I was first captured by Zechariah’s words when reading Henry Blackaby’s “Experiencing God” material. The phrase, “Return to me and I will return to you” jumped off the page at me as though it were written in bold print with large type.
In the eighth month, in the second year of Darius, the word of the Lord came to the prophet Zechariah son of Berechiah son of Iddo, saying: “The Lord was very angry with your ancestors.
Therefore say to them: Thus says the Lord of hosts: Return to me, says the Lord of hosts, and I will return to you, says the Lord of hosts.
Do not be like your ancestors, to whom the former prophets proclaimed, ‘Thus says the Lord of hosts: Return from your evil ways and from your evil deeds.’ But they did not hear or heed me, says the Lord.
Your ancestors, where are they? And the prophets, do they live forever? (Zechariah 1.1-5).
The relationship between God and Israel traces its origins to the period when the Israelites were transitioning from slavery in Egypt to freedom in the Promised Land. During this time, God established a covenant with them, encompassing both blessings and curses.
The blessings would be granted as long as they remained faithful and followed God’s path, while the curses would come on them if they chose to forsake God. See Deuteronomy 27 and 28.
God’s grace encompassed the possibility of repentance and return. If the wayward people turned from their sin and began walking hand in hand with God, they could expect Him to return to them with a blessing.
This was God’s promise to His people: “When all these things have happened to you, the blessings and the curses that I have set before you, if you call them to mind among all the nations where the Lord your God has driven you
“And return to the Lord your God, and you and your children obey him with all your heart and with all your soul, just as I am commanding you today,
“Then the Lord your God will return you from your captivity and have compassion on you, gathering you again from all the peoples among whom the Lord your God has scattered you” (Deuteronomy 30.1-3).
This principle was set forth by God for His people: if they repented and turned back to Him, He would respond with blessings. At the time Zechariah was writing, the people had experienced exile and had since returned to their homeland.
God’s message to them was a call to action—to fully commit to their part of the covenant by wholeheartedly returning to God, enabling Him to bestow His blessings upon them once more.
Return to God – Today
Like many, you might be keeping a close eye on current events, and it’s clear that the world is facing numerous challenges at this moment.
The rise of China as a potential threat, Russia’s aggression towards Ukraine and the possibility of its conflict spreading to other European countries, the ongoing tensions between Israel and Hamas that could draw in Iran, and the severe hardships faced by African nations—despite their lack of visibility in the media—are all pressing issues.
Immigration issues may have caught your attention, and if you read about world news, immigration is an issue that stretches around the globe. People are leaving desperate situations and moving to nations where they might have hope for a future for themselves and their families.
These are indeed difficult times, and it begs the question: what actions should we take in response?
One of my good friends, who reached rock bottom in his addiction, said, “My own best thinking is out to kill me.” It seems that the world’s “best thinking” is driving humanity to rock bottom, too.
God has an answer, and it does not involve our best thinking. He says to us, “Return to me, and I will return to you.”
That declaration contains within it the truth that God is active in history, and when His people respond to Him in repentance, He is willing to respond to them with blessing.
One of the most detrimental attitudes we can adopt is to believe that our repentance is insignificant. The truth is, we are among millions who have the opportunity to approach God and say, “Lord, I am coming back to you. Please return to us with your Presence and blessing.”
YouTube Video
Rudy Ross and I discussed this passage on YouTube today. Rudy has a vast wealth of information, and it is a joy to talk to him about Old Testament topics. The video is on the Bob Spradling channel.
Real Voices 