God promises glorious times to come for Jerusalem. It will be called a city of truth and will have both the elderly and the young in its streets. The remnant of the Jews will be returned to the land and they will be prosperous. The Lord will be their God and they will be His people in truth and in righteousness.

What Does It Say?

1. When God blesses Jerusalem, the _________ of the city shall be full of boys and girls __________.
2. God will save His people from the ________ country and from the _________ country.
3. They shall be God’s people and He will be their God in truth and in _______________.
4. God gives words of strength to those that were in the day that the _____________ of the house of the Lord of hosts was laid, that the ____________ might be built.
5. God will cause the remnant of this people to _____________ all these things.

What Does It Mean?

1. We normally think of jealousy as a negative trait; as something we should not have. However, in the Bible, jealousy is attributed to God more than to men and we can be certain that it is not wrong for God to be jealous. In our passage God states, “I was jealous for Zion with great jealousy, and I was jealous for her with great fury” (v.2). Look up the word in a dictionary and consider the following verses where God is jealous: Exodus 34:14For thou shalt worship no other god: for the LORD, whose name is Jealous, is a jealous God:
   See All...; Deuteronomy 4:24For the LORD thy God is a consuming fire, even a jealous God.
   See All...; Deuteronomy 32:16They provoked him to jealousy with strange gods, with abominations provoked they him to anger.
   See All...; Deuteronomy 21; 1 Kings 14:22And Judah did evil in the sight of the LORD, and they provoked him to jealousy with their sins which they had committed, above all that their fathers had done.
   See All...; Psalm 78:58For they provoked him to anger with their high places, and moved him to jealousy with their graven images.
   See All...; Ezekiel 39:25Therefore thus saith the Lord GOD; Now will I bring again the captivity of Jacob, and have mercy upon the whole house of Israel, and will be jealous for my holy name;
   See All...; Joel 2:18Then will the LORD be jealous for his land, and pity his people.
   See All...; Zechariah 1:14So the angel that communed with me said unto me, Cry thou, saying, Thus saith the LORD of hosts; I am jealous for Jerusalem and for Zion with a great jealousy.
   See All.... Compare these verses with 2 Corinthians 11:2For I am jealous over you with godly jealousy: for I have espoused you to one husband, that I may present you as a chaste virgin to Christ.
   See All... where Paul speaks of having “godly jealousy.” What is the basic meaning of jealousy? What does it mean when God is jealous? Why is it alright for God to be jealous? When can we have jealousy that is godly?
2. From verse 3, we can see that God has a future for Jerusalem. Compare this with Isaiah 2:1-4 [1] The word that Isaiah the son of Amoz saw concerning Judah and Jerusalem. [2] And it shall come to pass in the last days, that the mountain of the LORD's house shall be established in the top of the mountains, and shall be exalted above the hills; and all nations shall flow unto it. [3] And many people shall go and say, Come ye, and let us go up to the mountain of the LORD, to the house of the God of Jacob; and he will teach us of his ways, and we will walk in his paths: for out of Zion shall go forth the law, and the word of the LORD from Jerusalem. [4] And he shall judge among the nations, and shall rebuke many people: and they shall beat their swords into plowshares, and their spears into pruninghooks: nation shall not lift up sword against nation, neither shall they learn war any more.
   See All.... What kind of city will Jerusalem be? When will this happen?
3. The Jews have just recently returned from captivity in Babylon. They found the city and the surrounding area in ruin. Zechariah promises that better times are coming. Verse 10 describes how things have been there. Tell in your own words what has been going on in the city as described in verse 10.

What Does It Mean to Me?

1. Zechariah realizes that his wondrous description of God’s future for Jerusalem may be far beyond the belief of his audience. They see a destroyed and ruined city. He describes a marvelous city. Verse 6 states, “Thus saith the LORD of hosts; If it be marvellous in the eyes of the remnant of this people in these days, should it also be marvellous in mine eyes? saith the LORD of hosts.” That is, it may be marvelous in the eyes of the remnant of the Jews that are left, but it is not marvelous in the eyes of God. In a similar vein, Psalm 118:23This is the LORD's doing; it is marvellous in our eyes.
   See All... says, “This is the LORD'S doing; it is marvellous in our eyes.” Why are some things marvelous in our eyes but not in the eyes of God? Name some of these things.
2. The Lord tells the Jews, “Let your hands be strong, ye that hear in these days these words by the mouth of the prophets” (v.9). The words of the prophets will give them strength. We know that words can hurt or they can help. The Lord can teach us “how to speak a word in season to him that is weary” (Isaiah 50:4The Lord GOD hath given me the tongue of the learned, that I should know how to speak a word in season to him that is weary: he wakeneth morning by morning, he wakeneth mine ear to hear as the learned.
   See All...). What kinds of words give strength? What kinds of words hurt? How are you going to use your words today?

Suggested Memory Verses

Zechariah 8:3Thus saith the LORD; I am returned unto Zion, and will dwell in the midst of Jerusalem: and Jerusalem shall be called a city of truth; and the mountain of the LORD of hosts the holy mountain.
See All..., Zechariah 8:6Thus saith the LORD of hosts; If it be marvellous in the eyes of the remnant of this people in these days, should it also be marvellous in mine eyes? saith the LORD of hosts.
See All...