Big Horns In Your Life? Call A Craftsman!

I decided to try and combine blog entries with my personal Bible study in order to “kill two birds with one stone” as they say!

This morning I read Zechariah – Chapter One. The first six verses the “word of the Lord” came to Zechariah and told him that the Lord was “very angry” with his forefathers and to tell the people that if they will return to Him, He will return to them. He admonishes them not to be like their forefathers who wouldn’t listen to God. So the people repent.

The rest of the chapter contains two visions (this is the cool part!). The first vision is of an angel on a red horse with red, brown and white horses behind him. When Zechariah asks what it means, the angel explains that the horses had been sent throughout the earth and they report to the angel that, “We have gone throughout the earth and found the whole world at rest and in peace.”

The angel’s response surprised me. Instead of rejoicing at such wonderful news, he prays to the Lord and, upset, kind of demands “how long will you withhold mercy from Jerusalem … and the towns of Judah which you have been angry with these seventy years?” Then the Lord speaks to the angel in a “kind and comforting” voice. I can just see God soothing this distressed angel! Then God says (very paraphrased!!) “I was only a little angry, but they kept on vexing me and I guess it has been seventy years. I’ll tell you what I’ll do.” Then God promises to give them mercy, his house (the temple?) will be rebuilt and the towns will overflow with prosperity. He will comfort Zion and CHOOSE Jerusalem. I love the picture of this angel going to God and reminding Him of His people and then God DECIDING not to be angry with them anymore and to pour all of these undeserved blessings on them. It was God’s choice, His sovereignty and His great love (for the angel!) and His people that caused Him to look their way and bring them back to Him.

The other vision has to do with four horns and four craftsmen. I would love some more revelation on this one! The horns scattered Judah, Israel and Jerusalem “so that no one could raise his head.” Horns butt against and move things, right? This brings to mind a picture of enormous animals with horns, tearing through towns and scattering all the people. Then Zechariah sees four craftsmen. Now, to me craftsmen are not scary people . I imagine them to be kind, patient, bent over their work with deep concentration and attention to detail. Very different picture than the horns! But Zechariah 1:21 says, “…but the craftsmen have come to terrify them and throw down these horns of the nations who lifted up their horns against the land of Judah to scatter its people.”

Hmmm, terrifying craftsmen. So I started to dig into the word. www.Dictionary.com says this: 1.a person who practices or is highly skilled in a craft; artisan. 2. an artist. Then I went over to www.crosswalk.comand looked up craftsmen in the King James with Strongs Bible and ah ha! Check this out: The Hebrew word for craftsmen is Charash which means craftsman, artisan, engraver, graver, artificer b. skilful to destroy (warriors). Who would have thought it? Finally I thought about THE Master Craftsman, JESUS! I can certainly see him an artisan (he, with God and the Holy Spirit, created everything!) and as a warrior who took on sin and death for our behalf.

Who better to take on a group of horns!

Thoughts?