Page:Visions and Prophecies of Zechariah (Baron, David).djvu/235

 with all thy soul, to keep the commandments of the Lord, and His statutes, which I command thee this day for thy good" (Deut. x. 12, 13).

This that " to obey " is in God's sight " better than sacrifice," and " to hearken " " than the fat of rams," and that obedience to the great moral precepts of the law is infinitely more important than meaningless ceremonies and abstinence from meat and drinks, is brought out still more clearly in the second section of the first part of the answer (vers. 8-10).

" And the word of the Lord came unto Zechariah, saying, Thus hath the Lord of hosts spoken, saying, Execute true judgment, and show mercy and compassion every man to his brother: and oppress not the widow, nor the fatherless, the stranger, nor the poor; and let none of you imagine evil against his brother in your heart

Here we are reminded of Isa. Iviii. 6-12, and many other scriptures in the earlier prophets, where the Lord tells us the kind of fast in which He does takes pleasure " Is not this the fast that I have chosen? to loose the bonds of wickedness, to undo the bands of the yoke, and to let the oppressed go free, and that ye break every yoke? Is it not to deal thy bread to the hungry, and that thou bring the* poor that are cast out to thy house? when thou seest the naked, that thou cover him; and that thou hide not thyself from thine own flesh? (Isa. Iviii. 6-8, R.V.).

But Zechariah, in the passage we are now considering (vers. 8-10), instead of quoting the exact words of the former prophets, gives the substance of their preaching on this subject in words renewed to himself by the direct inspiration of the Spirit of God.

We note also that it is particularly man's duties to his neighbours which are here summarised; but man's duty to God is presupposed, for even the precepts which inculcate love and mercy to our fellow-men, are enforced by the words, " I am Jehovah thy God" which remind us of our relation and obligations to Him, even as in the New Testa ment it is our debt of love and gratitude to Christ which is