Written by: John Sernaque
Call to Worship
Zechariah 2: 6-9
2:6 Ho, ho, [come forth], and flee from the land of the north, saith the LORD: for I have spread you abroad as the four winds of the heaven, saith the LORD.
2:7 Deliver thyself, O Zion, that dwellest [with] the daughter of Babylon.
2:8 For thus saith the LORD of hosts; After the glory hath he sent me unto the nations which spoiled you: for he that toucheth you toucheth the apple of his eye.
2:9 For, behold, I will shake mine hand upon them, and they shall be a spoil to their servants: and ye shall know that the LORD of hosts hath sent me.
A Little-heeded Appeal—
[Zechariah 2:6-9 quoted.] How sad it is to contemplate that this touching appeal met with so little response! Had this entreaty to flee from Babylon been heeded, how different might have been the condition of the Jews in the trying times of Mordecai and Esther! {4BC 1177.7}
The Lord’s purposes for His people have ever been the same. He desires to bestow on the children of men the riches of an eternal inheritance. His kingdom is an everlasting kingdom. When those who choose to become obedient subjects of the Most High are finally saved in the kingdom of glory, God’s purpose for mankind will have been fulfilled (The Review and Herald, December 26, 1907). {4BC 1177.8}
The angel of the LORD encampeth round about them that fear him, and delivereth them. While we look not at the things which are seen, but at the things which are not seen: for the things which are seen are temporal; but the things which are not seen are eternal. However, there are conditions attached to these promises. God’s people are to obey His commandments in order to receive the promises. Had the Israelites been obedient to God’s instructions to them, they would have not fallen once again into bondage. God’s purpose is to have all His children enter into the kingdom of heaven. The second angel’s message is as much a solemn warning today as it was during Zechariah’s time: And there followed another angel, saying, Babylon is fallen, is fallen, that great city, because she made all nations drink of the wine of the wrath of her fornication. And I heard another voice from heaven, saying, Come out of her, my people, that ye be not partakers of her sins, and that ye receive not of her plagues. For her sins have reached unto heaven, and God hath remembered her iniquities. Therefore shall her plagues come in one day, death, and mourning, and famine; and she shall be utterly burned with fire: for strong is the Lord God who judgeth her. And a mighty angel took up a stone like a great millstone, and cast it into the sea, saying, Thus with violence shall that great city Babylon be thrown down, and shall be found no more at all.
Our Father, which art in heaven,
We come into Your presence in thanksgiving, praise, and prayer. We thank You for always being with us, for never leaving us nor forsaking us. Thank you for keeping Your holy angels round about us and our families. Thank You for giving us Your Word to live by. Thank You for sending the Holy Spirit to anyone who asks. We pray for the Spirit to live and dwell within us, abide in us that we may abide in You. We pray that You lead us and guide us and keep us on a safe path that leads to Your heavenly kingdom. Thank You for redeeming us and giving us the victory over sin. Thank You for calling Your people out of Babylon, that we be not partakers of her sins, and that we receive not of her plagues. For her sins have reached unto heaven, and You have remembered her iniquities. We pray for Your continual help to overcome sin as You also overcame that we would sin no more. We thank You for giving us the warning of the loud cries from heaven to keep us out of danger. You are a fair and just God that has given all people the instruction manual to life, and making clear the consequences of disobedience. We thank You for giving everyone the choice- obedience and life or sin and death. For the wages of sin are death but the gift of God is eternal life through Christ Jesus our Lord. Thank You for bestowing on the children of men the riches of an eternal inheritance. For Your kingdom is an everlasting kingdom. We claim Your promise that when those who choose to become Your obedient subjects, we will be saved in the kingdom of glory, having fulfilled Your purpose for mankind. We thank You for hearing and answering our prayers, in the name of Christ Jesus, we pray. Amen.
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