Devotional: Zechariah 1:3

Good Morning Yamon Ki Yesepar and Nevim Arith Hayomin:
Zechariah 1:3: “Therefore say thou until them; Thus, saith the Lord of hosts, turn ye unto me, saith the Lord of Host, and I will turn unto you, saith the Lord of Host.”
Is it just me or do you get the impression that it is the Lord of Host who is speaking?  So why is it so important to repeat the Lord of Host so many times?  This is a common phrase used by Haggai and Malachi.  The Lord here is the word Jehovah.  The word “host” is tsaba’.  It could mean angels and mankind, it could also mean armies.  As a verb it means to go forth or carry on war.  In the Aramaic the word means determination, resolution, will, please choose.  Perhaps we can say that the Lord of Host means the Lord who does what He pleases.
So if we turn to the God who does what He pleases, then we are a part of that pleasure of God. So just what does it mean to “turn to” God?   First, let me point out the obvious.  It is we must first do the turning before God will “turn to” us.  So we have to push the button, turn the crank, flip the switch before the lights of God turn on.
So let us take a closer look at this all important word “turn to.”  In Hebrew the word used is shavab.  In reference to us it is in an imperative form or a command.  In reference to God turning to us it is in a Qal imperfect form or in a future tense.    Simply put we would render this as “Turn to me and I will turn to you.”   Now other uses of shavab are to return or restore, all which fit nicely into this verse.
However, can we really be sure the root word is “Shavab?”  As it fits nicely into the context of the verse why question it?   Well for one thing, the root word could be “yashav” which means to dwell or take up residence.  Translators would tend to avoid this rendering, although it would be perfectly correct to use this root word, because it would make our relationship with God a little too personal.  It is acceptable to most of Christianity to allow God to turn to us, but to have Him inhabit us, well that is a little too much to swallow.  After all we are talking about the Lord of host, the God of everything, who does just as He pleases.  Why would He want to inhabit a poor old sinner like me?
So here again a rendering comes down to one’s point of view about God.  If God is just too big, too powerful to actually inhabit us personally, you will use the root word “shavab.”  However, if you believe God is so loving, so personal that he wants to personally indwell you, then you can go with “yashav.”  I go with “yashav” and thus I would render this verse as: “Return to God of Host and He will dwell within you.”  As the Lord of host, by letting Him dwell within us, we will literally be driven by whatever pleases Him.
This is really important to me personally, because ever since I returned to the Lord about six years ago, I have become obsessed with the study of His Word.  I mean every waking hour that I have free; I am digging into His word.  I carry my I Pad with my Hebrew Bible downloaded everywhere I go and in every free moment I am looking up some passage of Scripture.  Now I have only two explanations for this.  About six years I suffered some sort of stroke which left me with a compulsive obsessive behavior or The Lord of Host has been taken up residence in me and as the Lord of Host or the God who does what He pleases, He is driving me to study His Word which pleases Him.
Of course there is an upside to all this.  If the God of Host whom I invited to dwell within me is happy and taking pleasure in my studies, then I am happy and taking pleasure in my studies.  Now that sounds like a win win situation to me.