After the Jews returned from exile in Babylon, the first task at hand was the rebuilding of the temple in Jerusalem. But yet some sixteen years later, the job was only half done. Everyday life and opposition from their enemies had replaced the people’s zeal for completing the house of the Lord. So God sent the prophet Zechariah to encourage, motivate, and warn them of the consequences of complacency and disobedience.

Zechariah saw the Israelites falling into the same wicked behaviors of their ancestors. They were becoming disinterested with their relationship with the Lord, closing their ears to His words and, even though outwardly appearing religious, inwardly hardening their hearts against Him. The spiritual rituals the people were engaging in weren’t done out of love for God and for His glory, but rather for appearances and their own gratification. God told Zechariah to call out their hypocrisy asking,”When you fasted and mourned in the fifth month and in the seventh, for these seventy years, was it for me that you fasted? And when you eat and when you drink, do you not eat for yourselves and drink for yourselves?” (vs. 7:4-6)

Knowing the judgement from God these behaviors provoked, the prophet issued this warning to the Israelites, “Thus says the Lord of hosts, ‘Return to Me,’ declares the Lord of hosts, ‘That I may return to you’, says the Lord of hosts, ‘Do not be like your father’s, to whom the former prophets proclaimed saying, ‘Thus says the Lord of hosts, return now from your evil ways and from your evil deeds. But they did not listen or give heed to Me’.” (vs. 1:3-4) “They refused to pay attention and turned a stubborn shoulder and stopped their ears from hearing. They made their hearts like flint so that they could not hear the law and the words which the Lord has sent by His Spirit through the former prophets; therefore great wrath came from the Lord of hosts.” (vs. 7:11-13)

In my own pride I couldn’t help but wonder why, with their history and all they had been through, the people of Israel had to continually learn the painful lesson of rebellion against God. And immediately I was convicted. God asked me the same question, “How many times do you need to be taught the same lesson?” 

We need to be careful of repeating sinful patterns and falling into the trap of pride and rebellion. Careful of just going through the motions when it comes to our relationship with God. Hardened hearts don’t happen over night. Little by little, just like in the case of Israel, repeated rebellion causes our love for God to grow cold, and continually drowning out His voice causes our ears unable to hear His Word. 

“There is a tragic progression to be found in this glimpse of Israelite rebellion. At first they were simply willful in their opposition to God. They “refused to pay attention … turned a stubborn shoulder … stopped their ears.” All this was under their control. But soon things moved beyond their control. Their hearts became rock-hard, “like flint so that they could not hear.” They started out refusing to yield to God and ended up unable to yield to God. Their could not was caused by their will not. And so it is with us. When I will not becomes I cannot, it is a sure sign we have become slaves to stubbornness and our hearts are hardened, and we must repent before it is too late.”.....Paul Tautges

Every relationship requires nourishment, love, and attention to grow and  bloom, and our relationship with the Lord is no different. By spending time daily alone with God and in His Word, we can keep from having hearts like flint and spare ourselves the devastation of hearing Him say, “And just as He called and they would not listen, so they called and I would not listen.” (vs. 7:13) Today and everyday, I pray that we each will have open hearts and ears to the Lord. And as Hebrews 3:15 tells us, “if you hear His voice, do not harden your hearts” (Heb. 3:15)

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