MONDAY, JANUARY 23
Scripture: Zachariah 1:1-6

The Word declares that the prophets are given to us as an example, so we need to look at each one and determine what kind of example they bring to us. Zachariah was the contemporary of Haggai and Zerubbabel and we find him with the same issues that the others faced. In Zachariah 1:1-6 we are told, “In the eighth month of the second year of Darius, the word of the Lord came to Zechariah the son of Berechiah, the son of Iddo the prophet, saying, ‘The Lord has been very angry with your fathers. Therefore say to them, ‘Thus says the Lord of hosts: ‘Return to Me,’ says the Lord of hosts, ‘and I will return to you,’ says the Lord of hosts. ‘Do not be like your fathers, to whom the former prophets preached, saying, ‘Thus says the Lord of hosts: ‘Turn now from your evil ways and your evil deeds.’’ But they did not hear nor heed Me,’ says the Lord. ‘Your fathers, where are they? And the prophets, do they live forever? Yet surely My words and My statutes, Which I commanded My servants the prophets, Did they not overtake your fathers? ‘So they returned and said: “Just as the Lord of hosts determined to do to us, According to our ways and according to our deeds, So He has dealt with us.”’” Zachariah basically said to stop doing your own things, return to God and start doing His deeds. But they would not hear and so the judgments came. And Zachariah said they did not want judgment, but should want the blessing of God and encouraged them to start walking with the Lord. Then they started to listen.