Ritual without righteousness is meaningless. God desires hearts aligned with His truth more than religious performance.
Key Verse:
“Then the word of the Lord came to Zechariah, saying, ‘Say to all the people of the land and to the priests, “When you fasted and mourned in the fifth and seventh months these seventy years, was it actually for Me that you fasted?”’” —Zechariah 7:4–5 (NASB)
Background Context:
Zechariah 7 takes place nearly two years after the prophet’s earlier visions. A delegation from Bethel arrives to ask whether they should continue fasting to commemorate the destruction of the temple—now that the temple is being rebuilt. But rather than giving a yes or no answer, God uses this moment to address the heart behind their fasting.
Through Zechariah, YHWH rebukes the people for turning what should have been heartfelt acts of repentance into empty tradition. He points out that their fasts were not truly for Him—they were rituals disconnected from real devotion. Instead, God reminds them of what He has always desired: justice, kindness, compassion, and obedience to His Word.
(Continued and expanded after scripture.)
Hearts like Flint
1In the fourth year of King Darius, the word of the LORD came to Zechariah on the fourth day of the ninth month, which is Chislev. 2Now the town of Bethel had sent Sharezer and Regemmelech and their men to seek the favor of the LORD, 3speaking to the priests who belong to the house of the LORD of hosts, and to the prophets, saying, “Shall I weep in the fifth month and abstain, as I have done these many years?” 4Then the word of the LORD of hosts came to me, saying, 5“Say to all the people of the land and to the priests, ‘When you fasted and mourned in the fifth and seventh months these seventy years, was it actually for Me that you fasted? 6‘When you eat and drink, do you not eat for yourselves and do you not drink for yourselves? 7‘Are not these the words which the LORD proclaimed by the former prophets, when Jerusalem was inhabited and prosperous along with its cities around it, and the Negev and the foothills were inhabited?’”
8Then the word of the LORD came to Zechariah saying, 9“Thus has the LORD of hosts said, ‘Dispense true justice and practice kindness and compassion each to his brother; 10and do not oppress the widow or the orphan, the stranger or the poor; and do not devise evil in your hearts against one another.’ 11“But they refused to pay attention and turned a stubborn shoulder and stopped their ears from hearing. 12“They made their hearts like flint so that they could not hear the law and the words which the LORD of hosts had sent by His Spirit through the former prophets; therefore great wrath came from the LORD of hosts. 13“And just as He called and they would not listen, so they called and I would not listen,” says the LORD of hosts; 14“but I scattered them with a storm wind among all the nations whom they have not known. Thus the land is desolated behind them so that no one went back and forth, for they made the pleasant land desolate.”
Reflection on Zechariah 7:
The people had kept religious traditions going for decades—but had they truly drawn closer to God? That’s the question at the heart of Zechariah 7. It’s a sobering reminder that we can go through the motions—fasting, attending church, reading Scripture—yet miss the heart of God if our actions are not driven by love, humility, and a desire to obey.
The chapter also reflects on how the earlier generations refused to listen to the prophets and hardened their hearts. The result? Desolation and exile. God does not change. He is still not impressed with rituals when our hearts are far from Him.
What about us? Do we worship and serve Him out of sincere devotion, or are we simply checking religious boxes? Do we hunger for God’s justice and compassion the way He does?
Application:
Take time today to evaluate your heart behind your spiritual practices. Do you fast, pray, read, and serve with sincere desire to honor God—or simply out of habit or obligation? Ask God to purify your motives. True fasting is not about outward appearance but about inward transformation and alignment with His Word.
Closing Prayer:
Father, forgive me for the times I’ve gone through religious motions without truly seeking You. Create in me a clean heart and renew a right spirit within me. Teach me to walk in obedience, to love mercy, and to act justly. Help me to honor You not just with my lips or rituals, but with my life. In Yeshua’s name, amen.
May the grace and peace of our Lord, Yeshua, be with you.
John Golda
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