God Patrols the Earth - Zechariah 1-7

 Zechariah 1:7-11 (ESV Strong's)

7 On the twenty-fourth day of the eleventh month, which is the month of Shebat, in the second year of Darius, the word of the LORD came to the prophet Zechariah, the son of Berechiah, son of Iddo, saying, 8 “I saw in the night, and behold, a man riding on a red horse! He was standing among the myrtle trees in the glen, and behind him were red, sorrel, and white horses. 9 Then I said, ‘What are these, my lord?’ The angel who talked with me said to me, ‘I will show you what they are.’ 10 So the man who was standing among the myrtle trees answered, ‘These are they whom the LORD has sent to patrol the earth.’ 11 And they answered the angel of the LORD who was standing among the myrtle trees, and said, ‘We have patrolled the earth, and behold, all the earth remains at rest.’

God Patrols the Earth

Zechariah was a motivational speaker.  He was sent by God to motivate the nation of Israel upon their return to the land after captivity.  They had begun to re-build the Temple after its destruction during the beginning of their captivity.   Now they were sent back to restore the Temple. But, they began to get attracted to the world again and stoped working on the project.   Zechariah comes along to give them God’s prophecy that would encourage them to pick up the work once more.   The prophet gives them eight prophetic messages.   Each one designed to motivate them in a different manner.   In this first utterance (above) we find an important truth that is either stated or implied throughout the eight:  God patrols the earth.  God is watching the affairs of mankind.   Although we, on the earth, do not always see what is going on behind the scenes, God has complete knowledge of it all.   God uses the word “patrol.”  It is the Hebrew word, “hâlaḵ.”   The word is used almost 500 times in the Old Testament.  The fist time the word is used is in Genesis 2:14 where it is used to describe the rivers the “flow” throughout the area of the Garden of Eden.  The meaning of the word seems to be that God goes about, where His will and power take Him.   He observes and beholds.  The rest of the book of Zechariah are based upon this divine truth, that God takes interest in the affairs of the world and acts accordingly.   To those who would think God is passive and ignores the affairs of man, they ought to mediate upon this truth.   As an officer is patrolling the streets of the city and village to look for those who would endanger themselves and/or others, God is on patrol.  And, He NEVER takes a shift off.   We can rest in that truth.