About two years later, a delegation asks whether they should keep mourning and fasting as they had during the exile. God answers with a probing question: when they fasted and feasted, was it truly for Him, or for themselves? He reminds them that the former prophets had called their fathers to “render true judgments, show kindness and mercy... do not oppress the widow, the fatherless, the sojourner, or the poor,” but they refused to listen, hardened their hearts, and so were scattered. Empty ritual without justice and mercy is not what God desires.
Zechariah study chapter
Zechariah 7
518 BCThe question about fasting answered: God desires justice, mercy, and compassion, not empty ritual, and He recalls the disobedience that brought exile.
My notes
Saved to your account, so they are on every device you sign in on, and private unless you specifically share them with another.
A different version of this note was saved in this browser before notes moved to accounts. Your account’s copy is above and was left alone; copy anything worth keeping out of this one, then let it go.
Notes are kept with your account rather than in this browser, so what you write here is still there on your phone, on another machine, and after you clear your history. Signing in takes an email address and one click, there is no password to remember.
Saved in this browser before notes moved to accounts. Sign in and it will be carried up to your account; it stays here until then.