Thanks for the email and the question.? The entire history of the Nation Israel from the time of Moses was obedience followed by disobedience.? The first example of obedience was the very first Passover when the Angel of Death swept through Egypt killing the first-born.? The Israelites obeyed God and sacrificed lambs and painted their lintels with blood so the Angel would pass-over their homes.? They were also obedient in following Moses out of Egypt.? Then they backslid under Moses and they refused to trust in God and enter the Holy land and thus everybody over 20?lost the right to enter Caanan (except for faithful Joshua and Caleb).
The next generation was again obedient (somewhat) under Joshua as they conquered the Promised Land.? I say "somewhat", because despite being ordered by God to kill every one of those in the tribes with giants (Nephelim), they didn't.? Israel has been paying for that disobedience ever since as they battle the descendants of the tribes they were to kill in generation after generation, including today.
Anyway, the obedience of particular note to this week's lesson is that AFTER ZACHARIAH'S VISIONS, the remnant got off their backsides and finished the Temple in two years.? Look at the symmetry, they had dithered for two years before laying the foundation stone when they first returned, then ran out of steam over some 16 years working lackadaisically until Haggai blasted them and Zechariah followed with his sermon a month later.? They then went into high gear and finished the Temple.? Presumably, they were obedient to God for a bit after that as well.? This obedience was rewarded when Jesus was born five centuries later.
One of the points is that God doesn't look at time the way that we do.? Like little children, we tend to want to see our rewards soon after we've done whatever we think we did to deserve them.? God has a bit more patience! :-)
Some might argue that the subjugated Jews over that 500 years probably were obedient and disobedient a few more times as well.? One of the obedient times MIGHT have been the Maccabean Revolt (167-160 BC) that led to Jewish self-rule under the Hasmonean Dynasty (140–37 BC)?for 100 years.? That started with the cleansing and re-dedication of the Temple in 164 BC after three years of battling for freedom from Seleucid Greece (more on that this coming Thursday) that is celebrated every Hanukkah. So some might argue that the rewards for obedience during Zechariah's time might have been the Maccabean success, and the First Coming was related to the good part of their 100-year rule. I have two things to say about that.? (1) God doesn't keep score the way that we do, because He isn't playing games.? (2) See if the three chapters that we study next Thursday don't marry up Zechariah's period with the First Coming.
Sorry.? Probably too much information.
Blessings,
Ray
Ray