Daily Devotional Thursday 6th April 2023
by William Moody
Zechariah 6
A Vision of Four Chariots
6:1 Again I lifted my eyes and saw, and behold, four chariots came out from between two mountains. And the mountains were mountains of bronze. 2 The first chariot had red horses, the second black horses, 3 the third white horses, and the fourth chariot dappled horses—all of them strong.1 4 Then I answered and said to the angel who talked with me, “What are these, my lord?” 5 And the angel answered and said to me, “These are going out to the four winds of heaven, after presenting themselves before the Lord of all the earth. 6 The chariot with the black horses goes toward the north country, the white ones go after them, and the dappled ones go toward the south country.” 7 When the strong horses came out, they were impatient to go and patrol the earth. And he said, “Go, patrol the earth.” So they patrolled the earth. 8 Then he cried to me, “Behold, those who go toward the north country have set my Spirit at rest in the north country.”
The Crown and the Temple
9 And the word of the LORD came to me: 10 “Take from the exiles Heldai, Tobijah, and Jedaiah, who have arrived from Babylon, and go the same day to the house of Josiah, the son of Zephaniah. 11 Take from them silver and gold, and make a crown, and set it on the head of Joshua, the son of Jehozadak, the high priest. 12 And say to him, ‘Thus says the LORD of hosts, “Behold, the man whose name is the Branch: for he shall branch out from his place, and he shall build the temple of the LORD. 13 It is he who shall build the temple of the LORD and shall bear royal honor, and shall sit and rule on his throne. And there2 shall be a priest on his throne, and the counsel of peace shall be between them both.”’ 14 And the crown shall be in the temple of the LORD as a reminder to Helem,3 Tobijah, Jedaiah, and Hen the son of Zephaniah.
15 “And those who are far off shall come and help to build the temple of the LORD. And you shall know that the LORD of hosts has sent me to you. And this shall come to pass, if you will diligently obey the voice of the LORD your God.”
Footnotes
[1] 6:3
Or and the fourth chariot strong dappled horses
[2] 6:13Or he
[3] 6:14An alternate spelling of Heldai (verse 10) (ESV)
The four chariots with their horses (v1-8) come out from the presence of the Lord. They speak of how God does not abandon this world but rather wages war in this world against all that is evil so that His purposes will be accomplished. As believers we must always be mindful that there is a spiritual battle going on and that we must be engaged in this battle for the building of Christ’s kingdom throw the advance of the Gospel.
Next a crown of gold and silver is made and placed on the head of Joshua the high priest (v9-11). The crown will remain in the temple as a sign (14).
It was unusual for a priest to wear a crown, but the focus here is to be on the one to come called the ‘Branch’ (v12). This is the great descendant of David who would be a might priest king, who would be both the suffering servant who would die for the sin of His people, but who would also rise again to rule over all. It is who would will build not the physical temple in Jerusalem, but the spiritual house of God which is the church (v15).
Christ builds His church through living stones, as more people come to saving faith and are brought into the household of God, forming a temple of praise.
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