The Punishment of Egypt - Zechariah 14:19

In the book of Zechariah, Zechariah said, “it shall come to pass, that every one that is left of all the nations which came against Jerusalem shall even go up from year to year to worship the King, the LORD of hosts, and to keep the feast of tabernacles. And it shall be, that whoso will not come up of all the families of the earth unto Jerusalem to worship the King, the LORD of hosts, even upon them shall be no rain. And if the family of Egypt go not up, and come not, that have no rain; there shall be the plague, wherewith the LORD will smite the heathen that come not up to keep the feast of tabernacles”, and in chapter fourteen and verse nineteen of Zechariah, Zechariah said, “this shall be the punishment of Egypt” where we read,

This shall be the punishment of Egypt, 

and the punishment of all nations that come not up to keep the feast of tabernacles.

The verse reads, “This shall be the punishment of Egypt, ...” Zechariah began with the words, “this shall be” or “the absence of rain and pestilence will exist as” “the punishment of Egypt” which means “the penalty and expiation pertaining to Egypt whose name means land of the Copts and is a country at the northeastern section of Africa, adjacent to Palestine, and through which the Nile flows”. Zechariah shared how the absence of water showers and pestilence would exist as the penalty for the people of “Egypt” who refuse to observe the “feast of tabernacles” in“Jerusalem”.

The verse goes on to say, “... and the punishment of all nations that come not up to keep the feast of tabernacles.”Zechariah continued with the words, “and the punishment” or “and the penalty and expiation” “of all nations” which means “pertaining to each, every, the whole and everyone of the non-Hebrew, foreign and Gentile people groups” “that come not up” or “who do not ascend, spring up, shoot forth and arise” “to keep the feast of tabernacles” which means “to make pilgrimage to celebrate, hold and observe the feast or festival pertaining to thickets, coverts, booths or temporary shelters”. Zechariah shared how the absence of water showers and pestilence would serve as the penalty to every people group who refuses to ascend to “Jerusalem” to observe the festival of temporary booths. (See Leviticus 23:33-44; Numbers 29:12-40; Deuteronomy 16:13-22)

When we think through Zechariah's words in this verse, we discover how the people within the nation of “Egypt” and every “people group” who refuses to observe the festival of temporary booths will suffer the penalty and consequences of absence of “rain showers” and pestilence. God's desire is to have an intimate personal relationship with everyone, and He sent His Son Jesus to die on the cross for the sins of the world to make that possible. When we surrender our lives to Him, He will forgive our sins, grant us everlasting life and show us through His Holy Spirit the importance of remembering to observe every “feast” which He commands as we live with Him throughout eternity. 

Next time Zechariah says, “there shall be upon the bells of the horses, HOLINESS UNTO THE LORD”, 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".