“I will live among you…”
I. Dream #3 – A CITY without WALLS. (2:1-5)
A. The REBUILDING is COMING. (1:16, 2:1-2)
B. The LOGICAL STEP to take. (v.2)
C. SOMETHING better than WALLS. (2:4-5)
We are moving deeper toward to central message of all of Zechariah’s dreams as we look this week at dreams 3 and 6. The first one is about something that is on the minds of everyone returning from exile. The city of Jerusalem is in shambles. It has to be rebuilt. It will be, but in a different way than most people expect.
1. Kid’s Question: How do you think God talks to people today?
2. When has God surprised your logic in the way He did something in your life? What was that like?
II. Dream #6 – A PURIFYING SCROLL. (5:1-4)
A. WALLS keep evil OUT? (Ps. 55:9-10)
B. The WORD ENTERS in. (5:4)
Once again, another weird dream of a scroll flying around. A huge scroll, 30 feet long by 15 feet wide, with writing on both sides. It will enter into the houses of those who are practicing evil, and it will make sure that evil is finished.
3. When have you worked hard to keep evil out of you (and your family’s life)? How did that go for you?
4. When has the Bible been a painful thing in your life? What happened?
III. A POEM from ZECHARIAH. (2:6-13)
A. ECHOES of the EXODUS. (Ex. 12:36; 14:20; 25:8; 40:34; Deut. 32:10)
B. The GOD who is COMING. (2:9-11)
C. STILLNESS and AWE. (2:13)
While most Bibles don’t make it clear from the way the text is arranged, 2:6-13 is a poem from Zechariah. It’s preparing the way for the central message of dream 4 and dream 5, but there’s much more than just preparation in this poem. Zechariah draws images from the past to paint an amazing picture of the future. It leaves the whole world speechless.
5. What are some of the stories of your past with God that help you as you look toward the future?
6. Have you ever had a moment in your life when you were completely speechless? What brought that about?
IV. A CANDLE of JOY.
A. The DESTRUCTION of all EVIL. (5:4; Rev. 21:3-5)
B. JOY that overruns WALLS. (Jn 16:21-24, MSG
C. God as PRESENT and PROTECTOR. (2:5,9; Mt. 1:23)
These dreams seem a long way from an emphasis on Joy. But that’s not true. The ideas that they are communicating become the foundation for a joy that cannot be contained. Psalm 16:11 says, “You will fill me with joy in Your presence.” That’s what these dreams are point to with their every word.
7. What phrase from Rev. 21:3-5 is the most meaningful to you and why?
8. When have you experienced deep joy in your life and why?