
just as every believer knows different. They can say it if
they want, but that's just another thing that God says, I'm marking
this down, I'm marking this down. All right, here in the book of
Acts chapter four, after they're released, they get together and
they pray. The value that we find in scripture
that God placed on just getting together. Just getting together
and praying. Acts chapter four, verse 23.
We read these words, it says, and being let go, they went to
their own company There's a lot to be said in their own company.
They thought alike. They had the same interest in
the gospel. They had the same interest in
the Lord. And reported all that the chief priests and elders
had said unto them. And when they heard that, they
lifted up their voice to God with one accord. And said, Lord,
thou art God, which has made heaven and and the sea and all
that in them is. What are they saying there? You
already know about this, don't you? You already know about it. In fact, you purposed this. And we're thankful to be in it.
But we're thankful to be released too, just as you purposed. Who
by the mouth of thy servant David hath said, why did the heathen
rage, and the people imagine vain things? The kings of the
earth stood up, and rulers were gathered together against the
Lord and against his Christ. For of a truth against thy holy
child Jesus, whom thou hast anointed, both Herod and Pontius Pilate,
with the Gentiles, and the people of Israel, were gathered together.
That's just about everybody mentioned there. for to do whatsoever thy
hand and thy counsel determined before to be done. So they understood
omniscience. They also understood omnipotence.
They also understood every characteristic and attribute of God is so glorious
to the church. And as we learn about them and
more and more about each one of them, we find ourselves glorifying
the God of heaven in his character, his being, and his redemptive
work, and that's why we appreciate the gospel of the Lord Jesus
Christ. It is so glorious. All right,
would you join me back there in the book of Ezra for just
a moment? Book of Ezra. In the book of Ezra, once again,
chapter one, the book of Ezra, excuse me, Zechariah. Zechariah. Zechariah chapter 1 In verse 11 we notice there that
behold all the earth sit is still and is at rest Now he's speaking
of the difference between the Jacob's and the Esau's Jacob
have I loved All the world, all of the Esau's
look like they're at rest. Now, God's omniscience is toward
all the earth, yet we're going to find out it is especially
toward the church. When we find out just how involved
he is in his omniscience toward the church, everybody that is
blood bought, purchased, redeemed by the blood of the Lamb, how
much omniscience is toward them. It is all toward them. The whole
purpose of grace is on behalf of the church. The covenant of
grace is on behalf of the church. The new covenant is on behalf
of the church. The everlasting covenant is on
behalf of the church. The love of God is on behalf
of the church. The mercy of God is on behalf
of the church. Every characteristic and attribute
of God is on behalf of the church. It's for us. It's for his glory,
but it is for our benefit. So he looks and sees all things
as they are. But we notice in that very next
verse, it says, then the angel of the Lord answered and said,
O Lord of hosts, how long wilt thou not have mercy on Jerusalem? Now, it looks like to the world
that God has no mercy upon Jerusalem, upon the church, because of the
suffering that has gone through over time. The things that have
happened to people in the church, we just read during the times
of the disciples and the things that took place upon God's people. Much of it in the New Testament
was caused by one who's going to be one of the great preachers
of the gospel, and that's Saul of Tarsus. That came upon the
church. And he said to Saul of Tarsus,
when he stopped him on the road to Damascus, he said, why persecutest
thou me? Because God knew what was going
on with the church. All others, all Esau's, they
are hewers of wood and drawers of water, but he's going to have
compassion on the church. It is, as we go into the next
verse there, chapter two, excuse me, chapter
two and verse eight, it says, For thus saith the Lord of hosts,
after the glory hath he sent me unto the nations which spoiled
you, for he that toucheth you touches the apple of his eye. So the church is the apple of
his eye, where spiritual Israel is. We're not gonna give that
to national Israel, it is the spiritual Israel. Now some of
you may ask, what is the apple of your eye? Have you ever stood
close enough that you could see your reflection in someone else's
eyeball? That's the apple of the eye. And that's God's care
of the church. He is so close to his people.
They are the apple of his eye. He sees, we see our reflection
in his eyes and he can see us. All right. And then as we look
at this passage, it tells us there in verse 12, it says, how long? Hast thou had indignation? These
three score in ten years. Seventy years. Now we say, my
goodness, they were put in Babylonian captivity for 70 years. And the
believer looks at it and says, it could have been a lot longer.
How long were we in Babylonian captivity? before the Lord came
and appeared to us and set us free. It could have been a lot
longer. It could have been all our life and never have seen
the grace of God. So he knows. And here is a metaphorical
statement about how long we are left in our sin until the almighty
God comes by with the gospel and retrieves us out of the pit.
How long? 70 years. Well, hallelujah, if
we get to see him in 70 years. Or 80. It's the mercy of God. And then
in verse 13, and the Lord answered the angel and talked with me.
Now, where in the world are we going to find these kinds of
words? What's it say there? Talked with
me with good words and comfortable words. I just said, Oh my goodness.
He spoke to me with good words and comfortable words. Now, we
remember that passage over in the book of Isaiah chapter 40
verses 1 and 2 where it says, comfort ye, comfort ye my people. And the only comfort that the
people of God have is to know that he has put away our sin,
that we're justified in his sight, that he has redeemed us by his
blood. Let's turn over there to Isaiah chapter 40 verses 1
and 2. Isaiah chapter 40. Comfortable
words, good words and comfortable words. Isaiah chapter 40, verses
one and two. This is the command, if you please,
of a minister of the gospel. This is the command of the teacher
of the gospel. This is the command of the people
of God. Comfort ye, comfort ye my people. If nothing else, we
have ever heard but that our sins have been put away that
should cause us to rejoice. Here it says, Isaiah 40, verses
one and two. Comfort ye, comfort ye my people,
saith your God. Speak ye comfortably to Jerusalem,
and cry unto her that her warfare is accomplished. The conflict
is over. We had conflict with God. Another
way of putting it is found in the book of Romans, enmity with
God. bitterness, raised clenched fists
towards God. I will not have this king rule
over me. And by the grace of God, he brings
us to our knees and causes us to love him with a love like
we've never loved before. Goes on to tell us there, the
warfare, your conflict is over. that her iniquity is pardoned,
for she hath received of the Lord's hand double for all her
sins. Now, that's a metaphorical statement if we find in the scripture. He just said, he completely took
care of it. He didn't pay twice for it, but
he took care of it the first time. And it's as if he had paid
for it twice. Everything is completely taken
care of. Now, this comfort that we have The gospel is the comfort. The only true words of comfort
are found in the gospel. And the Redeemer paying the redemptive
price to redeem all the church from all her sins. Now there
is no comfort in the law. There is no comfort in the law. There is no comfort in works. Because it's never enough. There's no comfort in self-righteousness. There's no comfort in self-glorification. And there certainly is no comfort
in God's judgment and wrath. There is no comfort there. Our
comfort is in the gospel. Our comfort is in the gospel
of the Lord Jesus Christ. The good news of a Redeemer actually
redeeming a people and making them so much more than savable,
but saved. I'm jealous, he says, over Jerusalem
and Zion with a great jealousy. That's in verse 14 of Zechariah
1. Sometimes the word translated
jealous and jealousy by context is translated zealous or with
great zealousness. I am zealous over Jerusalem. I have great zealousness over,
I have great care over Jerusalem. The church is like a garden enclosed. It's what we find in the book
of Song of Solomon. It's like a garden enclosed.
A wall of fire about her. All the protective care that
God could give is given to the church. Now let's just think
about some wonderful, good words and comfortable words. The first
that I could find is found in Genesis. Now when God brought
forth green grass, that's a comfort to me because that means that
he is able to do all things. Out of nothing to make something.
Out of the earth, out of nothing to make the earth. Out of nothing
to make man. Out of nothing to do all those
things. But turn with me to the book of Genesis chapter 3 and
verse 15. And we read there these wonderful
words that are comforting, good words and comfortable words are
found in Genesis chapter 3 and verse 15. Good words and comfortable
words here in the mess. At the very time of the fall,
the great event that Adam brought upon the world, and I appreciate
more than you know the words that every Adam of the universe
was affected. Nothing was left unscathed. And
yet in that mess, here we hear these words, verse 15. And God
said, I'll put enmity between thee and the woman, and between
thy seed and her seed, and it shall bruise thy head. Now that
word bruise means crush. The seed of the woman will crush
the head of the serpent. And all that that symbolizes.
Now it does say the same word about the heel of the seed of
the woman. I will crush his heel. But that
doesn't mean putting him out of existence. The blood of Christ
will do a death throw to every enemy of the church, every enemy
of God. Sin, death, hell, Satan, all
that has been taken care of. There was a death blow, a crushing
of the head of all that by the Son of God. Now, in the covenant
of graces, as if it had already happened, that's why Abel could
be saved, Adam and Eve could be saved, Abraham could be saved.
Why? Because in the mind of God it
was already taking place and at the cross the fulfillment
of it. The check was written, it's a good check. I will make
it good and I'll demonstrate my goodness at the cross. So
all these folks that are listed in Hebrews chapter 11, saved
by the same grace we're saved by, God took them out of the
pit and set them on a solid rock, just like he does today. So we
have that glorious thing. Now, would you turn with me to
Matthew chapter 1? Interesting verse here in Matthew
chapter 1, because there's a promise made. And now we get to Matthew
chapter 1, and we have a genealogy. What's in a genealogy? Well,
look here in Matthew chapter 1 and verse 17. from Abraham. Now we could look
in the scriptures and count the generations back from Abraham
to Adam. That would be an easy thing to
do because there are several lists of those. But notice here
in verse 17, God's promise. I'm going to see in the seed
of the woman. Here's the timeline. The promise
will be kept on time. It says in verse 17, so all the
generations from Abraham to David are 14 generations. My oh my,
we've made it a third of the way. All generations from Abraham
to David are 14 generations. If we follow this out, we're
going to find out that's one-third of the way, but we're not there
yet. So he goes on to the next one. He says, from David and
to the carrying away into Babylon are 14 generations. Yahoo, we're
two-thirds of the way home. All those events in between there. Yet, we find the next one, and
from the carrying away into Babylon and to Christ are 14 generations
home. We made it. Here's the Messiah,
just as was promised in Genesis chapter three and verse 15. Took
a long time, but right on God's time scale, and here, 14 generations,
14 generations, and 14 generations, and here be the Christ. Now,
why don't we have generations since then? Because it's not
necessary. God's people are gonna be reaped
in, brought in, in that time period after the cross, just
like it was before the cross. We look back, they look forward,
and yet we don't have to have a timeline because the Lord Jesus
Christ ascended back to the Father and is sitting at the right hand
of the Father, waiting for that end, when the last sheep is saved,
and God will come back, Christ will come back, just like He
promised. In the book of Genesis chapter 15, Genesis chapter 15,
would you turn there with me? Genesis chapter 15. In Genesis chapter 15, God's speaking
to Abraham. You know, for a long time, I
thought that the children of Israel were put into Egyptian
captivity because of sin. They were put in there for protection. Notice this. Genesis chapter
15, verse 13. The scripture says, and there
came one that had escaped and told, I need chapter 15, excuse
me, chapter 15 and verse 13. And he said unto Abram, know
of a surety that thy seed shall be a stranger in a land that
is not theirs and shall serve them and they shall afflict them
400 years. For what reason? Well, and also
that nation whom they shall serve will I judge, and afterwards
shall they come out with great substance. Watch it over the
church. And then in verse 15, and thou
shalt go to thy fathers in peace. Thou shalt be buried in a good
old age, but in the fourth generation they shall come hither again,
for the iniquity of the Amorites is not yet full. Now I wished I knew all that
meant, but I know this. Those people, Israel, his 12
sons, his grandchildren, great-grandchildren, and down to the generations until
400 years had passed. Those folks were down there and
they were servants of Egypt. But they're going to come out
with great substance and the time of the fulfillment of the
need to destroy the Amorites is full. God said, I'm setting
you free. Good words and comfortable words. Can you imagine Abraham when
he heard this about all of his family? You're going down to
Egypt, but I'm bringing you out. He could have left them there.
We find with regard to Joseph, remember what Joseph, he was
that you meant it for evil, God meant it for good. I'm down here
on purpose. He only went home one more time.
He ever went, even went back one more time back to Palestine,
back to Israel where he came from. That was the burial of
his father. He went back down to Egypt and
he lived and died there. But he knew of a surety something
great was going to happen because he made mention of his bones. He says, when you leave, take
my bones with you. What did he, he saw good words
and pleasant words. This isn't it. This isn't it. Good words and pleasant words.
He said, take my bones out of here. And four times in the scripture
that is brought up and in the book of Hebrews he's remembered
for that. Good words and pleasant words.
This isn't all there is. There's some more to go on. Well,
the good words and pleasant words continue on and on. Moses took
the bones of Joseph. Joshua buried the bones of Joseph.
And in Hebrews, by faith, when Joseph died, made mention of
his bones. He said good words and pleasant
words. This isn't all there is. I'm just a stranger and a sojourner
here. Well, we're not quite through,
but we're going to stop here. And we'll pick this up the next
time. So may God's blessing be upon
you as we think about God's omniscience and good words and pleasant words
as found in the scriptures.