O My Lord, What are These? - Zechariah 1:9

In the book of Zechariah, Zechariah said, “Upon the four and twentieth day of the eleventh month, which is the month Sebat, in the second year of Darius, came the word of the LORD unto Zechariah, the son of Berechiah, the son of Iddo the prophet, saying, I saw by night, and behold a man riding upon a red horse, and he stood among the myrtle trees that were in the bottom; and behind him were there red horses, speckled, and white”, and in chapter one and verse nine of Zechariah, Zechariah asked, “O my lord, what are these?” where we read,

Then said I, O my lord, what are these? 

And the angel that talked with me said unto me, I will show you what these be.

The verse reads, “Then said I, O my lord, what are these?” Zechariah began with the words, “then said I” or “at that time I, Zechariah, uttered, declared, proclaimed and asked”, “O my lord” which means “O my, Zechariah's, strong and firm master and ruler”, “what are these” or “whatsoever and what kind exist these, the man riding on the red horse and the red and white speckled horses that followed him”? Zechariah was unaware of what the vision of the man mounted on the red horse and the red and white speckled horses following him meant, so he asked the angel of God what they were. 

The verse continues, “And the angel that talked with me said unto me, I will show you what these be”. Zechariah added the words, “and the angel” or “and the spiritual envoy or messenger” “that talked with me” which means “who spoke, declared and conversed alongside and beside me, Zechariah” “said unto me” or “uttered, declared and proclaimed to me, Zechariah”, “I will show you” which means “I, the angel, shall make you, Zechariah, to regard, consider and perceive” “what these be” or “whatsoever and what kind exist these, the man riding on the red horse and the red and white speckled horses that followed him”. Zechariah shared how the spiritual messenger who spoke with him told him that he would disclose what the vision of the man mounted on the red horse and the red and white speckled horses following him meant.

When we think through the words in this verse, we discover through Zechariah how he was without understanding as to the meaning of the vision he received from God. Although he could see the vision of the man mounted on the red horse and the red and white speckled horses following him, he had no idea of the purpose or meaning of them. The “angel” or spiritual envoy from God shared how he would answer Zechariah's question, and we shall see that interpretation in our next verse. For now let us keep in mind that God is eternal, and He is able to see things which exist both in the physical and spiritual world. Although He employs certain people to know the visions He gives, He certainly reveals Himself and His ways though His word, the Bible. (See 2 Timothy 3:16-17) God loves us, and He demonstrated His love toward us when He sent His Son Jesus into the world to die on the cross for our sins (See Romans 5:8), and when we surrender our lives to Him, He will forgive our sins, grant us everlasting life and put within us a trust that He is over all things both spiritual and physical and He will reveal them according to His perfect will and plan. 

Next time Zechariah shared what, “the man that stood among the myrtle trees” said, so read ahead, and we shall join together then.

Until tomorrow…there is more…

See more devotionals on the website "thewordfortodaywithray.com" or look for the daily devotional book “Equipped for Battle – From Generation to Generation”, the marriage book “So, You Want to Be Married”, “One Year in the Sermon on the Mount” and the new poetry book "Random Mushrooms Volumes I and II" and the new novel "Elizabeth County" in all major bookstore sites, http://www.amazon.com ; http://www.barnesandnobles.com ; download to e-books, and find it locally at www.mrzlc.com/bookstore. All references are from "Strongs Concordance".