Sermon and Worship Resources

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Zechariah 1:1-6

Understanding Series

Pamela J. Scalise

Superscription (1:1): Zechariah prophesied to a community that knew the fulfillment of prophecy as a fact of their lives. Earlier prophetic announcements of judgment had been proven true in the destruction of their nation. The prophet’s ministry, and the ongoing ministry of the book, is to persuade its audience that the reliability of God’s earlier words of judgment stands as evidence that God’s p...

2. A Crown for Joshua

Zechariah 6:9-15

Understanding Series

Pamela J. Scalise

A Prophetic Sign-Act: A Crown for Joshua: The sequence of vision reports and oracles ends with the report of a symbolic action, the crowning of the Branch. Zechariah’s instructions from the Lord are somewhat like the commands to Samuel and to Elisha’s unnamed colleague to anoint kings. There were long waiting periods after the anointing of David and Jehu (1 Sam. 16:1–13; 2 Kgs. 9:1–13) before thes...

3. A Man With a Measuring Line

Zechariah 2:1-13

Understanding Series

Pamela J. Scalise

Vision Report: A Young Man Measuring Jerusalem (2:1-5): 2:1–2 Again, as in 1:18, Zechariah simply looked up and the vision was before him. He saw a man with a measuring line in his hand! During periods of intense building activity men with measuring lines must have been a relatively common sight around Jerusalem. They stretched out the line to mark the location of the structure and to measure its ...

4. Blemished Sacrifices and Admonition for the Priests

Malachi 1:6-14, Malachi 2:1-9

Understanding Series

Pamela J. Scalise

Reverence for God’s Name: The second speech continues the theme of family relationships and domestic life as a metaphor for Israel’s life with God. Verse 6 introduces the Lord as a father figure and master of a patriarchal household. By the contempt they have shown for the Lord’s table and the food placed on it, the priests have fouled their own home, hurt the other family members, and brought the...

5. Clean Garments for the High Priest

Zechariah 3:1-10

Understanding Series

Pamela J. Scalise

Vision Report: Zechariah and Joshua in the Heavenly Court: 3:1–2 Zechariah’s next vision begins in the midst of a courtroom scene, a trial of Joshua the high priest in the heavenly court. He was standing before the angel of the LORD, and the accuser was standing at his right side to accuse him. “Satan” is not a personal name but a role. He is also a member of the heavenly court. The text does not ...

6. Four Chariots

Zechariah 6:1-8

Understanding Series

Pamela J. Scalise

Vision Report: Four Winds and God’s Spirit: 6:1–3 Again, and for the last time in this book, Zechariah reports that he looked up. He saw four chariots, each pulled by horses of a different color—red, black, white, and dappled. As in the first vision of red, brown, and white horses (1:8), there is no reason to think that the colors are individually symbolic. The variety of colors emphasizes the own...

7. Four Horns and Four Craftsmen

Zechariah 1:18-21

Understanding Series

Pamela J. Scalise

Vision Report: Four Horns and Four Smiths: The next vision report is comparatively spare and simple. There is little action and the figures within the vision do not speak. Yet this vision addresses the question of fulfillment of prophecy, divine governance, and the unwelcome quiet reported in verse 15. The vision of four horns and four smiths portrays the missing step between God’s anger at “the n...

8. Jacob Loved, Esau Hated

Malachi 1:1-5

Understanding Series

Pamela J. Scalise

The Superscription (1:1): 1:1 The superscription, or extended title, of the book of Malachi has two parts. First, it is called an oracle (massaʾ). This term also heads the books of Nahum (1:1) and Habakkuk (1:1), but elsewhere it appears in the headings of shorter units of speech, such as the oracles against the nations in Isaiah 13–23 and Zechariah 9–11 and 12–14. The word does not denote any par...

9. Jerusalem’s Enemies to Be Destroyed

Zechariah 12:1-9

Understanding Series

Pamela J. Scalise

The Second Oracle: The superscription—An Oracle—is printed separately as the heading of chapters 12–14. The first three words of Zechariah 12:1 (massaʾ debar YHWH), An Oracle: This is the word of the LORD, appear in the OT only here and at the beginning of Zechariah 9:1 and Malachi 1:1. This repeated formula links the books of Zechariah and Malachi. (See the introduction to Zechariah and also the ...

10. Judah Unfaithful

Malachi 2:10-16

Understanding Series

Pamela J. Scalise

Do Not Break Faith: This third address is different in form from the others in the book, and it includes several obscure Hebrew phrases and sentences. In the prophet’s opening statement he speaks initially in the first person plural as one of the people (v. 10). He then goes on to accuse Judah (in the third person, vv. 11–12) and his audience (in the second person, vv. 13–15). He quotes the Lord’s...

11. Judgment on Israel's Enemies

Zechariah 9:1-8

Understanding Series

Pamela J. Scalise

The First Oracle: The arrangement of the various prophetic sayings in Zechariah 7–8 has opened up a space between the return to the land and the promised age to come. God has reaffirmed the cherished promises but moved them into the future relative to the fourth year of Darius, thereby encouraging the waiting community to hold on to its hopes. Meanwhile, God makes clear to them that the Law and th...

12. Justice and Mercy, Not Fasting

Zechariah 7:1-14

Understanding Series

Pamela J. Scalise

A Query about Commemorative Fasts (7:1-3): A question about mourning the destruction of the temple introduces a series of sayings that address the present spiritual condition of the community, review the divine judgment on its ancestors, and declare God’s promises of future blessings. A concentric literary framework holds these oracles together in a chronological and logical sequence that answers ...

13. Mourning for the One They Pierced

Zechariah 12:10-14

Understanding Series

Pamela J. Scalise

12:9–11 This next section is laden with grief. The root “mourn” (spd) occurs five times in as many verses (12:10–14). Yet this mourning is God’s good gift, a necessary accompaniment to repentance (see also Joel 2:12; Isa. 22:12). This blessing will enable the people of Jerusalem to turn back to God. While God sets out to destroy all the nations that attack Jerusalem (v. 9), God will transform the ...

14. Robbing God

Malachi 3:6-18

Understanding Series

Pamela J. Scalise

Return to Me (3:6-12): The fifth speech returns to the present with an appeal for repentance demonstrated in a concrete act of obedience, tithing. This obligation contributes to proper worship at the temple and to feeding even the poorest of the people. The Lord, who loves Israel, offers them reconciliation and promises blessing. 3:6–7a The opening statement of this address is a stunning non sequi...

15. The Coming of Zion's King

Zechariah 9:9-13

Understanding Series

Pamela J. Scalise

The King Is Coming to Zion (9:9-10): 9:9 God’s word announces the arrival of Jerusalem’s new king by calling the Daughter of Zion and the Daughter of Jerusalem to Rejoice greatly and Shout. The city under threat and judgment had often been addressed in this personification (e.g., Jer. 4:31; 6:2; and esp. Lamentations). A female figure carried connotations of dependence and vulnerability, especiall...

16. The Day of Judgment

Malachi 2:17--3:5

Understanding Series

Pamela J. Scalise

The God of Justice Will Come: The fourth speech is closely related to the second (1:6–2:9) and the sixth (3:13–4:3). The opening accusation resembles the charge of “harsh” words in 3:13, and the people’s queries about God’s justice are also similar (cf. 2:17 and 3:15). Their words parallel the priests’ failure of discernment—crippled and diseased animals are acceptable as offerings (1:6) and “All ...

17. The Day of the Lord

Malachi 4:1-6

Understanding Series

Pamela J. Scalise

Those Who Fear the Lord (3:17--4:3): 3:17–4:1 Malachi 3:17–4:1 addresses the concerns of Malachi’s audience directly. God promises that, “in the day when I act” (v. 17, NIV margin), you will again see the distinction between the righteous and the wicked, between those who serve God and those who do not (v. 18). On the day of divine judgment, the arrogant will not seem to be blessed and the people ...

18. The Flying Scroll

Zechariah 5:1-4

Understanding Series

Pamela J. Scalise

Vision Report: A Flying Scroll: 5:1 Zechariah continues the description of his visions with an account of the next thing he saw, I looked again—and there before me was a flying scroll! He does not mention any winged bearers (as he does in the following vision), nor is the scroll itself said to have wings—he does not specify the means of locomotion. The image calls to mind flying carpets, undulatin...

19. The Gold Lampstand and the Two Olive Trees

Zechariah 4:1-14

Understanding Series

Pamela J. Scalise

Vision Report: Golden Oil: 4:1 An interval during which Zechariah was not alert ends when the angel who talked with him returned and wakened him. After his experience in the divine council Zechariah had not been asleep, but the angel/messenger had to rouse him forcibly, as a man is wakened from his sleep. 4:2–5 In this fifth vision, Zechariah saw a solid gold lampstand with a bowl at the top. Exca...

20. The Lord Comes and Reigns

Zechariah 14:1-21

Understanding Series

Pamela J. Scalise

The Lord Will Reign: Zechariah 13:7–9 prophesied eschatological death, destruction, survival, answered prayer, and renewed covenant in familiar language. In the final chapter of Zechariah the same story includes bizarre images that describe the overthrow of the world as we know it. There is no clear chronological arrangement of the material in Zechariah 9–14, but this chapter brings us to the cons...

21. The Lord Promises to Bless Jerusalem

Zechariah 8:1-23

Understanding Series

Pamela J. Scalise

Five Oracles of Salvation for Jerusalem (8:1-8): 8:1–2 God had not abandoned desolate Judah (7:12–14). Verse 2 here echoes 1:14, “I am very jealous for Zion.” The Lord’s passionate attachment to Zion overcomes the wrath that the people’s sin provoked (7:12). The nations that had been brought against Jerusalem for judgment had gone too far. “I was only a little angry, but they [the nations] added t...

22. The Lord Removes Falsehood

Zechariah 13:1-6

Understanding Series

Pamela J. Scalise

13:1 For the last time in the book of Zechariah God makes a promise regarding the house of David. The promise also includes the inhabitants of Jerusalem. This is the eighth of seventeen promises in chapters 12–14 that begin with the phrase, on that day. A fountain will be opened in Jerusalem. Ezekiel 47:1–12, Joel 3:18, and Zechariah 14:8 describe an eschatological water source that will flow out ...

23. The Lord Will Appear

Zechariah 9:14-17

Understanding Series

Pamela J. Scalise

Freedom for Prisoners: The theme of the Lord’s universal reign from Jerusalem returns in Zechariah 14, but this passage and the other chapters in between reveal a period of danger from corrupt leadership and external attack. It is not possible to ascertain a specific chronology, and even the relative chronology is not precise. The context and arrangement of Zechariah 7–8 had opened up an indetermi...

24. The Lord Will Care for Judah

Zechariah 10:1--11:3

Understanding Series

Pamela J. Scalise

The Lord’s Compassionate Care for Judah and Joseph (10:1-12): 10:1–2 Two verses forge a connection with the abundant crops of 9:17, that needed God-given rain (v. 1), and also connect with the unreliable shepherds (v. 3) who did not fill the leadership vacuum of verse 2. In these verses, both a hymnic description of divine provision (v. 1; cf. Job 38:25–27) as well as a critique of false intermedi...

25. The Man Among Myrtle Trees

Zechariah 1:7-17

Understanding Series

Pamela J. Scalise

Superscription to the Vision Reports and Oracles (1:1): Zechariah now describes a series of visions received during one night in the second year of Darius. These reports attach revelations of God’s will and works to aspects of the people’s experience as subjects of the emperor. Zechariah 3:8 provides the key to this way of reading part two of Zechariah when it calls the Jerusalem priesthood a mofe...

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