“Thus says the Lord of hosts, ‘If it is too difficult in the sight of the remnant of this people in those days, will it also be too difficult in My sight?’ declares the Lord of hosts,” (8:6).

Difficult/Impossible: 6381. פָּלָא pālāʾ: A verb meaning to do something wonderful, to do something extraordinary, or difficult. It frequently signifies the wondrous works of God, especially His deliverance and judgments (Ex. 3:20; Ps. 106:22; 136:4; Mic. 7:15)… While nothing is too extraordinary for God, various things are said to be beyond the abilities of some individuals to do or comprehend (Deut. 17:8; Prov. 30:18; Jer. 32:17);

Can’t you just hear Him calling His people to see, not with their eyes, but with faith, to see not what made sense in the natural, but to see Him in the supernatural? They were so few in number, facing such a huge task. Impossible. They were so prone to listening to lies, to now be called a City of Truth. Impossible. They were so given to idolatry and unfaithfulness, to now be established in purity and Holiness on His Holy Mountain. Impossible.

And the promises for the future He describes are just that. Impossible. For man. But oh, not for Him, God of the Impossible.

And as Impossible as it may seem, God’s promises for Israel, that small piece of land that accounts for just five percent of the whole earth’s land area, will be accomplished, becoming the very dwelling place of the Creator Who Is God of all the universe.

And as difficult as it is to fathom, almost Impossible, the truth is that when we place our faith in Christ and believe His promise of salvation through His shed blood as payment for our sins, then we are also counted as those of faith, as those who are in line to receive the inheritance promised, with Abraham, the believer.

Even so Abraham believed God, and it was reckoned to him as righteousness. ⁷ Therefore, be sure that it is those who are of faith who are sons of Abraham. ⁸ The Scripture, foreseeing that God would justify the Gentiles by faith, preached the gospel beforehand to Abraham, saying, “All the nations will be blessed in you.” ⁹ So then those who are of faith are blessed with Abraham, the believer, (Galatians 3:6-9).

The Lord begins this part of Zechariah’s prophecy by reminding His people that He is passionate in jealously guarding His covenant relationship.

Then the word of the Lord of hosts came, saying, ² “Thus says the Lord of hosts, ‘I am exceedingly jealous for Zion, yes, with great wrath I am jealous for her,’” (8:1-2).

And as He reminds them that His discipline and correction ensued because of His passionate desire for the purity of His people, He brings a Word of encouragement that they are to face their future without fear; for He is faithful to His covenant promises and His purpose will be accomplished for His remnant, even beyond what they could have ever imagined.

 “For thus says the Lord of hosts, ‘Just as I purposed to do harm to you when your fathers provoked Me to wrath,’ says the Lord of hosts, ‘and I have not relented, ¹⁵ so I have again purposed in these days to do good to Jerusalem and to the house of Judah. Do not fear!’” (8:14-15).

And through His prophet, the Lord invites His people to join Him in faith as He walks them through one unlikely, improbable, inconceivable promise after another. And I found myself wondering, how many of these exiles gathered back to their homeland which bore little resemblance to the place they once knew, how many wondered in their hearts or even aloud, can all this really be possible?

And we may find ourselves wondering the same thing. But if we attempt to comprehend it all apart from faith, if we analyze this life without relying on the counsel and power of the Holy Spirit, it will also seem Impossible to us.

“This is what the LORD of Heaven’s Armies says: All this may seem impossible to you now, a small remnant of God’s people. But is it impossible for me? says the LORD of Heaven’s Armies,” (8:6 NLT).

With every breath He reveals what appears Impossible to the natural eye. And apart from Him, it all is. But He is the God of all flesh, God of the Impossible, and nothing is too difficult for Him.

Then the word of the Lord came to Jeremiah, saying, ²⁷ “Behold, I am the Lord, the God of all flesh; is anything too difficult for Me?” (Jeremiah 32:26-27).

Consider Him, God of the Impossible

He Is God of the Impossible… and nothing is too difficult for Him.

• What once was known for dishonesty and corruption, will become known for Truth and Holiness. Impossible!
  • “Thus says the Lord, ‘I will return to Zion and will dwell in the midst of Jerusalem. Then Jerusalem will be called the City of Truth, and the mountain of the Lord of hosts will be called the Holy Mountain,’” (8:3).

• What once was a place of war and carnage, will become a place of safety, longevity, and joy. Impossible!
  • “Thus says the Lord of hosts, ‘Old men and old women will again sit in the streets of Jerusalem, each man with his staff in his hand because of age. ⁵ And the streets of the city will be filled with boys and girls playing in its streets,’” (8:4-5).

• Those who had once forsaken Him to pursue idols, will be brought back into covenant relationship with Him in truth and righteousness. Impossible!
  • “Thus says the Lord of hosts, ‘Behold, I am going to save My people from the land of the east and from the land of the west; ⁸ and I will bring them back and they will live in the midst of Jerusalem; and they shall be My people, and I will be their God in truth and righteousness,’” (8:7-8).

• Their homeland that had become a place without provisions and peace, would now be filled with life, prosperity and protection. Impossible!
  • “‘For before those days there was no wage for man or any wage for animal; and for him who went out or came in there was no peace because of his enemies, and I set all men one against another. ¹¹ But now I will not treat the remnant of this people as in the former days,’ declares the Lord of hosts. ¹² ‘For there will be peace for the seed: the vine will yield its fruit, the land will yield its produce and the heavens will give their dew; and I will cause the remnant of this people to inherit all these things,’” (8:10-12).

• Though they had become a symbol of the curse of His judgment, they would now become a conduit of His blessing. Impossible!
  • “‘ It will come about that just as you were a curse among the nations, O house of Judah and house of Israel, so I will save you that you may become a blessing. Do not fear; let your hands be strong,’” (8:13).

• What had once been times of grieving and fasting, would become times of gladness and feasting. Impossible!
  • Then the word of the Lord of hosts came to me, saying, ¹⁹ “Thus says the Lord of hosts, ‘The fast of the fourth, the fast of the fifth, the fast of the seventh and the fast of the tenth months will become joy, gladness, and cheerful feasts for the house of Judah; so love truth and peace,’” (8:18-19).

• Those who had been subdued and regarded as rejected, would become sought out and respected as those who are favored by His Presence. Impossible!
  • “Thus says the Lord of hosts, ‘It will yet be that peoples will come, even the inhabitants of many cities. ²¹ The inhabitants of one will go to another, saying, “Let us go at once to entreat the favor of the Lord, and to seek the Lord of hosts; I will also go.” ²² So many peoples and mighty nations will come to seek the Lord of hosts in Jerusalem and to entreat the favor of the Lord.’ ²³ Thus says the Lord of hosts, ‘In those days ten men from all the nations will grasp the garment of a Jew, saying, “Let us go with you, for we have heard that God is with you,”’”’ (8:20-23).

How do we respond to Him, God of the Impossible?

Behind every promise for our future is His invitation to believe that He Is God of the Impossible and that nothing is too difficult for Him. Oh, that we would take Him up on His invitation.

God asked His people, as He asks us, to live in a way that demonstrates our faith. But if we were to analyze all this according to the accounts of their faithfulness, as history had certainly proven, what God was asking of His people was Impossible. But in every promise in today’s chapter is the reality of the new creation He has in store, beginning with His new creation of all those who have placed their faith in Christ.

Therefore if anyone is in Christ, he is a new creature; the old things passed away; behold, new things have come, (2 Corinthians 5:17).

And when we are in Christ, by faith, He is in us! Yes, sounds Impossible, but His Word declares it is Truth.

If Christ is in you, though the body is dead because of sin, yet the spirit is alive because of righteousness. ¹¹ But if the Spirit of Him who raised Jesus from the dead dwells in you, He who raised Christ Jesus from the dead will also give life to your mortal bodies through His Spirit who dwells in you, (Romans 8:10-11).

And because His Spirit dwells in us, we are made alive to righteousness and empowered to live in obedience to the Word He speaks, that we would be strong to join Him in the work He has prepared for us to do.

“Thus says the Lord of hosts, ‘Let your hands be strong, you who are listening in these days to these words from the mouth of the prophets, those who spoke in the day that the foundation of the house of the Lord of hosts was laid, to the end that the temple might be built. (8:9).

For we are His workmanship, created in Christ Jesus for good works, which God prepared beforehand so that we would walk in them, (Ephesians 2:10).

And as Impossible as it may feel, in reality He is not asking it of us, but of Christ Who lives His life through those who have been crucified with Him and choose to live by faith in Him, God of the Impossible.

I have been crucified with Christ; and it is no longer I who live, but Christ lives in me; and the life which I now live in the flesh I live by faith in the Son of God, who loved me and gave Himself up for me, (Galatians 2:20).

God was calling His children, as He calls us today, to live the Impossible; but never according to our own ability. It is through the transforming work of Him Who Is God of the Impossible, that we are enabled to speak and love truth, and pursue peace and what He loves.

“‘These are the things which you should do: speak the truth to one another; judge with truth and judgment for peace in your gates. ¹⁷ Also let none of you devise evil in your heart against another, and do not love perjury; for all these are what I hate,’ declares the Lord,” (8:16-17).

Impossible? Well, yes actually…for us, it is absolutely Impossible. But never for Him; for He is God of the Impossible!

“For nothing will be impossible with God,” (Luke 1:37).

Let’s Grow Together!