And now, brothers and sisters, if you would turn with me in your scriptures to the prophecy of Zachariah. Zachariah chapter eight. In Redemptive History, we place him as one of the post-exilic prophets. Zechariah chapter 8, verses 1 through 5. My text will be verses 4 and 5, focusing a little bit more on verse 5. Hear God's word. Then the word of the Lord of hosts came, saying, Thus says the Lord of hosts, I am exceedingly jealous for Zion. Yes, with great wrath, I am jealous for her. Thus says the Lord, I will return to Zion and will dwell in the midst of Jerusalem. Then Jerusalem will be called the city of truth. And the mountain of the Lord of hosts will be called the holy mountain. Thus says the Lord of hosts, old men and old women will again sit in the streets of Jerusalem, each man with his staff in his hand because of age. And the streets of the city will be filled with boys and girls playing in the streets. Thus ends the reading of God's word. Let's bow before him in prayer. Our father, we pray that you would give us understanding of this text. We are thankful that it has been preserved, inspired by your spirit and in your providence, preserved for us today. We would ask that we would understand the blessings that are given to us here. and that we would recognize that as a community, our children are precious and the various activities they engage in are a sign. And so teach us, not only in this word, but teach us through our community, even through our children. We ask in Jesus' name. Amen. When a nation is either at war or has been forced into exile, there is a sound that is missing. You do not catch its absence right away, but in the back of your mind, there is a remnant, a remnant of a lighter, happier time, when something deep presses to listen and the sound is missed. Then you catch a sight of something, perhaps a deflated ball within the gutter, a candy wrapper carried by the breeze, some chalk etchings on the road made by a smaller hand than your own. And it dawns on you. The sound that is missing is the sound of children playing. Jerusalem was besieged and destroyed by Nebuchadnezzar and his army around 600 B.C. its inhabitants were taken into exile, the temple was destroyed, the walls were burned, the city virtually left desolate. Then around 538 BC, after the Medo-Persian Empire gained world domination, Cyrus, who ruled this vast empire, was used by God to return the exiles back to Jerusalem to rebuild its walls, to rebuild its temple, and to re-inhabit the Holy City. In 537 B.C., the first exiles returned, and in all likelihood, in that small ragtag group, there were at least two children. I imagine when they returned to Jerusalem, they somehow reflected the horror that their parents experienced upon entering the burned-out city. You know that children can't always articulate the deep things that their parents experience and go through, but they certainly experience those nevertheless. They had their own horror too. Entering that city, few children to play with and too dangerous to go out into the streets to play. These two children would grow up in this resettling and rebuilding of the city of Jerusalem, and they would eventually be called by God as prophets. One of the prophets name is Haggai. The other prophets name is Zachariah. Zachariah, in this prophecy, speaks to his community, to God's community, to God's covenant people who are overly discouraged. It was in chapter seven that the prophet reminds the people why they are in the state they are in. When they enter Jerusalem and they see the temple burned and the walls broken down and the city desolate, he reminds them of God's wrath and his punishment upon his people because of the rebellion and their disregard for his word for generations. But now God is gracious. He returns to his people and he brings a remnant back into the city in order that it might be rebuilt. And yet the people are discouraged. And so in chapter eight, The prophet encourages the people of God with the promises, promises of restoration, promises of God's abiding presence, promises of God's protection, promises of security and peace, ultimately the promise of the coming Messiah who will shower his people with blessing, salvific blessing from the hands of the Messiah. It's in verses four and five that we have some of the promises of God's blessing described with concrete images. We read about old men and old women sitting in the streets or in the courts or plazas of Jerusalem. We read about young boys and young girls filling and playing in the streets playing in the streets. These are all blessings that the prophet begins to give to the people to encourage them. And my friends, by the Holy Spirit, it's the same promises that are given to you as God's covenant people to encourage you. A description of the church Now, the church of Christ Messiah has come and we still wait for his second advent, his second coming blessings, blessings bestowed in a temporary way to these old covenant people in a more firm way to you. God's new covenant people and ultimately, ultimately fulfilled when Christ returns and his kingdom comes in its fullness. But here we have the promises and the blessings of God by virtue of the Messiah's rule over his people. And this is for you. This text includes several blessings, I will list five for you. And it's verses four and five that we're focusing on. Thus says the Lord of hosts, old men and old women will again sit in the streets of Jerusalem, each man with his staff in his hand because of his age. And the streets of the city will be filled with boys and girls playing in the streets. I believe included here are five blessings. God will bless his people with many people. That's the image that is meant to give to us. It's really a rhetorical technique that the prophet uses when he speaks of the younger people of the community, the most youngest in the community, and then the oldest in the community. He's including every every season of life in between. And so the blessing will be people, God's people, a full complement of people. where once there was curse and desolation that left the city uninhabited. Now there will be that blessing and the blessing will be the people themselves, a full community of people. The second blessing. Not only will there be a full habitation, but all generations will be represented. And so in this second blessing, we have full community. What is given here is a balance of vitality and maturity, of exuberance and wisdom. There will be the old men, the old women. There will be the young boys, the young girls in the streets playing. And indeed, what a blessing. A blessing not only of many people, but a blessing of all generations being represented. And I would say that even in our own community, in our own church, we look around and we see all generations represented. I'm going to continue to encourage you not to dismiss these what would be ordinarily considered mundane circumstances mundane observations of a community of people look and see many people look and see different generations represented. This is not by accident, but it is by the blessing of God upon his people. Third, the prophet emphasizes the sexes, do you get that? You don't find this language too often, but he speaks of the older men and older women. Sitting by the streets, he speaks of boys and girls playing in the streets. It's really reminiscent of the garden where God creates. Male and female in his image. And when we have such a description and a mix, not only of the generations, but of the sexes, you have a sense of the full glory of God represented in his people, in both the men and women, both boys and girls. There's a fourth blessing, and the fourth blessing is the peace and the security. Wherever God abides and In the prophet's encouragement of the people, where Messiah rules, there is peace and security. There is tranquility. There is a freedom from fear. Why is it that the older people can be in the streets, the younger children playing? He gives the most vulnerable of the generations, young children, older people, in the streets. I visited Eritrea in 1996. It was just three years after a 30-year civil war. And when you went through the capital city, Asmara, and the various towns along the way, there was still this sense of fear that hovered over the people that affected not only the older generation, but especially the children. And this is, and I think we take this for granted, we've had so much peace, so much prosperity, that for us we just take for granted the ability of our children to play. But there are those places around the world where you will go during that 30 year of Civil War. Children were kept in their houses all day. It was at dawn at dusk that they were allowed to run out to the field to grab some vegetables out of the garden and to get back into the house for fear that they might be sniped. No children in the streets playing during the Civil War. No elderly out sipping their coffee and their tea along the side streets of Asmara. Too much fear. Too much warfare. Too much insecurity. All things, I think, we take for granted. But in many places of the world today, there is still that kind of fear. What Zachariah is speaking of, people that have gone through such fear, such trauma, such social upheaval, in which there was a deep anxiety socially, publicly. It's here that they are encouraged that when Messiah comes, there will be peace. There will be security to such an extent that older men and women will be able to go back out into the streets, that children will be playing in the streets. It's rather interesting that the word for street that's used here in verse five, verse four and five, can be translated Plaza can be translated court can be translated street. The same word is used by the earlier prophets to describe these places in Jerusalem as places of death and destruction. And it's as though Zachariah, knowing those prophecies, takes the same language, the same words and transforms the image from a place of death and destruction to a place of great joy and activity, where even the most vulnerable in the community can gather and enjoy their lives and enjoy the peace that God has given to them together. And so that's the fourth blessing. The fifth blessing is this. And it's what takes us to the text in verse five. These blessings will result in the freedom and the security of our children to play. They are given freedom to act according to their natures. They are given the security in order that they might live out that which they are as children. It was John Murray, who did much ministry in New England. He was a professor at Westminster Theological Seminary and belonged to the Presbytery of New York and New England. Often on the weekends, he would go up to preach or he would encourage young preachers throughout the several states there. It was on a Saturday morning when he was staying with a young couple who owned a cat. who, and I imagine this was springtime, had caught a bird and continued to play with the bird. And the young wife came out and scolded the cat for killing this bird. And John Murray, observing the scene, came and corrected her and said that the cat was only acting according to its God-given nature. And so when we look at our children, We listen, we observe. What is the nature of children? How do they act out their nature? Let's not be overly pessimistic. Children's nature is related to play. They love to play. If they don't have the various gadgets and games at hand, they will make things up naturally. And what Zachariah is describing here is such a community and a condition of peace, security and protection that children are allowed to act according to their nature. They are given the freedom to play even in the streets without fear. And really, that's the point that I wanted to bring this morning. We have a baptism of another covenant child. We have a church that is filled with covenant children. And what should you expect from the children? Don't say disobedience. We're thinking positively this morning. It's play. They play. Perhaps Zechariah is reflecting upon his own experiences as a young child brought to Jerusalem in its desolate state, now raised in Jerusalem, and he sees with his prophet's eye and that prophet's vision that the streets are filled with children. He can hear them play. He can see them play. It's a glorious day when children gather together and play. Messiah has come. There is peace. There is security. And children are allowed that freedom to act according to their natures. And what will they do? They will play. And so we come to a baptism and we administer that mark of the covenant to another covenant child, that child engrafted into this community by virtue of her birth in a Christian home. but grafted into a community where there are many, many children. And what would we expect of these children? Oh, we would hope that they would learn their catechism. We would hope that they would that they would listen to the Bible readings at home, that they would pray with their parents, that they would be good little boys and girls. But what we what we should anticipate and expect and look forward to are children playing. praying. God's blessing is with us and abides with us if we are able to see and hear the children play even throughout the aisles of this church. You think that's a stretch. Well, I don't. And as a minister of the gospel, I come to you and I say to you on behalf of Christ that this is a sign of your blessing. This is the sign of God's abiding with you. This is the sign of your security and peace in Christ when you see and when you hear your children playing together. We should not take such a circumstance such a mundane thing for granted among God's covenant people. It is part of the blessing of God. Blessing that is evident when the aisles are filled and when children will even, after church, run the aisles. Now, when we think of Old Testament times, we say, well, what kind of games did the children have? There was no electricity, no televisions, no Xboxes or computer games. But they had all kinds of games. The scripture doesn't give us much detail, but there has been much archaeological studies done, and there are all kinds of evidence to show us what life was like for children, even in Jerusalem. There was a game that would be played where two kids would take balls and balls made either out of clay, fired clay, or wood, or possibly rags. I saw this in Eritrea in 96. They didn't have soccer balls. And around the world, children love to play soccer. And what the children of Asmara would do is take rags and so weave them tightly and make a ball out of rags and play soccer. Imagine playing soccer with a rag ball. But there are various reliefs that have been discovered that show children, two children, four balls. And what they would have to do is keep two of the balls simultaneously in the air while they're throwing. while they're throwing the ball that they've just caught. I don't know how that's done, but it's one of the games that they played. A variation of that is a younger child would climb on the shoulders of another child, and they would try to do the same thing. Throughout Palestine, all kinds of board games have been discovered. And the boards weren't made out of cardboard, obviously. We're looking at We're looking at games that are thousands of years old, but out of ivory, imagine out of ivory and sometimes with with an ebony veneer. And there was a game we could call it jackals and hounds and quite, quite intricately pegs were carved of ivory with a jackal head and a hound head and a game like similar to our chess or checkers. Makala has always been played and it's still played today, but back then there was Makala boards that have been discovered and colored stones. All kinds of board games discovered. There was always tug of war. There was target practice with archery or with the slinging of the stones. What has been discovered are rattles, marbles, little animals on wheels, clay-fired figurines, chariots, whistles, dolls. There were pets of birds. Young girls liked to keep pets of birds on little string leashes. There was singing and dancing, running and wrestling. All kinds of things that the children would engage in and play. And what Zachariah sees in that prophet's eye, in that prophet's vision, are the streets of Jerusalem filled with children playing all kinds of things. Tugs of war, ball games, chess, checkers, all kinds of things. There's a game that is similar to our Duck, Duck, Goose. We don't have the rules of the games, but various reliefs and pictures that have that have come down to us through antiquity, demonstrating that children, children knew how to play. Yes, even in the sixth century B.C. And what Zacharias sees the streets filled with children filled. With all security, all protection, Messiah has come and his blessing is now upon the covenant people. And how do the children experience that covenant blessing by Messiah's coming? How do they experience it? They experience it in their play, in the freedom, in the freedom to pursue that which brings them pleasure. And so we've come to a baptism and a sign in the seal reminding us that our children belong to the Lord, ultimately, and that they are part of this community and that God even even will use our children to remind us that Jesus Messiah rules and reigns over our lives. And how do we know that we know that clearly by his word, by his gospel, How do we know that blessing of Christ abiding with us, forgiving and protecting us? We know it in the sacraments. But how else? How else do we experience concretely the blessing of Jesus who abides and protects? How do we see it? How do we know? How are we more greatly assured? I am telling you today that you are more greatly assured of Christ's relationship to you through your children freely playing together. And the streets of Jerusalem will be filled with boys and girls playing. What can we learn? Well, let me briefly give four lessons. We've considered the blessings of this passage Now the lessons. What can I say? Quite, quite simply, let our children play. Let our children play. Covenant community, we're a church. We would give lip service. Indeed, our children are a blessing to us as a community. But how is that demonstrated concretely? It needs to be demonstrated by giving them room. So what if they run the aisles after church? OK, don't knock anybody down, kids, but. I always love I love walking through the hallways after church morning and evening. Group of kids playing chess in one of the rooms. Girls and guys chasing one another outside playing tag. You always got a football game or a baseball game going on somewhere out in the field. You see, what does that tell us? Is it just a bunch of kids doing what's natural? Yes, but in the covenant context, you need to see it with eyes of faith. You need to hear. With ears that are that are attuned to the kingdom reality, When our children play, it is a sign that our God rules and reigns and that we are protected, that His abiding presence is with us, and that when our children play, there is pleasure, there is delight, there is joy, I believe, even in the courts of heaven. It is not a merely simple activity, mundane, that we just put up with among our children. Can I tell you it is a sign of the kingdom when our children play together? I believe it is. And the boys and girls will be playing in the streets of Jerusalem. It's a sign that Messiah has come. Let the children play. Let them play. I recognize that there are boundaries. I recognize that we need to shepherd our children even at such times. We do know that bad company corrupts good morals and we want to watch over our children, but what greater place for our children to experience the freedom of play than within the covenant community? It's ordinarily, and I don't want to name names, but It's usually at every annual congregational meeting just about that there's a young woman who's always asking about play equipment outside for the children. We do have swings out there. But it wouldn't be bad to give attention to that. Not just because we want to keep the kids occupied or out of our hair or whatever else. But as a covenant community, we ought to be attuned to this. When children play within the church, It is a sign from our God that he abides with us, that he is ruling and reigning, and that part of the kingdom blessing is the security that he gives to us to allow our children that freedom to play. Second thing we can learn is why we watch over our children. We need to be careful, and I just speak to a certain segment within Not necessarily this church, but certainly within many reformed churches, this tendency to over-segregate our children from other children. After all, we don't want them to pick up the bad habits of others, do we? And as mom and dad, particularly younger kids, we feel like we need to be in ultimate control at all times. dare say, that it's good to watch over our kids and to keep them close to home and to have a good, loving relationship with mom and dad, other siblings. That's good. And to nurture them. The home is the primary place where our children are nurtured. I recognize all of that. And yet there's something about the covenant community in which the children experience the blessing of God. And we do, too, when we observe their playing together. Well, there are various dangers if we were to overly segregate our children. It can breed a self-righteousness. We can be robbing our children of learning to act among their peers. Very, very important social lesson. We could even thwart the blessing of our own children by robbing them of that kind of fellowship, which every or most people really long for. Friends. Third thing we can learn from this passage is that there are further blessings that accrue. When our children, covenant children play together. They are enriched, they are strengthened in that communion, when we make this confession of the communion of the saints, which we do as a church. in which all of the resources that God has given to all the blessings both material and spiritual, our hours and we need to be good stewards of all that God has entrusted to us both material and spiritual among one another, the covenant community. Does that exclude our children in some way? Are they not members of this church? Are they not part of the covenant community? Do they not share in the blessings? And how does a child experience the blessings within the covenant community? I say one of the ways is the freedom for them to play in all security and protection. And that's part of the communion that even our children can enjoy together. There's so many primary lessons that they can learn, certainly from mom and dad, certainly from the siblings in the home. I recognize that, but also outside of the home. This is what God has intended. They can learn so many lessons of humility and forgiveness, of justice and fairness, of deferring to one another, yes, in the home, but also among their peers when they play together. It is here that our children grow, and within the covenant community, ultimately meeting others that might be their future spouses. We know it's a grave evil when children marry outside of the covenant community, when they marry outside of the faith. But how do we begin to nurture healthy relationships among boys and girls? We let children, we give them freedom to play. together. And I dare say it's those children that are playing chess and tag and football. Even today, it's a beautiful early spring day. Just after the service, watch the children, listen to them. It's not only enriching, it's not only strengthening, they don't only learn many, many lessons, good, virtuous lessons. Even sometimes apart from mom and dad. Amazing. But those that you're seeing playing chess and tag football. And this is going to sound awful like a cliche, but it's true. That's the future of the church. Those kids that are playing chess and tag and football and baseball together wrestling. Maybe throwing snowballs, maybe a little bit too hard at times, but whatever the case. They're the ones that are going to grow and there, if Christ carries, they'll be the next generation that leads the church, and it's, I believe, in that play that they learn very, very important lessons about fellowship, about communion. We dare not overly segregate our children. Especially within the church. We do damage to them. Really, we do damage to ourselves. We miss out on a wonderful, wonderful sign from God. And we do damage to the future generations. Let your children play with proper care, with proper supervision, yes, boundaries for sure, certain rules, but let them play. There's one more lesson and I've been expounding it and we'll finish with this. God is concerned for us as his covenant people and he reveals his goodness and kindness and he gives us many, many gifts. But part of that, part of that, my friends, I'm trying to make the case and I believe it is scriptural. That part of the revelation of his goodness and his mercy of his abiding presence Among us is seen in our own children's playing together. It's not an inconsequential distraction. Our children playing together is a sign that Messiah has come. And so on this baptism morning, we rejoice with the Gerrits We continue to pray for our own families, our own children, our own church. But part of it all, and don't miss this, part of that blessing of being engrafted is this, that children's play is just not a natural thing that children do among us. It's that. But there is a greater significance that God is demonstrating his goodness, his presence, his blessing, his protection to us. when we see and when we hear our children playing together. This is what Zachariah says. When Messiah comes, when the blessing of God comes, when the Christ blesses his people, there will be the older men, older women sitting in the courts, in the streets, and there will be children, the boys and the girls, playing together within the streets. My friends, let's rejoice in God's goodness this morning as we discern that sign that he has given to us, even through our children's play. Let's look to him. Father, we pray that we would not be adult people, particularly as adults. We pray that we would not forget what it is to be children, childlike. Give us the ability to hear and understand Jesus' words when he calls us all to be like children. Because if we are not like children, we shall not enter the kingdom. Only those who are childlike shall enter your kingdom. We are thankful that you constitute us all as your children and that you are heavenly father bestow upon us many, many blessings. We are thankful for the joy, for the pleasure and delight that you take in us through your son. And we are thankful that you are not only our God, but the God to our children. And by virtue of your spirit and the wisdom given universally, We are thankful that children play by the power and the wisdom that you dispose. But as a covenant people, we pray that we might see even more in their play, that we would recognize your image and that we would recognize your blessing and that we would rejoice even this day when we see and hear our children play. May we understand that Christ has come. that He protects us, that He blesses us, and that is signified even through our children and the games that they play together. Give us that kind of discernment this day, we ask in Jesus' name. Amen.