Tuesday 06 November 2007

Background

Zechariah is describing a situation where the nation has beenthrough perhaps the most difficult time in its history. They wereconquered by a foreign invader and most of their healthy and fitmen, women and children were taken captive by the invaders. Theywere transported into enemy territory and made to serve theirconquerors.

Only many years later, and under a different regime, were theirdescendents allowed to return if they wished, though not all didso. Those who did return faced a massive task of rebuilding.

Zechariah depicts some of those who returned asking whether theyshould resume their old religious practices of mourning andfasting. Their intention was to show their sorrow for their sins.God's reply is to the effect that in the past their religiouspractices were part of the problem.

In the 'former days' (ie. the time before they were conquered) Godhad sent prophets to teach them that sorrow for sin is shown byputting things right, rather than by ritual. They had refused tohear that message, so, when they pleaded with God to avert thecatastrophe of conquest and exile, God refused to hear them.

This seems to us to be very harsh. Are there really times when Godrefuses to hear our prayers? We would like to think not. Certainly,any suggestion that God plays tit for tat with us would beunworthy. But this passage may introduce us to the uncomfortableidea that the way we behave can deafen us to God's answer.

To Ponder

Is the old proverb, 'There are none so deaf asthose who will not hear' true of our relationship with God?

Can we behave in ways which make it impossiblefor us to hear God's answer to our prayers? If so, what might someof them be?

Does God cause some of the bad things whichhappen to us, or does God just allow them to happen? Or is thisdistinction meaningless?