Category Archives: Judgment

Abundance, Bible, Blessing, Consequences, Dependence, God's Will, Judgment, Rain, Scripture

JUST AND UNJUST

ZECHARIAH 14:17

“And it will be that whichever of the families of the earth does not go up to Jerusalem to worship the King, the LORD of armies, there will be no rain on them.”

Rain is so essential for life. Plants must have it to grow. Crops must have it to produce. Lakes and streams need it to stay full. Animals in the wild need it or they will perish. I have seen firsthand the result of no rain in Kenya, where I travel each year. They have been in a period of drought for many years now in parts of the country. Without this precious rainfall life grounds to a halt.

God promises the withholding of this precious resource to those who oppose Him. This is nothing new. We see this throughout the Old Testament. Deuteronomy 28:23-24 shows this. “23 The heaven which is over your head shall be bronze, and the earth which is under you, iron. 24 The LORD will make the rain of your land powder and dust; from heaven it shall come down on you until you are destroyed.” Bottom line is this – God controls the rain. It falls where He desires.

APPLICATION

I am not implying that those people in the world who are suffering from drought conditions are all sinners. Even Jesus said this in Matthew 5:44-45. “‘44 But I say to you, love your enemies and pray for those who persecute you, 45 so that you may prove yourselves to be sons of your Father who is in heaven; for He causes His sun to rise on the evil and the good, and sends rain on the righteous and the unrighteous.’”

What I want you to see in today’s verse in Zechariah is this – God is in control. He measures the rain by each and every drop. He knows who needs it and who doesn’t. Man does not control the weather. Neither can we make it react a certain way. We have heard far too much about climate change, in my opinion. The climate changer is God Himself. After all, didn’t He create the climate?

In today’s verse, God is changing the weather to drive people to Him. What is God having to change in your life to get you to draw yourself to Him. James 4:8 tells us, “Come close to God and He will come close to you. Cleanse your hands, you sinners; and purify your hearts, you double-minded.” Come close now!

Father, I know You send the rains, and I praise You for them. Help me draw close to You.

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Abiding, Allegiance, Battles, Bible, Consequences, Devil, Enemies, Fighting, God's Will, Judgment, Justice, Rebellion, Satan, Scripture

YOU HAVE TO PICK A SIDE

ZECHARIAH 14:12

“Now this will be the plague with which the LORD will strike all the peoples who have gone to war against Jerusalem; their flesh will rot while they stand on their feet, and their eyes will rot in their sockets, and their tongue will rot in their mouth.”

I have mentioned before my two experiences with stem cell transplants. Both times I had chemotherapy which is horrible. I was blessed in that I did not have to take it long term. But each time I went to have a treatment I would see other patients who were not so lucky. They were skeletons, having lost so much weight. They had no hair, and their eyes were sunk back into their heads. Each time I saw them I would say a prayer for their healing.

Why do I tell that story? Well, it’s the closest thing I have ever seen to the description in today’s verse. This plague put on the enemies of Jerusalem is consistent with the effects of a nuclear bomb on the human body. I am not saying that is what will happen. God doesn’t need a bomb. He has the power to inflict any damage He desires on His enemies. This is probably one of the worse judgment scenes in the Bible. What a horrible consequence of using their mouth to blaspheme and their eyes to lust after Israel.

APPLICATION

Romans 5:8 says, “But God demonstrates His own love toward us, in that while we were still sinners, Christ died for us.” Why would I quote this verse? Because while we were sinners, we were His enemies. We were enemies of the cross, as Paul says in Philippians 3:18. “For many walk, of whom I often told you, and now tell you even as I weep, that they are the enemies of the cross of Christ,”

Whose side are you on? God’s or man’s? God’s or the devil’s? That is what it amounts to. In past wars on earth there have been nations that remained neutral, out of the fight. There will be no neutral ground in this final battle. You cannot remain neutral. You must choose a side.

I love the verse in Joshua that reads, “‘But if it is disagreeable in your sight to serve the LORD, choose for yourselves today whom you will serve: whether the gods which your fathers served, which were beyond the Euphrates River, or the gods of the Amorites in whose land you are living; but as for me and my house, we will serve the LORD.’” (Joshua 24:15) How about you?

Thank You, Lord, for allowing me to be on Your side. I want to serve in Your army.

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Appearance, Bible, Christ's Return, Deliverance, Devil, End Times, Eternity, Evil, Following, Glory, God's Will, Heaven, Hell, Judgment, Miracles, Return, Scripture

ESCAPE ROUTE

ZECHARIAH 14:5

“And you will flee by the valley of My mountains, for the valley of the mountains will reach to Azel; yes, you will flee just as you fled from the earthquake in the days of Uzziah king of Judah. Then the LORD, my God, will come, and all the holy ones with Him!”

I have had the opportunity to participate in a couple of Escape Room experiences. You know – those rooms set up to allow groups of people to problem solve a situation, gather clues and follow directions to get out of that room. There is always a way out if the team can just figure it out. Fortunately, I was able to escape each time, lol.

Look back at verse 4 of Zechariah 14 for a second. It says, “…the Mount of Olives will be split in its middle from east to west forming a very large valley…” That valley is the one referred to in today’s verse. Azel was obviously a village on the other side of that valley. The earthquake mentioned here is not in historical records but must have been massive for it to have been remembered two centuries later. But the best part of this verse is the last phrase – “Then the LORD, my God, will come, and all the holy ones with Him!”

APPLICATION

Wow, there’s a lot in that verse, huh? Where do we start? First of all, let’s address the escape route that God will make for the people of Jerusalem on that day. He does the miraculous to achieve His purpose. He is still doing that today. We can all probably recount a story that was nothing less than miraculous. Will you join me in looking around for those today? God is still providing a way out for us. We can share the story of Jesus with someone who is lost today and provide them with that miraculous way of escape from the punishment of hell.

How about the Lord returning with “all the holy ones”? Won’t that be a sight? I plan to be there. These “holy ones” will include His legions of angels and perhaps all the saints. That last part is us, the believers, who are with Him in glory. That is shouting ground. Look at Jude 1:14-15. “14 Behold, the Lord has come with many thousands of His holy ones, 15 to execute judgment upon all, and to convict all the ungodly of all their ungodly deeds which they have done in an ungodly way, and of all the harsh things which ungodly sinners have spoken against Him.”

Whether I am with Him or not when He returns to earth to judge it, the fact of the matter is He is coming with authority. He is coming back as King and Judge, not a baby in a manger. He is not coming back to spend years teaching. No, He is coming back to issue forth judgment on the unbelieving masses and on the evil one himself. What a day that will be!

What a day that will be, when my Jesus I shall see. And I look upon His face, the One who saved me by His grace…What a day, glorious day that will be. 

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Abiding, Belief, Bible, Following, God's Will, Judgment, Messiah, Return, Scripture

ON THAT DAY

ZECHARIAH 14:4

“On that day His feet will stand on the Mount of Olives, which is in front of Jerusalem on the east; and the Mount of Olives will be split in its middle from east to west forming a very large valley. Half of the mountain will move toward the north, and the other half toward the south.” 

We have all had days that we waited anxiously for – Christmas morning, wedding day, the birth of a child. Some are more exciting than others. They all have one thing in common. We can’t make that day come any quicker. We have to wait for the day to arrive. We count the days, hours and even seconds, don’t we? We are pretty anxious bunch.

Oh, beloved, look at today’s verse. We are told that one day the long-awaited Messiah will come. We know Him as Jesus, the Son of God. He will come and stand on the Mount of Olives. When that happens there will be a great earthquake which will split the mountain. We believe this is literally what will happen. But just like our awaited days, this day will only occur when it is time. We can make guesses, but we can’t change the date. When it is time, God will send Him. He is coming. That is for sure.

APPLICATION

At the ascension of Christ, angels appeared and told the disciples, “and they said, ‘Men of Galilee, why do you stand looking into the sky? This Jesus, who has been taken up from you into heaven, will come in the same way as you have watched Him go into heaven.’” (Acts 1:11) That should get your heart pumping. That should excite you much more than the anticipation of any day on your calendar. He will return, just like He came.

Now, to be clear, this is NOT the rapture. That will precede this. We, the believers in Christ, will be caught up by Jesus in the air. This event prophesied in Zechariah 14:4 is when Jesus will literally return to earth to judge it. For those who remain on earth after the rapture, who have gone through the tribulation period, this will be a scary time. For those of us who accompany Him, it will be a glorious time. Which side will you be on?

I know where I will be. I will be with Jesus. I’m already on His side. I am just anxiously waiting. Will it be today? Tomorrow? Only the Father knows! Jesus told us in Matthew 24:42, “‘Therefore be on the alert, for you do not know which day your Lord is coming.’”

Lord, I am ready. Help me lead others to You so they too will be ready.

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Accountability, Bible, Judgment, Remnant, Scripture

JUDGMENT CONTINUES

ZECHARIAH 14:1

“‘Behold, a day is coming for the LORD when the spoils taken from you will be divided among you.’” 

Sometimes you just know the hammer is going to fall. When you blow through a redlight only to see a police car sitting there. Or when you are hunting on a baited field and the game warden shows up (not that that every happened to me, lol). We can definitely bet on one thing happening – God’s judgment. It is coming on the earth, and people need to know.

Verse 1 of this final chapter in Zechariah continues the message from the previous chapter. Remember, there weren’t chapter divisions in the original manuscripts. The Lord warns the people that judgment day is coming. We don’t know the specific time of this judgment. Some say it was the Roman or Babylonian defeat of Jerusalem. Others say it is yet to come. But we know it is coming because the Lord said it.

APPLICATION

As I write this devotional, Israel is under attack on at least two fronts (north and south). We know God’s chosen people will face enemies in the latter days. They will all want to destroy Israel. We also know God has promised a remnant. That remnant is guaranteed.

We need to be telling everyone that judgment day is upon us. Now, before you start calling for a counselor to talk some sense into me, let me just remind you that this judgment is guaranteed by our God. It may be 100 years from now, or it could be tomorrow. Why wait? Why risk not being prepared? Why not tell everyone?

Tomorrow, tell someone that Jesus loves them. Tell them He is coming again to take His bride, the church, all believers, with Him to glory. No one should want to be left behind. It will not be pleasant. Whatever is happening in Israel right now, it is a prelude of what is to come. Get ready!

O Lord, I want everyone to be ready to hear that trumpet and be ready to see Your face.

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Abundance, Bible, Calling, Counting, Friends, God's Will, Gospel, Judgment, Salvation, Scripture, Witnessing

A LITTLE MATH

ZECHARIAH 13:8

“‘And it will come about in all the land,’ declares the LORD, ‘that two parts in it will be cut off and perish; but the third will be left in it.’”

I used to be pretty good at math. I kind of naturally got the concepts. So, when we were taught fractions, I understood it.  Fast forward to adulthood. Who would have ever thought I would use those numbers again? But they come up all the time. Just about every day there is something to measure or weigh or divide. Thanks Mrs. Barry, for all those things you poured into my head.

The Lord did not need to be taught math concepts. He is the Creator of all things. He uses numbers in describing the judgment that would befall Israel. Scholars disagree whether this prophecy shared by Zechariah applied to Israel’s fall under Rome or a judgment yet to come. Either way, it had to be hard to hear that only one third would remain.

APPLICATION

We find similar measurements in other parts of the Bible. Look in 2 Samuel 8:2. “And He defeated Moab, and measured them with the line, making them lie down on the ground; and he measured two lines to put to death, and a full line to keep alive. And the Moabites became servants to David, bringing tribute.”

How about in Ezekiel 5:12? “A third of you will die by plague or perish by famine among you, a third will fall by the sword around you, and a third I will scatter to every wind, and I will unsheathe a sword behind them.” God has always measured judgment exactly.

Romans 11:5 tells us, “In the same way then, there has also come to be at the present time a remnant according to God’s gracious choice.” God is always looking out for the remnant, those who will choose to follow Him. Unfortunately, the mass of people in this world will not. It is our job as believers to try to share with as many of them as we can.

While we are doing math, count the number of lost friends you have. How many are there? Now, how many of them are you going to share Jesus with this week? This year? Start counting the number of people you see come to Christ this year because of your friendship. God is counting every soul. We should too.

Father, help me be a better enumerator of souls that are won into your kingdom that are part of my circle of friends.

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Accountability, Affliction, Bible, Captivity, Compassion, Consequences, Enemies, Forgiveness, God's Will, Judgment, Punishment, Restoration, Scripture

NO COMPASSION

ZECHARIAH 11:6

“‘For I will no longer have compassion for the inhabitants of the land,’ declares the LORD; ‘but behold, I will let the people fall, each into another’s power and into the power of his king; and they will crush the land, and I will not rescue them from their power.’”

It is hard to have compassion for people who willingly make bad decisions. At least, it is for me. When people fall into hard times due to no fault of their own, I want to reach out and lend a helping hand. But someone who time and time again chooses to satisfy their own flesh at the expense of themselves and others seems to deserve whatever comes their way. Does that seem hard? Well, look at today’s verse.

The Lord is saying He was going to allow His chosen people to suffer because of their willful disobedience. When He says He will show no compassion, He is saying there is no pity for their plight. He was, in fact, going to send another nation to punish them. Babylon would rise up and defeat them and carry them off into exile, just like the Lord said.

APPLICATION

Unlike the Israelites, we have mercy and grace through the blood of Jesus to cover our sins. That does not give us freedom to live as we want, though. We still must follow the Lord. Paul says in Romans 6:1, “What shall we say then? Are we to continue in sin so that grace may increase?” The answer to that question is obvious, isn’t it?

I really love what the Apostle John writes in 1 John 1:9. “If we confess our sins, He is faithful and righteous, so that He will forgive us our sins and cleanse us from all unrighteousness.” That’s it. That’s the secret. Confession! We need to stay “confessed up.” Unlike the Israelites, who were taken into captivity for 70 years, we can have immediate forgiveness.

I have to confess something to you. I have to confess my sins daily, sometimes more than that. I have learned how important that is. I start my mornings doing that. It’s the first thing I do right after I have a short time of worshipping the Lord. I do my best to humble myself before His throne and ask Him to forgive me of any impure thought or unkind deed. I want His cleansing. Don’t you? It’s there, for the asking.

Cleanse me with hyssop and I shall be clean. Wash me and I will be whiter than snow.

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Affliction, Altars, Belief, Bible, Death, Faithfulness, God's Will, Judgment, Offering, Sacrifice, Scripture

JUST FOLLOWING ORDERS

ZECHARIAH 11:4

“This is what the LORD my God says: ‘Pasture the flock doomed to slaughter.’”

There have been times in my ministry career that I have been asked to do something that I knew was doomed to fail. I had tried to give good counsel, but the person in charge had given strict orders. They wanted it done their way. They also knew the chances of success were slim to none, but their order still stood. As a subordinate, I had to follow through on their instructions.

Here in Zechariah 11, we are entering into a prophetic statement where Zechariah is represented as carrying out a future event. Many scholars believe here Zechariah is representative of Christ offering Himself to Israel, whom He knew would reject Him. This flock was doomed to slaughter, but they were to be fed anyway. Christ offered the children of Israel His kingdom first, remember.

APPLICATION

Psalm 44:22 says, “But for Your sake we are killed all day long; We are regarded as sheep to be slaughtered.” The difference between this verse and today’s verse in Zechariah is huge. In Zechariah, they are sheep for the slaughter because of their disobedience. In Psalm 44, we are sheep to be slaughtered for the Lord. We are His martyrs for the kingdom.

I don’t know about you, but I had rather be slaughtered for the Lord, not by the Lord. I willingly lay down my life for Him each and every day. As I travel around the globe, I am often asked if I fear for my life. I tell them I do not because the Lord holds me in His righteous right hand. My life is His to do with as He sees fit.

Do you have that peace today? Are you a sheep slaughtered because of your sins? Or are you a sheep slaughtered for the kingdom. One will take your peace away. The other gives you peace. If you have not repented of your sins and given your life to Jesus, do it today. Experience real peace.

Thank You, Father, for giving me that life ending peace. I am okay with facing my last day on this earth knowing my next day will be with You.

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Abiding, Appeasement, Bible, Choices, Eternity, Judgment

GOT YOUR GOAT

ZECHARIAH 10:3

“My anger is kindled against the shepherds, and I will punish the male goats; for the LORD of armies has visited His flock, the house of Judah, and will make them like His majestic horse in battle.”

Have you ever heard the expression, “Got your goat”? It commonly means to annoy or anger someone. The etymology of the phrase is not certain. Whatever the origin, to get someone’s goat is not a good thing. People who raise goats seem to like them, so it makes sense if you got their goat they would not be very happy.

All through Scripture we find goats being on the wrong side of God’s judgment. Look at this passage in Ezekiel. Ezekiel 34:17 says “As for you, My flock, this is what the Lord GOD says: ‘Behold, I am going to judge between one sheep and another, between the rams and the male goats.’” Sheep were always the ones that were chosen. Goats were turned out. They were even given the task of carrying away the nation’s sin on the Day of Atonement.

APPLICATION

In Matthew 25:31-32 we read where Jesus said, “31 ‘But when the Son of Man comes in His glory, and all the angels with Him, then He will sit on His glorious throne. 32 And all the nations will be gathered before Him; and He will separate them from one another, just as the shepherd separates the sheep from the goats;’” 

One day Christ will come and judge between the righteous and unrighteous. I had much rather be called a dumb sheep than a smart goat, hadn’t you? He is our Shepherd and cares for us, even when we don’t know any better. I prefer the gentle coaxing of the Shepherd rather than separation that Jesus described.

The Lord told us in today’s verse that He was going to divide between believers and unbelievers, between those who follow Him and those who don’t. We have a choice. We choose who we will relate to and how we respond to them. What are you, goat or sheep? I know what I choose to be.

Lord, I choose the more docile side – sheep.

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Accountability, Bible, Commands, Direction, Exhortation, God's Will, Judgment, Peace, Scripture, Truth

CLEAR COMMANDS

ZECHARIAH 8:16

“‘“These are the things which you shall do: speak the truth to one another; judge with truth and judgment for peace at your gates.”’”

I remember many years ago, when I worked at the Georgia Baptist Children’s Homes, that I gave one of the boys in my cottage permission to wash my car to earn a little extra money. The kid was about fourteen, so I just assumed he knew how to wash a car. (A word to the wise – never assume anything, lol). Let’s just say the car wash had a lot to be desired. But he was so proud that he had done it. I didn’t have the heart to tell him how bad it was. So, what did I do? I decided the next week when he asked again that I would help him and direct him. It turned out a lot better, and he learned a new skill.

Clear directions are important. They help us walk with the Lord better, don’t they. Well, in today’s verse we see the Lord telling the people of Israel some pretty clear commands. He says, “These are the things which you shall do.” That’s pretty clear. Then He tells them to speak the truth to one another and to judge with truth and peace. If we could all do that, life would be so much less quarrelsome. God knew that. They were returning to their land. They were completing the temple rebuild. They were starting again. Here were some simple, clear commands to follow.

APPLICATION

Years ago, I was a trainer in Crisis Intervention. One of the skills I taught in that was for the staff to always give clear and concise instructions to the kids they were dealing with. Doing that would often prevent a kid from getting upset and confused. Most crises can be prevented if we practice those things. Our Father in heaven knows that. He gave us just ten commandments to follow, not a thousand. Man took those ten commandments and stretched them into hundreds. Jesus narrowed it down further when asked which was the most important commandment. I have referenced this passage before, but it bears repeating.

Matthew 22:36-40 says, “36 ‘Teacher, which is the great commandment in the Law?’ 37 And He said to him, ‘“YOU SHALL LOVE THE LORD YOUR GOD WITH ALL YOUR HEART, AND WITH ALL YOUR SOUL, AND WITH ALL YOUR MIND.” 38 This is the great and foremost commandment. 39 The second is like it, “YOU SHALL LOVE YOUR NEIGHBOR AS YOURSELF.” 40 Upon these two commandments hang the whole Law and the Prophets.’”

Can you follow that? Obviously, you can if Jesus told us to do it. He would never tell us to do something that He would not enable us to do. So, today, strive to follow the clear, simple commands of our Savior. It is total agreement with our verse from Zechariah today. Speak truth, practice justice and peace with all men. That’s my goal today. I hope it’s yours.

Father, I am not able on my own to do anything You ask of me. But through Your power and Your Holy Spirit I can.

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