The Strong’s dictionary of New Testament words defines grace in this way…
“of manner or act (abstract or concrete; literal, figurative or spiritual; especially the Divine influence upon the heart, and its reflection in the life; including gratitude)”
God’s grace manifests itself in many ways – kindness, graciousness, benevolence…etc. It is always free and undeserved. Even if man were to be good enough to merit His grace, merit is NOT God’s motive for offering it to us.
At the end of the day though, virtually all expressions of grace can be summed up as, “God’s influence upon our hearts and its expression in our lives resulting especially in gratitude.”
Thru the Bible: Malachi 1-2
This is the last book of the Old Testament. It is a prophetic word to post-Babylonian exile Judah.
In this prophecy God addresses the exact same three major sins He did through Nehemiah, not so many years prior.
This was Israel’s last warning… a shot across the bow before their sins reward them a spiritual desert to live and die in.
Amos spoke of this intertestamental time of silence as “a famine for hearing the word of the Lord”.
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Thru the Bible: Zechariah 12-14
Zechariah chapters 12-14 address Israel’s future unfaithfulness and ultimate rejection of their Messiah. The judgment this brings will reduce Israel by two-thirds and the remaining 3rd will be purified and refined by trials.
During the future and Great Tribulation the antichrist will break covenant with the Jews and with antagonistic fury persecute them. Those who endure will see the Lord return on the Mount of Olives and mourn for what their ancestors (and they by extention) had done to Him.
Then the tides will turn and God’s wrath will be poured out on the antichrist and all of Israel’s enemies. He will rule from Jerusalem over the whole earth. The Feast of Tabernacles will once again be celebrated only the whole earth will participate in honoring Jesus the King Who has now tabernacled among them!
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Thru the Bible: Zechariah 11
God employs the use of two shepherd staffs to illustrate two covenants. One was called Favor and the other Union.
Favor was the shepherd staff which represented the old covenant – in particular the ark of the covenant which was taken by Nebuchadnezzar at the time of the temple’s destruction and never returned.
The second shepherd staff was Union. It represented Jesus Himself. In Jesus the union between greater Israel and Judah would be broken but a new and better covenant would be instituted. It would be an eternal covenant based upon better promises where the union would be with God directly and would result in union between each other and all in the world who would turn to Messiah in faith.
The prophecy ends with a dark note, which I believe is in reference to the change in the priesthood following the Maccabean revolt.
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Thru the Bible: Zechariah 7 & 8
The Jews in Bethel who had returned from the Babylonian exile asked the priests and prophets if they should mourn and fast in the fifth month as they had done while in captivity. God answers them, but starts with a question of His Own which shocks their thinking and recalibrates their hearts to place Him first as the commandment says.
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Thru the Bible: Zechariah 6
Zechariah is shown 4 spirits who are before God’s throne. They go out as 4 horses into the earth, apparently as witnesses and messengers. They “patrol” places in the earth where they are sent with the job of accomplishing God’s directives and reporting back to God.
Two are sent to the north and one to the south with no mention of the fourth.
The black horse probably was there to confirm the accusations of the tryany of Babylon against Israel when they were captives there. The white horse represented God’s judgment in rising up and sending Cyrus the Great to conquer Babylon JUST as He prophecied through Isaiah 200 years before Cyrus was even born. [See – https://grace-life.org/2022/06/cyrus-the-great-deliverer-of-israel/]
Following this vision, Zechariah was told to take up an offering from certain exiles who had returned from Babylon and make a crown for Joshua the High Priest who was a type of Christ. He is even referred to as ‘The Branch’.
This crown was to be set aside for a future High Priest and King who would come when Israel had fully obey the LORD their God with all their hearts.
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