Chapter Summary
Core Passages from Zechariah 7
Zechariah 7:5“Say to all the people of the land and the priests, ‘When you fasted and mourned in the fifth month and in the seventh, for these seventy years, was it for me that you fasted?
God asks whether their seventy years of fasting were truly for Him or only for themselves, highlighting the motive behind their religious habits.Zechariah 7:9"Thus says the Lord of hosts, Render true judgments, show kindness and mercy to one another,"
This verse defines what God actually wants: true justice, kindness, and mercy shown to one another in daily life.Zechariah 7:12They made their hearts diamond-hard lest they should hear the law and the words that the Lord of hosts had sent by his Spirit through the former prophets. Therefore great anger came from the Lord of hosts.
The prophet describes how the people made their hearts as hard as diamonds to avoid hearing God's word, leading to their eventual exile.
Historical & Cultural Context
A Question of Tradition and Timing
The chapter begins in the fourth year of King Darius, about two years after Zechariah's initial visions. A group of men from Bethel, led by Sharezer and Regem-melech, arrive in Jerusalem to ask a specific religious question. They want to know if they should keep fasting in the fifth month to mourn the destruction of the temple, even though the temple is now being rebuilt. This sets the stage for a deeper conversation about why we do what we do for God.
God Challenges the Motives of the Heart
God's response through Zechariah is direct and searching. He doesn't give a simple 'yes' or 'no' but instead asks the people to examine their own hearts. He notes that when they fasted, they were often only feeling sorry for themselves, and when they ate, they were only satisfying their own hunger. He reminds them that the former prophets had already told them what really mattered long before the city was destroyed.
The Call to Sincere Worship
In Zechariah 7:1-14, the scene shifts from the symbolic visions of the previous chapters to a practical, historical inquiry. The people are back in the land and rebuilding, but they are still clinging to old habits of mourning that may no longer be necessary or sincere.
The Delegation from Bethel (Zechariah 7:1-3)
3 saying to the priests of the house of the Lord of hosts and the prophets, “Should I weep and abstain in the fifth month, as I have done for so many years?”
2 Now the people of Bethel had sent Sharezer and Regem-melech and their men to entreat the favor of the Lord,
3 saying to the priests of the house of the Lord of hosts and the prophets, “Should I weep and abstain in the fifth month, as I have done for so many years?”
Commentary:
A group of people ask if they should keep up their long-standing tradition of fasting and mourning.
Fasting for Self or for God (Zechariah 7:4-7)
4 Then the word of the Lord of hosts came to me:
5 “Say to all the people of the land and the priests, ‘When you fasted and mourned in the fifth month and in the seventh, for these seventy years, was it for me that you fasted?
6 And when you eat and when you drink, do you not eat for yourselves and drink for yourselves?
7 Should you not have obeyed the words that the Lord proclaimed through the former prophets, when Jerusalem was inhabited and prosperous, with her cities around her, and the South and the lowland were inhabited?”
Commentary:
God asks whether their religious acts were truly for Him or only for themselves.
The Requirements of True Justice (Zechariah 7:8-10)
8 And the word of the Lord came to Zechariah, saying:
9 "Thus says the Lord of hosts, Render true judgments, show kindness and mercy to one another,"
10 do not oppress the widow, the fatherless, the sojourner, or the poor, and let none of you devise evil against another in your heart."
Commentary:
God defines true worship as showing mercy and protecting those who are struggling.
The Consequence of Hard Hearts (Zechariah 7:11-14)
11 But they refused to pay attention and turned a stubborn shoulder and stopped their ears that they might not hear.
12 They made their hearts diamond-hard lest they should hear the law and the words that the Lord of hosts had sent by his Spirit through the former prophets. Therefore great anger came from the Lord of hosts.
13 "As I called, and they would not hear, so they called, and I would not hear," declares the Lord of hosts.
14 but I scattered them with a whirlwind among all the nations that they had not known. Thus the land they left was desolate, so that no one went to and fro, and the pleasant land was made desolate.
Commentary:
The people are warned that ignoring God's call to justice leads to spiritual and physical desolation.
Moving from Religious Routine to Real Relationship
Ritual vs. Reality
This chapter reveals that religious acts like fasting are empty if they don't lead to a change in character. God does not seek perfect performance of traditions. He seeks a heart that genuinely seeks Him and His ways.
The Heart of Social Justice
God's heart is deeply connected to the treatment of the marginalized. By listing the widow, the orphan, and the poor, the passage shows that our relationship with God is directly reflected in how we care for those who cannot help themselves.
The Danger of Spiritual Stubbornness
The metaphor of 'diamond-hard hearts' warns us that we can become so set in our ways that we become immune to God's voice. Spiritual health requires staying soft and responsive to the leading of the Holy Spirit.
Applying Zechariah's Message to Our Daily Lives
It teaches you to look at the 'why' behind your actions. According to verse 5, God wants to know whether your spiritual disciplines serve His glory or only make you feel better about yourself. It's an invitation to move from habit to heart-connection.
Verses 9 and 10 give you a clear checklist for daily life: show mercy, don't take advantage of the weak, and don't hold grudges. You can apply this by looking for someone in your community who is overlooked - like a 'sojourner' or someone in need - and offering them genuine kindness.
It is a warning against becoming unteachable. In verse 12, the people stopped their ears so they wouldn't have to change. You can avoid this by regularly asking God to keep your heart soft and being willing to listen when His Word challenges your comfort zone.
True Worship is Found in Mercy
Zechariah delivers a message that cuts through religious performance to reach the heart of the matter. God is not impressed by how long we have kept a tradition if our lives are still marked by selfishness and a lack of concern for others. The message is clear: true devotion to God is inseparable from how we treat the most vulnerable people around us. When we align our hearts with His compassion, our rituals find their true meaning.
What This Means for Us Today
Faith is an invitation to align our hearts with God's deep compassion for the world. Zechariah 7 invites us to move beyond 'checking the boxes' of religion and into a life of active, sacrificial kindness. By listening to His voice today, we avoid the hardness of heart that led to desolation in the past.
- Is there a religious habit you've been doing that has lost its meaning?
- Who is one person in your life who needs to see the 'mercy and kindness' mentioned in verse 9?
- How can you keep your heart from becoming 'diamond-hard' toward God's instructions this week?
Further Reading
Immediate Context
Provides the vision of the four chariots and the symbolic crowning of the High Priest, setting the stage for the people's inquiry.
God's follow-up promise to restore Jerusalem and turn their fasts into seasons of joy and feasting.
Connections Across Scripture
A parallel passage where God explains that the 'fast' He chooses is to loose the chains of injustice and feed the hungry.
Jesus echoes Zechariah's message by telling the religious leaders they have neglected the 'weightier matters of the law' like justice and mercy.
Discussion Questions
- Why do you think it is often easier to follow a religious rule than to show mercy to someone who has wronged us?
- God asks if the people were fasting 'for Him.' How can we tell whether our spiritual activities are truly for God or only for our own image?
- What are some modern examples of the 'widow, fatherless, and sojourner' in our society today, and how can we practically show them kindness?