Matthew Henry's Concise Commentary on the Whole Bible
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Zechariah
Book: Zechariah
Chapter: 8
Overview:
The restoration of
Jerusalem.
(1-8) The people encouraged
By
promises of
God's favour, and exhorted to
Holiness.
(9-17) The
Jews in the latter days.
(18-23)
1-8 The sins of Zion were her worst enemies.
God will take away
her sins, and then
No other enemies shall hurt her. Those who
profess religion must adorn their profession
By Godliness and
honesty. When become a
City of
Truth and a mountain of
Holiness,
Jerusalem is peaceable and prosperous. Verses 4,5, beautifully
describe a state of great outward peace, attended with plenty,
temperance, and
Contentment. The scattered Israelites shall be
brought together from all parts.
God will never leave nor
forsake them in a way of
Mercy, for this he has promised them;
and they shall never leave nor forsake him in a way of duty, as
they have promised him. These promises were partly fulfilled in
the Jewish
Church, betwixt the
Captivity and the time of
Christ's coming; and they had
Fuller accomplishment in the
Gospel Church; but the full import must be as to the future
times of the
Christian Church, or the future restoration of the
Jews. With men this is impossible, but with
God all things are
possible;
So far are
God's thoughts and ways above ours. In the
present low state of vital
Godliness, we can hardly conceive
that
So complete a change can be made; but a change thus
extensive and glorious, can be brought to pass
By the almighty
power of the new-creating
Spirit, in less time than he was
pleased to employ in creating the world. Let the hands of all
who labour in the cause of the
Gospel be strong, serving the
Lord in true
Holiness, assured that their labour shall not be in
vain.
9-17 Those only who lay their hands to the
Plough of duty,
shall have them strengthened with the promises of
Mercy: those
who avoid their fathers' faults have the
Curse turned into a
blessing. Those who believed the promises, were to show their
Faith By their
Works, and to wait the fulfilment. When
God is
displeased, he can cause trade to decay, and set every
Man
against his neighbour; but when he returns in
Mercy, all is
happy and prosperous. Surely believers in
Christ must not trifle
with the exhortation to
Put away lying, and to speak every
Man
peace with his neighbour, to hate what the
Lord hates, and to
Love that wherein he delights.
18-23 When
God comes towards us in ways of
Mercy, we must meet
him with joy and thankfulness. Therefore be
Faithful and honest
in all your dealings; and let it be a pleasure to you to be
So,
though thereby you come short of the gains others get
dishonestly; and, as much as in you lies, live peaceably with
all men. Let the truths of
God rule in your heads, and let the
peace of
God rule in your hearts. Thus the ancient servants of
God drew the notice of
Heathen neighbours, whose prejudices were
softened. A great increase to the
Church shall be made. Hitherto
the Jews had been prone to learn the idolatries of other
nations: what more unlikely than that they should teach religion
to their conquerors, and to all the principal nations of the
Earth! Yet this is expressly foretold, and it came to pass.
Hitherto the
Prophecy has been wonderfully fulfilled, and
No
doubt future events will explain it further. It is good to be
with those who have
God with them; if we take
God for our
God,
we must take his people for our people, and be willing to take
our
Lot with them. But let not any one think that mere zeal,
either for Jews or
Gentiles, will stand in the place of personal
religion. Let us be living
Epistles of
Christ, known and read of
all men,
So that others may wish to go with us, and to have
their portion with us in the realms of bliss.