Zechariah 7:11

But they refused to hearken, and pulled away the shoulder, and stopped their ears, that they should not hear. BUT THEY ... PULLED AWAY THE SHOULDER, [ yitªnuw (H5414) kaateeep cowraaret] - literally, 'presented a refractory shoulder:' an image from beasts refusing to bear the yoke (margin, Nehemiah 9:29). AND STOPPED THEIR EARS - (Isaiah 6:10; Jeremiah 7:26; Acts 7:57)....

The Prophet here by referring to the fathers more sharply reproves the Jews of his age; for he saw that they differed but little from their fathers. The sum of what he says is, that the Jews in all ages dealt unfaithfully and perversely with God; for how much soever they boasted of their care and zeal for religion they yet sought to satisfy God only by vain trifles. This then was the Prophet’s object. For it is certain that there ever had been some pretense to religion in that nation but it was mere dissimulation for they were in the mean time intent on their ceremonies and when God seriously remonstrated with them their obstinacy and perverseness before concealed instantly appeared. He therefore says that they _refused to hear_. He does not now accuse the dead except for this purpose to teach the people of his acre. He saw that they were solicitous about fasting at appointed seasons, wh...

8-14 God's judgements upon Israel of old for their sins, were written to warn Christians. The duties required are, not keeping fasts and offering sacrifices, but doing justly and loving mercy, which tend to the public welfare and peace. The law of God lays restraint upon the heart. But they filled their minds with prejudices against the word of God. Nothing is harder than the heart of a presumptuous sinner. See the fatal consequences of this to their fathers. Great sins against the Lord of hosts, bring great wrath from his power, which cannot be resisted. Sin, if regarded in the heart, will certainly spoil the success of prayer. The Lord always hears the cry of the broken-hearted penitent; yet all who die impenitent and unbelieving, will find no remedy or refuge from miseries which while here they despised and defied, but which they then will not be able to bear....

Verse Zechariah 7:11. _PULLED AWAY THE SHOULDER_] From under the yoke of the law, like an unbroken or restive bullock in the plough....

BUT THEY GAVE A BACKSLIDING SHOULDER - Like a restive animal, which would not endure the yoke, dull and stupid as the beasts: as Hosea says, “Israel slideth back like a backsliding heifer” Hosea 4:16. Nehemiah confesses the same; “they gave a backsliding shoulder and hardened their neck and would not hear” Nehemiah 9:29. AND MADE HEAVY THEIR EARS - Fulfilling in themselves what God foretold to Isaiah would be the result of his preaching, “make their ears heavy.” The heart, which will not hearken, becomes duller by the outward hearing, as Paul says, “The earth which drinketh in the rain that cometh oft upon it, and bringeth forth herbs meet for them by whom it is dressed, receiveth blessing from God; but that which beareth thorns and briar

EXPOSITION VERSE 1-8:23 Part II. THE ANSWER TO A QUESTION CONCERNING THE OBSERVANCE OF CERTAIN FASTS. ZECHARIAH 7:1 § 1. _A deputation comes from Bethel to ask whether a fast instituted in memory of the calamity of Jerusalem was still to be observed._ ZECHARIAH 7:1 IN THE FOURTH YEAR OF KING DARIUS. This happened, then, B.C. 518, nearly two years after the visions had occurred (Zechariah 1:7). In two years more the te

BUT THEY REFUSED TO HEARKEN,..... That is, the Jews, before the captivity, refusal to give heed to the above exhortations, and obey the voice of God in them: AND PULLED AWAY THE SHOULDER; from serving the Lord, and supporting his interest: or "they gave", or presented, "a rebellious shoulder" f; a refractory one, that slides back, like a backsliding or refractory heifer, that will not admit of the yoke, Hosea 4:16 so these could not bear the yoke of the law, nor the burden of duty; nor suffer the words of exhortation, or receive the admonitions given them: AND STOPPED THEIR EARS, THAT THEY SHOULD NOT HEAR; like the deaf adder, Psalms 58:4 they would not hear, and pretended they could not; which was an instance of contempt to the speakers. f כתף סררת "scapulam ave

Zechariah 7:1. _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;_ God's prophets were not always in the spirit, and when the Word of God came to them, it was a notable day, and they marked it in their diary. I think that we, too, who are not prophets can remember some special time when God's Word was peculiarly precious to us. We can put down «the fourth day of the ninth month.» Zechariah 7:2. When they had sent unto the house of God Sherezer and Regemmelech, 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 thes

II. QUESTIONS CONCERNING CERTAIN FASTS CHAPTER 7 _ 1. The question (Zechariah 7:1) _ 2. The reproof (Zechariah 7:4) 3. The lessons of the past (Zechariah 7:8) Zechariah 7:1. Nearly two years had passed since Zechariah's great visions, and during that time the people had been obedient to the vision and built the house. Soon the ancient worship was to be resumed. A question arose in the minds of the people concerning certain Jewish days of fasting. The principal day was the day set apart in memory of the destruction of Jerusalem by the Babylonians. It was kept on the ninth day of the fifth mon

ZECHARIAH 7:8 is probably an amplification of the original address by a later hand and likewise Zechariah 8:1. Both are much like Zechariah 1:2....