How does Zechariah 2:10 connect with Matthew 1:23 about God's presence? The Verses Side by Side • Zechariah 2:10 – “Sing and rejoice, O Daughter of Zion, for behold, I am coming, and I will live among you,” declares the LORD. • Matthew 1:23 – “Behold, the virgin will conceive and give birth to a son, and they will call Him Immanuel,” which means, “God with us.” Old-Covenant Promise of God’s Personal Dwelling • Zechariah speaks after the exile, when the remnant is rebuilding the temple. • God pledges, “I am coming” – not figuratively, but personally. • “I will live among you” echoes Exodus 25:8 and Leviticus 26:11–12, renewing the tabernacle promise. • The command to “Sing and rejoice” anticipates the joy that only God’s literal presence can bring (Psalm 16:11). New-Covenant Fulfillment in Immanuel • Matthew quotes Isaiah 7:14 to announce that Jesus’ birth is the ultimate arrival foretold in Zechariah. • Immanuel—“God with us”—is the exact realization of “I will live among you.” • The incarnation is not symbolic; in Jesus, God truly takes on flesh (John 1:14). • The angel’s words to Joseph assure that the long-awaited Presence has stepped into time and space. Continuous Thread of God’s Dwelling • Tabernacle → Temple → Incarnation → Church → New Jerusalem. – Exodus 40:34–35: God fills the tabernacle. – 1 Kings 8:10–11: His glory fills Solomon’s temple. – John 1:14: “The Word became flesh and tabernacled among us.” – 1 Corinthians 3:16; 6:19: Believers are now God’s temple by the Spirit. – Revelation 21:3: “Behold, the dwelling place of God is with man.” • Zechariah and Matthew anchor this unbroken storyline of divine residence. What God’s Nearness Means for Us Today • Confidence: The same God who pledged to dwell in Jerusalem now lives in every believer (Romans 8:9–11). • Joy: “Sing and rejoice” still applies; Christ’s presence is our unshakable gladness (Philippians 4:4). • Mission: Because God is with us, we go “to the ends of the earth” with the gospel, assured by Jesus, “I am with you always” (Matthew 28:20). • Hope: The foretold, fulfilled presence guarantees the future reality when we will see His face (1 John 3:2). Zechariah 2:10 casts the promise; Matthew 1:23 nails down the fulfillment. Together they assure every generation that the Lord has come, still comes, and will come to dwell forever with His people. |
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