In this insightful episode, we explore a question that many believers have faced: Why does God seem to answer some prayers but not others? Discover how God’s justice and mercy blend together to create a comprehensive plan for salvation. Through biblical scriptures, understand the intricate balance that God maintains where sin is met with forgiveness but never excuses and how this reflects His divine love for us.
00:00:17 Introduction and Purpose of Through the Bible
Why does God seem to answer some prayers but not others? Well, that’s a question we’ve all wrestled with. In today’s study of Through the Bible, Dr. J. Vernon McGee shares a powerful biblical reason why God may choose not to answer and why that, too, is part of his love. I’m Steve Schwetz, and I’m glad that you’re riding the Bible bus with us as we continue our fascinating journey through the Old Testament book of Zechariah. Now, if you’re new to Through the Bible, welcome aboard, and you’re now part of a worldwide listening family that’s studying God’s Word together in more than 250 languages. You heard that right, 250 and growing. We’re on a five-year journey through the entire Bible, from Genesis to Revelation. Now, Dr. McGee designed this study so that you can join us at any point. And because we rotate between the Old and New Testaments, well, you get a fuller picture of who God is and how deeply he loves you. If you ever miss our study or you want to listen again, you’ll find all of these messages at ttb.org or on our app. And you can also take the entire journey with you on our Bible bus flash drive. Find out more at ttb.org or call 1-800-65-BIBLE. Now, before we get to our study, here’s more from Dr. McGee on the millennium, God’s future reign of peace, justice, and righteousness.
SPEAKER 01 :
We are anxious for you to see the tremendous implication in the Old Testament and New Testament about a kingdom that is coming on this earth, a kingdom called the millennium. But after it, the kingdom will expand into eternity with certain final alterations made in it. But it’s this kingdom and the hope of it that is the background of all of these prophets. And we’ve been attempting to look at certain things that characterize that kingdom that make it so important. And we are talking currently about that it reveals the justice of God. The justice of God will be revealed. And you find that in Psalm 89, 14, where we read there, “…justice and judgment are the habitation of thy throne.” mercy and truth shall go before thy face. Now, justice and mercy are brought together. And how can you do that? How can God be just and the justifier? In fact, that’s the question that Paul raises and answers, by the way. In Romans 3, 26, he says to declare, I say it this time, his righteousness, that he might be just and the justifier of him which believeth in Jesus.” Now, justice is associated with the judgment of God in the thinking of most Christians and all non-Christians, and I think that is generally true. But judgment and justice also in Scripture are associated with the mercy of God. God could not violate his holiness and righteousness by arbitrarily saving sinners. How can God be just and at the same time the justifier of sinners? His law is, the soul that sinneth, it shall die. And that law has not been repealed. It has not been ignored. It has not been put out of operation. It’s still true. How can God clear the guilty? How can God save lost sinners? He can’t shut his eyes to evil. He could never condone sin. And how is he going to do it? Well, Christ paid the penalty for our sins. He died that kind of a death on the cross. He was the sacrifice for the sin of the world. God is just in saving sinners who trust Christ. That’s what Paul is saying. Now he is just. And he’s the justifier of sinners. Now, does that violate his law or his character? Well, no, it does not. Listen to Paul again say, I say at this time his righteousness. And he declares his righteousness that he might be just and the justifier of him that believeth in Jesus. He’s just when he saves sinners, friends. And aren’t you glad that God is that kind of a God? Wouldn’t it be terrible if he just judged sinners and there was no hope for us at all? He’d be just in that. But may I say to you that God now is just in saving sinners. That’s a wonderful truth. And how about the saints who save? I get so many letters from people who say, well, I accepted Christ and then I fell flat on my face. I… committed a sin, that I lose my salvation. Listen to John in his epistle, 1 John 1, 9. He is faithful and just when he forgives the child of God. Listen now. He says here that if we confess our sins, Who’s our? Who is we? That’s Christian. If we confess our sins, he’s faithful. And what? He’s just. He’s just, friends, to forgive us our sins and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness. And all of that rests upon the fact that the blood of Christ cleanses us from all sin. Aren’t you glad God’s like that? Only God could have a plan of salvation like that. The Supreme Court couldn’t hand down a decision like that at all. And now there are certain scriptures that do reveal the justice of God. And it is different from man’s. Now, will you listen to this in 2 Chronicles 19.7. We have here, Wherefore, now let the fear of the Lord be upon you. Take heed and do it. For there is no iniquity with the Lord our God, nor respect of persons, nor taking of gifts. Did you know that you can’t bring God something and buy your salvation? You can’t bribe him, friends. God cannot be bribed. There are a great many people today. This is true of the rich. Many rich people, oh, if I pay God so much, I can get by with it. No, you can’t, friends. There’s no respect of persons with God, and God doesn’t take a bribe. You are insulting when you attempt to buy your salvation. Salvation is not for sale. The gift of God is eternal life in Christ Jesus. God will not compromise with your sin. God shows no partiality to anyone or to any person or any group. I think sometimes that group of people feel like we’re super-duper saints. No, you’re not. You’re lost sinners that have been saved by the grace of God. And there are a great many people saying today, well, God will not judge the United States. Won’t he? May I say to you, friends, God doesn’t have any pets at all. God is impartial in his judgment.
SPEAKER 02 :
God’s justice isn’t like ours. It’s perfect, pure, and full of mercy. He doesn’t look the other way when we sin, but through Jesus Christ, he makes a way for sinners like us to be forgiven, cleansed, and restored. That’s the kind of God that we worship. Let’s pray together. Father, thank you for being holy and just, and yet your love provided a Savior. Would you soften our hearts to hear you, convict us where we’ve strayed, and encourage us with your truth. In Jesus’ name we pray. Amen. We’re off to Zechariah 7 on Through the Bible with Dr. J. Vernon Mickey.
SPEAKER 01 :
Now, friends, last time we were still in chapter 7, and we were dealing with that question which had been brought down from Bethel by some folk there who belonged to the ten so-called lost tribes. Only these weren’t lost, except they were lost in the sense they did not know God. They had turned from him. They had fasted and they had wept and mourned and gone through all the ritual of religion. But God hadn’t responded. They wondered why. And so the word of the Lord came to Zechariah and he made it very clear. He says, when the heart’s right, the ritual is right. But when the heart is wrong, the ritual won’t help a bit. When the heart is wrong, the ritual is wrong. And their problem was that their lives were wrong. And you see, until you get your life straightened out, friends, there’s no use becoming religious. Actually, it makes you a hypocrite. That’s the crowd the Lord Jesus Christ called hypocrites. Have you ever noticed he never called a believer a hypocrite? And in the Bible, you will never find a real believer called a hypocrite. It’s those that, you know, that pretend. Those that have religion, those that, as the Lord Jesus said, you wash the outside of the cup, but inside, oh, it’s putrid. And so that was the problem with these people here. And God just put down on them the Ten Commandments. First, he put down on them the commandments that relate to man. How are they acting in business and then social life and in their home life? And when he did that, why, I tell you, it showed them up. It’s why God had not heard and answered their prayer. Now, we saw last time that they refused to hearken. That’s verse 11. They pulled away the shoulder. And that’s the most contemptible thing that a child can do when you try to correct the child to put your hand on his shoulder and for him to pull away. Well, that’s what these spoiled brats do. that had come down from Bethel had been doing. In fact, the whole nation had been doing. And the reason they went into captivity, it wasn’t because they didn’t have light. God had put his hand on their shoulder. The prophets had spoken to them, and they stopped their ears that they should not hear. In other words, they’ve turned their back on God. Now, they’ve broken the commandments that relate to God. And therefore, they are guilty before God. And going through a religious ritual won’t do you a bit of good. And now verse 12. Yea, they made their hearts as an adamant stone, lest they should hear the law. And the words which the Lord of hosts hath sent in his spirit by the former prophets, therefore came a great wrath from the Lord of hosts. And the destruction of Jerusalem by Nebuchadnezzar and the carrying away of those people into Babylon, it was a sad thing. It was a tragic thing. It was an awful thing. They were religious. They were going through a ritual, but their heart was far from God. They were a disgrace to him. Verse 13, therefore, it’s come to pass that as he cried, And they would not hear, so they cried, and I would not hear, saith the Lord of hosts. God said, I cried to them, and I pled with them. They wouldn’t listen to me. Then they got into trouble, and they said, oh, we don’t want to go into captivity. We’ll come back. God says, I didn’t hear you. I didn’t hear you. There are a lot of prayers today that God doesn’t hear. I get a little weary today of this sentimental rot. It’s even been on the screen. On our TV screens and these weepy sob sister stories, some reprobate, either man or woman, lived any kind of a life and then they have a little child and the little child gets sick and they go in and kneel by the bed and plead with God. I don’t think God hears you, friend. I’ll be honest with you. You’ve got to get right with God yourself before you’re going to get anywhere with him praying. All of this is nothing in the world but just religious rot. That’s all in the world that it is and won’t get you anywhere at all. That’s the thing he’s making clear to him. Now, verse 14, he says, but I scattered them with a whirlwind among all the nations whom they knew not. Thus the land was desolate after them, that no man pass through nor return, for they laid the pleasant land desolate. Now, I want you to note that God says that he made the pleasant land desolate. He not only judged them, but the land. And there are a great many people today that go to that land and are greatly disappointed Because they’ve heard it’s the land of milk and honey. It was that at one time. It was probably like the Garden Eden in that land. But you go over there today, and I hear a great many people, and I think they’re trying to kid themselves. We’ve had many people on tour say, oh, isn’t this a beautiful land? I want to say this to you. It’s the rockiest land. It’s the driest. It’s the most desolate. If anybody can find anything pretty driving down from Jerusalem to Jericho today in the Dead Sea, I wish you’d point it out to me. I’ve been down there, I think, a dozen times, and I haven’t seen that which is pretty. It’s as bad as the desert in eastern California and Arizona. It’s really a desolate place. And there’s very few beautiful spots in that land today. It was the pleasant land, but it’s the desolate land today. And one of the proofs that prophecy today is not being fulfilled is the fact that that land has not been restored. Oh, I know they’ve moved back and become a nation, and they’ve been in trouble ever since. And I heard from a friend who had just returned from over there that taxes in Israel are higher than any place in the world today. Now, you’re going to call that the promised land, and you’re going to hold God responsible for that? I don’t think he returned them back there today. And that 20% of the people that are there now want to leave the land. What’s that going to do to these interpreters, these Bible teachers that are going around and trying to date everything to the beginning of that nation Israel? I say to you today, friends, that’s a desolate land. It’s going to become the pleasant land someday. And that brings us now to the eighth chapter. And the eighth chapter is God’s third explanation to them concerning the question, we have gone through the ritual and the liturgy, why hasn’t God blessed us? Well, the first one is when the heart is right, the ritual’s all right. And when the heart’s wrong, the ritual is wrong. In other words, the ritual doesn’t have anything to do with it. And some call this a positive answer. I want to say to you, this is really positively positive. God’s purpose concerning Jerusalem is unchanged by any ritual. Whether you go through it or you don’t go through it, you’re not going to change God’s plan and purpose. Thank God for that. He’ll carry through his plan and his purpose. Now, that makes this a remarkable chapter. And there are certain words that occur in this chapter that are very important. In fact, you can hang the meaning of this chapter on these words. Oh, there are about five of them. Let me call your attention to them. The expression Lord of hosts. And by the way, Dr. Unger follows the interpretation of calling that he’s the Lord of armies, which probably is more literal. But the Lord of hosts or the Lord of armies, that occurs 18 times in this chapter. Apparently, He’s very important in this chapter, the Lord of hosts. Jerusalem occurs six times and Zion occurs once. And Jerusalem is a geographical city located in Israel over yonder in the Middle East today. And it never has changed. Still the same place. And when he says Jerusalem here, he means Jerusalem. He doesn’t mean London or Washington. or Rome, or Los Angeles, or any other place. When he says Jerusalem, God means Jerusalem. And the word jealous occurs three times. The word remnant occurs twice. And remember, it was only a remnant from all 12 tribes that had returned back to the land. Not just the two tribes. There are very few, even from Judah, that came back. Less than 65,000 returned back to that land. Now, the other word is, thus saith the Lord. And that occurs 11 times. And when God keeps repeating that, may I say to you, You know what it means? It means, thus saith the Lord. Not Vernon McGee, not man, but God is saying this that is here. Now, again, I read a letter, a person says sometimes I step on their toes. Well, I’m not broadcasting really to be popular because I’d change my tactic quite a bit if I was doing that. I’m attempting to teach the Word of God. Now, if your toes get stepped on, God is stepping on them because I’m reading what the Word of God has to say. And we’re going all through it. And that’s the reason a book like Zechariah is not being taught today because people don’t like to have their toes stepped on. And I’m thankful for the fact, and I’m amazed at the number of people that are hearing the Word of God. It’s a glorious day in which to live. It wasn’t that way when I began my ministry. Now, with that in mind, may I get into the chapter by saying again that some commentators feel that Chapter 8, even more than chapter 7, puts the Ten Commandments down on the people. I don’t feel like that’s accurate. I feel like that this last part of chapter 7, God put the Ten Commandments down on them. They were weighed in the balances and they were found wanting. They didn’t measure up to God’s standard at all. But this next chapter will have some more to say about it. But what you have actually in this chapter is, especially in these first eight verses, God’s ultimate purpose is not change concerning his people, the nation Israel, and the land, and Jerusalem. And at the present moment, God is not fulfilling any prophecy concerning Israel. He is dealing today with the church. He’s calling out a body of believers in the church. And the church and Israel are entirely two entities. And when God gets through calling out the church, and when that takes place, I don’t know. It’s not geared to any man’s calendar at all. It’s on God’s calendar, but he’s never letting me see it. Apparently, we got folk here in Southern California that had a look at it. At least they try to make us believe they did, and I don’t think they have. Now, God knows when it is, but I don’t know when it is, and they don’t know when it is, and God’s Word doesn’t let you know when He’ll take the church out. Now, when He does, you turn to these people again, and these prophecies here are just simply saying in chapter 8 that their present return to the land is very small. But God says it’s an adumbration, or it’s just a little miniature of a return to the land that’s coming in the future. Now, let me read beginning of verse 1, chapter 8 of Zechariah. Again, the word of the Lord of hosts came unto me, saying, Thus saith the Lord of hosts, I was jealous for Zion with great jealousy, and I was jealous for her with great fury. And when God says he’s jealous, it’s not the same as man’s jealousy. But it means that God has the same thing in mind. I feel sorry for a woman who makes a statement, says, you know, my husband is not jealous of me. Well, my friend, that means he doesn’t love you, if that is true. I hope he’s jealous of me. I don’t know about you, but I’m jealous of my wife. I married her for myself because I loved her. And I don’t intend to share her with anybody else. And I won’t. That’s for sure. I’m jealous of her. And God says that concerning his people, says it to the church today. If you think that you can live for the world and the flesh and the devil and then serve God on Sunday, you’re wrong. You won’t make it, friends. If you happen to be his child and try that, he’ll judge you. And I mean he’ll judge you. But if you do that, live in that, it means you’re not God’s child. Because you see, he’s jealous of those that are his own. And he’s told us about sin in our lives. If we would judge ourselves, we’d not be judged. And he says, if we confess our sin, he’ll forgive us. And it has to be confessed. You can’t have fellowship with him and have sin in your life, Christian friend. Now, will you notice verse three? He says, thus saith the Lord, I am returned unto Zion and will dwell in the midst of Jerusalem. And Jerusalem shall be called a city of truth and the mountain of the Lord of hosts, the holy mountain. Now, friends, that wasn’t fulfilled then, which was obvious to those people. It looks to the future. It hasn’t been fulfilled since then, and it’s not being fulfilled today. God says, and he makes it clear, he will return to Zion. And he makes it clear that he’s going to dwell in the midst of Jerusalem, and it’s going to be called a city of truth. Well, my gracious, it’s a city where there’s more religions there than you can imagine. And every Christian organization has built something there today. And all kinds of cults and isms that are, it’s not the city of truth today. And the mountain of the Lord of hosts, the holy mountain. And I never saw anything there that I thought you could call holy. It’s just not holy today, friends. It will be when he gets back there. But he’s not back there yet. This prophecy, and we’ll continue it next time, looks to the future. God says to them, you have returned your little miniature. But you haven’t really returned to me. But the day is coming. When all of this will be fulfilled. My friends, what a glorious picture we have here. So now until next time, may God richly bless you.
SPEAKER 02 :
God bless you. So will you join us in this important mission? Well, the best way to start is by signing up for our World Prayer Team in our app or at ttb.org. And if you’re already praying with us and want to help keep the Bible bus rolling, thank you. Your gifts keep the engine going, whether it’s a tank of gas or a well-timed oil change. You can give in our app. It’s super easy there or at ttb.org anytime. You can also call 1-800-65-BIBLE or write to us at Box 7100, Pasadena, California, 91109. In Canada, Box 25325, London, Ontario, N6C, 6B1. I’m Steve Schwartz, and I’ll meet you back here next time on The Bible Bus.
SPEAKER 03 :
Jesus came in home All to him I owe. Sin had left a crimson stain. He washed it white as snow.
SPEAKER 02 :
Through the Bible is a five-year study of God’s entire word, and together we discover God’s purposes in history and our lives, found only when we believe in Jesus Christ. Do you know him yet?
