The nation of Israel had just spent 70 years in captivity in Babylon, and now on their return to Jerusalem they find that it’s not joy and celebration that meets them, but rather a city, temple and way of life lying in ruins. A lengthy process of rebuilding lies ahead of these returning exiles, and the long promised Messiah doesn’t seem any closer. And it’s into this context of disappointment, destruction and despair that the prophet Zechariah speaks this Messianic prophecy and encouragement to the hearts of the people.
“Return to your fortress, O you prisoners of hope” (Zechariah.9:12)
This crazy season of life that we find ourselves in, (what with the situation of lock-down, economic crisis and long-winding journey of rebuilding that stretches in front of us) seems to resonate in a small way with the landscape that befell the Jewish people as described above. And to that end, Zechariah’s words need to find their place in our hearts in this time in a fresh and real way.
We are not prisoners of our past, prejudices, pain, frustrations, fears or failures, but rather we are anchored, tethered, inextricably joined to a hope that never disappoints and always holds firm.
We are prisoners of His promises, presence, power and expectation!
We are prisoners of hope!
PRISONERS OF HIS PROMISES
In the last big portion of Genesis, we find the incredible story of Joseph. Opening in Genesis.37 with him receiving an amazing promise from God, the narrative closes with that promise coming to pass as Joseph finds prominence in Pharaoh’s palace in command over the nation of Egypt and Israel’s destiny.
But what we find is that between the promise and the palace is the prison.
But the promise of the Lord followed him all the way through the ups and the downs. (“the Lord was with Joseph”)
What we find in this story is this encouragement; don’t doubt in the dark, what God has promised you in the light
Just like Joseph, brothers will let you down = are you a prisoner of his promises or a prisoner of offence?
Just like Joseph, temptation will come knocking = are you a prisoner of his promises or a prisoner to the easy way?
Just like Joseph, you will be used, abused and looked over = are you a prisoner of his promises or a prisoner of a bad attitude?
It’s not a charismatic name it and claim it confession that’s needed, but rather an allowing of God’s Word and Promises to over-ride our default settings.
PRISONERS OF HIS PRESENCE
While the nation of Israel is in Babylon in exile we find a man named Daniel who exemplifies what it means to be in the world but not of it. When the King’s edict goes out (“pray only to me or you will be thrown into a lion’s den”), Daniel continues in the vein he has always done by praying to the one true God three times a day with his windows open. Because of this he is thrown into the den, and spoiler alert, next morning is still miraculously alive, lions’ mouths shut tight.
In enemy territory, in the minority, with his back against the wall, he is still able to stand.
“Convictions stand not because of high reliance on principles but rather on a deep revelation of God’s presence”
God’s presence is:
- A life sentence
- An ever-increasing satisfaction
Story one of Shadrach, Meshach and Abednego in the early chapters of Daniel, we see a visible demonstration of the Lord’s presence with Him appearing as the fourth man in the fire.
Story two of the escape from hungry lions we find an invisible demonstration of His presence. Unseen, but no less powerful!
In both expressions of God’s presence, visibly or invisibly experienced, it was known and sustained by prayer!
Prosperity and favour is not based on feelings, emotions or bravado but rather in the secret place on our knees.
PRISONERS OF HIS POWER
Acts chapter 16 finds another prison, this time in Philippi where Paul and Silas have been stripped, beaten and unfairly thrown into jail. At the point where they could have given vent to their frustrations, disappointments and even potentially anger, we find the powerful verse 25:
“About midnight, Paul and Silas were praying and singing hymns to God…”
At “about midnight”, the loneliest, coldest, darkest hour, Paul and Silas decided on a response that was based on a superior reality. When sulking or scheming would have been more rational responses, these two men went to the third option of singing! They knew that praise precedes power!
We serve a God who still breaks open prison doors, who still sets the captive free, and no matter what befalls us, we are always prisoners of his power!
And on the other side of their breakthrough, the other prisoners were listening and a city was waiting!
PRISONERS OF EXPECTATION
Finally, we jump back in the biblical narrative to John the Baptist. A man who had a spiritual pedigree like no other equivalent. Prophesied about in Isaiah.40, cousin to Jesus and who leapt in the womb of his mother Elizabeth at the acknowledgement of Jesus’ Holy Spirit conception in Mary’s womb. The first to recognize Jesus for who he was at the River Jordan, before powerfully and humbly taking a backseat to Jesus’ ministry by declaring, “he must increase I must decrease” and telling his disciples to leave him and follow Jesus. Jesus said of John, that there was “no greater man born of women”.
With this incredible CV as a backdrop, we find his story come to a head (no pun intended) where he is preaching truth to political power and because of it running afoul of Herod and Herod’s wife. He is thrown into prison and is awaiting his execution where his head will be chopped off!
In Matthew.11 he sends word to Jesus, “are you the one we have been waiting for?”
All of a sudden, his expectations of Jesus are shaken. This doesn’t look like God’s purposes!
Maybe you’ve felt like that sometime when what God has done or has’t done didn’t quite match the expectation you had in your heart. You lost your job, the sale didn’t go through, the illness wasn’t healed, the relationship hasn’t been restored, somebody died.
John the Baptist’s heart starts to go fuzzy under pressure, as ours do when we face trials and tribulations.
I can imagine that he expected Jesus’ response to be something like receiving a promise it’s going to work out, or maybe a visit from Jesus in prison, or hopefully Jesus would bust open the prison door and stage a coup!
But none of these happen. Jesus tells the disciples to go back to John and tell him the following, quoting from Isaiah:
“the blind are seeing, the lame are walking, lepers are being cleansed, the deaf are hearing, the dead are being raised and the good news is being proclaimed to the poor. Blessed is he who does not fall away on account of me”
Jesus quotes the prophet Isaiah who John would have known inside and out, but dramatically stops short where it says, “the prisoners are being released.”
In this moment, Jesus was re-orientating John’s “here and now” expectations to eternal ones.
The Kingdom of God is breaking out, but it won’t always look like what we desire or expect. In these times, we cannot be surprised by the challenges, the trials and the opposition, but all of it is worth it when viewed through an eternal perspective, an eternal expectation! For this is not the end!
As we have preached this series, we have prayed endlessly that a new default setting would be established in our hearts and lives. So as you read this, are you feeling like a prisoner to sin? A prisoner to your past? A prisoner to your fear?
Here is our anchor:
Jesus became bound so that we could be set free of our sin, past, our fear and become prisoners of hope!
We are prisoners of hope. We are prisoners of Jesus.
“All God’s promises are “yes” and “amen” in Christ Jesus” (The Promise)
“I will never leave you nor forsake you” (The Presence)
“My power is made perfect in your weakness” (The Power)
“I make known the end from the beginning, from ancient times, what is still to come. I say, ‘My purpose will stand, and I will do all that I please.” (The Purpose and the Expectation)
Blog written by Gabe Phillips
Gabe and Fiona lead the Life Changers Milnerton and City congregations