Hope for the Church

With great earnestness and in the name of the Lord, Zechariah showed the people the abominable sins of which they were guilty and to which they were blind. God’s holy justice had made itself manifest. Their grievous downfall and long captivity came about because of sin. The Lord was displeased with the hypocritical conduct of the people who were weary of weeping and fasting. Therefore, the Lord’s accusation against these people was very sharp—they must lose all hope. However, the Lord does not uncover sin to bring His people to despair; on the contrary, He wants to lead His people to redemption and grace which are in Christ. Therefore, the faithful Jehovah revealed the salvation He had prepared for the convinced and contrite and promised again to dwell among the people in favor. Then their mournful fasting would change into joy.

Here we have the distinguishing mark of saving conviction, differing from remorse in the conscience for sin. That remorse can be very intense and cause hellish pains. I have often met people who were in very great distress because of being strongly condemned by their conscience. I could mention the name of those who had rest neither day nor night, even to the extent of rubbing the skin from their hands and feet. I remember being called to be with people who were afraid to go to bed at night, or to homes where the wife was walking about with uncombed hair and where the husband had fled from the house. They asked me to pray to the Lord for them. I have known people who reformed their lifestyles, faithfully attended church, and were touched by every sermon they heard. If nothing more befell them, and their consciences had been quieted a bit, they would soon return to the world—yes, their lives would become worse than before. They lacked the quickening ministry of the Holy Spirit. In their convictions there was distress and fear, remorse and hardness, but humiliation and tenderheartedness were not found in them. A living hope was lacking. That salvation which God proclaims to His people by way of His promises, remained hidden for them.

That constitutes the difference between common convictions and saving convictions. Although many fears may beset God’s people, and even though their sins cause them to cry out, “It is lost forever,” yet the Lord does not leave them without hope. He causes them to surrender to His justice and to acknowledge that they have made themselves worthy of death. However, in that acknowledgment there will be true humiliation and contrition. Oh, do take notice! Those with common convictions become hardened; they cannot uprightly and heartily make supplication to their Judge. They say with Cain, “My punishment is greater than I can bear.” They do not find a place of repentance. When the Lord convicts His people, however, they come with the words of condemnation about their necks, and say with Esther, “If I perish, I perish.” They take their refuge in God even though He cannot but hate sin and must condemn the sinner. However, the explanation for this sweet, wonderful, effectual conviction of sin is as follows: The Lord draws them with the cords of a man, with bands of love. He reproves of sin, of righteousness, and of judgment, but He also works a living hope. He who acts only out of fear for hell should beware, for he is in great danger.

God causes His people to come with weeping and supplication. Even if they must spend their nights lamenting, there is more joy in their weeping than in all of the pleasures of the world. Those who are truly uncovered to themselves do not know anyone who is a greater sinner than they themselves, and they are amazed that they are still in the day of grace. God’s Word is opened to them. Oh, how comforting are the invitations. How precious are the promises which cause their hearts to melt like wax. The blessedness of the service and people of God is held before them. With tears in their eyes, they often observe the children of God, a people reconciled with God. All of this draws them and moves them to seek the Lord. God does not convince His people in order to leave them in their misery but to deliver them out of it. The Lord says, “Therefore, behold, I will allure her, and bring her into the wilderness, and speak comfortably unto her” (Hosea 2:14).

Zechariah now spoke comfortably to the upright people who were grieving because of their sins. It was because of their sins that Jacob’s posterity had been carried away to Babylon. The enemy had laid the city and the temple in ruin. In all this God’s wrath against a guilty people was evident— God had swept them away. Verse 2: “Thus saith the LORD of hosts; I was jealous for Zion with great jealousy, and I was jealous for her with great fury.”

God’s justice cannot leave sin unpunished. He is very angry with their iniquity, and that becomes the distressing experience of God’s people. From thence come the chastisements for sin. After David’s sin was pardoned and the Lord had taken away his guilt, he bowed deeply under God’s chastising hand. Even in his old age his sins of youth oppressed him. Life is so serious. God’s attributes are perfect and His righteousness endures forever. In the personal life of His people, the Lord can seem so far away. It sometimes seems as though He has forsaken them. Oh, how distressing are the times when it seems to His children as though they will never see their Father’s countenance! Then the enemy can do as he pleases. “…The floods of ungodly men made me afraid…the snares of death prevented me” (Psalm 18:4b&5b). “Deep calleth unto deep” (Psalm 42:7a). It seems as if the Lord neither sees nor notices it.

In general, God is far from His Church when times are dark. What sad times we are experiencing. The Church is become as a cottage in a garden of cucumbers, as a besieged city. The enemy has overpowered her. Lies and deceit are in the midst of her. And the Lord is standing afar of. It seems as if He is not concerned, although He has not entirely forsaken us. Our heart is greatly troubled when we reflect upon the Church. Does not the Lord take notice? Is there then no hope for the Church of God, or are the words of verse three also applicable to her? “Thus saith the LORD; I am returned unto Zion, and will dwell in the midst of Jerusalem: and Jerusalem shall be called a city of truth; and the mountain of the LORD of hosts the holy mountain.”

Formerly, the Lord dwelt in the midst of Jerusalem; there was the blood of atonement; there He showed His favor and grace; yes, there He caused His people to enter the sanctuary and have communion with Him. Jerusalem was the city of the Great King. Justice abounded there; righteousness lodged in its borders. However, the faithful city had become a harlot. The whole head was sick and the whole heart faint. “From the sole of the foot even to the head there is no soundness in it; but wounds, and bruises, and putrefying sores: they have not been closed, neither bound up, neither mollified with ointment” (Isaiah 1:6). Oh, sad decline of Zion! They were to be blamed for all this.

On the other hand, only the grace and mercy of God can change the circumstances. The Church of God persevered only by grace, and the Lord desired to show that free grace to Jerusalem. He will return to Zion and dwell in the midst of Jerusalem. Then all sin and deceit will be laid low. If the Lord would turn to His Church, it would again become a city of truth and a mountain of the LORD of hosts, the holy mountain. Such was true for the Church in former days, and only grace is able to make it so again.

Oh, that God’s people might truly feel their need and supplicate for the ministry of the Holy Spirit. Oh, that the dwelling places of His people would be rebuilt out of the dust and that the Church would again be one, built upon the firm foundation of the apostles and prophets, of which Christ is the chief cornerstone. Oh, that the Lord would return, and that His dwelling among us would become visible in the reconciliation of sin and in the cleansing of iniquities. It is only His work that can save us. Oh, that this would be a matter of concern for the people of God. The deadness of the Church consists in her being far from the Lord. Oh, that God’s favor and grace would be upon her, and that the faithful Jehovah would visit His people. May He neither harden their hearts nor cause them to depart from His ways. May they experience the power of the blood of the Lamb, and may there be a fleeing to Christ by faith and an entering into the inner sanctuary to be near unto the Lord. Who will deny that we are to be blamed for living so far from God? Still, if the solution depended on us, it would be a lost case. We would wander away from God forever.

May the faithful Jehovah seek those that do not seek Him. May He make His people faithful—a city of truth, a holy mountain—so that the Lord may be glorified again in the hearts of His elect.

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