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"The former days"

Text: Zechariah 8:11

A NEW APPROACH TO BE TAKEN

The LORD announced a new approach that He would take as the rebuilding process began in earnest! This approach would be vastly different!

“‘But now I will not treat the remnant of this people as in the former days,’
says the LORD of hosts.”
Zechariah 8:11

1. “But now”

a) There would be a clear-cut distinction.

b) The contrast:

i) Former days

ii) Present days

2. “I will not treat the remnant of this people as in the former days”

a) Problems within

i) Bullying by the rich of the poor.

ii) Injustice prevailed.

iii) The rebuild process was nearly derailed.

iv) There was much internal strife (See the books of Ezra and Nehemiah).

b) Problems without

i) Enemies threatened.

ii) They hindered the work of rebuilding the temple for years.

iii) Nobody felt any sense of peace in the former days.

SOME REASONS WHY GOD HAD ALLOWED THESE PROBLEMS TO SURFACE

There were lessons to be learned before a new approach could commence:

1. The remnant needed to be revived in their faith in God.

2. They needed to return to knowing the Scriptures and to heeding the Lord’s word.

3. They needed to find an important sense of unity among themselves.

4. They needed to heed the voice of the prophets whom God had sent with His word.

5. They needed to be deeply committed to rebuilding the Temple of the Lord.

6. They needed to find strength of commitment to follow through all that God had commanded them to do.