Zechariah 8:1-23
"the Lord promises to bless Jerusalem"
In this passage, God is saying how he will bless Jerusalem - that is, the city currently under repair. God, being a God of detail, gives many images about how he will bless Jerusalem.
- He will dwell in the city
- There will be old people, very old people (i.e., the new inhabitants will have a long life)
- The streets will be filled with children playing (the citizens will be fruitful)
- He will bring the exiles back from the east and west
- He will be faithful and righteous
God then blesses the efforts of the workmen rebuilding Jerusalem's temple and blesses the safety of travelers and merchants traveling to Jerusalem. The farmland will become fertile and there will be an abundance of crops. God even declares that the fasts of mourning in the 4th, 5th, 7th and 10th months become joyful celebrations.
The Lord also gives two instructions to the returning israelites: Be honest in speech and judgement and do not plot or love evil.
God then offers a final word for the israelites. Jerusalem will become a place to which people flock because they can see God working in that city. people will associate with jews because God is working with them and they will eventually learn to see God.
that's a pretty cool passage. God, when He wants to bless and do good for someone, really goes all out. God loves to bless us and encourage us, but he also will punish when punishment is necessary, just remember the generation that He sent into exile. I also love the detail that God goes into then describing the blessings He will pour out over Israel. If you want more proof that God cares about details, read Leviticus.
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