Zechariah 1:3

"Therefore tell them, the LORD of Armies says: ‘Return to me,’ says the LORD of Armies, ‘and I will return to you,’ says the LORD of Armies."

Key Reflection

This passage encapsulates a call for repentance and reconciliation. The Lord promises that if his people return to Him, He will in turn restore their relationship and faithfulness. It echoes themes of divine initiative in restoration found throughout the Old Testament, inviting a reciprocal relationship between God and His people.

From the Scholars: Barnes' Notes

Therefore say thou -Literally, “And thou sayest,” that is, this having been so, it follows that thou sayest or must say, “Turn ye unto Me.” In some degree they had turned to God, for whose sake they had returned to their land; and again when, after some negligenceHaggai 1:2-11, they renewed the building of the temple, and God had said, “I am with you”Haggai 1:13. But there needed yet a more inward, more complete turning, whereon God promises a yet nearer presence, as Malachi repeats the wordsMalachi 3:7, and James exhorts, “Draw nigh to God and He will draw nigh to you”James 4:8. Those who have turned to God need ever to turn more into the center of the narrow way.

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