Warren Wiersbe once said, “God’s people don’t live on explanations; they live on promises.” The life of faith is not simply mastering content or puzzling out the meaning of obscure passages of the Bible, as important as those things may be. Rather, it is learning to believe and trust in God’s promises.

Zechariah 8 continues the Lord’s answer to the delegation of Jewish leaders (7:2–3). In a series of seven messages, the Lord weaves back and forth between describing the hope of Israel fulfilled in the millennial kingdom and the current life of the community. Realizing the hope of a fully restored Israel promised by God should impact the way God’s people lived in the present. Even more than that, the current remnant of exiles should serve as a signpost of the future kingdom.

Zechariah paints a beautiful picture of that future kingdom. Children and the elderly—the most vulnerable—will be in the streets without fear of harm or violence (vv. 4–5). Crops will produce bountifully (v. 12). Most significantly, people from all nations will come together to worship and seek the Lord (vv. 20–23). God’s promise to Abram, “all peoples on earth will be blessed through you” would be fulfilled (Gen. 12:3).

Because of this future hope, Israel should be compelled to act differently. They should, “Speak the truth to each other, and render true and sound judgment in your courts” (v. 16). In hope of a time when perfect justice would be administered, they should act justly now. We also live in hope of a promised future. The Lord Jesus has promised that He will “go and prepare a place” for us (John 14:2). The fact that He will come again and establish true justice and peace compels us to live in faithful obedience.

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