Read Zechariah 8:23, "Thus says the Lord of hosts, 'In those days ten men from all the nations will grasp the garment of a Jew, saying, "Let us go with you, for we have heard that God is with you.'"
I've been reading through the minor prophets over the last week or so and have been thoroughly enjoying it! There is so much rich truth in these little books, but they are unfortunately rarely taught in church. I encourage you to read from Hosea to Malachi, slowly, and with a commentary and pen in hand! I know you will be blessed because of it!
This verse in Zechariah really stuck out to me today. Chapter 8 of this book is a prophecy of the future restoration of Israel in the Millennial kingdom (the 1,000 year period of Christ's reign on earth). Basically, the history of Israel reads like a broken record. They sin, God punishes/judges them, they repent, and God restores them. If you think about it, this is a picture of our lives as well! How many times have we messed up, asked for forgiveness, and seen God faithfully forgive and restore? Too many to count! In this passage, we see a beautiful picture of Israel's future reconciliation and restoration. Though parts of this prophecy have been partially fulfilled, the complete fulfillment will happen in the future Millennium, when Christ comes back for the 2nd time.
The verse that really stuck out to me in this passage is the final verse, verse 23, which describes the people from other nations grabbing the clothes of the Jews and saying, "Let us go with you, for we have heard that God is with you." Isn't this amazing? The people see the favor of the Jews, they can tell that God is with them, and they want to be a part of it!
I can't help but think about how wonderful it would be if we saw this happening on earth right now. What if you were so in love with God, so firmly rooted in your faith, so pure and holy and set apart for God, that people just knew God was with you? What if you were so full of the Holy Spirit, that people could just sense God's presence whenever you were around? We're called to be salt and light in this dark world (Matt 5:13-16). This means that we are commanded to stand out, for the purpose of bringing glory to Him. I'm sure you're familiar with Matthew 5:16, which reads, "Let your light shine before men in such a way that they may see your good works and glorify your Father in heaven." I know that you probably know that verse by heart, but do you live it? We need to be so close to God, that people will see Him in us and want what we have.
This is just as much a challenge to me as it is to all of you. I get so caught up in the meaningless busyness of each day, that I forget my purpose for being on this earth. I challenge you to repeat Matthew 5:16 to yourself every morning, and purposefully pray that God would give you the grace to live that verse out each day. I am challenging myself with this as well. Let's see what God can do through us!!
