A New Start for God's People (Zechariah 10:6)
Sermon Summary
Pastor David Yan
31 December 2023
Israel spent seventy years in captivity because of its sins. Now its sins have been dealt with and they are returning to the promised land. It was a new start—but only after the old had been dealt with. We must look at our past before we look into our future.
Note how in Zechariah 10:6 God encouraged his people as they began their new life.
The Lord brought to an end the seventy years of Israel's chastisement. Her sins had been dealt with. Similarly, Jesus has dealt with our sins. We can come out of chastisement and begin a new life.
A new start is possible because the Lord is faithful to his promises. He honoured the covenant he made with Israel. Because of this covenantal relationship God would strengthen Judah and save Joesph.
Jesus is the author of a new covenant. He shed his blood to make this covenant. He will honour the covenant and give his people a new start.
God brings back Israel to their inheritance— the promised land. By the power of the Holy Spirit we are brought back to God and our inheritance—heaven.
The Lord restores his people because he is merciful (Psalm 103:8). We enter our promised inheritance because the Lord is merciful to us. We have abundant life because God has abundant mercy.
God's people are renewed as though they had never been cast away. It is as if they had never sinned. There is no condemnation (Romans 8:1) on believers today. He sees their sins no more because he sees his Son who died in their place.
Jesus makes all things new (Rev.21:5). Our sins are removed as far as the east is from the west (Psalm 103:12). The Lord remembers our sins and lawless deeds no more (Hebrews 8:12). We are new creations (2 Cor.5:17). We have a wonderful salvation because we have a wonderful Saviour. He is Jesus our Lord.
This message of a new start gives us hope. We live in the power of the Holy Spirit and have hope for a blessed future. For believers, the future is bright even though the present is bleak.
Observe how the Lord gave hope to Israel. In the days of Ezekiel he gave Israel hope through visions of a new temple. In the days of Zechariah he gave Israel hope with the vision of the coming Messiah (9:9; 12:10; 13:7). We today are given hope, not in the temple or a future Messiah. Jesus the Messiah has already come! He has secured our salvation. We hope in his second coming and the new heaven and earth ( Rev. 21:1). .
Begin this new year with a new start. If God is for you who can be against you? (Romans 8:31)