November 12th, 2024
This week, I read a verse in the Bible and felt like I’d never seen it before. I haven’t been able to move past it! Zechariah 9:12 says,
“Return to your stronghold, O prisoners of hope; today I (the LORD) declare that I will restore to you double.”
I’m not sure about you, but I’ve typically heard the word “stronghold” used in the church in the context of the enemy. I believe this comes from 2 Corinthians 10:4 which says,
“For the weapons of our warfare are not of the flesh but have divine power to destroy strongholds.”
We’ll come back to that verse, but there are more verses that refer to God as a stronghold than anything else:
Psalm 9:9 says,
“The LORD is a stronghold for the oppressed, a stronghold in times of trouble.”
Psalm 18:2 says,
“The LORD is my rock, my fortress, and my deliverer; my God is my rock, in whom I take refuge, my shield and the horn of my salvation, my stronghold…”
Isaiah 25:4 says,
“For you have been a stronghold to the poor, a stronghold to the needy in his distress, a shelter from the storm and a shade from the heat; for the breath of the ruthless is like a storm against a wall…”
Nahum 1:7 says,
“The LORD is good, a stronghold in the day of trouble; He knows those who take refuge in Him.”
In both Hebrew and Greek, the word stronghold refers to, “place of safety, protection, or defense.” Another word for stronghold would be fortress. In ancient Israel, fortresses were crucial for a city’s protection. They were typically built on high ground and constructed with thick walls to withstand attacks. In Biblical times, the word stronghold would have clearly conveyed the imagery of divine protection. The idea of God as a stronghold would have resonated with the people, who would have understood their necessity in that day.
Now, with that in mind, think about the verse above from Zechariah 9:12. God urges His people to “return to [their] stronghold.” Zechariah prophesied this after the Jewish exiles returned from Babylon. They had come home to their city, but they needed to return to Him. It was sin that allowed them to be conquered, and Zechariah’s writings call for repentance and renewal of their covenant with God. They had returned to Jerusalem, but God was calling them back to His heart:
“Return to your stronghold, O prisoners of hope”
Do you hear the beauty of this call? They would have understood the stronghold, the place of safety, was God Himself. They had been exiled in Babylon and would have known what it was to be an exile and prisoner, but He called them “prisoners of hope.”
Are you a prisoner of hope? Are you held captive by the expectation that God will do everything He’s promised? That’s the call in this verse and it’s the call for us today.
Hope is the expectation of God’s promise. Faith is actively believing that promise, but you can’t have faith without the expectation of God’s goodness. Paul’s prayer in Ephesians 1:18 captures this. It says,
“I pray that the eyes of your heart may be enlightened in order that you may know the hope to which He has called you, the riches of his glorious inheritance in his holy people…”
We see the reality of God’s protection throughout the Bible. Even when it looks like His people are prisoners, to a government or an oppressor, God demonstrates that He is the greatest stronghold. There is no safer place than His promises! The prophet Daniel is a good example of this truth.
Daniel had served God for many years. He rose to great prominence in the kingdom of Babylon as an advisor to King Nebuchadnezzar, and he continued to serve the kings of Persia when Babylon was defeated. King Darius trusted Daniel more than any other man in his court, and it was out of jealousy that Daniel’s enemies wrote the unfair law that sent him to the lions.
The king didn’t want to throw Daniel to lions, but he was obligated to do so. In the morning the king ran to the mouth of the cave to see if the God of Israel had protected His servant. Daniel responded to the king,
“My God sent his angel and shut the lions’ mouths, and they have not harmed me, because I was found blameless before him; and also before you, O king, I have done no harm” (Daniel 6:22).
God demonstrated that He is greater than any king and stronger than any beast. God shut the mouths of the lions and the mouths of Daniel’s enemies. He is the most powerful stronghold! As it says in Romans 8:31, “If God is for us, who can be against us?”
With that in mind, we must live as prisoners of hope. We must continually take refuge in God’s word. He is a stronghold, a place of protection and safety. Now that doesn’t mean we hide from the world. Daniel wasn’t isolated in his room praying in fear. He was a leader in a pagan nation, boldly refusing to compromise His faith. God was His stronghold and even in the lion’s den, he was not a prisoner of the king, but a prisoner of hope.
Romans 15:13 says,
"May the God of hope fill you with all joy and peace in believing, so that by the power of the Holy Spirit you may abound in hope"
Proverbs 30:5 says,
“Every word of God proves true; He is a shield for those who take refuge in Him.”
This week, we encourage you to remember that God is always faithful to His promises. 1 Corinthians 10:4 tells us that the weapons of our warfare are for the tearing down of enemy strongholds. However, it goes on to say in the next verse:
“We tear down arguments and every presumption set up against the knowledge of God; and we take captive every thought to make it obedient to Christ.”
We must understand that these strongholds are lies – arguments and presumption—where darkness hides. The enemy has no place of safety or protection for us to tear down. Jesus has already defeated him! Colossians 2:15 says,
“He disarmed the rulers and authorities and put them to open shame, by triumphing over them in Him.”
We are seated with Jesus in heavenly places. Victory has already been won! The strongholds we tear down are the lies and shadows that keep us in bondage. Truth destroys the power of these strongholds, because there is only one true stronghold. He is a refuge and the greatest place of safety. He is the way, the truth and the life. If you’ve been discouraged, we encourage you to return to the stronghold of your soul! As believers, we are prisoners of hope, and hope will never put us to shame!
“Return to your stronghold, O prisoners of hope; today I (the LORD) declare that I will restore to you double.”
I’m not sure about you, but I’ve typically heard the word “stronghold” used in the church in the context of the enemy. I believe this comes from 2 Corinthians 10:4 which says,
“For the weapons of our warfare are not of the flesh but have divine power to destroy strongholds.”
We’ll come back to that verse, but there are more verses that refer to God as a stronghold than anything else:
Psalm 9:9 says,
“The LORD is a stronghold for the oppressed, a stronghold in times of trouble.”
Psalm 18:2 says,
“The LORD is my rock, my fortress, and my deliverer; my God is my rock, in whom I take refuge, my shield and the horn of my salvation, my stronghold…”
Isaiah 25:4 says,
“For you have been a stronghold to the poor, a stronghold to the needy in his distress, a shelter from the storm and a shade from the heat; for the breath of the ruthless is like a storm against a wall…”
Nahum 1:7 says,
“The LORD is good, a stronghold in the day of trouble; He knows those who take refuge in Him.”
In both Hebrew and Greek, the word stronghold refers to, “place of safety, protection, or defense.” Another word for stronghold would be fortress. In ancient Israel, fortresses were crucial for a city’s protection. They were typically built on high ground and constructed with thick walls to withstand attacks. In Biblical times, the word stronghold would have clearly conveyed the imagery of divine protection. The idea of God as a stronghold would have resonated with the people, who would have understood their necessity in that day.
Now, with that in mind, think about the verse above from Zechariah 9:12. God urges His people to “return to [their] stronghold.” Zechariah prophesied this after the Jewish exiles returned from Babylon. They had come home to their city, but they needed to return to Him. It was sin that allowed them to be conquered, and Zechariah’s writings call for repentance and renewal of their covenant with God. They had returned to Jerusalem, but God was calling them back to His heart:
“Return to your stronghold, O prisoners of hope”
Do you hear the beauty of this call? They would have understood the stronghold, the place of safety, was God Himself. They had been exiled in Babylon and would have known what it was to be an exile and prisoner, but He called them “prisoners of hope.”
Are you a prisoner of hope? Are you held captive by the expectation that God will do everything He’s promised? That’s the call in this verse and it’s the call for us today.
Hope is the expectation of God’s promise. Faith is actively believing that promise, but you can’t have faith without the expectation of God’s goodness. Paul’s prayer in Ephesians 1:18 captures this. It says,
“I pray that the eyes of your heart may be enlightened in order that you may know the hope to which He has called you, the riches of his glorious inheritance in his holy people…”
We see the reality of God’s protection throughout the Bible. Even when it looks like His people are prisoners, to a government or an oppressor, God demonstrates that He is the greatest stronghold. There is no safer place than His promises! The prophet Daniel is a good example of this truth.
Daniel had served God for many years. He rose to great prominence in the kingdom of Babylon as an advisor to King Nebuchadnezzar, and he continued to serve the kings of Persia when Babylon was defeated. King Darius trusted Daniel more than any other man in his court, and it was out of jealousy that Daniel’s enemies wrote the unfair law that sent him to the lions.
The king didn’t want to throw Daniel to lions, but he was obligated to do so. In the morning the king ran to the mouth of the cave to see if the God of Israel had protected His servant. Daniel responded to the king,
“My God sent his angel and shut the lions’ mouths, and they have not harmed me, because I was found blameless before him; and also before you, O king, I have done no harm” (Daniel 6:22).
God demonstrated that He is greater than any king and stronger than any beast. God shut the mouths of the lions and the mouths of Daniel’s enemies. He is the most powerful stronghold! As it says in Romans 8:31, “If God is for us, who can be against us?”
With that in mind, we must live as prisoners of hope. We must continually take refuge in God’s word. He is a stronghold, a place of protection and safety. Now that doesn’t mean we hide from the world. Daniel wasn’t isolated in his room praying in fear. He was a leader in a pagan nation, boldly refusing to compromise His faith. God was His stronghold and even in the lion’s den, he was not a prisoner of the king, but a prisoner of hope.
Romans 15:13 says,
"May the God of hope fill you with all joy and peace in believing, so that by the power of the Holy Spirit you may abound in hope"
Proverbs 30:5 says,
“Every word of God proves true; He is a shield for those who take refuge in Him.”
This week, we encourage you to remember that God is always faithful to His promises. 1 Corinthians 10:4 tells us that the weapons of our warfare are for the tearing down of enemy strongholds. However, it goes on to say in the next verse:
“We tear down arguments and every presumption set up against the knowledge of God; and we take captive every thought to make it obedient to Christ.”
We must understand that these strongholds are lies – arguments and presumption—where darkness hides. The enemy has no place of safety or protection for us to tear down. Jesus has already defeated him! Colossians 2:15 says,
“He disarmed the rulers and authorities and put them to open shame, by triumphing over them in Him.”
We are seated with Jesus in heavenly places. Victory has already been won! The strongholds we tear down are the lies and shadows that keep us in bondage. Truth destroys the power of these strongholds, because there is only one true stronghold. He is a refuge and the greatest place of safety. He is the way, the truth and the life. If you’ve been discouraged, we encourage you to return to the stronghold of your soul! As believers, we are prisoners of hope, and hope will never put us to shame!
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