The Lord promises to bless Jerusalem with social prosperity
This is what the LORD Almighty says: “You who now hear these words spoken by the prophets who were there when the foundation was laid for the house of the LORD Almighty, let your hands be strong so that the temple may be built. 10 Before that time there were no wages for man or beast. No one could go about his business safely because of his enemy, for I had turned every man against his neighbor. 11 But now I will not deal with the remnant of this people as I did in the past,” declares the LORD Almighty.
Verses 9 to 17 have a different theme than the one heard up to this time. A change was coming. God was hard on his people in the past; at this point he was going to have mercy. “So will I save you, and you will be a blessing” (verse 13).
As mentioned at the beginning of this book, Zechariah was a contemporary of Haggai. Together they had witnessed the return of the nation of Judah from captivity in far-off Babylon. They had also been witnesses when discouragement and a spirit of defeatism had shut down the temple-rebuilding project. Verse 9 refers to this fact: “You who now hear these words spoken by the prophets who were there when the foundation was laid for the house of the LORD Almighty.”
In effect, the Lord was saying, “Listen to your preachers!” His will and word to the people came via prophets. The people could hear. God was speaking to them through the mouths of the prophets. The prophets had seen the foundation laid for the temple. They also had the Word of the Lord to direct the future building of the temple.
Their message was, “Let your hands be strong so that the temple may be built.” This is the Hebrew way of saying, “Be encouraged!” We read these lovely words of 1 Samuel 23:16 in the King James Version: “And Jonathan Saul’s son arose, and went to David into the wood, and strengthened his hand in God.” And during the discouraging times he faced in the rebuilding of the wall around Jerusalem, Nehemiah said, “They [the enemies] were all trying to frighten us, thinking, ‘Their hands will get too weak for the work, and it will not be completed.’ But I prayed, ‘Now strengthen my hands’” (6:9).
The one with strong hands, the one truly encouraged, is the one who has his hand in the hand of the Savior. When the prophets encouraged God’s people to have strong hands and be encouraged, they were not suggesting that it be a home study or a do-it-yourself project.
Moses, leading the millions single-handedly, prayed, “May the favor of the Lord our God rest upon us; establish the work of our hands for us—yes, establish the work of our hands” (Psalm 90:17). Nothing is single-handed when God’s hands strengthen our hands.
Verse 10 describes chaos and anarchy. There was no currency. There was no trust (upon which currency is based). No one was able to pay wages; consequently, no one could earn them. And the whole situation was caused by the Lord! The prophet Amos agreed when he said, “When disaster comes to a city, has not the LORD caused it?” (3:6). We read, “[The LORD] had turned every man against his neighbor.”
Why?
How could God be so mean and vindictive?
This question, which borders on the blasphemous, is just the question that human beings ask when faced with the frightening prospects of a God who punishes for transgressions against his law and who lets people suffer the consequences of their actions. Human beings do not police the laws of God. He does. Vengeance is his; he will repay.
But there is also mercy. “‘I will not deal with the remnant of this people as I did in the past,’ declares the LORD Almighty.” Social prosperity is once more in the offing.