Homilist Zechariah 1:3-4 Therefore say you to them, Thus said the LORD of hosts; Turn you to me, said the LORD of hosts, and I will turn to you… Urged from — I. THE DIVINE DISPLEASURE TOWARDS THE IMPENITENT MEN OF THE FAST. "The Lord hath been sore displeased with your fathers." "They had shown a mournfully strong and inveterate propensity to depart from God and from His ways. They had needed incessant repetitions of Divine admonitions, entreaties, promises, and threatenings; and manor a time all had proved unavailing. Jehovah bound them to Himself with 'cords of love.' But 'they brake the bands asunder, and cast away the cords from them.' They chose their own ways. They thus provoked Him to anger. Their fathers had by their sins brought that heavy seventy years' judgment upon themselves." Now the displeasure of God to sinners of the past is here referred to in order to induce the Jews to repent of the selfish negligence which they had evinced concerning the building of the temple (Haggai 2:5-7). II. FROM GOD'S ASSURANCE OF A WELCOME TO ALL THAT TRULY REPENT. Proved — 1. By His invitation to the impenitent. "Come now let us reason together, saith the Lord," etc. etc. 2. By the experience of mankind. Manasseh, David, Saul, Bunyan, and millions more returned to Him, and He not only received them, but rejoiced over them. III. FROM THE TRANSITORINESS OF HUMAN LIFE. By the "fathers" are meant those with whom God was displeased, An argument — 1. For the wicked to repent. 2. For faithfulness, and for persevering zeal.For we shall all soon have finished our mission. (Homilist.) Parallel Verses KJV: Therefore say thou unto them, Thus saith the LORD of hosts; Turn ye unto me, saith the LORD of hosts, and I will turn unto you, saith the LORD of hosts. |
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