So the Lord of hosts has a message for them — Yahweh Tz’vaoth, He who will be armies. ‘Tz’vaoth’ is from a root meaning to mass, sometimes servants, but especially regiments organised for war. When the Lord of hosts speaks, we are brought up short, reminded sternly of the position of the One we are dealing with. “Thus saith the Lord of hosts, ‘Consider your ways” (Haggai 1:5,7). He is not one we can trifle with. His word is law. He commands, “Consider,” and we dare not do anything else. “Will be a master, where is my fear?’ saith the Lord of hosts unto you, O priests, that despise my name” (Malachi 1:6).
It is the voice that calls for genuine righteousness. ‘Thus speaketh the Lord of hosts, saying, “Execute true judgment, and show mercy and compassion …” (Zechariah 7:9).
It is the voice of one who demands purity and truth in religion, who abhors every evil, every lie, every fraud, every betrayal. “It shall come to pass in that day,’ saith the Lord of hosts, ‘that Twill cut off the names of the idols out of the land, and they shall no more be remembered: and also I will cause the prophets and the unclean spirit to pass out of the land” ( Zechariah 13:1-5; Malachi 1:14; 2:8,16) .
When the time of cleansing comes at last, even the most insignificant items, like the horse-bells and the common pots, throughout Jerusalem and the surrounding countryside, every pot and pan will be clean and pure — “holiness unto the Lord of hosts” (Zechariah 14:20-21), “And in that day there shall be no more the Canaanite in the house of the Lord of hosts” (Zechariah 14:21).
It is the voice of righteous indignation. “Ye looked for much, and, lo, it crane to little; and when ye brought it home, I did blow upon it. Why? Says the Lord of hosts, ‘Because of mine house that is waste, and ye run every man unto his own house” (Haggai 1:9). “Then came the word of the Lord of hosts unto me, saying, When ye fasted and mourned … did ye at all fast unto me, even to me? And when ye did eat, and when ye did drink, did not ye eat for yourselves, and drink for yourselves? Should ye not hear …?” (Zechariah 7:1-7).
He has the right to refuse a false, merely outward show of religion. “I have no pleasure in you, ‘saith the Lord of hosts, ‘neither will I accept an offering at your hand” (Malachi 1:10; 3:13-15). “Ye say, ‘The table of the Lord is polluted;’ ‘and ye have snuffed at it,’ saith the Lord of hosts” (Malachi 1:12-13).
When the Lord of hosts speaks, it is the voice of the Judge, and there is no appeal from His unerring verdict. He sentences and He punishes. “This is the curse that goeth forth … ‘Twill bring it forth,’ saith the Lord of hosts, ‘and it shall enter into the house of the thief, and into the house of him that were the falsely by my name” (Zechariah 5:4). He cannot be swayed by bribes or favours. “Will He regard your persons?’ saith the Lord of hosts” (Malachi 1:9).
It is the voice of the Witness who sees and knows all. “I will come near to you to judgment; and I will be a swift witness against the sorcerers, and against the adulterers, and against false swearers, and against those that oppress the hireling in his wages, the widow, and the fatherless, and that turn aside the stranger from his right, and fear not me,’ saith the Lord of hosts” (Malachi 3:5).
It is the voice of anger when men ignore His call, when men are deaf to His voice, and refuse to serve Him. “They refused to hearken, and pulled away the shoulder, and stopped their ears that they should not hear. Yes, they made their hearts as hard as diamond, lest they should hear the law, and the words which the Lord of hosts hath sent in His Spirit by the former prophets: therefore came a great wrath from the Lord of hosts … I would not hear … But I scattered them with a whirlwind …” (Zechariah 7:11-14).
It is the voice of jealousy, greatjealousy and great fury for His people, and the voice of displeasure at the vicious joy with which Israel’s persecutors afflicted her (Zechariah 1:15; 8:2).
It is the voice of Divine vengeance. “Behold, I will shake mine hand upon them, and they shall be like spoil to their servants: and (so) ye shall know that the Lord of hosts hath sent me un to you” (Zechariah 2:9).
But we must note that it is also the voice of mercy. “O Lord of hosts, how long wilt thou not have mercy on Jerusalem?” Mercy follows indignation (Zechariah 1:12).
It is the voice of miraculous power to forgive and to save. Saith the Lord of hosts, “I will remove the iniquity of that land in one day” (Zechariah 3:9). “Should it also be marvellous in mine eyes?” saith the Lord of hosts.
Thus saith the Lord of hosts, “Behold, I will save my people … and I will be their God, in truth and in righteousness” (Zechariah 8:68).
It is the voice of the God of Israel, able to marshal tremendous forces to their aid. They begin to work, and He promises them, “I am with you, saith the Lord” (Haggai 1:13); the work stands complete, and He tells them, “I am with you, saith the Lord of hosts” (Haggai 2:4).
It is the voice of Israel’s shield and fortress. “The Lord of hosts shall defend them” (Zechariah 9:15). He is the commander of the great angelic hosts that go into battle with His people.
It is the voice of the majesty of the Creator, who holds all in His hands, and does as He pleases. “Thus saith the Lord of hosts, … I will shake the heavens, and the earth, and the sea, and the dry land; and I will shake all nations'” (Haggai 2:6-7).
It is the voice of power and of confidence. “‘I will fill this house with glory’ … ‘The glory of this latter house shall be greater than of the former’ … ‘In this place will I give peace,’ saith the Lord of hosts” (Haggai 2:7, 9). He speaks, and He does. No man can divert Him from His declared purpose; no man can prevent its accomplishment. He has the power to keep His promises, and to enforce His will. “Like as the Lord of hosts thought to do unto us, … so hath He dealt with us” (Zechariah 1:6).
What He begins He finishes. “The hands of Zerubbabel have laid the foundation of this house; his hands shall also finish it; and (so) thou shalt know that the Lord of hosts hath sent me unto you” (Zechariah 4:9).
It is the voice of one who sets a purpose and pursues it to the end. It is the voice of one who is not fickle, who does not lightly change His revealed plan. It is the voice of one who can be trusted absolutely. ‘Thus saith the Lord of hosts; ‘As I thought to punish you, when your fathers provoked me towrath,’ saith the Lord of hosts, ‘and I repented not: so again have I thought in these days to do well unto Jerusalem and to the house of Judah: fear ye nor (Zechariah 14:15).
It is the voice of authority, and of absolute, unquestionable title. “The silver is mine and the gold is mine,’ says the Lord of hosts” (Haggai 2:8) and who dares to challenge Him, or question His rightful possession of it?
It is the voice of the transcendent authority and power of the Spirit over all things human. “Not by (human) might, nor by (human) power, but by my Spirit, saith the Lord of hosts” (Zechariah 4:6).
It is the voice of finality, of declared fact. He decrees, and it is as good as done. “I have chosen thee,’ saith the Lord of hosts” (Haggai 2:23).
“I am a great King,’ saith the Lord of hosts,’ and my name is dreadful among the heathen” (Malachi 1:14). He is the King (Zechariah 14:16, 17). And Zechariah is his messenger (cp. Malachi 2:7). His words cannot be trifled with. They will come top, and demonstrate his authority as God’s ambassador (Zechariah 2:9, 11; 6:15). Is he speaking? Then let us listen carefully. For it is God who speaks to us through him.
The Solution