What consequences are described for nations that refuse to worship the Lord? Setting the Scene • Zechariah 14 pictures the future reign of the Messiah in Jerusalem. • All nations will be invited to celebrate the Feast of Tabernacles, a joyful acknowledgment that the Lord alone provides life-giving rain and harvest. • Verses 17–19 warn of very real, physical consequences for nations that stubbornly refuse this worship. Straight from the Text Zechariah 14:18: “And if the people of Egypt will not go up and enter in, then they will have no rain; it will be the plague with which the LORD strikes the nations that do not go up to celebrate the Feast of Tabernacles.” Notice two linked judgments: 1. No rain – the skies close, crops fail, economies collapse. 2. A plague – a divinely sent affliction that reinforces the seriousness of rebellion. Scriptural Echoes • Deuteronomy 11:16-17 – withholding rain is the covenant consequence for turning from God. • 2 Chronicles 7:13-14 – drought and plague are meant to drive people to humble repentance. • Amos 4:7-8 – selective drought exposes spiritual stubbornness. • Haggai 1:9-11 – God withholds dew and produce when His house is neglected. • Revelation 16:9 – end-time plagues fall on those who “did not repent or give Him glory.” Why These Judgments? • Remedial, not merely punitive – God’s goal is to draw nations back to acknowledge His kingship. • Creation responds to its Creator – when humanity withholds worship, the natural order withholds blessing. • Public witness – the dry fields and spreading disease broadcast the cost of ignoring the Lord, inviting every nation to reconsider. Key Takeaways • Worship is not optional when the Lord reigns openly; obedience brings tangible blessing. • Refusal to honor Him results in equally tangible loss—drought and plague—underscoring the literal reliability of His word. • The pattern seen throughout Scripture culminates here: nations thrive or wither depending on their response to the rightful King. |
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