We've seen the concept of the shepherd introduced in chapter 10, and chapter 11 will detail a "sign-act" where God calls Zechariah to literally become a shepherd so that Israel might see a tangible picture both of how God longed to shepherd his people and how his sheep refused his shepherding. In the process, we'll consider how well our own "under-shepherding" of others reflects the Good Shepherd as well as pondering how we're doing at following the Good Shepherd ourselves.

Where do we turn in our moment of need? When we realize we've got a problem or things look really dark - what is our first play? Really, we've only got two options, and that choice determines the course of our lives.

When we're desperate, beaten down, and broken…that's when we long for a hero to come to our rescue, restore what's been taken from us, and protect us from future harm. The true King is exactly that kind of hero, and he is coming!

The exiles are coming from 70 years of fasting and mourning. They've been practicing all the external behaviors of mourning for their sin, and they're wondering if their return to the Promised Land means they can finally put away their mourning and sorrow. But has their fasting really been about mourning their sin? Are they truly repentant for breaking their covenant with God? If we only read chapter 7, we'd see the Lord questioning and challenging his people. Praise God for chapter 8 which highlights that God, in his kindness and mercy, would turn their fasting into feasting!

We've finished the night visions of Zechariah and will be entering into the next part of the letter. When we need hope, where do we look? When our world threatens to dissolve into despair and anxiety, where do we turn? In the second half of the book of Zechariah, we'll see how God uses signs – symbols, actions, and his very words – to point the way for his people. Symbols like crowns, shepherds, fasting, and the temple offer hopeful messages of a coming King, a future feast, a generous God, and a caring Good Shepherd. Join in as we explore how these ancient prophecies serve as Signs of Hope for us still today.

As we explore Zechariah's final vision (corresponding to the first vision of God's reconnaissance riders among the myrtle trees), we once again have the curtain pulled back to see the heavenly realm. While there are similarities between the two visions, there are also several distinct contrasts between them. And those contrasts actually give us a better sense of what is going on in the original context as well as how this applies to us in 2025!

This week we'll be looking at a Longing for God's Judgment. But wait! Why would we long for God's judgment? Isn't that going to be a terrible time? But actually, we do all long for God's judgment because it ultimately means the end of sin and death.

This week's night vision gets really complicated. Four times Zechariah asks the angel for understanding about what he is seeing. But don't forget to consider that this vision is likely tied to the amazing message that we just heard last week about God stopping the enemy's accusations against us, removing our filthy and defiled garments (our unworthiness through sin) and giving us pure vestments (righteousness). We'll continue to delight in that!

Do you ever feel like you're broken? Do you sin and then you're filled with regret? Do you wonder, "How can I believe I'm righteous – just look at my actions, thoughts, and words?" This week we arrive at the first of the two middle night visions in the book of Zechariah (and remember, the middle part of a chiasm is where biblical authors put the most important part). In this incredibly hopeful chapter, may we find hope for ourselves as we long for righteousness.

When we're in a discouraging moment, isn't it easy to struggle to believe God is with us? Even more, we might believe he's near, but do we have the faith to believe he might do something immeasurably great? Are we willing to trust him to protect and provide for us or are we expending more energy trying to do that for ourselves? We can live full of vision and trust because the Lord of hosts promises to be present (dwell) with us!