Day 1008: In a far country - Zechariah 10 vs 6 – 12

6-7 “I will strengthen the house of Judah, and I will save the house of Joseph. I will bring them back because I have compassion on them, and they shall be as though I had not rejected them, for I am the Lord their God and I will answer them. Then Ephraim shall become like a mighty warrior, and their hearts shall be glad as with wine. Their children shall see it and be glad; their hearts shall rejoice in the Lord.

8-10 “I will whistle for them and gather them in, for I have redeemed them, and they shall be as many as they were before. Though I scattered them among the nations, yet in far countries they shall remember me, and with their children they shall live and return. I will bring them home from the land of Egypt, and gather them from Assyria, and I will bring them to the land of Gilead and to Lebanon, till there is no room for them.

11 He shall pass through the sea of troubles and strike down the waves of the sea, and all the depths of the Nile shall be dried up. The pride of Assyria shall be laid low, and the sceptre of Egypt shall depart. 12 I will make them strong in the Lord, and they shall walk in his name,” declares the Lord. Zechariah 10:8-12 English Standard Version

We're still in the part of Zechariah's prophecy where he was encouraging the Israelites with God's promise to bring them back from lands where they’d been exiled to. He tells them how God said of them “they shall be as though I had not rejected them!” What a comfort that must have been. He also told them that God would make them like a mighty warrior, so that they need not fear the strong armies of the other nations. Verses 8-10 develop this further, and God says: “Though I scattered them among the nations, yet in far countries they shall remember me, and with their children they shall live and return.” Verses 11-12 then use a picture similar to when Israel of old had been rescued by God out of Egypt, and He had led them safely through the Red Sea. Such a God is able to save!

While this fits in well with the work of restoration God did through the years leading up to the coming of Christ at Bethlehem, some scholars say it may be referring to a future restoration of Jews to their land, even such as we've seen in the last century. But even if this was speaking of a later return of Jews to the land of Israel, that in itself would not mean much, unless they were obedient to what is said in vs 12. What is the ultimate blessing of such a return in that verse?

The greatest blessing anyone can experience is to be enabled by God ‘to walk in His name’. And the name God has given that we should walk in, is Jesus. And when Jesus came into the world, by God's mercy, many Jews did come to Christ, and began to walk in His name.

But another thought struck me from this passage, and it's that Zechariah's words should give hope and encouragement to any man or woman who has wandered away from God, and become like someone 'in a far country'. Jesus described this in a story when He said: “There was a man who had two sons. The younger of them said to his father, ‘Father, give me the share of property that is coming to me.’ And he divided his property between them. Not many days later, the younger son gathered all he had and took a journey 'into a far country', and there squandered his property in reckless living.” That's a good picture of what Christians call 'backsliding', someone who chased after the world, and drifted away from God.

But Jesus said more. “When the son had spent everything, a severe famine arose in that country, and he began to be in need. But when he came to himself, he said, ‘How many of my father's hired servants have more than enough bread, but I perish here with hunger! I will arise and go to my father, and I will say to him, 'Father, I have sinned against heaven and before you. I am no longer worthy to be called your son. Treat me as one of your hired servants.' And he arose and came to his father. But while he was still a long way off, his father saw him and felt compassion, and ran and embraced him and kissed him.” (Luke 15:11-20) Such is God's compassion that if a sinner returns from the far country of sin, God's grace says “they shall be as though I had not rejected them.”