OUT OF THE CHAOS: A study in the book of Zechariah
To see this on YouTube
Shalom friends and welcome to our class today. This is the penultimate lesson for us in the Bible book of Zechariah and I hope you learn this one very well. There are many quotes you would have ‘heard’ as you read this before class from other places in the Scriptures and that’s good that their echo is still in your ears and in your hearts. I love how the Bible speaks to me through songs or a Facebook post or a note someone writes me reminding me of a verse that meant much to them. Perhaps when we cover some of this chapter today, Zech. 13, you will hear similar echoes and find comfort for your souls. At least I’ll hope so.
The chapter divides into two sections, first the cleansing from sin and second the striking of the shepherd. We’ve been zooming in on the role of the shepherd for several chapters of late, and by that term, we are not only speaking about those farm boys who look after literal sheep, but also those religious leaders in the Jewish community who are known as prophets or priests or kings. And among them is a very particular shepherd who, like the donkey-rider of chapter 9 or the pierced one of chapter 12 will have eternal significance for the Jewish people.
Let’s jump in.
The fountain of verse 1 is a fountain of relief. Makor in Hebrew. You might not remember that the last time I mentioned this word was in the teaching about the prophet Jeremiah. There in 9.1, we read (or it might be 8.23 in your Bible)
“Oh, that my head were waters and my eyes a fountain of tears, that I might weep day and night for the slain of the daughter of my people!”
The prophet Jeremiah is weeping like a fountain of distress, and that distress is answered 70 years later in Zechariah’s fountain of forgiveness and relief. His is a fountain of cleansing. And after the conviction of God, showing us our errors and our need for God, how awesome of the Lord to provide for us his cleansing and his repair.
Yesterday I took a pair of good shoes into the Mister Minit for the shoe repairman to attach new soles and new heels. I’m so glad I did. When a good thing goes into disrepair and needs attention and then you give it attention, it feels like a brand-new thing. Like a million dollars, I would have said in my youth.
The imagery of splashing and fountains and refreshing are clear here in the opening section of our chapter. Remember God said he would “pour out” his Spirit of grace and supplication (12.10) and here in verse two that fountain will cause the ‘spirit of impurity’ or “unclean spirit” to be removed. That’s how water works. It flushes out the shmutz and cleanses and leaves good water behind.
Consider this text from Psalm 26.9:
כִּֽי־עִ֭מְּךָ מְק֣וֹר חַיִּ֑ים
“For with You is the fountain of life.”
Or these from the Proverbs:
14.27: The fear of the LORD is a fountain of life, (same phrase)
or this from 18.4: The words of a man’s mouth are deep waters; The fountain of wisdom is a bubbling brook.
מְק֣וֹר חָכְמָֽה׃
The point I’m making is that the bringing in of the fountain imagery is both refreshing and cleansing. It’s from heaven and is well described as LIFE. When you think about what you want to take away from this Bible lesson today, I’m hopeful that helps in living, in your life, that should be what you desire. What does God want to instil in you in your life today? Let His word refresh you, and let his words fill you and your lips, so that what proceeds from you is like a fountain of life for others.
Our Bible teaches us to use our words for good and not for evil. As James teaches us in chapter 3
“But no one can tame the tongue; it is a restless evil and full of deadly poison. 9 With it we bless our Lord and Father, and with it we curse men, who have been made in the likeness of God; 10 from the same mouth come both blessing and cursing. My brethren, these things ought not to be this way. 11 Does a fountain send out from the same opening both 1fresh and bitter water?” (3.8-11)
Earlier in Zechariah, Joshua the high priest was informed that God would remove the iniquity of the land in one day (3.9) and here God says it again. It’s a word of hope because God is both initiating the cleansing and accomplishing it fully. Some use the term ‘prevenient’ grace to indicate that our coming to faith in Yeshua, like Heidi shared with us in her story today, is a response. That means God causes us to turn to him. We don’t start looking and then he responds to us.
Paul wrote the Romans “Or do you think lightly of the riches of His kindness and tolerance and patience, not knowing that the kindness of God leads you to repentance?” (2.4)
Not only would the people be cleansed, but so will the land. Verses 2 to 6 speak about cleansing three ways, from idols, from false prophets and from the spirit of impurity or unclean spirit.
Verse 2 they are listed.
Verse 3, the detail about prophets. And as usual, this is about representative false prophets. Parents will be embarrassed and ashamed. The prophet speaks lies. The parents will pierce him through. Yikes. Same word (DKR)
וּדְקָרֻ֜הוּ
Now this is probably intentionally a shocking term. The same word used in 12.10 about the piercing of God and that is our hope. Think about this. False prophets need to be withstood. And prevented. Now I don’t know of a single episode in Jewish history where this command was deployed, and a parent literally killed his child. But like the reading of what to do with false prophets in Deuteronomy (13.6-11), its intention is clear. Don’t accommodate falsehood in the people of God, and certainly not from her leadership.
Didn’t Yeshua teach this in Revelation chapter 2 first to Pergamum,
“Balaam, who kept teaching Balak to put a stumbling block before the sons of Israel, to eat things sacrificed to idols and to commit acts of immorality. So you also have some who in the same way hold the teaching of the Nicolaitans. Therefore repent; or else I am coming to you quickly, and I will make war against them with the sword of My mouth.” (2.14-16)
Or this to the Thyatira,
“But I have this against you, that you tolerate the woman Jezebel, who calls herself a prophetess, and she teaches and leads My bondservants astray so that they commit acts of immorality and eat things sacrificed to idols.” (Rev. 2.20)
Don’t tolerate falsehood. Don’t allow false teaching to enter the community.
That’s why I’ve been so strong in teaching about non-Trinitarians under the banner of ‘messianic’ folks. Messiah is not God junior. He’s God, the Son, and should have first place in our lives. There are some in Sydney who want us to be ‘Torah observant’ and by that gain entry or applause from heaven. These are false teachers and I withstand them. God wants us to stand forcefully for truth and for him in these days. Don’t abide a fool.
Paul said this in 2 Corinthians 11 “For such men are false apostles, deceitful workers, disguising themselves as apostles of Christ. No wonder, for even Satan disguises himself as an angel of light. Therefore it is not surprising if his servants also disguise themselves as servants of righteousness, whose end will be according to their deeds.” and again “For you, being so wise, tolerate the foolish gladly.” (11.13-15, 19)
I cannot be clearer today. Be ruthless in your following Messiah and be unashamed of your love for the truth.
Verse 4, they put on clothing of the prophet, but it’s fake. They are deceivers.
Verse 6, their wounds are probably self-inflicted to appear as if they were noble and warriors for truth, but do not believe them.
Again ‘in the house of my friends’ is not really ‘friends’ at all.
בֵּ֥ית מְאַהֲבָֽי
These are probably ‘lovers’ instead of mates. Those with whom the false prophets associate. BE WARNED and do not be impressed by clothing or language or wounds.
But then we see the 2nd section of today’s reading.
Each version of the Bible I reviewed made this section, verses 7, 8 and 9 into a poem. Distinct language does that, and I’m guessing convention also makes that happen.
We’re left with a question on reading this. Who is the Shepherd? God says he’s My Shepherd” and “My associate” (Hebrew amiti), that is “the one close to me.” The result of the striking of the shepherd is that the little ones, the sheep, God’s flock (Psalm 100) are dispersed, and in verse 8 ‘cut off’ and ‘perish!’ Don’t get detailed about the 1/3 and the 2/3 of the people. Just read this as massive destruction and ruin is coming on the Jewish people, God’s people, as a result of the striking, the wounding of this Shepherd/Associate of God.
Who is this Shepherd? Clearly, he is close to God and God’s agent to make this happen. Yet, he will be wounded, and that wounding will accomplish salvation for the Jewish people. We’ve already seen this described in the donkey rider of chapter 9 and in the Branch (3.8, 6.12) and in the pierced One of chapter 12. This special agent is God himself yet separate from God.
Isaiah spoke of this one in similar terms in chapter 53.
“Surely our griefs He Himself bore, and our sorrows He carried; yet we ourselves esteemed Him stricken, smitten (same word as used here in Zechariah) of God, and afflicted.”
This servant, this associate, this Branch, this afflicted one is none other than Yeshua, Jesus, who was stricken by the Romans, beaten, crowned with a mockery crown of thorns, and crucified for God’s purposes to be accomplished.
Yeshua himself quotes this passage in the Gospels (Matt 26.31, Mark 14.27) to indicate that he was the Shepherd who would be struck, and the sheep would scatter, and that scattering had to do with suffering like he did. Again, don’t be too detailed about the numbers of sufferers, just know that suffering is being heralded. Those who follow Yeshua will suffer in his name.
Luke wrote, “So they went on their way from the presence of the Council, rejoicing that they had been considered worthy to suffer shame for His name.” (Acts 5.41)
And Paul wrote, “For to you it has been granted for Christ’s sake, not only to believe in Him, but also to suffer for His sake.” (Phil. 1.29)
God’s people will suffer. For standing up for truth and true prophets, for the glory of God and for standing against idolatry and the ludicrous ponderings of falsehood.
This chapter ends with the covenantal renewal we’ve heard throughout the Scripture, here in verse 9,
“They are my people, and they will say, “The Lord is my God.”
Our hope is not in new shoes or the victory of our favourite footy club or state over another state. Our hope is in Messiah and in his sure victory, his sure eternal dominion and love. We will be refined in verse 9 by fire like gold, and we will be purified.
In verse 1, our cleansing came from a fountain. In verse 9 our cleansing is through the fire of suffering. Both have their purpose, and their timing. We are born again by the grace of God in faith in the blood of Jesus who died for us. We are sanctified by suffering in his name, and at the end of the day we will be his and be with him.
That, our home with The Branch, with the Struck Shepherd, with the Donkey Rider… our home with Yeshua, is our longing and our one-day reality.
You can become God’s follower today, if you choose. His grace has led you to this place and this video. Your response will define your eternity. What do you think about that?
Resource on video
To see a fun video overview of the book of Zechariah see this from Bible Project:
https://bibleproject.com/explore/video/zechariah/
Bibliography:
Brown, Michael L, Answering Jewish Objections to Jesus, Volume Three, Baker Books, Grand Rapids, 2003.
Ryken, Leland (and others), Dictionary of Biblical Imagery, InterVarsity Press, Downers Grove, 1998.
Smith, Ralph, Micah to Malachi: Word Biblical Commentary (Volume 32), Thomas Nelson Publishers, Nashville, 1984.
Stead, Michael, Zechariah: The Lord Returns, Aquila Press, Sydney, 2015.
Webb, Barry, The Message of Zechariah: Your Kingdom Come, Intervarsity Press, Nottingham, 2003.
Wiersbe, Warren, Be Heroic: Demonstrating Bravery by your Walk, David C. Cook Press, Colorado Springs, 1997.
ACTUAL TEXT
Zech. 13:1 “In that day a fountain will be opened for the house of David and for the inhabitants of Jerusalem, for sin and for impurity.
Zech. 13:2 “It will come about in that day,” declares the LORD of hosts, “that I will cut off the names of the idols from the land, and they will no longer be remembered; and I will also remove the prophets and the unclean spirit from the land. 3 “And if anyone still prophesies, then his father and mother who gave birth to him will say to him, ‘You shall not live, for you have spoken falsely in the name of the LORD’; and his father and mother who gave birth to him will pierce him through when he prophesies. 4 “Also it will come about in that day that the prophets will each be ashamed of his vision when he prophesies, and they will not put on a hairy robe in order to deceive; 5 but he will say, ‘I am not a prophet; I am a tiller of the ground, for a man sold me as a slave in my youth.’ 6 “And one will say to him, ‘What are these wounds between your arms?’ Then he will say, ‘Those with which I was wounded in the house of my friends.’
Zech. 13:7 “Awake, O sword, against My Shepherd, and against the man, My Associate,” declares the LORD of hosts. “Strike the Shepherd that the sheep may be scattered; and I will turn My hand against the little ones. “It will come about in all the land,” declares the LORD, “That two parts in it will be cut off and perish; but the third will be left in it. And I will bring the third part through the fire, refine them as silver is refined, and test them as gold is tested. They will call on My name, and I will answer them; I will say, ‘They are My people,’
and they will say, ‘The LORD is my God.’”
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