ZECHARIAH 1:8
“I saw at night, and behold, a man was riding on a red horse, and he was standing among the myrtle trees which were in the ravine, with red, sorrel, and white horses behind him.”
Have you ever been out at night and saw someone in the distance that you could not quite make out? I know I’ve done that several times. It usually doesn’t bother me if I’m with someone else or it’s in a place that I know. But if that happens when I’m alone or in an uncertain area, I can get a little concerned. I may even holler at the person to identify themselves. I am sure you’ve been there.
Zechariah sees a man riding a red horse and he was among the myrtle trees. Many scholars speculate who this man may be. Was it Michael, the archangel? Was it just an angel? Was it Jesus? We don’t know for certain since he does not identify himself by name. But we know one thing. He was in charge of those who rode behind him. We will see him over the next several verses. He has a message for Zechariah.
APPLICATION
What would you do if an angel or the Lord appeared before you? Well, Carl, I would probably run away terrified. Really? I have to believe if the Lord sent an angel to me or if He Himself appeared, I would know it. I would want to be in His presence.
Remember Paul’s experience? Acts 9:5-6 reads, “5 And he said, ‘Who are You, Lord?’ And He said, ‘I am Jesus whom you are persecuting, 6 but get up and enter the city, and it will be told to you what you must do.’”
Whenever an angel or the Lord appears, they bring a message. Sometimes it is a message of judgment. Sometimes it is a message of direction. God is still delivering His message. It comes in the form of a book – the Bible. In its pages are all the messages from Him you need to hear. We don’t need an angel to appear to us. We just need to spend more time reading and listening.
As I have spent more and more time in the Word, He has revealed more and more of Himself to me. His Word is inexhaustible. It will never get old. Take some time today and dig in deeper to this verse. Dissect it. Tear it apart and put it back together again. Most importantly, listen to the Lord as He speaks to you, just like that man who appeared to Zechariah.
Lord God, I do not have to wonder who You are. You have shown Yourself to me time and time again through Your Word.