Be silent all humanity, for He is springing into action from His holy dwelling’
Zechariah 2:13
It’s a noisy world, 8.3 billion people constantly talking.
Normal speech is as loud as a refrigerator's hum. Yelling at folks pumps up the volume. When shouting our voice decibels can reach noise levels of a chainsaw. Nevertheless, God’s not telling the world to shut up because of noise nuisance.
There’s plenty of noise in God’s dwelling place. Heaven is a rowdy environment with thunderous roars of celebration. Booming sounds of musical instruments (harps)
A worshiping multitude of people and angels laughing, talking and singing praises. Revelation 14:2 This is music to God’s ears (right noise). Highly pleasing to our Creator.
So why did God send a message to Zechariah commanding humanity to shut up?
Wrong noise! Widespread chaotic noise. This is what offends God. The harsh and discordant sounds of cynical mortals.
'Be silent all humanity’ is paraphrased as,
‘Murmur not, you that love not Zion,
dispute not, you that, think these promises are too good, too great’
Anti-God noise is what Zechariah denounces.
The scornful attitude of believers and unbelievers. External political foes, internal skeptics. Apathetic returned exiles grumbling about God's timing for rebuilding the temple.
A society mocking God's promises. Belittling God’s power. Disputing the divine revelation of the coming Messiah King.
Cynics worse than atheists. They were anti-theists. They took a vigorous, confrontational and radical approach against biblical teaching. An occasion for more grace. God didn’t strike the cynics dead with flashes of lightning.
God just told them, ‘Shut up!’
Today God would also tell them to stop posting their diatribes on social media. Perhaps some of the internet's anti-theists may consider giving a careful listening ear to Zechariah’s message. Especially as Zachariah warns, God,
‘is springing into action’ literally ‘raised up’ which typically signifies divine intervention.
Essentially the divine action predicted by Zechariah relates to the virgin birth of Christ.
Despite Zechariah's cynics and their false and clever arguments, God intervened in human history.
As promised God sent the world its ‘Messiah King’.
That’s not the end. It’s the beginning of the gospel Mark 1:1.
And God continues to work out His redemption plan through the Holy Spirit. God continues to save His people from their sins, Mathew 1:21,
And God promises that he will bring judgment against all wrongdoing, 2 Corinthians 5:10.
Therefore, we should indeed pause and consider the words we speak about our creator.
We should consider the things we keypad about God, Scripture, and people. Haggai 1:5, 1:7
God is raised up looking down on our world. And He's about to execute a great purpose with the return of His Son Jesus Christ. Mathew 24:36-44. Revelation 19:11-16.
