Zechariah 8:19

Zec 7:5). tenth--On the tenth month and tenth day, in the ninth year of Zedekiah, the siege began (Jer 52:4). therefore love the truth--or, "only love." English Version is better. God's blessing covenanted to Israel is not made to depend on Israel's goodness: but Israel's goodness should follow as the consequence of God's gracious promises (Zec 8:16, 17;

MY time for discourse upon this subject will be limited, as we shall gather around the Communion Table immediately afterwards. So in the former part of my sermon I shall give you an outline of what might be said upon the text if we had time to examine it fully. It will be just a crayon sketch without much light and shade. You will be able to think over the subject at your leisure and fill up the picture for yourselves! We have, in the chapters we have read, a blessed message of peace to God's people in the day of their trouble. In the land of their captivity the Jews were in great perplexity. Their sad lament is on record—"By the rivers of Babylon, there we sat down, yes, we wept, when we remembered Zion. We hanged our harps upon the willows in the midst thereof." But their trouble led many of them to seek the Lord and He was found of them. Welcome is such misery which leads to such mercy! In the seventh chapter we are told that when they sent unto the house of God, to pray before the Lord and to say, "Should I weep in the fifth month, separating myself, as I have done these so many years? Then came the Word of the Lord." Jehovah has put their tears into His bottle and, in answer to their sighing, sent them a message of hope! That message has in it much that is very practical. It is a letter full of mercy, but it is directed to certain characters. God does not send indiscriminate mercy. If men go on in their sin, He sends them words of judgement. But when they turn from their wickedness and are renewed, by His Grace, in the spirit of their minds, then it is that words of comfort are spoken to them. Reviewing the whole message which Zechariah was commissioned to deliver and which is summed up in our text, there are three things which stand out in clear prominence. The first is that God calls for transformation of character in the people He is going to bless.

MY time for discourse upon this subject will be limited, as we shall gather around the Communion Table immediately afterwards. So in the former part of my sermon I shall give you an outline of what might be said upon the text if we had time to examine it fully. It will be just a crayon sketch without much light and shade. You will be able to think over the subject at your leisure and fill up the picture for yourselves!

The fast of the fourth month - To commemorate the taking of Jerusalem; 2Ki 25:3; Jer 39:2; Jer 52:6, Jer 52:7. The fast of the fifth - In memory of the ruin of the temple, 2Ki 25:8; Jer 52:12, Jer 52:13. The fast of the seventh - For the murder of Gedaliah, Jeremiah 41:1-17. The fast of the tenth - In commemoration of the siege of Jerusalem, which began on the tenth day of the tenth month; 2Ki 25:1; Jer 52:4; Eze 24:1, Eze 24:2; and see on Zec 7:3 (note), Zec 7:5 (note). Cheerful feasts - Ye shall find all your evils so completely redressed, that these mournful fasts shall be turned into joyful feasts.