Zechariah Chapter 7
Obedience Is Better than Ritual
A. Confronting the Sin of Religious Hypocrisy
(Zechariah 7:1–3)
“And it came to pass in the fourth year of king Darius, that the word of the LORD came unto Zechariah in the fourth day of the ninth month, even in Chisleu; When they had sent unto the house of God Sherezer and Regem–melech, and their men, to pray before the LORD, And to speak unto the priests which were in the house of the LORD of hosts, and to the prophets, saying, Should I weep in the fifth month, separating myself, as I have done these so many years?”
This event occurred on the fourth day of the ninth month, known as Chislev, which corresponds to December 4, 518 B.C. At this time, the temple was approximately halfway completed under the leadership of Zerubbabel and Joshua the high priest. A delegation came to Jerusalem from Bethel to inquire of the Lord concerning their religious observances. These men sought to ask the priests and prophets whether it was still necessary to continue fasting in the fifth month as they had done for many years during the Babylonian captivity. Their desire was to discern whether their ritual mourning still held significance now that God’s favor was being restored to the nation through the rebuilding of the temple.
The question, “Should I weep in the fifth month and fast as I have done for so many years?” referred to the traditional fast that commemorated the destruction of Solomon’s temple and the burning of Jerusalem, as recorded in 2 Kings 25:8–9, which says, “And in the fifth month, on the seventh day of the month, which is the nineteenth year of king Nebuchadnezzar king of Babylon, came Nebuzar–adan, captain of the guard, a servant of the king of Babylon, unto Jerusalem: And he burnt the house of the LORD, and the king’s house, and all the houses of Jerusalem, and every great man’s house burnt he with fire.”
This question arose because the exiles had observed several fasts during their captivity to mourn their national calamity. The Law of Moses commanded only one fast day—the Day of Atonement, as stated in Leviticus 16:29–31: “And this shall be a statute for ever unto you: that in the seventh month, on the tenth day of the month, ye shall afflict your souls, and do no work at all, whether it be one of your own country, or a stranger that sojourneth among you: For on that day shall the priest make an atonement for you, to cleanse you, that ye may be clean from all your sins before the LORD. It shall be a sabbath of rest unto you, and ye shall afflict your souls, by a statute for ever.”
During the exile, however, the Jewish people added four additional fasts to commemorate their tragedies:
The fourth month (17th day): Mourning the capture of Jerusalem, as seen in Jeremiah 52:6–7, which states, “And in the fourth month, in the ninth day of the month, the famine was sore in the city, so that there was no bread for the people of the land. Then the city was broken up, and all the men of war fled, and went forth out of the city by night.”
The fifth month (9th day): Remembering the burning of Jerusalem and the destruction of Solomon’s temple (2 Kings 25:8–10).
The seventh month (3rd day): Remembering the assassination of Gedaliah and the massacre of the men of Judah who were left in the land (Jeremiah 41:1–3), which reads, “Now it came to pass in the seventh month, that Ishmael the son of Nethaniah the son of Elishama, of the seed royal, and the princes of the king, even ten men with him, came unto Gedaliah the son of Ahikam to Mizpah; and there they did eat bread together in Mizpah. Then arose Ishmael the son of Nethaniah, and the ten men that were with him, and smote Gedaliah the son of Ahikam the son of Shaphan with the sword, and slew him, whom the king of Babylon had made governor over the land.”
The tenth month (10th day): Remembering the beginning of Nebuchadnezzar’s siege of Jerusalem (2 Kings 25:1), which says, “And it came to pass in the ninth year of his reign, in the tenth month, in the tenth day of the month, that Nebuchadnezzar king of Babylon came, he, and all his host, against Jerusalem, and pitched against it; and they built forts against it round about.”
These fasts were human additions to the divine command and were expressions of national sorrow and repentance for sin. Psalm 137 vividly captures the anguish of the exiles, saying in verses 1–4, “By the rivers of Babylon, there we sat down, yea, we wept, when we remembered Zion. We hanged our harps upon the willows in the midst thereof. For there they that carried us away captive required of us a song; and they that wasted us required of us mirth, saying, Sing us one of the songs of Zion. How shall we sing the LORD’s song in a strange land?”
These men who came to inquire of Zechariah asked the priests and prophets about the necessity of maintaining these fasts now that God had brought them back into their land and the temple was being restored. Their question was sincere, but it revealed a deeper issue—the danger of continuing in religious tradition without understanding its meaning or its alignment with God’s will. They had observed these fasts “for so many years” that tradition itself had taken on authority, even though these rituals had not been commanded by God.
This passage raises an important spiritual principle that applies even today: God desires obedience rather than ritual. Religious practices and traditions, when done apart from a heart of obedience and repentance, become empty forms. The inquiry of these men was not simply about whether to continue fasting, but whether outward observance was enough to please God. Their question illustrates a broader struggle within all religion—the tendency to substitute ritual for relationship, ceremony for sincerity, and tradition for truth.
(Zechariah 7:4–7)
“Then came the word of the LORD of hosts unto me, saying, Speak unto all the people of the land, and to the priests, saying, When ye fasted and mourned in the fifth and seventh month, even those seventy years, did ye at all fast unto me, even to me? And when ye did eat, and when ye did drink, did not ye eat for yourselves, and drink for yourselves? Should ye not hear the words which the LORD hath cried by the former prophets, when Jerusalem was inhabited and in prosperity, and the cities thereof round about her, when men inhabited the south and the plain?”
The word of the LORD came again to Zechariah, addressing the heart of the matter—religious hypocrisy. The Lord commanded him to speak both to the priests and to all the people, exposing the emptiness of their outward fasting. For seventy years during the Babylonian exile, they had wept and fasted in the fifth and seventh months, but their ritual observances had become hollow. God’s question pierced their motives: “Did ye at all fast unto me, even to me?” The repetition of “unto me” emphasizes the central issue—true worship and repentance must be directed toward God, not toward self-pity or tradition. Their fasting was not born of a desire to honor or draw near to the Lord, but out of human sorrow and national mourning.
When the Lord asked, “And when ye did eat, and when ye did drink, did not ye eat for yourselves, and drink for yourselves?” He exposed the selfish nature of their religious observances. Even in times of feasting, they sought their own pleasure rather than the glory of God. Their fasting was not for Him, and their feasting was not unto Him either. God saw through their rituals and judged their hearts. A few days of outward fasting could never compensate for a life of self-centeredness. This principle reveals the futility of external religion without inward devotion.
The Lord’s rebuke confronts a universal human tendency: to cling to rituals and traditions while neglecting the spiritual reality behind them. It is easy to turn mourning, remembrance, or religious ceremony into a form of self-indulgence. The people of Judah fasted out of habit and sentimentality, not from a broken and contrite spirit. They had turned what should have been a season of repentance into an annual expression of self-pity. God’s question challenges all such religious pretense: when men cling to the memory of sin or tragedy merely to satisfy emotion or tradition, they do it for themselves, not for the Lord.
The Lord further reminded them, “Should ye not hear the words which the LORD hath cried by the former prophets?” pointing them back to the messages of obedience that had been repeatedly proclaimed before the exile. If their ancestors had listened to the prophets—such as Isaiah, Jeremiah, and Micah—Jerusalem would have remained prosperous, and the fasts they now observed would have been unnecessary. God desired obedience, not ritual; repentance, not repetition. As 1 Samuel 15:22 declares, “And Samuel said, Hath the LORD as great delight in burnt offerings and sacrifices, as in obeying the voice of the LORD? Behold, to obey is better than sacrifice, and to hearken than the fat of rams.”
Their fasting was meaningless because their daily conduct was disobedient. If they had walked in righteousness, the calamities they mourned would never have come upon them. Their fathers’ disobedience had made their land desolate, and their continued hypocrisy hindered true restoration. The Lord had spoken through His prophets when Jerusalem was inhabited and flourishing, but His people refused to listen. Prosperity made them proud, and judgment followed.
The passage concludes with the phrase, “and the cities thereof round about her, when men inhabited the south and the plain.” The “south” refers to the Negev, a dry, desert region south of Judah, and “the plain” refers to the lowlands or Shephelah. Both were once fertile and populated, but became barren because of Israel’s rebellion. This serves as a sobering reminder that disobedience brings desolation, both physically and spiritually.
In essence, the Lord rebuked His people for maintaining rituals while neglecting righteousness. Their seventy years of fasting had not been for Him but for themselves. God’s question to them remains a timeless one: Is your worship truly for Me, or for you? He desired not their traditions, but their obedience and hearts turned fully toward Him.
B. What God Wants: People Who Will Listen and Obey
(Zechariah 7:8–10)
“And the word of the LORD came unto Zechariah, saying, Thus speaketh the LORD of hosts, saying, Execute true judgment, and shew mercy and compassions every man to his brother: And oppress not the widow, nor the fatherless, the stranger, nor the poor; and let none of you imagine evil against his brother in your heart.”
The word of the LORD came again to Zechariah, revealing plainly what God truly desired from His people. Instead of hollow ritual and meaningless fasting, the Lord required justice, mercy, compassion, and righteousness in their daily dealings. The Lord commanded, “Execute true judgment,” which means to judge rightly, without partiality or corruption. True justice flows from a heart aligned with God’s character. As Micah 6:8 declares, “He hath shewed thee, O man, what is good; and what doth the LORD require of thee, but to do justly, and to love mercy, and to walk humbly with thy God?”
God further instructed them to “shew mercy and compassions every man to his brother.” This called for sincere kindness and empathy toward others. It was not enough to avoid wrongdoing; they were to actively demonstrate love, patience, and forgiveness. The Hebrew word for mercy here carries the sense of steadfast love—a reflection of God’s own covenant faithfulness. Their obedience was to be measured not merely by ritual observance, but by the presence of mercy and compassion in their hearts and actions.
The Lord’s commands continue: “And oppress not the widow, nor the fatherless, the stranger, nor the poor.” This echoes the repeated exhortations throughout the Law and the Prophets to care for the weak and defenseless. Exodus 22:22–23 states, “Ye shall not afflict any widow, or fatherless child. If thou afflict them in any wise, and they cry at all unto me, I will surely hear their cry.” Likewise, Deuteronomy 10:18–19 says, “He doth execute the judgment of the fatherless and widow, and loveth the stranger, in giving him food and raiment. Love ye therefore the stranger: for ye were strangers in the land of Egypt.”
God’s desire for His people was clear: that they reflect His own compassion in their relationships. Yet, Israel had failed to do this. Instead of showing mercy, they had exploited others. Instead of compassion, they showed indifference. Zechariah reminded them that fasting and weeping could never take the place of genuine obedience and love.
The Lord concluded this section with a final command: “And let none of you imagine evil against his brother in your heart.” Evil intentions begin in the heart, and God’s law always reached beyond external actions to address inner motives. The people could not claim righteousness while harboring resentment, hatred, or deceit toward their brethren. As Proverbs 4:23 warns, “Keep thy heart with all diligence; for out of it are the issues of life.”
In short, God’s standard of true religion is not ceremonial but moral. He delights not in empty rituals, but in lives marked by justice, mercy, humility, and sincere love toward others.
(Zechariah 7:11–12)
“But they refused to hearken, and pulled away the shoulder, and stopped their ears, that they should not hear. Yea, they made their hearts as an adamant stone, lest they should hear the law, and the words which the LORD of hosts hath sent in his spirit by the former prophets: therefore came a great wrath from the LORD of hosts.”
The response of the people to God’s commands was one of willful rebellion. Zechariah described a deliberate and escalating pattern of rejection: first, “they refused to hearken,” then they “pulled away the shoulder,” and finally “stopped their ears.” The phrase “pulled away the shoulder” conveys the image of a stubborn ox refusing the yoke, resisting its master’s direction. The people of Judah, like that stubborn animal, rejected God’s authority and refused to yield to His instruction.
This resistance culminated in hardened hearts: “They made their hearts as an adamant stone.” The word “adamant” refers to flint or diamond, the hardest known substance in the ancient world. Their consciences became unyielding and cold, insensitive to conviction or correction. This did not happen overnight; hardness of heart is the result of long-term resistance to God’s Word. Each refusal to obey made them more calloused, until they could no longer hear at all.
Zechariah emphasized that they had rejected “the law, and the words which the LORD of hosts hath sent in his spirit by the former prophets.” This confirms that the same Holy Spirit who inspired Zechariah also inspired the earlier prophets. God’s Word, delivered through His Spirit, had been consistently rejected across generations. Their rebellion was not against man but against God Himself.
The tragic result was inevitable: “Therefore came a great wrath from the LORD of hosts.” Persistent rejection of God’s Word always brings judgment. The Babylonian exile was not a random misfortune but the righteous response of a holy God to hardened hearts. As Proverbs 29:1 warns, “He, that being often reproved hardeneth his neck, shall suddenly be destroyed, and that without remedy.”
Zechariah’s words remind believers that God’s commands are not optional suggestions. The outward appearance of religion is worthless without inward submission and obedience. It is far easier to perform a ritual than to humble oneself, forgive others, and act justly—but God desires the latter. To reject His Word is to invite His wrath, but to heed it is to walk in His blessing and peace.
(Zechariah 7:13–14)
“Therefore it is come to pass, that as he cried, and they would not hear; so they cried, and I would not hear, saith the LORD of hosts: But I scattered them with a whirlwind among all the nations whom they knew not. Thus the land was desolate after them, that no man passed through nor returned: for they laid the pleasant land desolate.”
Zechariah concluded this chapter with a solemn warning, reminding the people of the tragic consequences that had already fallen upon their fathers. The Lord declared that just as He had spoken and they refused to listen, so when calamity came and they cried out for deliverance, He would not listen to them. Divine silence is the most fearful judgment a man can experience, for it signifies that the time for repentance has passed. When God’s voice is ignored long enough, His ear turns away in righteous judgment.
This principle of divine reciprocity is seen throughout Scripture. Proverbs 1:24–28 echoes this truth: “Because I have called, and ye refused; I have stretched out my hand, and no man regarded; But ye have set at nought all my counsel, and would none of my reproof: I also will laugh at your calamity; I will mock when your fear cometh; When your fear cometh as desolation, and your destruction cometh as a whirlwind; when distress and anguish cometh upon you. Then shall they call upon me, but I will not answer; they shall seek me early, but they shall not find me.” God’s patience has limits, and persistent rebellion hardens the heart to the point that repentance no longer comes naturally.
The Lord went on to say, “But I scattered them with a whirlwind among all the nations whom they knew not.” The scattering of Israel was not random or accidental—it was an act of divine justice. The image of a “whirlwind” conveys suddenness, power, and total upheaval. As Clarke rightly observed, the Chaldeans came upon Judah with the force and fury of a tempest, swiftly conquering and devastating the land. The people were carried away into foreign nations they had never known, fulfilling the warnings given centuries earlier through Moses and the prophets. Deuteronomy 28:64 had foretold this very outcome: “And the LORD shall scatter thee among all people, from the one end of the earth even unto the other; and there thou shalt serve other gods, which neither thou nor thy fathers have known, even wood and stone.”
The result of this scattering was utter desolation. The Lord said, “Thus the land was desolate after them, that no man passed through nor returned.” The once fertile, “pleasant land” (Hebrew: eretz hemdah, meaning “land of delight” or “land of desire”) became barren and empty. This land, which had been a gift from God and a testimony of His faithfulness, was now silent and forsaken—a monument to the consequences of disobedience. Jeremiah lamented this in Lamentations 1:4, saying, “The ways of Zion do mourn, because none come to the solemn feasts: all her gates are desolate: her priests sigh, her virgins are afflicted, and she is in bitterness.”
The reason for this devastation is made unmistakably clear: “for they laid the pleasant land desolate.” It was their rebellion, not God’s cruelty, that destroyed their inheritance. The people’s disregard for God’s Word and substitution of ritual for relationship turned a land of beauty into a wasteland. God had given them everything, but their hypocrisy and stubbornness forfeited His blessings. This serves as a timeless reminder that religious observance without obedience leads only to spiritual desolation.
Fasting, worship, and ritual cannot substitute for repentance, humility, and love for God’s commands. When people honor Him with their lips but their hearts are far from Him (Isaiah 29:13), judgment inevitably follows. Israel’s history illustrates this truth vividly: their land, once flowing with milk and honey, became silent and empty because they refused to listen when the Lord called.
The warning to Zechariah’s generation was clear—learn from the past and do not repeat it. God desired not more fasting, but faithful obedience. He longed for a people who would listen to His Word, walk humbly with Him, and display His character in their dealings with others. The lesson remains the same today: the blessings of God rest not upon religious formality, but upon hearts that hear, obey, and love the Lord above all else.
