Obey commands of god is important than fast

Zechariah 7:1-14

Some men come to the Temple to ask about keeping fasts.

God challenged their motives.

Administer true justice: show mercy compassion to one another. Do not oppress the widow or the fatherless, the alien or the poor. In your heart hearts do not think evil of each other.

But they refused to listen God's word which were sent by his Spirit through the earlier prophets. Their heart were as hard as flint.

The Load called, they did not listen; so when they called, God would not listen. This is how they made the pleasant land desolate.

Why?

Israelite fasts on fifth and seventh month for their country was lost. Fifth month fasts marked for the fall of Jerusalem to the Babylonians in 587BC, when the temple is destroy. The fast in seventh month commemorated the death of Gedalih, governor of Judah after the fall of the city. So when they came back to Jerusalem, they ask God, should they continue to fast.

Flint is the hardest stone.

Fast is a confession, but more important is the behavior, if doing evil and pay not attention to the Load, fast is meaningless.

The Load reminded the Israelite what their forefather did evil things, so made their pleasant land desolate. It is their own sin. The Load is true Justice.

How?

Listen and obey the words of the Load is more important than fast.