20250411

horse report

Zechariah 1:1-17 (JDV)

Zechariah 1:1 In the eighth month, in the second year of Darius, the word of Yahveh came to the prophet Zechariah son of Berechiah, son of Iddo:
Zechariah 1:2 “Yahveh was extremely angry with your ancestors.
Zechariah 1:3 So tell the people, ‘This is what Yahveh of Armies says: Return to me– this is the declaration of Yahveh of Armies — and I will return to you, says Yahveh of Armies.
Zechariah 1:4 Do not be like your ancestors; the earlier prophets proclaimed to them: This is what Yahveh of Armies says: Turn from your evil ways and your evil deeds. But they did not listen or pay attention to me — this is Yahveh’s declaration.
Zechariah 1:5 Where are your ancestors now? And do the prophets live forever?
Zechariah 1:6 But didn’t my words and my statutes that I commanded my servants the prophets overtake your ancestors? ‘” So, the people repented and said, “As Yahveh of Armies decided to deal with us for our ways and our deeds, so he has dealt with us.”
Zechariah 1:7 On the twenty-fourth day of the eleventh month, which is the month of Shebat, in the second year of Darius, the word of Yahveh came to the prophet Zechariah son of Berechiah, son of Iddo:
Zechariah 1:8 I looked out in the night and noticed a man riding on a red horse. He was standing among the myrtle trees in the valley. Behind him were red, brown, and white horses.
Zechariah 1:9 I asked, “What are these, my lord?” The angel who was talking to me replied, “I will show you what they are.”
Zechariah 1:10 Then the man standing among the myrtle trees explained, “They are the ones Yahveh has sent to patrol the land.”
Zechariah 1:11 They reported to the angel of Yahveh standing among the myrtle trees, “We have patrolled the land – notice — and right now the whole land is settled and quiet.”
Zechariah 1:12 Then the angel of Yahveh responded, “How long, Lord of Armies, will you withhold mercy from Jerusalem and the cities of Judah that you have been angry with these seventy years?”
Zechariah 1:13 Yahveh replied with kind and comforting words to the angel who was speaking with me.
Zechariah 1:14 So the angel who was speaking with me said, “Proclaim: Yahveh of Armies says: I am very ready to fight for Jerusalem and Zion.
Zechariah 1:15 I am fiercely angry with the nations that are at ease, for I was a little angry, but they made the destruction worse.
Zechariah 1:16 Therefore, this is what Yahveh says: In mercy, I have returned to Jerusalem; my house will be rebuilt within it– this is the declaration of Yahveh of Armies– and a measuring line will be stretched out over Jerusalem.
Zechariah 1:17 “Proclaim further: This is what Yahveh of Armies says: My cities will again overflow with prosperity; Yahveh will once more comfort Zion and again choose Jerusalem.”

horse report

The horses of Zechariah may represent the races of the nations surrounding Jerusalem and Judah. Their riders go out in each direction, spying out the lands. They see that the Gentile nations are at rest. They report this back to the man riding the first red horse, ho may be the angel representing Judah itself. The three different colors might represent the various descendants of the three sons of Noah. The point is that the surrounding nations are at rest, and Judah is not. God is going to change that.

LORD, we are grateful that you see our predicament. We trust you to change what needs to change.