The Judge of the History

The Judge of the History (Zechariah 1:18-21) 2013 9.27

18 Then I looked up, and there before me were four horns. 19 I asked the angel who was speaking to me, “What are these?”

He answered me, “These are the horns that scattered Judah, Israel and Jerusalem.”

20 Then the Lord showed me four craftsmen. 21 I asked, “What are these coming to do?”

He answered, “These are the horns that scattered Judah so that no one could raise their head, but the craftsmen have come to terrify them and throw down these horns of the nations who lifted up their horns against the land of Judah to scatter its people.”

Introduction:

  1. The man calls it for as the vision of four craftsmen. Continuously Zechariah saw the other vision about that controls the world history. What does it mean? we need the interpreting the vision. In a word it reveals the almighty hand of providence of the Lord. Cambodia’s history of killing field is included in the hand.
  2. In the Cambodia mission history we can read the providential hand of God to proclaim the gospel to the people. Among them I had read that Cambodia government denied any missionaries under the French. Then a man who lived in the Montana, she prayed for 25 years for Cambodia Evangelization. Then Her friend who was a daughter of French king, knew the fact and helped that that foreigner missionary entered into Cambodia, At that time the door of gospel in Cambodia was opened. It was the hand of God.
  3. For the reconstruction of Israel the Lord worked in the international situation for his will. So today we want to observe the hand of God, the invisible hand. This hand works in our heart, in our personal life and in the school life. Do you believe in it?

Here, who are the four craftsmen? What did they do? What is the result of their works?

I. God is the absolute judge in the world.

  1. Who commanded to four craftsmen? The sovereignty God commanded. His command is absolute in history because He is the only creator, judge and consummator.

Although the Israelite committed sin and was fallen down in the miserable state, God’s unfailing love could not be changed. Among his burning angry He did not forget his mercy to his people. But the discipline is painful. Hebrew 12:8 says “7 Endure hardship as discipline; God is treating you as his children. For what children are not disciplined by their father?8 If you are not disciplined—and everyone undergoes discipline—then you are not legitimate, not true sons and daughters at all.9 Moreover, we have all had human fathers who disciplined us and we respected them for it. How much more should we submit to the Father of spirits and live!10 They disciplined us for a little while as they thought best; but God disciplines us for our good, in order that we may share in his holiness.11 No discipline seems pleasant at the time, but painful. Later on, however, it produces a harvest of righteousness and peace for those who have been trained by it.

  1. So the servants who He sent to the world has the absolute authority. And also His words has the absolute authority in the ministry.
  1. The herald is the king’s authority. the preacher is the herald of the king. If the man cannot listen to his command, he shall reject the king and His command. In a meaning, the preacher is very important position because he has the authority of the king. So the responsibility follows him.
  2. Is 56:8-11 says“For my thoughts are not your thoughts,
        neither are your ways my ways,”
    declares the Lord.
    9 “As the heavens are higher than the earth,
        so are my ways higher than your ways
        and my thoughts than your thoughts.
    10 As the rain and the snow
        come down from heaven,
    and do not return to it
        without watering the earth
    and making it bud and flourish,
        so that it yields seed for the sower and bread for the eater,
    11 so is my word that goes out from my mouth:
        It will not return to me empty,
    but will accomplish what I desire
        and achieve the purpose for which I sent it.
  3. What is the character of the authority of God’s Word? It is the absolute authority.

Four craftsmen were four countries., Babylon, Mede. Persia and Greek . Although they were very strong nations in the history, finally they were destroyed by the hand of God because of their sins. For example, Do you know how Babylon was destroyed in the world? Theking, Belshazzar took a festival with his officials with drinking by using the temple instruments in the palace. Suddenly the hand was revealed on the wall and wrote some letters. it was the few Babylon letter ““This is the inscription that was written: mene, mene, tekel, parsin26 “Here is what these words mean:Mene: God has numbered the days of your reign and brought it to an end.27 Tekel: You have been weighed on the scales and found wanting.28 Peres: Your kingdom is divided and given to the Medes and Persians.”(Dan5:25-28)

Finally at that night the nation was destroyed by another official.

God condemned the king by His hand. In the history all nations have been controlled by the invisible hand of God.

  1. In our times, at Cambodia, we have to tremble the hand of God who are moving all people, all economy, all culture and all political situation. The invisible hand of God is working on us.

Do you believe in it?

When I saw the hand of God at Mr. Kakeda village at the last week. I am surprised at the thing. As soon as we arrived at that, only 5 persons came there. Gradually the numbers of men were grown until above 50 persons were gathered. Suddenly one church was made in the first time in my life. I knew God used them. I expect that the church evangelize all villages within this years. If God works in it, wonderful things shall be happened. Do you believe in it?

Why do you study here? What is your purpose in your study? You have to follow the hand of God for his glory. Go to Ratanakili, mondokili and all province with the gospel in the name of Jesus. Moreover, you receive the good train in the reformed school with the grace and the truth.

II. God is the complete judge

  1. the absolute judge is the complete judge, The complete judge destroys all thing and reconstructs all thing because he has almighty power. Do you believe in it?
  2. Our salvation is accomplished by the almighty God. Although he destroyed all sin , all conviction and all punishment , he restored all things as new things in us. Paul know that. Roman chapter 5 reveals this fact obviously to us.

Rom5:17-19 says “For if, by the trespass of the one man, death reigned through that one man, how much more will those who receive God’s abundant provision of grace and of the gift of righteousness reign in life through the one man, Jesus Christ!

18 Consequently, just as one trespass resulted in condemnation for all people, so also one righteous act resulted in justification and life for all people. 19 For just as through the disobedience of the one man the many were made sinners, so also through the obedience of the one man the many will be made righteous.

  1. We have to understand true salvation that consisted of positive thing and negative thing.
  2. So reformed Christians want to follow the complete salvation in the world.

Niber tells us four kinds of reformation

      1. destroyed
      2. compromise
      3. escaped
      4. reformed – destroyed and reconstruction We believe the God.

So. Puritan’s view of the world was when they build the house, they want to build the house that their Lord dwell in it. They want that the Lord in every place should be entertained by the people because they believe that complete judge. So when we cruised of something we should propose the substituted answer to them. if he only complains about a certain thing, he will be a negative person. We have to become a positive person in Christ.

III. God executed the detailed judge.

  1. Our God is the absolute judge and the complete judge. And also he is the detailed judge in the small thing & the big thing. he is the detailed judge.

  2. verse says …..

He treated every nation, every person and every thought. So we have to tremble him.

= In our school life, we have to learn the detailed clear heart. Take away the thinking with help, without any support I can do it with taking new history in our Lord. Then we become a strong man and a strong woman. Then we can change our lives in Cambodia.

When we live with some help we awaken in our heart. We have to think the thanksgiving. Have some dream to help to our poor neighbors. How can we help them? By money, by power and by wisdom it is not our purpose, but one of our methods. But more important thing is to help them with the gospel. We have to change them by our thought and our godly life. Have such dream in your heart.

conclusion:

  1. Cambodia call us, Myanma call us, China call us and South East Asia call us “ help us!” They stay in the shadow of curse of God without understanding the gospel. We have to response to the world.

  2. Cast yourself to the stream of redemptive work flown by be initiving by God of the scriptures. He is the absolute God, the complete God and the detailed God. May the grace of God be with you and your study and your dream.