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RESTORE
The call to restore:
Come, hope-filled prisoners.
Dance in the streets
Sit under the olive tree
Harvest food in plenty.
As we gather to pray today
May we be aware of the vulnerable in our midst
Pursue justice, mercy
And hospitality
The need for restoration:
Zechariah portrays a wonderful picture of the restoration of the city of God. We see a collage of images to help us imagine what restoration looks like. In chapter 7 there is a call towards justice, mercy, and compassion for the most vulnerable (7:9-10). In chapter 8, old men and women are sitting in the streets, surrounded by children playing. The vines are yielding fruit and the crops are plentiful. A safe, secure, and healthy place for even the most vulnerable to dwell. Here is a community of faith that reflects who God is and people are attracted to it! In 8:23 we read that other people saw it and said, ‘Let us go with you, because we have heard that God is with you.’
Consider how our churches and communities of faith can best reflect what it means to belong to the Kingdom of God.
A prayer for restoration:
Spend some time praying about what restoration might look like practically in each of the following areas. Respond to what God might be saying to you about your role in this.
- Acting with justice and mercy
- Loving your neighbour
- Showing compassion
- Not taking advantage of the vulnerable
- Not plotting and scheming against each other.
Scripture
About this Plan
The call for God's covenant people, in Zechariah 9:12, ‘Return to your fortress, you prisoners of hope’, is the key verse for this series. The hope that Zechariah proclaims is hope in God as King, hope that God has come to dwell with us, and hope that the covenant between God and God’s people will be restored. This is the sure hope that holds us captive.
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