God's Two for One

The Minor Prophets Speak To Today

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God's Two For One

Zechariah 9:17 NLT

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How wonderful and beautiful they will be!

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God Likes To Double Things:

As you read scripture, especially the prophets, you will often find the descriptions of God and his faithful people in sets of two - doublets.

Here we find an interesting question to consider. Does God speak in doublets because that is the customary form of written Hebrew, especially poetic statements, or does written Hebrew customarily use doublets because they represent God's way of speaking, God's generosity?

Often God is described using two attributes - and why not, God is never all one attribute. For instance Zechariah 9:9 below. God is righteous and victorious. 

Rejoice, O people of Zion!
    Shout in triumph, O people of Jerusalem!
Look, your king is coming to you.
    He is righteous and victorious...

And how about God is merciful and just, or faithful and just - two attributes that we would never want to see separated. And thank God, in his nature, they never are.

In our last look at Zechariah 9, we saw God calling his rescued and restored people bright jewels in a crown.

But then, in verse 17, he doubles up the meaning:

How wonderful and beautiful they will be!

When God Rescues and Restores us to be the intended crown of his creation, we will be wonderful and beautiful.

In the Hebrew these two words come from two different roots. Wonderful comes from the root - good. Beautiful comes from the root - bright. Amazingly good and beautiful to behold. 

In the restoration we will become inwardly filled with a goodness that comes out in words and actions, in life itself. Outwardly, we will be beautiful to watch, not just the original spiritual or physical beauty, but action and life that a pleasing to the eye, heart and mind.

I am ready to receive that final two for one. God's two for one.

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Photo Credits: 
The Navigator Crown by Cholo Ayuyao, all rights reserved @flickr.com