I want to invite you to take your Bibles and turn with me to Zechariah chapter 12. That's the next to the last book in the Old Testament. Zechariah chapter 12, if you're using the Blue Pew Bible, it should be on page 798. So again, Zechariah chapter 12. And while you're turning there, let me ask you, have you ever had anyone in your life that you felt like you could completely trust? Now, as I ask those questions, I hope our kids here will be able to say, yes, I do. Mom and dad, perhaps. But that's not always the case in our lives, is it? Someone that we can completely trust, someone who, if they told us something, we'd know that we can take it to the bank. We use that phrase to mean we can count on it completely. Now that, of course, it really is extremely rare in this world, and it's even impossible in an absolute sense, apart from God. But if you've had any sense of someone in your life that you've really been able to trust, maybe a parent or a spouse or a mentor or a friend, then you'll know how comforting it is, first of all, and secondly, you'll know how it draws you in to listen to them, listen to what they say, and then, when it calls for it, to act upon what they have to say. Now, as we read these words out of Zechariah chapter 12 this morning, we're being challenged, just as Zechariah's original audience was challenged with this question, do I really trust him? Do I take what he says as truth? And if we do, if we do, we should find these words to be of tremendous comfort to us this morning. Now, before we read, I just want to remind you of the condition of this people that Zechariah is addressing. And for those who haven't been here to let you know who these people, what they are, these are the Israelites. They were back in the land of Judah and Jerusalem after having experienced exile from the land because of their sinfulness for 70 years. Think about it, an entire generation had come about who knew nothing but enslavement in a foreign land. But now, there's a fraction of the people have returned back to the land in an amazing way. And that's a good thing. That's a positive thing. But the question is, what was their condition? I'll give you a few pointers as to their condition. One, they were very small in number compared to who they had been as a nation before the exile. Secondly, they were without the ability really to worship their god Yahweh because the temple, it remained in ruins. It remained broken down. Thirdly, none of the defenses that were normally needed for nations during that time were there for them. So they were defenseless. to any opponents that came against them. Also, they were a tiny player, really. We think of Israel as a relatively large player in the world politics and everything else. Well, they weren't at this time. In fact, they were almost non-existent on the worldwide scene. They had no earthly king at this point. They couldn't even protect themselves, much less project any power out toward the other nations around them. And so, if you think about it, what opportunity would they have to tell the other nations that their God was the Lord of lords, the King of kings, as they knew Him to be of all the world? Imagine how they felt inside, because in this world, what is it? It's power, it's might, it's large buildings, it's grandiose schemes, oodles of money. Those are the things that cause people to sit up and to take notice. but this people in their present condition had none of those things. And so it's there in the midst of that state of being that the Lord speaks these words that we find in chapter 12 to encourage them. And the same words are given for our benefit as well. Now, one thing that is good to know as we read this chapter is that the entire chapter is forward-looking. From the standpoint of the original readers, they were told to set their sight on the horizon, and we'll see how that is brought to us and given to us, to trust in what the Lord is saying through the prophet Zechariah, and to know that He will bring these things to pass. And this is for our benefit as well. We need to ask ourselves, do we know this? Do we live in this way that we know these are promises the Lord has given us as well? Now, I'm not going to read the entire chapter this morning as I had planned originally. I'll just be reading verses one to nine. So verses one to nine. of chapter 12. I invite you to stand if you're able as I read God's Word. And remember, this is the prophecy of Zechariah and the words, therefore, of the Lord. The oracle of the word of the Lord concerning Israel thus declares the Lord who stretched out the heavens and founded the earth and formed the spirit of man within him. Behold, I am about to make Jerusalem a cup of staggering to all the surrounding peoples. The siege of Jerusalem will also be against Judah. On that day I will make Jerusalem a heavy stone for all the peoples. All who lift it will surely hurt themselves, and all the nations of the earth will gather against it, On that day, declares the Lord, I will strike every horse with panic and its rider with madness. But for the sake of the house of Judah, I will keep my eyes open when I strike every horse of the peoples with blindness. Then the clans of Judah shall say to themselves, the inhabitants of Jerusalem have strength through the Lord of hosts, their God. On that day, I will make the clans of Judah like a blazing pot in the midst of wood, like a flaming torch among the sheaves. And they shall devour to the right and to the left all the surrounding peoples, while Jerusalem shall again be inhabited in its place in Jerusalem. And the Lord will give salvation to the tents of Judah first, that the glory of the house of David and the glory of the inhabitants of Jerusalem may not surpass that of Judah. On that day, the Lord will protect the inhabitants of Jerusalem so that the feeblest among them on that day shall be like David, and the house of David shall be like God, like the angel of the Lord going before them. And on that day, I will seek to destroy all the nations that come against Jerusalem. Please join me as I pray. Father, we thank you for your promises. And we thank you for the ways that you have given your promises to your people and the understanding of that that you have given us by your words. I pray that you would help us this morning. There are some things here that are difficult to fit in, that are difficult to understand. Help us with that, I pray, by your Holy Spirit. Open our eyes to see and then to apply this to our own hearts. And I pray, Lord, that it would do a work in our own hearts that we might live differently before you day in and day out with a greater trust in you. We pray this in Christ's name. Amen. Please be seated. You know, most of us here, I believe, are familiar with, if we're familiar with any part of the Bible, we're familiar with John 3.16. In fact, there are probably quite a number here who would be able to quote the words of that verse from memory, words that speak about the importance of faith in Christ. But I wonder, you can quiz yourself on this, I wonder how many of us would be able to describe what comes just prior to that verse. Maybe a few. It's given in the setting in John chapter 3 where this man Nicodemus has come to Jesus. Apparently, he comes at night, under the cover of night, apparently with genuine questions in his heart. And Jesus spoke to him, if you know John 3, spoke to him about the means by which one enters into the kingdom of heaven. And that means is by faith in, and always got to have the right object that we have faith in, faith in the Lord, and it will come to be faith in Christ. That's what John 3.16 really speaks to is faith. But here's how he describes what faith is immediately prior to that verse. He takes us back to a story out of the Old Testament. It's out of Numbers 21, and it is a story in which the Israelites had rebelled against the Lord. No news there. We see as they went across the wilderness, which is what Book of Numbers is documenting, that it happened again and again. They rebelled against the Lord. In this case, they were grumbling about their circumstances. They didn't like them. I'll ask if that sounds familiar to anyone. Well, here's what the Lord did in this case. He sent fiery serpents amongst them, and they bit the people, and many of them died. But then they cried out to the Lord for mercy, saying that they had sinned against him. And maybe you remember what he did. He spoke to Moses and he told him to fashion a bronze serpent and to put it on a pole. And Moses was to hold that bronze serpent in the air. And whenever the Israelites were bit by serpents, now he didn't take away the serpents at this point, but whenever they were bit, they were to look up at that bronze serpent, and they would live. Now, that is the picture that Jesus gave to Nicodemus to describe how faith works, and he does that. Just before John 3, 16, he says these words. He says, and as Moses lifted up the serpent in the wilderness, so must the Son of Man be lifted up. that whoever believes in Him, looks on Him, fixes his eyes upon Him, may have eternal life. And then right after that we get those familiar words out of John 3, 16. Now, how are we to understand that? Looks upon Jesus. I want you to imagine for a moment a child, a child who is about to walk across a log that has fallen over a rushing stream. This is something like I did frequently growing up, and my sisters as well, because we did a lot of hiking. And often we would need to ford streams, but sometimes there would be a log across it, and so we would go across. So imagine this child about to go across the log. Often they would be slippery. And below, imagine there are rocks. There's danger, rushing water. And imagine that on the other side of the log is her father. And he says to her, just come, look at me, look at me, fix your eyes upon mine, I've got you. Look at me and take steps across the law. And you can imagine the young girl looking at her dad and taking step after step as she looks at her dad, looks at him in the eyes. Now, this look is not just a vacant look in which her eyes are still full of fear, but she's resting upon him. And what is she doing? She's taking step after step, trusting in him, full dependence upon him. That's a picture of what the Lord is calling his people to do, to set their eyes upon Christ. Now, in this passage, Christ does not come at this point, and so he's calling them to set their eyes upon the Lord, upon his word, upon his promises. And He's telling them about things in this chapter that they can't see at all in their lives right now in their current circumstances. Yet, in the midst of their condition, they are to trust in Him, to look to Him, and to proceed, to walk, to build the temple, to do the things that He has called them to do. Now he's calling them to trust in him. Who does he say that he is? Look right at the beginning of our passage. It's in chapter 12, verse 1. Thus declares the Lord, who stretched out the heavens and founded the earth and formed the spirit of man within him. Is he to be trusted? He is the Lord God Almighty. So for those who know Him, yes. Those who belong to Him, yes, they are to trust Him. They are to do what? They are to simply hear His words, to believe them to be true, and then to walk with their eyes fixed upon Him. They are to take step after step. Now, this, the things we're reading about here, the promises here, were to shape their thinking. so that in everything that they did, they were to look to Him, they were to live their lives for Him and for His glory. I've got to ask you, how often, how often do we do that? Maybe I should ask, how often do we fail at that? How often do we look instead at our circumstances, allowing them to dictate the way that we feel and the way that we behave and act? How often do we look instead to others around us and begin to depend upon them? Maybe those that we are drawn to for whatever reason, but still human. Maybe the experts that are out there, the world is full of experts, often contradicting themselves. And in the process, what do we do when we do that, when we fail to look to the Lord? Invariably, we stop building. We stop proceeding forward. We stop walking step after step. That was their problem. They had stopped, and we're no different. We need to look upon the Lord. We need to look at His promises. We need to trust in them and therefore to proceed to walk. That's what faith is. And the promise that he's making clear in this chapter, including the part that we didn't read about yet, that we'll get to next week, is that the Lord will bring salvation to his people, that he will finally accomplish his purpose and his plan. It's set. We can count upon it, and we can live, therefore, on that basis, and it will culminate in the salvation of his people. But as he set their eyes and our eyes upon the horizon, upon things that haven't come yet, In order to bring encouragement and strength, he points to certain realities. And in these first nine verses, the reality that he's pointing to is the reality that he will remove their and our enemies. You know, it's something that we may have a difficult time seeing at times in the midst of our circumstances because of the things that we're up against. because of those who are against the Lord and how powerful they may seem at any one time and that are against us as well. But he says, there will come a day when I will remove my enemies and yours. And that is to be to them, it is to be to us a great comfort. You know, Ephesians chapter 6 makes it clear that when you become a believer, when you trust in Christ, you may not even know it at this point, but that you automatically, by doing that, take on a number of enemies. You're going into battle in this world. It is a battle against sin. It's a battle against Satan. And it's a battle against the enemies of God in whatever form they may stand before us. But although they may stand strong, and although they may seem invincible at times, He is telling us here and many places throughout His Word that they will all be removed, that they will all be destroyed. That's the encouragement that we get in these first nine verses. Now, as we look at these verses, there's something I feel the need to do, and that is to briefly refresh your memory on who the audience is for this. Who is it that Zechariah is speaking to? Right there at the very beginning, the first words, he says, the oracle of the word of the Lord concerning Israel. And so it's very important for us not to lose sight of who he's speaking to and therefore how we are able to apply this to ourselves. Now, I know I have done this in the past for those who have been with us through this series, but particularly as this passage looks forward to a future horizon for us, I think it's important for us to look at this. Now from Zechariah's standpoint, Israel has an ethnic and a national identity. And so he speaks in those terms, and we see that with other prophets as well. But what he couldn't see, at least not, certainly not as clearly as we can, was that the Lord had something far greater in view for his people. Now, he spoke about it and he pointed to it in the Old Testament more and more, and it became clearer as you go through, but really only as we look back. But it became crystal clear in the New Testament at the point at which he grafted in the Gentiles Romans chapter 2 verse 28 is one of the places that helps with seeing this. This is Paul speaking, he says, for no one is a Jew, think about ethnic identity, no one is a Jew who is merely one outwardly, nor is circumcision, which was the mark of being part of God's people, nor is circumcision outward and physical, But a Jew is one inwardly, and circumcision is a matter of the heart, by the spirit, not by the letter. He was saying that there's a greater identity now with this word Israel, that Israel, in a sense, very real sense, became a new Israel. With all the dividing walls removed, we see that in Ephesians chapter 2, so that it's now made up of what? of every tongue, every tribe, every nation of the world, hearts conquered by Christ joined together. And so when you read the word Israel there in verse 1, you can think with me about, this is something that helps me to think about it, about a small oak sapling Well, maybe this high, it's destined to become an oak tree with all of its fullness, but it's a sapling at this point, so there's a lot that you can't see about the fullness of the tree that it will become. But as we look back today, we are able to look back with much greater clarity because we are a part of the mature oak tree in all of its fullness, which has become and which is the church. And when I say that, notice, it's not a replacement, but it is much more mature, and therefore God's promises and His plan is much more readily seen and understood. And so I just ask you to keep that in mind as you see the various references to God's people in this chapter, of which there are a number of different ways that Zechariah references Him. So with that in mind, notice what Zechariah says will happen with these people. So back in our passage, look at verse two, and as I read these words, remember their current weakness. Remember their current state. Verse two, behold, I am about to make Jerusalem a cup of staggering to all the surrounding peoples. He's speaking about the wrath of the Lord poured out through Jerusalem upon the surrounding nations. Then he says something very similar in verse three. On that day, I will make Jerusalem a heavy stone for all the peoples. All who lift it will surely hurt themselves and all the nations of the earth will gather against it. Think of these people. They have no status in the worldwide view, and yet he's talking about a time when there will be Jerusalem and all the people gathered against them. Then down in verse 6, I will make the clans of Judah like a blazing pot in the midst of wood, like a flaming torch among sheaves, and they shall devour to the right and to the left all the surrounding peoples. So here they are in Zechariah's day, weak and vulnerable. They're harassed. We've talked about how they're persecuted by the surrounding nations, yet he tells them what they will become, an instrument for God's judgment, not just upon one or two, but upon all the nations of the earth. Now, they might say in that day, how can that be? How can we be this? Notice what the Lord repeats again and again and again. Look back at verse 3. On that day, I will make Jerusalem. Look at verse four, on that day declares the Lord. Look down at verse six, on that day. Then verse eight, on that day. Verse nine, on that day. Again and again and again. In fact, in the final chapters, 12, 13, 14, 17 times he's going to use that phrase, on that day. which several other prophets speak about as well. It is a key phrase for us. We have an understanding of what it is he's speaking about, what is often called by the prophets, the day of the Lord. It's a future day of judgment when God will judge all the nations, all of his enemies. But at the same time, it will be a day of exaltation of his people. those who look to Him, vindication of His people. And so the day of the Lord really is a day of victory for the Lord and for His people and speaks of final salvation for His people. And it's spoken of not just in the Old Testament, but in the New Testament as well. And we see that it's in that day that Christ will return. in all of his might, in all of his power, and he will be the one with his church to execute judgment, but also to bring vindication to himself and to his people. So this is something that's future for us. And so why is Zechariah speaking these words to this people? It is to encourage them. It is to strengthen them. He's saying, in effect, you don't see it now. You can't see it now. But you will, as God's people, have full and final victory. He's saying today, when you experience adversity, and you feel small in the condition in which you are, then fix your eyes upon the Lord, look to Him, trust in these words, trust in His promises, and go to battle knowing that these things are true, that ultimately you will have victory. You know, it's kind of like sending out your troops onto the battlefield to fight an epic battle, but to tell them, the outcome is already secure. You still have to fight the battle, but you know, you can know for certain that you will achieve victory. So keep that in mind as you engage in the fight. Now, let me ask you, how would that change the way the troops went about the work and the fight in the battle? And that question is there for us as well. And what about for us? We have the advantage today because of our place in history of having additional light shed on this to what Zechariah had. Now, we don't have the complete picture, but we know that Jesus Christ has come and he came bringing in what? He came bringing in his kingdom into this world And He has, through His life here upon the earth, through His death and resurrection, He has already inflicted the wound that will result in the final destruction of God's enemies. It's not complete yet, but it has begun, and we can know that it will happen. It will finally result in what we read about earlier in Revelation 21. Remember? John had said, He will wipe away every tear from their eyes. and death will be no more, neither will there be mourning, nor crying, nor pain anymore, for the former things have passed away." That is the promise, that God has already begun this process through the Lord Jesus Christ, He has paved the way for us. He has brought into this world His kingdom, the kingdom of God, and He is conquering His enemies today. It's not complete, the battles aren't finished, and yet we can know for certain that they will be. There will be a day, that day, when finally every enemy will be destroyed. Now let me ask you, As we read those words, we see them in God's word. Do you know those words to be true? Do you take the Lord at his word? Now remember what faith is. It's fixing our eyes upon Christ. It's not just a vacant stare, remember, it's walking forward with Christ, knowing Him, trusting Him, hearing His Word, and simply receiving it as true. And so again, I ask the question, do you, do I, do we believe that this is really true, that He is conquering today? and that the war has already been won. Do we live our lives with that certainty in view? I will offer to you that if we truly do, it will help us tremendously day in and day out. As we live our lives in this world, as we face the enemies of God, in this world today. We will look at them completely differently. We will walk completely differently with our eyes fixed upon the Lord. That's what faith is. Remember Jesus said in John 3, 16, this was the whole point of what he was saying as you go through John 3 and his teaching to Nicodemus, that God so loved the world that he gave his only son that whoever believes in him should not perish, but have everlasting life. Notice, there is a condition there. that whoever believes in him, it is of faith. Now, the world around us tells us there are many paths to God. There are many different ways that we can go. The Bible tells us there is only one. He is the way, the truth, and the life. No man comes to the Father except through Him. Believe in Him. Believe in Christ and look upon Him. Trust in His Word. Walk in His ways. And so if we don't find ourselves doing that, being drawn to His Word and trusting in His Word, depending upon it, And we've got to ask ourselves, have I truly taken that step? The first question is, am I of faith? Am I in the faith? And if the answer to that is, no, I don't see that. And what's needed is faith and repentance. It's turning to the Lord in faith. It is that fixing our eyes upon Him, knowing that we're not going to do that perfectly. And yet it is a following of Christ. Think of his disciples. They followed him. You see their hesitation, though? Yes. They fell back time and time again. Peter took a step into the water and he began to sink. Oh, how little faith you have, Peter. And yet he was of faith. And so that's the first question. But secondly, if we have trusted in Christ and we look to him Do we continue in that, in the circumstances that come into our lives? And what does that mean? It means that we are already engaged in the battle. So that's the first step. If we are of faith, we are engaged in the battle daily, trying to live for the Lord. And yet we still face tremendous adversaries in this world. And what our text calls us to do is to continue forward, knowing that the war has been won and that the enemies of God are, in effect, defeated, even though we continue to fight the battles today. Imagine the impact that this message was to have with these Israelites. They were weak. They couldn't see any of this. They were defenseless. The enemies that they were up against seemed immense. It's almost like they were crying out, we believe. Help us in our unbelief. And the help they received from the Lord were these promises of God. That's what they were to stand upon. That's what we are to stand upon as well. You can think about being engaged in this battle again as it being something like at the end of World War II. Remember, it was a foregone conclusion at a certain point that the Allies were going to win the war. D-Day had happened. The Allies had essentially won, but there were still battles to be fought. And if you're there on the battlefield fighting the battle, you can be guaranteed that it didn't look like the Allies had won the war. But I can tell you that they fought differently because they knew that the war had been won. So they were strengthened. And the same is true for us. We need to recognize that the war has already been won. All we're waiting for finally is for the opposition to surrender, to be finally defeated. This is the place in which we find ourselves and we've got to ask, does this give me confidence for the fight? Does it strengthen me day in and day out in my walk? You know, what we see with these Israelites was that they continued to build. that they continued to build, they finished the temple, and no doubt this was part of the encouragement that they received. How about us? Do we continue to build? Do we look at the adversaries differently than we would otherwise? Do we fix our eyes upon Christ and walk with Him? Remember in Hebrews chapter 12, speaks of us, fix your eyes upon Jesus, the author and perfecter of our faith. It's what it's calling for us to do, to set our eyes upon him, just like the child walking across the log, to walk, to take step after step, trusting in his provision, trusting in his promises. Let me finish. with these words out of 1 Corinthians chapter 15 that really all the way through deals with this. And we see right to the end, Paul shares these words. He's spoken about the resurrection of Christ. He's spoken about the gospel itself. He's spoken about the completed battle And he says, finally, death is swallowed up in victory. Oh, death, where is your victory? Oh, death, where is your sting? He's saying that death is swallowed up. It is complete. He will wipe away every tear from their eyes and death shall be no more. Neither shall there be mourning, nor crying, nor pain anymore, for the former things have passed away. There is a new creation. That is a hope in which we are to place ourselves day in and day out as we live our lives. Please join me in prayer. Father, we thank you for the gifts that you have given us. We thank you that you have revealed yourself in your word. We thank you that you have not left us without, but we are able to see and know the promises of God like those that we have seen today. Father, I pray that you would help us, help us to search our hearts, help us to ask honestly that question, am I in the faith? And give us eyes to see genuinely, am I Are we in the faith? Do we have our eyes upon Christ? Have we received him? Do we trust him? Are we following? And then, Lord, I pray that you would help us also to discern in our own hearts Where am I in that following? Am I truly with eyes fixed upon Christ, walking day in and day out, trusting, knowing, taking joy in Your Word, knowing the rock upon which I stand? Or am I in need? Lord, we do pray that prayer. We believe. Please help us in our unbelief. We thank You for Your Word in Christ's name. Amen.