Day 1041: Scattered, but secure. - Zechariah 13 vs 1- 9

1 “On that day there shall be a fountain opened for the house of David and the inhabitants of Jerusalem, to cleanse them from sin and uncleanness. 2-3 And on that day,” declares the Lord of hosts, “I will cut off the names of the idols from the land, so that they shall be remembered no more. And also I will remove from the land the prophets and the spirit of uncleanness. And if anyone again prophesies, his father and mother who bore him will say to him, ‘You shall not live, for you speak lies in the name of the Lord.’ And his father and mother who bore him shall pierce him through when he prophesies.”

4-6 “On that day every prophet will be ashamed of his vision when he prophesies. He will not put on a hairy cloak in order to deceive, but he will say, ‘I am no prophet, I am a worker of the soil, for a man sold me in my youth.’ And if one asks him, ‘What are these wounds on your back?’ (or, on your chest) he will say, ‘The wounds I received in the house of my friends.’”

7 “Awake, O sword, against my shepherd, against the man who stands next to me,” declares the Lord of hosts. “Strike the shepherd, and the sheep will be scattered; I will turn my hand against the little ones. 8-9 In the whole land, declares the Lord, two thirds shall be cut off and perish, and one third shall be left alive. And I will put this third into the fire, and refine them as one refines silver, and test them as gold is tested. They will call upon my name, and I will answer them. I will say, ‘They are my people’; and they will say, ‘The Lord is my God.’” Zechariah 13:1-9 English Standard Version

In Chapter 12 God spoke through Zechariah of a day when the inhabitants of Jerusalem would “look on me, on him whom they have pierced”, and would deeply mourn. That was surely a reference to Christ's crucifixion. Yet notice how God spoke of it as 'looking on me'. It reminds us of the oneness of Christ and the Father. Chapter 13 vs 1 now tells us how Christ's death opened a fountain of cleansing from all sin and uncleanness. It's picture language of a flowing river that washes away a sinner's guilt and shame. But what is the other outcome of Christ's sacrifice? (vs 2-3)

It would put an end to the teachings of the many false prophets who'd led Israel astray for so long, and which had caused them to even worship idols! Not only would the parents of someone claiming to be a prophet disown him, vs 4-6 go on to show that the false prophets themselves would try and cover up any marks that were evidence of their involvement in occultic practices. When Jesus came, He spoke of Himself as being ‘the good Shepherd’ whom Father sent into the world. He also said: “All who came before me are thieves and robbers.” (John 10:8)

Earlier in this book Zechariah had spoken of false shepherds that existed in his day. God instructed him to become a shepherd for a while, and to experience antagonism from the other shepherds. This was a picture of what would happen to the Shepherd God was going to send, and which is now described in the stunning words of verse 7.

The implication of vs 7 is that it was in the Father's will for His Son to go through the terrible events of Calvary which would lead to His followers being scattered. That happened when Jesus was crucified, and again when fierce persecution against Christians broke out in Jerusalem, and they fled to Judea and Samaria. (Acts 8:1) But what is the comfort God gave Zechariah to pronounce in vs 8-9?

In the afflictions that would come upon Jerusalem, God would rescue some people for Himself. And, even as the Church also goes through sufferings, it is said of believers that “they will call upon my name, and I will answer them. I will say, ‘They are my people’; and they will say, ‘The Lord is my God'.” Our sufferings are not a sign of God's disfavour, they are part of our being refined and tested, that we may come forth triumphantly in the day of the Lord.