Compare Zechariah 7:6 with 1 Corinthians 10:31 about doing everything for God. Setting the Scene - Zechariah 7 occurs about two years after the first group of exiles returned from Babylon. A delegation from Bethel asks the priests whether they should keep observing the traditional fasts begun during the exile. - 1 Corinthians 10 is Paul’s instruction to believers living in a pagan culture, urging them to honor God even in mundane choices like meals offered to idols. What Zechariah 7:6 Reveals “ ‘And when you were eating and drinking, were you not doing so simply for yourselves?’ ” - The Lord exposes a self-focused heart: rituals were kept, but God was not the object. - Their eating and drinking—even in a religious context—had become an exercise in self-gratification. - The passage underlines a timeless principle: outward activity means nothing if the motive is inwardly selfish (cf. Isaiah 1:13-17; Hosea 6:6). Paul’s Call in 1 Corinthians 10:31 “So whether you eat or drink or whatever you do, do it all to the glory of God.” - Paul widens the scope: every action, from the smallest (a sip of water) to the greatest, must be God-centered. - The phrase “to the glory of God” shifts emphasis from personal preference to divine praise (cf. Colossians 3:17; Colossians 3:23-24). - The immediate setting deals with food sacrificed to idols, but the command reaches every corner of life. Putting the Two Passages Together - Same everyday activity, two opposite motives: • Zechariah: “for yourselves.” • Paul: “for the glory of God.” - The Lord’s question in Zechariah exposes the heart; Paul gives the positive corrective. - Both texts uphold one unchanging truth: motive matters more than motion. - God is not impressed by mere religious observance; He delights in hearts intent on honoring Him (cf. 1 Samuel 16:7; Matthew 15:8). Living It Out Daily - Examine motives: • Ask, “Who benefits first from this choice—me or the Lord?” • Let Psalm 139:23-24 guide honest self-assessment. - Redirect ordinary routines: • Meals: offer simple thanks, remembering Christ (Acts 2:46-47). • Work: treat every task as service to the Master (Ephesians 6:7-8). • Leisure: enjoy God’s gifts, but resist turning them into idols (1 Timothy 6:17). - Embrace whole-life worship: • Present your body “as a living sacrifice” (Romans 12:1). • Seek opportunities to reflect Christ in conversation, generosity, and compassion (Matthew 5:16). Additional Scripture Insights - 1 Corinthians 6:20 — “For you were bought at a price; therefore glorify God in your body…” - Philippians 2:3-4 — “Do nothing out of selfish ambition or empty pride, but in humility consider others more important than yourselves.” - Hebrews 13:15-16 — Through Christ, continual praise and practical good please God. Zechariah warns against a life centered on self; Paul commands a life centered on God’s glory. The difference lies not in the activity itself, but in the heart that drives it. |
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