Be Still
Zechariah 2:1–13
📖 Scripture
1 Then I looked up, and there before me was a man with a measuring line in his hand.
2 I asked, “Where are you going?” He answered me, “To measure Jerusalem, to find out how wide and how long it is.”
3 While the angel who was speaking to me was leaving, another angel came to meet him
4 and said to him: “Run, tell that young man, ‘Jerusalem will be a city without walls because of the great number of people and animals in it.
5 And I myself will be a wall of fire around it,’ declares the Lord, ‘and I will be its glory within.’
6 “Come! Come! Flee from the land of the north,” declares the Lord, “for I have scattered you to the four winds of heaven,” declares the Lord.
7 “Come, Zion! Escape, you who live in Daughter Babylon!”
8 For this is what the Lord Almighty says: “After the Glorious One has sent me against the nations that have plundered you—for whoever touches you touches the apple of his eye—
9 I will surely raise my hand against them so that their slaves will plunder them. Then you will know that the Lord Almighty has sent me.
10 “Shout and be glad, Daughter Zion. For I am coming, and I will live among you,” declares the Lord.
11 “Many nations will be joined with the Lord in that day and will become my people. I will live among you and you will know that the Lord Almighty has sent me to you.
12 The Lord will inherit Judah as his portion in the holy land and will again choose Jerusalem.
13 Be still before the Lord, all mankind, because he has roused himself from his holy dwelling.”
💡 Scripture Summary
Zechariah sees a man with a measuring line. The angel says Jerusalem will be a city without walls, protected by the Lord. The Lord calls His people to flee from Babylon. He declares that whoever touches His people touches the apple of His eye. Many nations will join the Lord and become His people.
🔎 Reflection
Limited Vision (2:1–9)
God tells Zechariah that Jerusalem will no longer need walls in the future because He Himself will be their defense. Walls can be broken, as God’s people learned. But now it is God who will protect them with a wall of fire, and it is God who will dwell in the midst of His people, defending and providing. This message is just as relevant for our day and time. It encourages us to move past faith in worldly protection and power. God’s promise of protection also applies to us. It does not mean we will never face trouble, but it does mean that, whatever we face, God will be with us to sustain us and see us through.
What fears are you currently facing? Ask the Holy Spirit to remind you of what God promises to do and be for you in the face of these circumstances.
Divided No More (2:10–13)
God calls His people to rejoice because He is coming to live among them. He also promises that many nations will be joined to Him and become His people and He will dwell among them all. God calls all humankind to be still because He is at work. This message would have been challenging for Zechariah’s Jewish audience: that God would call Gentiles His people. Perhaps it is challenging for some of us today as well. Many of those we regard as enemies may someday be among us as friends, and more than friends, brothers and sisters through Christ Jesus. God calls us to rejoice that He is among us today, and to be still while He brings this extraordinary work of salvation to completion.
Which of your relationships are strained or challenging? Ask God to bring that person or persons to a greater understanding of who He is and of the work He does.
📜 Memory Verse
“This is what the Lord Almighty says: ‘Return to me,’ declares the Lord Almighty, ‘and I will return to you,’ says the Lord Almighty.”
– Zechariah 1:3
💬 Today’s Inspiration
“Foundational in the fight against anxiety is discovering a deeper joy and satisfaction in God.”
– Steven Lee
🙏 Prayer
God, help me to see my life, my relationships, and my world through Your eyes. May I learn to distinguish between the world’s way of thinking and the mind of Christ. Most of all, help me to rejoice in You more than I worry about my fears. In Jesus’ name, amen.
🖋 Essay
Fasting Journal
Take time to hike up a mountain and view your surroundings from above, or set aside time to look at a map of your region. Ask God what changes He has planned for your city and your country. Prayerfully seek how you can be part of His will being done on earth as it is in heaven.
– Pastor Sam An