Zechariah 13:4-6

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4 “On that day every prophet will be ashamed of their prophetic vision. They will not put on a prophet’s garment of hair in order to deceive. 5 Each will say, ‘I am not a prophet. I am a farmer; the land has been my livelihood since my youth.’ 6 If someone asks, ‘What are these wounds on your body?’ they will answer, ‘The wounds I was given at the house of my friends.’" Zechariah 13:4-6

Today, we return to our study of Zechariah 13 where God's forgiveness of the sins of repentant people is at center stage. Forgiveness means to wipe the slate clean, to pardon, to cancel the debt created by unacceptable choices. Forgiveness is not granted because a person deserves to be forgiven. No one deserves to be forgiven. Forgiveness is an act of love, mercy, and grace. God's free gift of forgiveness is possible due to His Son's obedience to come to earth and hang on the cross, this, paying the penalty for our rebellion.

In v.4 of today's text we read, "On that day every prophet will be ashamed of their prophetic vision. They will not put on a prophet’s garment of hair in order to deceive."

At the end of the Tribulation, the Lord Jesus will return to set up His millennial kingdom here on earth. At that time, as indicated in v.4, anybody who is known as a prophet will quickly try to conceal the fact that he was a prophet.

You see, this is the problem with those who falsely embrace the way of God, they do not come clean until they are caught. They will have no choice in that day to come clean because they will not be able to hide. God's righteousness will reign, and sin will have a short lease, in His presence.

In Deuteronomy 14:1 we read, "Now you’re the children of the Lord your God, you Israelites, so you shall not cut yourselves." 

The unbelievers were taught, in that day, by the prophets of Baal to cut themselves. They thought, cutting themselves, hurting themselves, would cause God to shown them favor. In addition, the prophets of Baal had a ritual of shaving themselves bald. Another futile attempt of trying to fool God. Like all religions, it was man's attempt to gain the forgiveness of God. But, there is no way in hell that any of us can earn God's favor. 

In 1 Kings 18:28 we read, "And they cried aloud and cut themselves after their manner with swords and lances till the blood gushed out."

So, when the prophet in Zechariah 13:5 said, "I’m no prophet, I’ve just been a farmer. I’m not into any of that pagan stuff. I’m just a farmer." Somebody inevitably asked, as we read in v.6 of today's text, "What are these wounds on your body?’ they will answer, ‘The wounds I was given at the house of my friends." 

They cut themselves according to their religion. Their wounds were the wounds of false teaching and idolatry. This is why it is so important to know the truth, because the truth sets us free from such faulty thinking. The problem of man is: There is never a way to escape when God begins to deal with our sin.

Thankfully, God is loving and merciful, and He is eager to forgive us of our sins! In 2 Peter 3:9 we read, "He is patient with you, not wanting anyone to perish, but everyone to come to repentance." God desires to forgive us, so He provided for our forgiveness.

Someone might ask, "Why couldn't God just say, 'You're forgiven? Why was the sacrifice required?'" God could not have just forgiven sin without a sacrifice or a payment for the penalty  because to do so would be unjust. Imagine a world where rape was just forgiven. How about if serial murderers were just forgiven. What if we just forgave pedophiles? All of these individuals would keep on doing these horrible things without any consequences. What kind of world would this be? A world without any justice.

The only just penalty for our sins is death. The first half of Romans 6:23 declares, "For the wages of sin is death…" Eternal death is what we have earned for our sins. But, God, in His perfect plan, became a human being. The Lord Jesus Christ died on the cross, taking the penalty for our sin that we deserve. 

In 2 Corinthians 5:21 we read, "God made Him who had no sin to be sin for us, so that in Him we might become the righteousness of God." The Lord Jesus died on the cross, taking the punishment that we deserve! As God, the Lord Jesus’ death provided forgiveness for the sins of the entire world. 

In 1 John 2:2 we read, "He is the atoning sacrifice for our sins, and not only for ours but also for the sins of the whole world." And, according to 1 Corinthians 15, the Lord Jesus rose from the dead, proclaiming His victory over sin and death. Through His death and resurrection, the second half of Romans 6:23 is applicable to the broken sinner, "…but the gift of God is eternal life through Jesus Christ our Lord."

Zechariah 13:1-3

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1 “On that day a fountain will be opened to the house of David and the inhabitants of Jerusalem, to cleanse them from sin and impurity. 2 “On that day, I will banish the names of the idols from the land, and they will be remembered no more,” declares the Lord Almighty. “I will remove both the prophets and the spirit of impurity from the land. 3 And if anyone still prophesies, their father and mother, to whom they were born, will say to them, ‘You must die, because you have told lies in the Lord’s name.’ Then their own parents will stab the one who prophesies." ~ Zechariah 13:1-3

Today, we transition into Zechariah 13 which is only nine verses long. The context for today's text is the Second Coming of the Lord Jesus Christ which will happen at the end of the seven year period of time most call the Tribulation. In today's text, we will learn what God has to say about the day when Israel will be cleansed of their sin. 

Now, throughout the Old Testament, God reiterates Israel's need for His forgiveness of their sin. This only makes sense, since it is against God and His definition of things that man has rebelled. Through our rebellion, we have challenged God's truth. If truth were ultimately undermined, no one would endure. Yet, God consistently offers His forgiveness throughout the Scriptures. In fact, the whole sacrificial system of the Old Testament is predicated on original sin and a forgiving God. In Psalm 103:12 we read, "As far as the east is from the west, so far has He removed our transgressions from us."  

Notice, He didn't say, "North from the south", because there is an end to the north and to the south. But, there is no ending to the east and the west. Thus, He, once we have trusted in the Son's work on the cross, has forgiven our sin completely. And, it really doesn’t matter what Israel had done in the past. I mean, our sin doesn’t affect God's nature. It lays nothing to bear on His nature that would change Him. And, no matter what man has done, the God of the Bible is still a God of forgiveness and He will come to Israel, in the end, offering His forgiveness. And, this is the message of Zechariah 13. God is a God of forgiveness. 

I love the words of Max Lucado who once said, "There are some facts that will never change. One fact is that you are forgiven. If you are in Christ, when He sees you, your sins are covered-He doesn’t see them. He sees you better than you see yourself."

In v.1 of today's text we read, "On that day a fountain will be opened to the house of David and the inhabitants of Jerusalem, to cleanse them from sin and impurity."

The "day" God references here is the day the Lord Jesus returns. It will be the day that He will set His feet on the mount of Olives in Jerusalem. It will be on that day, that Israel will look on the Lord Jesus and recognize the One whom they crucified, and, they will mourn over their rebellion. There is no forgiveness until there is repentance. There is no salvation until we admit our understanding of Original Sin and we confess our need for the Savior. And, after Israel mourns and cries out to God for His forgiveness, they will experience His cleansing of their sin.

According to Ezekiel 36, the Lord will sprinkle clean water on Israel, and they will be clean from all their filthiness, and from all their idols will God cleanse them. And, He will give them a new heart and a new spirit. 

The Bible is clear about the condition of man: "All have sinned and fallen short of the glory of God." No one has ever escaped this core truth. "There is none righteous. No, not one." Not only were the people of Israel conceived in sin, like you and me. They also rejected God's free gift of salvation through the Lord Jesus Christ. "On that day, a fountain opened to Israel."

The word "opened" brings with it the idea of continuance and permanence. Once it is opened, it will be perennially opened. And, it will be available as a source of perennial purification. This fountain of cleansing was opened at the cross of Calvary. The moment we received Christ as our Savior, our past, present and future sins were forgiven. And, on that day, Israel will access God's forgiveness through their recognition of the Lord Jesus as their Messiah. On that day, Israel will learn that as long as there is sin, there will be cleansing for the one who believes. 

The word sin at the end of v.1 of today's text means to go in the wrong way. The root idea in the word used for this word  "sin" brings with it the idea that we went down the wrong path, the path of disobedience and rebellion. And, that rebellion permanently separated us from God. That is, until the Lord Jesus came and paid the penalty for the sin that separated us from God.

The last word in v.1, "impurity," means something that is to be shunned. Israel will be cleansed of its own moral defilement and of its tendency to behave and go in the wrong direction. This is how sin manifests itself, it is a matter of what we are and consequently it is a matter of what we do. And so, this "fountain" will come as a cleansing from the defilement of sin. This "fountain" is the precious blood of the Lamb, the Lord Jesus Christ.

In v.2-3 of today's text we read, "2 “On that day, I will banish the names of the idols from the land, and they will be remembered no more,” declares the Lord Almighty. “I will remove both the prophets and the spirit of impurity from the land. 3 And if anyone still prophesies, their father and mother, to whom they were born, will say to them, ‘You must die, because you have told lies in the Lord’s name.’ Then their own parents will stab the one who prophesies."

When we come into a relationship with the Lord, He will always confront the idols in our lives. And, these idols can be good things, like our family, because an idol is anything that is more important to us than God. In v.2 of today's text we learn that the product of God's cleansing work in our lives is that we lose a taste for our idolatry. This explains God's words, "I will banish the names of the idols from the land, and they will be remembered no more."

The two besetting sins of all sinners, including the people of Israel, have always been idolatry and false prophecy. And, false prophecy is always the cause behind idolatry. At the end of time, as we know it, Israel will fall prey to another false prophet, the antichrist. But when Christ returns and He cleanses Israel from the defilement of sin, He will enable them to see the deception of the one they will, for a time, believe to be their Messiah. 

God's presence in our lives enables us to see a world that the unsaved can not see. It is an unseen world. And, we only see it because of the word of God and the abiding Holy Spirit. Through His word and the presence of the Holy Spirit in our lives, we are able to recognize deception, thus, we are equipped to turn away from such idols.

According to v.3, once we have entered into a personal relationship with the Lord, we will have the ability to recognize and call out the deception of the lost. When we were saved, we were given a tremendous gift to recognize how evil is rebellion. The punishment specified for false prophets in the Old Testament was quite severe. In Deuteronomy 18:20 we read, “If any prophet dares to speak a message in My name that I have not commanded him to speak, or to speak in the name of other gods, that prophet must be put to death.”

Because, God by nature is a God of truth, His judgment is vested in the eternality of His nature as true. He is true and holy. He is the judge of all who pervert the truth and all liars, especially those who say they speak for Him but do not truthfully teach His Word, are treated severely. So, the eternal God by His very nature as truth, has set in motion long ago the condemnation of those who falsify His Word. 

In fact, the moment that sin appeared in this universe, the sentence of God was enacted on anyone who spoke a lie. It was set in motion at that moment. And, all liars and all those who teach falsely about God's Word were doomed. The verdict of guilty was in, when the first sin was committed, against all liars and perverters of the truth.

The Lord's punishment seems pretty severe until we begin to grasp the consequences of the false prophet's work. People are deterred from the Lord and they end up in hell. Now, that is severe. And, for good reason. This is why God has granted us His word and His Holy Spirit, because with the two of them, we would flounder our way to hell. But, as Chuck Swindoll once said, "God’s forgiveness extends to the worst offenders and to anyone who wishes to receive it, not because of who we are, but because of who He is."

Zechariah 12:10-14

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10 “And I will pour out on the house of David and the inhabitants of Jerusalem a spirit of grace and supplication. They will look on me, the one they have pierced, and they will mourn for him as one mourns for an only child, and grieve bitterly for him as one grieves for a firstborn son. 11 On that day the weeping in Jerusalem will be as great as the weeping of Hadad Rimmon in the plain of Megiddo. 12 The land will mourn, each clan by itself, with their wives by themselves: the clan of the house of David and their wives, the clan of the house of Nathan and their wives, 13 the clan of the house of Levi and their wives, the clan of Shimei and their wives, 14 and all the rest of the clans and their wives. ~ Zechariah 12:10-14

Today, we continue our study of Zechariah 12 where we learn of Israel's siege, shielding, sorrow, and salvation. Having considered Israel's siege and shielding, today, we consider Israel's sorrow and salvation. 

According to Ezekiel 38-39, a Russian-Arab alliance will advance upon Israel on that last day. In addition to Russia, this alliance will include Turkey and Egypt. And, according to Revelation 9:16, a 200 million man army from the Far East will join this Russian-Arab alliance. The Euphrates River will be dried up so that this massive army will have no problem advancing against the nation of Israel. This will be a bleak moment in the life of Israel, and it will bring to the end man's time on this earth, as we know it.

If we let Him, God will do His greatest work in our lives through our greatest adversity. Nothing worth having ever comes easy or without opposition. God allows the storms of life in order to reveal Himself to us and to enable us to confront our greatest fears. God allows the path to be difficult in order to refine us and to prepare us for what He has in store for us in the days ahead. Like gaining our bearings by looking at a large plot of land through the benefit of a drone, God uses trials, in tandem with His Spirit, to help us to see the big picture, His big picture.

In v.10 of today's text we read, "And I will pour out on the house of David and the inhabitants of Jerusalem a spirit of grace and supplication. They will look on me, the one they have pierced, and they will mourn for him as one mourns for an only child, and grieve bitterly for him as one grieves for a firstborn son."

God will pour out His Spirit of grace on Israel, because that will be the motive for which He will give His Spirit to broken Israel. He will pour out His Spirit of supplication, because that will be the response which He will produce in the broken hearts of the people. When God pours out His Spirit by His grace, the recipient hearts always respond in prayer. Just as God pours out refreshing showers on thirsty and parched ground, so will He pour out His Spirit of grace and supplication on a repentant sinner.

As a result, when the eyes of my heart are focused on God, trials serve my faith's ability to soar. I have found that my faith is much like the knob on a radio which when fine tuned enables me to hear the frequency of a local radio station better. God's goal is always that I may hear and see Him more clearly with my heart. Through Israel's mourning, they will clearly see the Lord Jesus Christ coming in the clouds. On that day of His Second Coming, Israel will look on Him and they will recognize the nail prints in His body. Their response will be the product of the Holy Spirit working in their hearts in the context of their darkest hour here on earth.

In v.11 of today's text we read, "On that day the weeping in Jerusalem will be as great as the weeping of Hadad Rimmon in the plain of Megiddo."

One would think this weeping would be produced by the massive armies advancing upon the people of Israel, but a closer look enables us to see the unfolding of the greatest story to date. Israel will mourn due to the revealing of their victorious Messiah, the Lord Jesus Christ.

This mourning will be similar to that which was in the valley of Hadad Rimmon in 2 Chronicles 35. In that passage we learn of the murder of Judah's godly king, Josiah. The people of Judah mourned severely for they loved King Josiah. They loved him because he loved them. And, he loved them because he had a very tight relationship with God.

In v.12-14 of today's text we read, "12 The land will mourn, each clan by itself, with their wives by themselves: the clan of the house of David and their wives, the clan of the house of Nathan and their wives, 13 the clan of the house of Levi and their wives, the clan of Shimei and their wives, 14 and all the rest of the clans and their wives."

This will be a day of mourning like none other. There will be individual mourning, individual repentance, family repentance and then all the families of Israel will join in a day of national mourning and repentance. This will happen right at the point the Lord Jesus rescues Israel from her many enemies. Israel will recognize that the very one who came back as their deliverer was the same one they killed and they crucified when He came the first time. That is why they will mourn. It will be the most beautiful scene as Israel embraces the anguish of true repentance.

In John 16:8-10 we read, "8 When he comes, he will prove the world to be in the wrong about sin and righteousness and judgment: 9 about sin, because people do not believe in me; 10 about righteousness, because I am going to the Father, where you can see me no longer; 11 and about judgment, because the prince of this world now stands condemned."

In this passage the Lord Jesus was teaching His disciples about the one sin that must be dealt with before a person comes to faith in the Lord Jesus. This will be exactly the one sin that will be highlighted on that day of the Lord. This is where salvation begins, this is where it began in our hearts. To be saved we must turn from this ultimate sin which is the sin of rejecting Jesus Christ as our Savior. This is the sin that takes anyone to hell. But, once we have dealt with this sin, we are ready to be made alive to God. And, we are made alive to Him when the Holy Spirit comes into our spirit, introducing us to our Maker-Redeemer.

Here, in v.12-14 of today's text, Zechariah singles out certain families who will lead the nation in mourning. These families include the families of David and Nathan. The family of David was the royal line through which Joseph the husband of Mary descended. And, the family of Nathan was the brother of Solomon through whom Mary was descended. And, all of those who will come through the royal line will weep, because they will know that it was in their very line that the Messiah came and was rejected.

The families of Levi and Shimei are also mentioned because they were of the priestly families. The many years they were supposed to connect the people to God, they had kept the people from God. This will be the source of their great mourning because when God had finally arrived in Jesus Christ, they crucified Him.

Zechariah 12:6-9

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6 “On that day I will make the clans of Judah like a firepot in a woodpile, like a flaming torch among sheaves. They will consume all the surrounding peoples right and left, but Jerusalem will remain intact in her place. 7 “The Lord will save the dwellings of Judah first, so that the honor of the house of David and of Jerusalem’s inhabitants may not be greater than that of Judah. 8 On that day the Lord will shield those who live in Jerusalem, so that the feeblest among them will be like David, and the house of David will be like God, like the angel of the Lord going before them. 9 On that day I will set out to destroy all the nations that attack Jerusalem. ~ Zechariah 12:6-9

We continue, today, our study of the Old Testament book of Zechariah. In Zechariah 12, we have four features of Israel’s coming deliverance and salvation: The siege of Israel, the shielding of Israel, the sorrow of Israel, and the salvation of Israel. In our last blog and podcast, we considered the siege of Israel. Today, we will consider the shielding of Israel. 

As we mentioned in our last blog and podcast, at the end of the Tribulation, at the battle of Armaggedon, the nations of the world will attempt to attack little Jerusalem. But, in the end, the nations will find themselves unsuccessful in their huge attempts to destroy the insignificant Jews and their beloved city, Jerusalem. 

In Revelation 17:6, we are reminded, the world will be drunk with all the blood of the Jewish Christian martyrs. They will come upon Israel and they will be drunk with the idea of their seeming conquest. They will be convinced of their seemingly easy win over Israel. This will only lead them to, instead, lose their minds.

For Israel, it will appear that they will be done in by these advancing madmen. But, it is in these moments, is where the Lord God shines the greatest. The Lord always masters at taking a situation that is absolutely hopeless and He turns the circumstances on a dime. Need I mention Gideon's victory, Elijah's victory, David's victories, and the disciples victories in the book of Acts?

In v.6 of today's text we read, "On that day I will make the clans of Judah like a firepot in a woodpile, like a flaming torch among sheaves. They will consume all the surrounding peoples right and left, but Jerusalem will remain intact in her place."

Back, in that day, a firepot was used to contain hot coals in a little metal pot. The firepot was used to start a fire. In this verse, Zechariah is likening the Gentile armies to kindling. The clans of Judah are likened to firepots. At the battle of Armageddon, that small, simple country will burn the armies of the gathered gentile nations. Israel will be like a torch of fire in a dry sheaf. If we were to take a sheaf of grain that’s dry and set a torch to it, we would get the same thing. So just as a firepot sets fire to twigs and dry wood and a torch sets fire to dry grain, so Judah will devour its enemies.

In v.7 of today's text we read, "The Lord will save the dwellings of Judah first, so that the honor of the house of David and of Jerusalem’s inhabitants may not be greater than that of Judah."

When Judah wins this big victory, it will be obvious to them that the victory was brought about by the Lord. So, the inhabitants of Jerusalem will have nothing to boast about. After they win this incredible battle, they will unmistakably say, "All the glory goes to God. It sure wasn’t us who garnered the victory." The weak and the defenseless will, yet again, be delivered by the Almighty. 

In v.8 of today's text we read, "On that day the Lord will shield those who live in Jerusalem, so that the feeblest among them will be like David, and the house of David will be like God, like the angel of the Lord going before them."

King David is the greatest soldier in the history of Israel. One little rock rendered one dead giant by the name of Goliath. A case in point: the weak and the puny nation of Israel, in the last days, will be like David. They will be so outnumbered that their victory will resound throughout the universe for eternity.

This has always been the case down through history. God has always shown up mightily on the behalf of the weak and defenseless. And, according to the book of the Revelation, we discover this will happen just at the climax of the battle of Armageddon, just when the war reaches its highest point. It will be, at that point in time, that out of the sky will come the Lord Jesus Christ, and we will witness this great feat for we will return to earth with Him.

It is most interesting that the angel of the Lord is equated, here in this verse, with God. Another evidence that the angel of the Lord was not just an angel, but God incarnate, the Lord Jesus Christ.

In v.9 of today's text we read, "On that day I will set out to destroy all the nations that attack Jerusalem."

God will wipe out all those who will seek to wipe out His people and His Kingdom. The phrase “will set out” is a most interesting Hebrew phrase. In the Hebrew, it is a term that is used of a marksman who bends his bow with his eye focused on the target. Unquestionably, will He hit the bullseye and nothing will distract Him from accomplishing His goal. The details of this victory are given to us in Revelation 16 & 19. The Lord Jesus will break through the heavens with great glory and power. He will wield a flaming sword dipped in blood and He will come conquering His foes.

So, in summary, the first nine verses of Zechariah 12 describe prophetically Israel’s great deliverance and the destruction of the armies of the world gathered against her. The first part of the this battle will be political, whereas, the next part will be spiritual. And, in our next blog and podcast, we will get into the spiritual side of this.

Finally, God majors in His ability to show up when all looks lost. And, when we are depending on Him instead of anything or anybody else, His power flows in and through our yielded lives. David showed up at the valley of Elah and everyone laughed at him. They laughed because they didn't know of the battle that was about to be won. They didn't understand the might behind our trust in the Lord Almighty. What separated David from all others that day was he knew and understood how to access the power of God. We access God's power by being totally dependent upon Him. And, David's dependence upon the Lord was forged through the insignificant and mundane assignments the Lord gave him leading up to that day. David went to the valley of Elah to feed his brothers. And, when he got there, David was ready for God's miracle through his weak and humble life. Our light afflictions, now, are preparing us to depend upon God most greatly in the future. We only need to depend upon Him in the small things.

Zechariah 12:1-5

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1 A prophecy: The word of the Lord concerning Israel. The Lord, who stretches out the heavens, who lays the foundation of the earth, and who forms the human spirit within a person, declares: 2 “I am going to make Jerusalem a cup that sends all the surrounding peoples reeling. Judah will be besieged as well as Jerusalem. 3 On that day, when all the nations of the earth are gathered against her, I will make Jerusalem an immovable rock for all the nations. All who try to move it will injure themselves. 4 On that day I will strike every horse with panic and its rider with madness,” declares the Lord. “I will keep a watchful eye over Judah, but I will blind all the horses of the nations. 5 Then the clans of Judah will say in their hearts, ‘The people of Jerusalem are strong, because the Lord Almighty is their God.’ ~ Zechariah 12:1-5

Today, we transition into Zechariah 12. In this chapter, we have four features of Israel’s coming deliverance and salvation: The siege of Israel, the shielding of Israel, the sorrow of Israel, and the salvation of Israel. These are dealt with in this twelfth chapter of Zechariah. Today, we will consider the siege of Israel. 

As we have long seen in the Scripture, Israel plays a major role in the redemptive plan of God on this earth. There is coming a day when God will bring to a close the drama which includes Israel, the Church, Satan and the Lord Jesus Himself. Throughout the Scriptures, God has predicted these things repeatedly. God has done this so that we will not lose heart when life gets most difficult. This is what the Lord is doing in today's text. He is reminding Israel that before the light comes, it will get dark first. And, in the end, those who have had a very tragic history will experience the miraculous nature of God and He will reverse everything and He will give His people a future that will well outweigh the struggles of the past.

In v.1-2 of today's text we read, "1 A prophecy: The word of the Lord concerning Israel. The Lord, who stretches out the heavens, who lays the foundation of the earth, and who forms the human spirit within a person, declares: 2 “I am going to make Jerusalem a cup that sends all the surrounding peoples reeling. Judah will be besieged as well as Jerusalem."

Today's passage begins with a reminder of God's identity. He is the One "who stretches out the heavens, who lays the foundation of the earth, and who forms the human spirit within a person."

The One speaking here is the One who made the Milky Way galaxy with its one hundred billion stars. And, the Milky Way galaxy is just one of many other galaxies. The Milky Way galaxy is about 100 light years in diameter. Our God is the One who created light speed. Light travels at 186,000 miles per second. If we were to strap ourselves to a beam of light and travel for 100,000 years, we will have traveled the Milky Way galaxy in its fullness. By the way, we will have traveled six trillion miles. All of this is to say we were made by an incredible person. The God of the Bible is really big.

And, when we find ourselves worried about the things of this life, we must remember the One who stretched out the heavens, the One who laid the foundations of the earth, the One who made all things, the One who formed our spirit within us, He has all things in control and we can trust Him.

Now, as indicated in v.2, Jerusalem has always been in the spotlight. It is rather obvious that God's hand of covenant has always been upon Israel, not because of anything they have done, but because He determined to support them in their weakness. In fact, throughout history, the Jews have blown it big time and in many ways, but God long ago made a covenant with Abraham, Isaac, Jacob, and David. Because of those promises, God brought the people of Israel back into the land over and over, and, His hand has and will always be upon them. 

In Deuteronomy 7:7-9 we read, "The LORD did not set His affection on you and choose you because you were more numerous than other peoples, for you were the fewest of all peoples. But it was because the LORD loved you and kept the oath He swore to your forefathers that He brought you out with a mighty hand and redeemed you from the land of slavery, from the power of Pharaoh king of Egypt. Know therefore that the LORD your God is God; He is the faithful God, keeping His covenant of love to a thousand generations of those who love Him and keep His commands."

Despite this, Jerusalem will yet again be besieged. In fact, God will draw her enemies on her in the last days. As we are about to see, it is obvious at the end of v.3 that all the nations of the earth will be gathered against Israel in this siege. And, we know at the Battle of Armageddon, the whole world will be against Israel. This will be a worldwide battle where all of the nations of the world converge on Israel in an effort to wipe Israel out.

In v.3 of today's text we read, "On that day, when all the nations of the earth are gathered against her, I will make Jerusalem an immovable rock for all the nations. All who try to move it will injure themselves." 

A total of sixteen times in Zechariah 12-14, God says, "On that day." And, that day is the day of the Lord. There will come a day when the whole world will hurt themselves when they try to hurt Israel. And, in all of this, we are given one of the greatest apologetics for the existence of God. How many times has the world tried to snuff out Israel? And, all of it to no avail.

In v.4 of today's text we read, "On that day I will strike every horse with panic and its rider with madness,” declares the Lord. “I will keep a watchful eye over Judah, but I will blind all the horses of the nations."

Here, God is directing this prophecy of siege but it’s also a prophecy of salvation. God allows and accentuates these events for Israel, so that they will have the confidence to believe that it will come to pass. The end result doesn’t depend on man, it depends upon the unchanging immutable God, this God who isn’t thwarted by anything else. He has been and He is always faithful to bring His promises to pass.

In v.5 of today's text we read, "Then the clans of Judah will say in their hearts, ‘The people of Jerusalem are strong, because the Lord Almighty is their God."

The nations will attack Jerusalem. We know this, because it’s detailed for us in many places in the Bible. And, although Israel's enemies will attack Jerusalem, as this prophecy points out, God will protect Israel and Jerusalem. 

In John 16:33 we read, "In this world you will have tribulation, but be of good cheer, I have overcome the world." 

The Lord Jesus spoke these words to His disciples who were about to go through the hardest moments of their lives. But, as in the case of Israel in today's text, the disciples would come out on the other side better equipped in their walk with the Lord. The same is true for us. We will have hard moments, but we can rest assured that each unwanted moment has its purpose. God not only uses tribulation to get us out of our mess, but most importantly, God uses Tribulation to get us to Him. This is the purpose of it all: that we would be convinced the Lord Jesus has overcome the world and that He is our destiny. He is the victor and He has seen fit to include us in on His winning side. 

Zechariah 11:12-17

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12 I told them, “If you think it best, give me my pay; but if not, keep it.” So they paid me thirty pieces of silver. 13 And the Lord said to me, “Throw it to the potter”—the handsome price at which they valued me! So I took the thirty pieces of silver and threw them to the potter at the house of the Lord. 14 Then I broke my second staff called Union, breaking the family bond between Judah and Israel. 15 Then the Lord said to me, “Take again the equipment of a foolish shepherd. 16 For I am going to raise up a shepherd over the land who will not care for the lost, or seek the young, or heal the injured, or feed the healthy, but will eat the meat of the choice sheep, tearing off their hooves. 17 “Woe to the worthless shepherd, who deserts the flock! May the sword strike his arm and his right eye! May his arm be completely withered, his right eye totally blinded!” ~ Zechariah 11:12-17

As we come back to Zechariah 11, the page is turned from the Lord's offer of redemption to the peoples rejection of the Lord's offer. We, daily, have a choice to live our lives looking to the Lord for His provision and protection or not. And, the more we look to Him and walk with Him, the more we will see that His way is best. Of course, the less we walk with Him, the less we will see that His way is the best.

In v.12-13 of today's text we read, "12 I told them, “If you think it best, give me my pay; but if not, keep it.” So they paid me thirty pieces of silver. 13 And the Lord said to me, “Throw it to the potter”—the handsome price at which they valued me! So I took the thirty pieces of silver and threw them to the potter at the house of the Lord."

The prophet Zechariah is picturing Israel's Messiah, the Lord Jesus Christ, asking the nation of Israel, the worth of their Messiah. According to Exodus 21:32, thirty pieces of silver was the price for a lowly slave. This was the answer the people of Israel gave: thirty pieces of silver. The Lord Jesus came unto His own and His own received Him not. 

When it was all done, we must answer the question, "What is the Lord Jesus worth to us?" As indicated in this passage, the world held no value in the Lord Jesus. They couldn’t just ignore Him, though, so they determined He was worth thirty pieces of silver, the price of a lowly slave. This is why they missed Him. Their value system had been so stunted by this world because they had long rejected the value system of the Lord.

In Matthew 27 we read the well known story of Judas and his betrayal of the Lord Jesus in the Garden of Gethsemane. Judas received thirty pieces of silver for betraying the Lord Jesus. After doing so, ridden with guilt, Judas threw the silver on the floor of the temple. The religious leaders gathered the money up and they bought a potter's field, fulfilling this prophecy. 

In Matthew's gospel it says, according to the word of Jeremiah, which causes many to doubt the veracity of the Bible. There is much evidence that shows the scroll that the book of Zechariah was found in was book of Jeremiah. In fact, it was called the scroll of Jeremiah and it included the book of Zechariah in that scroll. That's why it says in Matthew 27, "according to the prophet Jeremiah." 

In v.14 of today's text we read, "Then I broke my second staff called Union, breaking the family bond between Judah and Israel." 

The Jewish historian, Josephus, tells us that when Jerusalem fell to the Romans, not only did the Romans kill the Jews, but there developed such bitterness between the different factions among the Jews that fellow Jews treated their other fellow Jews with the same kind of contempt as the Romans. So that the bonds of brotherhood were broken. And, the removal of the Lord Jesus, the Good shepherd, made way for the rest of this prophecy to be fulfilled at the end of time. 

So, in v.14, the Lord is saying, "I will break the bond of brotherhood between Judah and Israel." In the end, that will mean He will destroy the nation. This prophecy was all set into motion when He broke the band that held the nation together. They killed each other and they were scattered all over the world. One day, soon, He will complete the comeback of the Jews into the land, and that will bring to the completion this prophecy spoken in Zechariah 11.

In v.15-16 of today's text we read, "15 Then the Lord said to me, “Take again the equipment of a foolish shepherd. 16 For I am going to raise up a shepherd over the land who will not care for the lost, or seek the young, or heal the injured, or feed the healthy, but will eat the meat of the choice sheep, tearing off their hooves."

In these verses, Zechariah jumps from the first century AD all the way to the end of time as we know it. In these two verses, Zechariah provides a contrast between the Good shepherd and the Antichrist. The Antichrist, unlike the humble Messiah who rode into Jerusalem on a donkey to provide salvation to doomed man, will not be so selflessly motivated. The Antichrist will come seeking power and dominion. He will gain such power through his incredible powers of deception. His deceptive powers will garner for him a huge following of people all over this world.

In v.17 of today's text we read, "Woe to the worthless shepherd, who deserts the flock! May the sword strike his arm and his right eye! May his arm be completely withered, his right eye totally blinded!"

It helps us to understand this verse when we remember the Bible often uses the word "arm" to identify a man's strength. The right arm is always the symbol of strength. And the Scripture often uses the word "eye" to designate intelligence. The worthless shepherd or the Antichrist will splash on the scene as soon as the Rapture of the Church has taken place. But his doom will soon come to fruition.

This passage means God will come with a sword of judgment and will cut off his right arm. His right arm will shrivel and the means of his power will be torn away. And, his eye or his intelligence, will be turned into idiocy. He won’t know right from wrong, up from down, or in from out. And, the sword of God’s vengeance will fall upon him and all who follow him.

Zechariah 11:4-11

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4 This is what the Lord my God says: “Shepherd the flock marked for slaughter. 5 Their buyers slaughter them and go unpunished. Those who sell them say, ‘Praise the Lord, I am rich!’ Their own shepherds do not spare them. 6 For I will no longer have pity on the people of the land,” declares the Lord. “I will give everyone into the hands of their neighbors and their king. They will devastate the land, and I will not rescue anyone from their hands.” 7 So I shepherded the flock marked for slaughter, particularly the oppressed of the flock. Then I took two staffs and called one Favor and the other Union, and I shepherded the flock. 8 In one month I got rid of the three shepherds. The flock detested me, and I grew weary of them 9 and said, “I will not be your shepherd. Let the dying die, and the perishing perish. Let those who are left eat one another’s flesh.” 10 Then I took my staff called Favor and broke it, revoking the covenant I had made with all the nations. 11 It was revoked on that day, and so the oppressed of the flock who were watching me knew it was the word of the Lord. ~ Zechariah 11:4-11

In today's text, God asks Zechariah to play a part in this unfolding grand true story of Israel's relationship with the Lord. God asks Zechariah to play the part of a shepherd who will provide a glimpse of the Great Shephard, the Lord Jesus Christ, to the people. Zechariah symbolically carries out certain actions that draw into focus the peoples rejection of the Lord Jesus Christ. 

In v.4-6 of today's text we read, "4 This is what the Lord my God says: “Shepherd the flock marked for slaughter. 5 Their buyers slaughter them and go unpunished. Those who sell them say, ‘Praise the Lord, I am rich!’ Their own shepherds do not spare them. 6 For I will no longer have pity on the people of the land,” declares the Lord. “I will give everyone into the hands of their neighbors and their king. They will devastate the land, and I will not rescue anyone from their hands."

The Lord asked Zechariah to shepherd the flock for the slaughter. The word used here for shepherd has many meanings including "to tend", "to care for", "to feed", "to lead", and "to nurse." This word is also used in Psalm 23 to positively speak of the ministry of a shepherd. 

In today's text, the Lord told Zechariah to teach the people knowing they would reject the teaching. While obeying the LORD, Zechariah gave to Israel a picture of the True Shepherd who daily feeds us His Word. 

Notice the words, “the flock marked for slaughter.”  This flock was the covenant nation of Israel, but the covenant nation was unfaithful to hear and to embrace God's culture. They had turned their backs on the Shepherd, and, as a result, they would pay for their sin. The Lord is here predicting what was coming in 70 AD when the Romans destroyed Jerusalem. This is why the Lord Jesus wept over Jerusalem. He said, "Jerusalem, Jerusalem, if only you would have known the things that make for your peace! But they are hidden from your eyes."  

The "buyers" in v.5 were the Romans who took Israel into captivity, yet again. In Jeremiah 50:17 we read, "Israel is a scattered flock that lions have chased away. The first to devour them was the king of Assyria; the last to crush their bones was Nebuchadnezzar king of Babylon." 

God had allowed the Assyrians and the Babylonians to judge Israel. And, in 70 AD the Romans would do the same. And, notice also that the Gentile nation sold them as slaves and made money off of them. The Romans sold literally tens of thousands of Jews into slavery. And, the Colosseum in Rome was built mostly by many of these Jewish slaves.

It was sad when foreigners made merchandise of Israel. It was even sadder when Israel's own leaders showed them no pity and mercy by not teaching them the truth of God and thereby protecting them. But, the saddest thing of all is when God Himself says in v.6, "I will no longer have pity on them." 

In v.7 of today's text we read, "So I shepherded the flock marked for slaughter, particularly the oppressed of the flock. Then I took two staffs and called one Favor and the other Union, and I shepherded the flock."

Now, shepherds have two sticks or staffs: one was a rod and the other was the staff for guiding the sheep. The rod was for beating off predators to protect the sheep. The staff was primarily for keeping the sheep in line and out of danger. David wrote that both the rod and the staff of the Lord were a source of comfort to him. Metaphorically, the Lord directs and guides His people by His rod and staff. The rod was called "Favor" and the other was called "Union." But, when we do not know Him, or, if we know Him and do not walk with Him daily, we do not recognize His unique approach to life. By the way, that approach is truth.

In v.8-9 of today's text we read, "8 In one month I got rid of the three shepherds. The flock detested me, and I grew weary of them 9 and said, 'I will not be your shepherd. Let the dying die, and the perishing perish. Let those who are left eat one another’s flesh.'"

This probably is a reference to the Pharisees, the Sadducees, and the Scribes of the Lord Jesus' day. For some time, God's providential protection of His people, Israel, ended, in 70 AD. And, the people of Israel chose another king, they chose Caesar. Pilate brought the Lord Jesus out before the Jews and said, "Behold, your king." And the Jews screamed, "Away with Him. Crucify Him." And Pilate said, "Shall I crucify your king?" And the chief priests answered, "We have no king but Caesar." That day, they made their awful choice and just what Zechariah said would happen, came true. The people of Israel put themselves in Caesar’s hand and Caesar devoured them. 

The irony of all of this is they killed the real King to avoid a Roman takeover. And the very thing they feared and killed brought the sentence of God upon their nation. The destruction that Rome brought should not have been a surprise to the people of Israel, but their hardened hearts could not see the truth. They were unwilling.

In v.10-11 of today's text we read, "10 Then I took my staff called Favor and broke it, revoking the covenant I had made with all the nations. 11 It was revoked on that day, and so the oppressed of the flock who were watching me knew it was the word of the Lord."

With reference to those who will not turn their hearts toward God, His rod and staff are not beneficial. But, to those who have and who will turn to Him, His rod and staff are comforting. His rod and staff will lead them into the truth. The oppressed flock in v.12 is none other than that group who followed the Lord Jesus and were used by Him to write the New Testament. 

Oswald Chambers once wrote, "There is nothing attractive about the gospel to the natural man; the only man who finds the gospel attractive is the man who is convicted of sin."

Zechariah 11:1-3

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1 Open your doors, Lebanon, so that fire may devour your cedars! 2 Wail, you juniper, for the cedar has fallen; the stately trees are ruined! Wail, oaks of Bashan; the dense forest has been cut down! 3 Listen to the wail of the shepherds; their rich pastures are destroyed! Listen to the roar of the lions; the lush thicket of the Jordan is ruined! ~ Zechariah 11:1-3

Today, we transition into Zechariah 11, and in these three verses we see three different sections of land: Lebanon, Bashan, and Jordan. This prophecy describes the descending nature of the wrath and fury of God on the sin of man which starts in the north in Lebanon and descends to the south in Jordan. Here, in today's text, God describes His judgment on those who reject His free offer of forgiveness. This prophecy, as with most in the Old Testament, has multiple fulfillments.

You'll remember that in John 3:17-18 the Lord Jesus said, "17 For God did not send his Son into the world to condemn the world, but to save the world through him. 18 Whoever believes in him is not condemned, but whoever does not believe stands condemned already because they have not believed in the name of God’s one and only Son."

Today's text is quite a contrast to what we've read in the previous chapters of Zechariah. We've read a lot about the messianic blessings that will accompany the second coming of Christ. Zechariah 11 brings us squarely to the consequences of Israel's rejection of the Lord Jesus Christ at His first coming. 

In v.1 of our text today, we read, "Open your doors, Lebanon, so that fire may devour your cedars!"

Lebanon was told to open its doors, because no one ever resists the will of God. There is no sense in fighting God's plan. We might as well just throw open the doors to our hearts and let God have His way, so that we can evade the very wrath of God. 

The imagery in today's passage is of a rapid forest fire moving from north to south. This does not fit the Babylonian captivity which, at this point, was long gone. This prophecy was written by Zechariah to provide a warning of God's judgment through the Romans who destroyed Jerusalem in 70 AD. This passage also will be fulfilled a second time at the end of the Tribulation.  

In v.2 of today's text we read, "Wail, you juniper, for the cedar has fallen; the stately trees are ruined! Wail, oaks of Bashan; the dense forest has been cut down!"

Lebanon was and is on the north border of the land of Israel. The area of Bashan was an area just south of Lebanon. Bashan was populated by huge healthy oak trees. The trees are metaphoric for the people of Israel who were in danger of resisting the grace of God which would come shortly through the arrival of the Messiah, the Lord Jesus Christ. After Israel rejected their Messiah, Titus surrounded the city of Jerusalem, and 1.1 million Jews were slaughtered in 70 AD by the Romans. This was the fulfillment of this prophecy.  

In v.3 of today's text we read, "Listen to the wail of the shepherds; their rich pastures are destroyed! Listen to the roar of the lions; the lush thicket of the Jordan is ruined!"

There is, here, the voice of the roaring of the lions. After the captivity of the northern kingdom, wild beasts began to multiply around the Jordan. It literally became a place where lions dwelt in the thick foliage. This refers to lions that had been weaned and they were young and they had great appetites and their roar was very fierce due to the destruction that occurred.

The point here is not that the trees got burned up and lions lost their homes. The point is that they were metaphoric of the wailing that awaited unbelieving Israel when it was devastated. Three times in these three verses the verb for destroy is used, giving the idea of permanent and devastating destruction.

The one human response in today's text is found in v.3: "the wail of the shepherds." The result of the unbelief of the people was the total destruction of the city and the people. You see, in our sinful condition, man is unable to withstand the pressure that comes when the righteous demands of the truth come calling.

All of this in today's text, refers to days after the Lord Jesus was crucified at Calvary. In addition, today's passage describes the ultimate destruction of those who reject God's free gift of salvation at the end. And the reason for this judgment is due to the fact that man is dead in his sins and trespasses. We were born as enemies of God. This means that man's sinful condition has separated him from God and all that is substantive. As a result, sinful man can not withstand the demands of righteousness and truth.

You may wonder why would God punish people. When mankind rebelled against God, man became the ownership of Satan. God's wrath is the absence of God's love. Man chose to be on Satan's team, and in so doing, we rejected God and His love. And, the love of God is the flip side of His justice. In our sinful condition, the righteous demands of God are crushing to us.  In fact, we do not understand the penalty of God's wrath and fury upon our rebelliousness. The greatest display of God's love and wrath was seen at the cross of Christ.  

The punishment of God can be evaded when we trust in the finished work of the Lord Jesus Christ. The only way that heaven will be filled with real people is through the sacrifice of His Son, the Lord Jesus Christ. In 2 Corinthians 5:19 we learn "that through Christ, God was reconciling the world to himself, not counting people’s sins against them." It is my sincere prayer that you will be counted in on God's team in the end.

Zechariah 10:9-12

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9 Though I scatter them among the peoples, yet in distant lands they will remember me. They and their children will survive, and they will return. 10 I will bring them back from Egypt and gather them from Assyria. I will bring them to Gilead and Lebanon, and there will not be room enough for them. 11 They will pass through the sea of trouble; the surging sea will be subdued and all the depths of the Nile will dry up. Assyria’s pride will be brought down and Egypt’s scepter will pass away. 12 I will strengthen them in the Lord and in his name they will live securely,” declares the Lord. ~ Zechariah 10:9-12

Today we return to our study of Zechariah 10 where God has defined Himself as the cornerstone, the tent pet and the battle sword who will accomplish the victory over Israel's enemies at the final battle of Armageddon.

In v.9 of today's text we read, "Though I scatter them among the peoples, yet in distant lands they will remember me. They and their children will survive, and they will return."

The word "scatter" is both negative and positive. It is negative because God has to use it in order to capture our wayward hearts. And, who likes pain? Being scattered is also positive because through it we are positioned to be a blessing to others. The most important thing God does for any of us is to reveal Himself to us. Sadly, most often, it takes pain to position us to that place that we can see Him most profoundly, with our hearts.

In v.10-11 of today's text we read, "10 I will bring them back from Egypt and gather them from Assyria. I will bring them to Gilead and Lebanon, and there will not be room enough for them. 11 They will pass through the sea of trouble; the surging sea will be subdued and all the depths of the Nile will dry up. Assyria’s pride will be brought down and Egypt’s scepter will pass away."

The language Zechariah uses here in our text is very reminiscent of the deliverance of the children of Israel from Egypt when God opened the Red Sea. Just as God opened up the Red Sea and later on the Jordan River, Israel passed through on dry ground into their new land. God had promised to remove every physical obstacle, and once again, He brought the people of Israel back into their promised homeland. 

And, during the Tribulation, Israel will come back into the land from all over the world. And their hearts will be turned toward the Lord, and they will remember Him though they will be in far off lands. God will bring them back because He will have redeemed them. 

In Isaiah 54:1 we read, "'Sing, barren woman, you who never bore a child; burst into song, shout for joy, you who were never in labor because more are the children of the desolate woman than of her who has a husband,' says the Lord." 

Here, Isaiah is referencing the millennial kingdom of Christ. The barren will flourish, and the primary means by which God will draw Israel to Himself will be pain. This sort of pain, barrenness or brokenness is unwanted, however, it makes us yearn for that which is substantive. I have discovered that when I hit rock bottom, I do so, so that I will discover that He is the rock at the bottom. To really see God with our hearts, we must be stripped of our independence to the point that we embrace our utter dependence upon Him.  

In v.12 of today's text we read, "I will strengthen them in the Lord and in his name they will live securely,” declares the Lord."

During the Tribulation, Israel will experience total and complete spiritual revival on the heels of their greatest persecution. In the name of Yahweh, that covenant name of God, Israel will be transformed and they will learn how to love the Lord. Israel will be sealed by the Holy Spirit, and they will enter into His millennial kingdom with hearts that will have been tuned to Him. And, all of their conduct, all of their language will be permeated with the glory and honor of God. 

At Christ's first coming, Israel was called to "repent, for the kingdom of God was at hand." Their King was in their midst and He was ready to save His people from their sin. The hope of the nations had come to tabernacle with His people. The incarnate Son came to visit and redeem His people. Israel's Kinsman-Redeemer had come to earth to bring His people a knowledge of salvation through the forgiveness of their sin.

But Israel refused to embrace the brokenness that ushers the heart to the place to be vulnerable with the Lord. Israel would not recognize Him as the only begotten Son of God who takes away the sin of the world. Had they, as a nation, turned to Christ for salvation on that first day of Pentecost, the prophecy of Joel would have been completely fulfilled. 

However, the continued unbelief of the nation of Israel dictated that they be set aside for a season. The end-times prophecy of Joel is yet to be fully and finally fulfilled, but one day soon the time of Jacob's trouble will begin the process of the people of Israel coming into a personal relationship with the Lord Jesus. This will be the point of the Tribulation, that Israel will out of their misery, cry out to the Lord and He will hear their cry, and they will be saved.

Zechariah 10:5-8

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5 Together they will be like warriors in battle trampling their enemy into the mud of the streets. They will fight because the Lord is with them, and they will put the enemy horsemen to shame. 6 “I will strengthen Judah and save the tribes of Joseph. I will restore them because I have compassion on them. They will be as though I had not rejected them, for I am the Lord their God and I will answer them. 7 The Ephraimites will become like warriors, and their hearts will be glad as with wine. Their children will see it and be joyful; their hearts will rejoice in the Lord. 8 I will signal for them and gather them in. Surely I will redeem them; they will be as numerous as before. ~ Zechariah 10:5-8

Today, we come back to our study of Zechariah 10 which has as its theme redemption. Thus far, in this chapter, the Lord has been describing Himself as Israel's Protector and Redeemer. You see, there would never be any redemption without the Protector-Redeemer. And, it was the Lord Jesus who agreed in eternity past to come to earth to lay down His life for the willing. And, that will be the point of the Tribulation, to grant Israel a willing heart toward the God of the Bible. In fact, this is the point of all of our trials.

In v.5 of today's text we read, "Together they will be like warriors in battle trampling their enemy into the mud of the streets. They will fight because the Lord is with them, and they will put the enemy horsemen to shame."

The first word of this verse is very instructive: "Together." In the previous verse the Lord identified Himself as Israel's cornerstone, tent peg and battle bow. The ability of God to bring people together to accomplish a task is quite remarkable. We live in a world that divides at every chance it gets. Not so with the Lord Jesus, He brings people together. And, it doesn't matter where we have come from or what we look like, we are unified in Him. And, we should never be surprised at what He can do through our yielded lives.

Think with me of all of the failures of the people of Israel throughout history. They complained in the wilderness. They followed other gods. They were delivered to foreign captors. They cried out again to God and they went through that horrible sin cycle during the time of the Judges. They were taken into captivity over and over. And, they were brought back over and over. All of the years of failure, and the Lord says to Israel, "If you are willing, I am willing to utterly forgive your sin and wipe your rebelliousness away and give you a future and a hope." This is His message to all who are willing.

The Lord Jesus will be the one who will strengthen Israel, and, as a result, their enemies will be confused and ashamed. The Hebrew word translated as "shame" here means they will be confused and ashamed. In their confusion they will be confused and ashamed of their inability to defeat Israel. The world will go into a state of shock on the day when the King of Kings comes for His people Israel. Through their yielded lives, He will, at the end, win that great and final battle of Armageddon on their behalf. 

In v.6 of today's text we read, "I will strengthen Judah and save the tribes of Joseph. I will restore them because I have compassion on them. They will be as though I had not rejected them, for I am the Lord their God and I will answer them."

The house of Judah is a reference to the southern kingdom of Israel and the house of Joseph to the northern kingdom. God will restore the whole nation, north and south as one. This will be amazing given Israel's history with God. You will remember that in 722 BC, the northern tribes of Israel were taken into captivity by the Assyrians, and the southern tribes of Judah were taken into captivity by the Babylonians in 586 BC. Taken and dispersed due to their rebellious hearts. According to this verse, God will not only bring Israel back, but He will unite them as one nation in the promised land.

This just underscores the fact that God has lost none of the tribes of Israel. He knows where every one is right now. And, He knows who belongs to which tribe. In Ezekiel 37 the Lord said, "And I will make them one nation in the land, on the mountains of Israel; and one King shall be King over them: they shall no longer be two nations, nor shall they ever be divided into two kingdoms again."

In v.7-8 of today's text we read, "7 The Ephraimites will become like warriors, and their hearts will be glad as with wine. Their children will see it and be joyful; their hearts will rejoice in the Lord. 8 I will signal for them and gather them in. Surely I will redeem them; they will be as numerous as before."

According to v.7, when God does all that He has promised, the natural response of the people of Israel will be a joy that will not be of their making. This will be a joy that will be so intense that those who see it will think they have had too much to drink. 

And, according to v.8, Israel, will literally hear the whistle of God for them, and He will gather them into the land once and for all. For four hundred years, they once increased greatly when they were in Egypt. As slaves, they so greatly multiplied that it irritated the Egyptians to the point that they treated them more harshly. Unbeknown to Israel, God was using the trials to not only increase their numbers but also their faith in Him. Likewise, during the Tribulation, God will protect Israel as they flee the assaults of the Antichrist, according to Revelation 12:14. And, through it all, Israel will grow in their hearts ability to see the one true living God.

In Isaiah 5:26 we read, "He will lift up a banner to the nations from afar, and will whistle to them from the ends of the earth; Surely they will come with speed, swiftly."

When the Lord Jesus comes at the end of the Tribulation, the Jews who will be redeemed will not die. They will go into His Millennial kingdom with physical bodies. They, for the thousand years of the Millennium, will have many children. In fact, the earth will literally proliferate with their children. This will be the fulfillment of God's promise to Abraham who was known to look at the innumerable stars.

In the end, the word of God will be proven absolutely correct and true. And, the Lord's trophy, among others, will be that little vulnerable country we know as Israel. In Matthew 24:35, the Lord Jesus said, "Heaven and earth will pass away, but My words will by no means pass away." His word is powerful enough to change our stone cold hearts to hearts that respond to Him with loving faith. I trust you have done just that.