How does Zechariah 7:5 challenge our motives behind religious practices? The Verse in View “Ask all the people of the land and the priests: ‘When you fasted and mourned in the fifth and seventh months, all these seventy years, was it really for Me that you fasted?’” – Zechariah 7:5 Historical Snapshot • Fasting in the fifth month commemorated the fall of Jerusalem (2 Kings 25:8–10) • Fasting in the seventh month mourned the murder of Gedaliah (Jeremiah 41) • Seventy years had passed; the temple was being rebuilt, yet the same rituals continued God’s Penetrating Question • The Lord exposes an underlying issue: activity without affection • The fasts had become cultural habits rather than heartfelt worship • The point is not the length or frequency of the fast but the orientation of the heart Motives Over Mechanics • Scripture consistently elevates motive above mere ritual – Isaiah 1:11–17: sacrifices without obedience are rejected – Hosea 6:6: “I desire mercy, not sacrifice” • Religious acts done for self-preservation, tradition, or public image miss the mark • Genuine worship flows from gratitude, love, and surrender to God New Testament Echoes • Matthew 6:16–18: Jesus teaches that fasting should be “for your Father, who is unseen,” not for human applause • 1 Corinthians 11:28: self-examination precedes the Lord’s Supper • Colossians 3:23: “Whatever you do, work at it with all your heart, as working for the Lord” Testing Our Own Practices Today • Examine whether church attendance, giving, serving, or devotional routines spring from devotion to Christ • Replace external compulsion with internal conviction birthed by the Holy Spirit • Align every practice with the two great commandments: love for God and neighbor (Matthew 22:37–39) Key Takeaways • Zechariah 7:5 confronts empty ritual and calls for heartfelt devotion • God values authenticity; He seeks worshipers who engage Him in spirit and truth (John 4:23) • Religious practices retain value only when they are responses of love to the Lord who first loved us |
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