When God punished His people over their unfaithfulness, He used other nations to do it. Yet He was still “exceedingly jealous for Jerusalem and Zion” (Zechariah 1:14) and would restore His people to their place.
However, the harm inflicted by the other nations went beyond what God desired. He said, “But I am very angry with the nations who are at ease, for while I was only a little angry, they furthered the disaster” (Zechariah 1:15). Even though God was using them to punish His people, they were not at liberty to do whatever they wanted against them.
Upon seeing what had happened, the Lord said He would “return to Jerusalem with compassion,” and the “cities will again overflow with prosperity, and the Lord will again comfort Zion and again choose Jerusalem” (Zechariah 1:16-17). At the same time, He would raise up others who would “throw down…the nations who have lifted up their horns against the land of Judah” (Zechariah 1:21).
There is an application we can make from this. When we have been given a responsibility from God – whether in the home, the church, or any other sphere of life – we must make sure we do not abuse or mishandle our position. If we do, God will hold us accountable for it.
So remember that we must not go beyond what God intended. No matter our position or authority in this life, we are still under His authority. Knowing that we are accountable to Him, let us use whatever role we have in a way that is in harmony with His will rather than do whatever we please.