Zechariah 11
English Standard Version

The Flock Doomed to Slaughter
11 Open your doors, O Lebanon,
    that the fire may devour your cedars!
2 Wail, O cypress, for the cedar has fallen,
    for the glorious trees are ruined!
Wail, oaks of Bashan,
    for the thick forest has been felled!
3 The sound of the wail of the shepherds,
    for their glory is ruined!
The sound of the roar of the lions,
    for the thicket of the Jordan is ruined!

4 Thus said the LORD my God: “Become shepherd of the flock doomed to slaughter. 5 Those who buy them slaughter them and go unpunished, and those who sell them say, ‘Blessed be the LORD, I have become rich,’ and their own shepherds have no pity on them. 6 For I will no longer have pity on the inhabitants of this land, declares the LORD. Behold, I will cause each of them to fall into the hand of his neighbor, and each into the hand of his king, and they shall crush the land, and I will deliver none from their hand.”

7 So I became the shepherd of the flock doomed to be slaughtered by the sheep traders. And I took two staffs, one I named Favor, the other I named Union. And I tended the sheep. 8 In one month I destroyed the three shepherds. But I became impatient with them, and they also detested me. 9 So I said, “I will not be your shepherd. What is to die, let it die. What is to be destroyed, let it be destroyed. And let those who are left devour the flesh of one another.” 10 And I took my staff Favor, and I broke it, annulling the covenant that I had made with all the peoples. 11 So it was annulled on that day, and the sheep traders, who were watching me, knew that it was the word of the LORD. 12 Then I said to them, “If it seems good to you, give me my wages; but if not, keep them.” And they weighed out as my wages thirty pieces of silver. 13 Then the LORD said to me, “Throw it to the potter”—the lordly price at which I was priced by them. So I took the thirty pieces of silver and threw them into the house of the LORD, to the potter. 14 Then I broke my second staff Union, annulling the brotherhood between Judah and Israel.

15 Then the LORD said to me, “Take once more the equipment of a foolish shepherd. 16 For behold, I am raising up in the land a shepherd who does not care for those being destroyed, or seek the young or heal the maimed or nourish the healthy, but devours the flesh of the fat ones, tearing off even their hoofs.

17 “Woe to my worthless shepherd,
    who deserts the flock!
May the sword strike his arm
    and his right eye!
Let his arm be wholly withered,
    his right eye utterly blinded!”

I must admit this is a confusing passage after everything we read about the LORD one day bringing peace and prosperity to the flock of Israel and promising that they will never again go into Exile and be taken out of the Land.  It appears this is a prophecy that has some immediate fulfillment in the time of Zechariah, we see a more complete fulfillment in the life of Jesus, and we expect this to be the case again before Jesus returns in the end times.

The LORD chooses a particular flock that He tells Zechariah to become shepherd over and the tells Zechariah that this flock is destined to be slaughtered.  Note that this does not mean that God is going to allow all the people of Israel and Judah to be killed--that goes against everything else that we've read so far and the promises that the LORD has made to them, but the LORD is going to allow the mass-murder of the people of Israel and allow the Land to be devoured and the people to be hunted, captured, sold and killed by their enemies that are watching for the LORD's protection to once again cease because the people continue to break the Mosaic Covenant.  The nations are sure that if the people become wicked enough, the LORD will once again have to remove His Favor (the name of the first staff) and that they will become as vulnerable as any other nation (even if He doesn't exile them from the Land).

First, Zechariah must do away with all the good shepherds that would work to save the sheep.  He does that within a month of being given these instructions by the LORD.  Then Zechariah leaves the sheep to fend for themselves and breaks the staff called Favor as a sign to all those watching (that understood this to be the Word of the LORD) that the covenant was broken and the people of Israel and Judah would no longer have the Favor of the blessings of the Mosaic Covenant or the protections of it.

Yet, there is a bigger story here, as Messiah stands in the place of Israel and goes through everything they went through and He was the one destined for slaughter, and the LORD would not save Him.  The LORD removed His favor (which we see He had early on in His life when he grew in favor with both God and men).  His enemies (the religious leaders, Satan, and all the enemies of God that were waiting to try to destroy the Messiah and keep Him from becoming the King that would bring peace and prosperity to His people) were waiting for this moment.  They didn't realize the crucifixion was all part of God's plan.  They thought they would kill the one destined to be king and steal the kingdom, but it was through their actions that His Kingdom was established forever and ever as this allowed Him to defeat sin and death.

We see the price of 30 pieces of silver here that was paid as blood money.  In the New Testament, Matthew is focused on the price of the field being 30 pieces of silver which was prophetically told to the prophet Jeremiah, but that does not deny the fact that this prophecy was also fulfilled in Christ as the price paid for Judah to betray Him to the religious leaders was set at 30 pieces of silver.  Note that just like with Judas, these 30 pieces of silver were thrown into the house of the LORD (The Temple) just like when Judas felt guilty and tried to return the blood money before going to commit suicide.  At this point in the story the second staff called Union was broken (the Shepherd was struck down and the "sheep" (His disciples) scattered and hid)

However, that's not the end of the story.  The LORD tells Zechariah to once again take up the equipment of a foolish shepherd.  I believe this speaks to a day in the future when there will be additional worthless leaders (shepherds) of the LORD's people (maybe in Israel, maybe in the Church, probably both) and I think there's a good chance this points directly to the time of Antichrist when the Jewish people will believe that he is their Messiah but he seeks their destruction, not their salvation.  The LORD will judge this future worthless shepherd and all other worthless shepherds who were given care over His people and did not do the job entrusted to them by the Chief Shepherd.

Zechariah 10
English Standard Version

The Restoration for Judah and Israel
10 Ask rain from the LORD
    in the season of the spring rain,
from the LORD who makes the storm clouds,
    and he will give them showers of rain,
    to everyone the vegetation in the field.
2 For the household gods utter nonsense,
    and the diviners see lies;
they tell false dreams
    and give empty consolation.
Therefore the people wander like sheep;
    they are afflicted for lack of a shepherd.

3 “My anger is hot against the shepherds,
    and I will punish the leaders;
for the LORD of hosts cares for his flock, the house of Judah,
    and will make them like his majestic steed in battle.
4 From him shall come the cornerstone,
    from him the tent peg,
from him the battle bow,
    from him every ruler—all of them together.
5 They shall be like mighty men in battle,
    trampling the foe in the mud of the streets;
they shall fight because the LORD is with them,
    and they shall put to shame the riders on horses.

6 “I will strengthen the house of Judah,
    and I will save the house of Joseph.
I will bring them back because I have compassion on them,
    and they shall be as though I had not rejected them,
    for I am the LORD their God and I will answer them.
7 Then Ephraim shall become like a mighty warrior,
    and their hearts shall be glad as with wine.
Their children shall see it and be glad;
    their hearts shall rejoice in the LORD.

8 “I will whistle for them and gather them in,
    for I have redeemed them,
    and they shall be as many as they were before.
9 Though I scattered them among the nations,
    yet in far countries they shall remember me,
    and with their children they shall live and return.
10 I will bring them home from the land of Egypt,
    and gather them from Assyria,
and I will bring them to the land of Gilead and to Lebanon,
    till there is no room for them.
11 He shall pass through the sea of troubles
    and strike down the waves of the sea,
    and all the depths of the Nile shall be dried up.
The pride of Assyria shall be laid low,
    and the scepter of Egypt shall depart.
12 I will make them strong in the LORD,
    and they shall walk in his name,”
declares the LORD.

The Land was in a time of drought and infertile to reflect the hearts of the people before and during the time of Exile, but the LORD promises to send the rain again to give water to all the people and animals and vegetation.  No longer will the people attribute control of the weather to false gods who have life, no ability to speak, and no power to save or help--they were useless idols of wood, stone, or metal.

The people were given false prophets and false dreams and sent strong delusions so that they might believe the lies that were spoken by these false priests and prophets and that their hearts may be hardened and they would not repent before the time of judgment that they deserved.  Now is the time for restoration and the LORD will once again be understood to be their Good Shepherd.

The LORD is still angry with the leaders who lead the people astray and take what was meant for the sheep (the people) and consume it themselves.  We still see that issue during the time of Jesus, so they didn't learn their lesson--they magnified the issue of the people breaking the Sabbath, because that helped them gain more political control.  The Good Shepherd cares about His sheep being mistreated and He is going to one day make them like His majestic war horse that He rides into battle.

The LORD will be their sure and steady foundation and the means by which they are defended.  They have no need to fear anyone or anything because the LORD is on their side and will protect and defend them.  Just like in the times of the Conquest, the LORD will go in front of them in battle and their enemies will flee before them and they will mop up the enemies that run in fear.  No one will be able to stop them because the LORD has declared them to be victorious.

The LORD will save the house of Judah (the southern tribes) and the house of Joseph (the northern tribes) and restore them as if He had never rejected them and sent them away into Exile.  Though the northern tribes rebelled against the LORD's anointed leader (the sons of David of the tribe of Judah), they will be made strong again.

They will listen to the voice of the LORD and will gather together from the four corners of the earth when He whistles for them.  They will be His redeemed people and they will be as many as before (maybe more--remember the Abrahamic Covenant that promised an uncountable multitude of descendants).  Those who have been dispersed from the Land will return to it once again.  The entirety of the Promised Land will be filled until there is no more room for them.

He will strike down the Gentile nations pictured here as the waves of the troubled sea.   He will dry up the Nile River which the Egyptians worshiped.  He will humble the proud Assyrians and remove the scepter of power from Egypt.  The LORD will make both Egypt and Assyria to be worshipers of the LORD and they will seek the welfare of the LORD's people.  Together Egypt, Assyria and Israel will places where the people of the LORD worship Him in reverence and in gladness and they will walk in His Name (obey Him).

Zechariah 9:14-17
English Standard Version

The LORD Will Save His People
14 Then the LORD will appear over them,
    and his arrow will go forth like lightning;
the LORD God will sound the trumpet
    and will march forth in the whirlwinds of the south.
15 The LORD of hosts will protect them,
    and they shall devour, and tread down the sling stones,
and they shall drink and roar as if drunk with wine,
    and be full like a bowl,
    drenched like the corners of the altar.

16 On that day the LORD their God will save them,
    as the flock of his people;
for like the jewels of a crown
    they shall shine on his land.
17 For how great is his goodness, and how great his beauty!
    Grain shall make the young men flourish,
    and new wine the young women.

The LORD is coming not just as Conquering King, but as Savior for His people.  We have seen this somewhat already in the first time He came to save His people from their sins.  Yes, He will come to judge the living and the dead, but in the broader view of things, He is coming to save His people from the power and presence of sin and to permanently fix the brokenness caused by sin.

When all the armies of the earth come against them, the LORD will be their Shield and Defender--none of the attack of their enemies will harm them.  He will then make His attack and it will be swift like lightning and will hit its mark--all the enemies of the LORD and the LORD's people will be destroyed.  The people of God will have courage that is found not in wine like many soldiers of that day, but by being filled with the Spirit of the LORD.

On that day, He will be like a Shepherd who saves and defends His sheep.  For His flock are like the jewels of a crown to Him.  He will clothe them in righteousness and make them holy so that they will reflect His glory.  Great is the LORD and greatly to be praised!  He is beautiful beyond description--too marvelous for words! He will bring forth an abundance of grain and new wine so that everyone will have their fill and be satisfied and will rejoice that man is again at peace and in perfect union with the LORD.

Zechariah 9:9-13
English Standard Version

The Coming King of Zion
9 Rejoice greatly, O daughter of Zion!
    Shout aloud, O daughter of Jerusalem!
Behold, your king is coming to you;
    righteous and having salvation is he,
humble and mounted on a donkey,
    on a colt, the foal of a donkey.
10 I will cut off the chariot from Ephraim
    and the war horse from Jerusalem;
and the battle bow shall be cut off,
    and he shall speak peace to the nations;
his rule shall be from sea to sea,
    and from the River to the ends of the earth.
11 As for you also, because of the blood of my covenant with you,
    I will set your prisoners free from the waterless pit.
12 Return to your stronghold, O prisoners of hope;
    today I declare that I will restore to you double.
13 For I have bent Judah as my bow;
    I have made Ephraim its arrow.
I will stir up your sons, O Zion,
    against your sons, O Greece,
    and wield you like a warrior's sword.

You may recognize this prophecy as being fulfilled on Palm Sunday.  The king (The Messiah) is coming.  The king riding in on a donkey is a symbol of peace, not war.  So, when Jesus comes the first time He came for peace--to make peace between God and men, but when He comes the second time, He will come riding on a white horse to make war with all of His enemies.

The next part talks about the perfect peace that He will establish during His Millennial Kingdom (so we have one prophecy that is discussing aspects of both the First and Second Comings).  He will destroy all of His enemies and the enemies of His people so that they will be in perfect peace and no longer need instruments of war.  All the remaining people of all the remaining nations will be at peace with Israel and His Kingdom here on Earth.

He will set the captives/prisoners free (we know He already did this spiritually by setting us free from our bondage to sin, but is there a physical fulfillment to come of this?  We will see.).  This is a great word to the people who have returned from Exile that the LORD will serve them a double-portion of grace so that the blessings will overflow on them after they have been far away and cut off for such a long time.  Yet, we end with the idea that today is not the day when there will be peace because Greece is raising its head as the next world superpower and they too will mistreat the people of God and God will judge them.  So, these promises are ultimately for another generation, but they give this generation the hope that they need that in the end God and His people win and everything God promised to them will happen--they may just have to wait for it in the coming Kingdom.

Zechariah 9:1-8
English Standard Version

Judgment on Israel's Enemies
9 The oracle of the word of the LORD is against the land of Hadrach
    and Damascus is its resting place.
For the LORD has an eye on mankind
    and on all the tribes of Israel,
2 and on Hamath also, which borders on it,
    Tyre and Sidon, though they are very wise.
3 Tyre has built herself a rampart
    and heaped up silver like dust,
    and fine gold like the mud of the streets.
4 But behold, the Lord will strip her of her possessions
    and strike down her power on the sea,
    and she shall be devoured by fire.

5 Ashkelon shall see it, and be afraid;
    Gaza too, and shall writhe in anguish;
    Ekron also, because its hopes are confounded.
The king shall perish from Gaza;
    Ashkelon shall be uninhabited;
6 a mixed people shall dwell in Ashdod,
    and I will cut off the pride of Philistia.
7 I will take away its blood from its mouth,
    and its abominations from between its teeth;
it too shall be a remnant for our God;
    it shall be like a clan in Judah,
    and Ekron shall be like the Jebusites.
8 Then I will encamp at my house as a guard,
    so that none shall march to and fro;
no oppressor shall again march over them,
    for now I see with my own eyes.

The LORD goes from north to south naming Israel's remaining enemies that He is going to deal with--the people of the lands of Hadrach, Damascus, Tyre and Sido, and the Philistine city-states of Ashkelon, Gaza, and Ekron.  Why would the LORD do this?  Because He is going to defend them as He just promised and bring them peace on every side, but also because He wants justice to be done for how these nations have sinned against Him and against His people.  He will make available for His people all the Land He has promised to them (though they will not take it)--everything from Damascus in the North the region of Goshen (the Nile River Dellta) in the South was to belong to them. 

The LOR will cause the abominations these people commit to be removed from His sight because they will die and enter eternal judgment for them.  No more would the LORD hear the cries of their innocent victims go unanswered (especially the cries of His people in Israel).  The LORD will guard and defend His people so that no oppressor will ever again march over them.  Did that happen completely?  No.  We know they were controlled by Greece and Rome and Rome invaded and destroyed the Temple and dispersed the people.  Also, Israel does not stretch from Damascus to Gaza and down into Goshen today, so there is still some of this to be fulfilled.  I believe that this is partially fulfilled now as the LORD has defeated all the enemies that tried to make war with His people, but a better day is coming when there will be no enemies to take up arms against them.

Zechariah 8
Christian Standard Bible
​
Obedience and Feasting
8 The word of the LORD of Armies came: 2 The LORD of Armies says this: “I am extremely jealous for Zion; I am jealous for her with great wrath.” 3 The LORD says this: “I will return to Zion and live in Jerusalem. Then Jerusalem will be called the Faithful City; the mountain of the LORD of Armies will be called the Holy Mountain.” 4 The LORD of Armies says this: “Old men and women will again sit along the streets of Jerusalem, each with a staff in hand because of advanced age. 5 The streets of the city will be filled with boys and girls playing in them.” 6 The LORD of Armies says this: “Though it may seem impossible to the remnant of this people in those days, should it also seem impossible to me?”—this is the declaration of the LORD of Armies. 7 The LORD of Armies says this: “I will save my people from the land of the east and the land of the west. 8 I will bring them back to live in Jerusalem. They will be my people, and I will be their faithful and righteous God.”

9 The LORD of Armies says this: “Let your hands be strong, you who now hear these words that the prophets spoke when the foundations were laid for the rebuilding of the temple, the house of the LORD of Armies. 10 For prior to those days neither people nor animals had wages. There was no safety from the enemy for anyone who came or went, for I turned everyone against his neighbor. 11 But now, I will not treat the remnant of this people as in the former days”—this is the declaration of the LORD of Armies. 12 “For they will sow in peace: the vine will yield its fruit, the land will yield its produce, and the skies will yield their dew. I will give the remnant of this people all these things as an inheritance. 13 As you have been a curse among the nations, house of Judah and house of Israel, so I will save you, and you will be a blessing. Don’t be afraid; let your hands be strong.” 14 For the LORD of Armies says this: “As I resolved to treat you badly when your ancestors provoked me to anger, and I did not relent,” says the LORD of Armies, 15 “so I have resolved again in these days to do what is good to Jerusalem and the house of Judah. Don’t be afraid. 16 These are the things you must do: Speak truth to one another; make true and sound decisions within your city gates. 17 Do not plot evil in your hearts against your neighbor, and do not love perjury, for I hate all this”—this is the LORD's declaration.

18 Then the word of the LORD of Armies came to me: 19 The LORD of Armies says this: “The fast of the fourth month, the fast of the fifth, the fast of the seventh, and the fast of the tenth will become times of joy, gladness, and cheerful festivals for the house of Judah. Therefore, love truth and peace.” 20 The LORD of Armies says this: “Peoples will yet come, the residents of many cities; 21 the residents of one city will go to another, saying: Let’s go at once to plead for the LORD's favor and to seek the LORD of Armies. I am also going. 22 Many peoples and strong nations will come to seek the LORD of Armies in Jerusalem and to plead for the LORD's favor.” 23 The LORD of Armies says this: “In those days, ten men from nations of every language will grab the robe of a Jewish man tightly, urging: Let us go with you, for we have heard that God is with you.”

We don't normally think of jealousy as a positive trait, but it is when God is the one who is jealous for His people.  He will not share them with any false gods or anything that steals glory or worship that only He deserves--everything else is just a cheap imitation that is unable to save or deliver His people in their time of need.  The LORD promises that He will return and again dwell with His people and the reputation of Jerusalem will be restored as it will be called the Faithful City and Mount Zion will be called the Holy Mountain.

The streets of the city will be filled with the elderly and young children.  People will live a long, peaceful life, and they will be blessed with lots of children and grandchildren.  This seems impossible in the moment, but the LORD promises that He will do it.  He will save them from all their enemies and He will be their God and they will be His people.

Before the Exile the people were judged because the LORD was trying to get through to them that they needed to repent and listen to His Word spoken through His prophets.  Everyone suffered on account of the unrighteous majority, but the LORD promises that now everyone will be blessed.  The Land will again produce good harvests.  Their curse and shame will be removed.  Where the LORD resolved to be against them in the past, He is now resolved to be for them and to bless them.  However, this should not be a reason for them to become evil once again.  They should obey the LORD because He loves them and they love Him in return.

Now we get to the answer to the question brought up in our previous passage about keeping the days of fasting that were prescribed in the fourth, fifth,  seventh, and tenth months (even more than they originally asked about).  The LORD tells His people that these days of fasting will become joyous occasions for them.  They will be days for the people to remember that every good and perfect gift comes from the hand of the LORD and they will go together to plead for Him to provide for their every need (not their every want).  This will be a sign for the nations that the LORD is not just Defender but also Provider for His people and that they completely trust Him to take care of their every need.  Do the other gods that the Gentiles worship have that kind of reputation?  Certainly not!  There is none like the LORD our God! Therefore the other nations will also come to Jerusalem to plead with the LORD when they are in need.  They will see that He alone can be an ever-present help in times of trouble.  They will hear that the LORD is with His people and He lives among them and they will want to come and see what that looks like--both their fasting and their feasting will be a testimony to the world of how great the LORD is.

Zechariah 7
English Standard Version

A Call for Justice and Mercy
7 In the fourth year of King Darius, the word of the LORD came to Zechariah on the fourth day of the ninth month, which is Chislev. 2 Now the people of Bethel had sent Sharezer and Regem-melech and their men to entreat the favor of the LORD, 3 saying to the priests of the house of the LORD of hosts and the prophets, “Should I weep and abstain in the fifth month, as I have done for so many years?”

4 Then the word of the LORD of hosts came to me: 5 “Say to all the people of the land and the priests, ‘When you fasted and mourned in the fifth month and in the seventh, for these seventy years, was it for me that you fasted? 6 And when you eat and when you drink, do you not eat for yourselves and drink for yourselves? 7 Were not these the words that the LORD proclaimed by the former prophets, when Jerusalem was inhabited and prosperous, with her cities around her, and the South and the lowland were inhabited?’”

8 And the word of the LORD came to Zechariah, saying, 9 “Thus says the LORD of hosts, Render true judgments, show kindness and mercy to one another, 10 do not oppress the widow, the fatherless, the sojourner, or the poor, and let none of you devise evil against another in your heart.” 11 But they refused to pay attention and turned a stubborn shoulder and stopped their ears that they might not hear. 12 They made their hearts diamond-hard lest they should hear the law and the words that the LORD of hosts had sent by his Spirit through the former prophets. Therefore great anger came from the LORD of hosts. 13 “As I called, and they would not hear, so they called, and I would not hear,” says the LORD of hosts, 14 “and I scattered them with a whirlwind among all the nations that they had not known. Thus the land they left was desolate, so that no one went to and fro, and the pleasant land was made desolate.”

Men come from Bethel to inquire of the LORD whether they should still observe the days of fasting that they have been observing while in Exile now that they have returned to the Land and the Temple is rebuilt.  One of the days of fasting (Yom Kipur, The Day of Atonement).  The LORD asks them why they were fasting?  Was it for Him or for themselves?  Certainly they believed the days of feasting were for themselves, and they weren't asking if they should give up on the feast days.  Why are they so quick to give up the solemn days that are meant to show us our need for the LORD and His daily provision?  While there is no definite "Yes" or "No" given, I believe an answer of "No" is implied and the Jewish people still celebrate both the days of fasting and the days of feasting.

The LORD will ultimately answer their question in the next passage we study (he will tell them their times of fasting will even be a time of joy and celebration), but He now reminds them that their Exile and the desolation they see around them is a result of their hard hearts and they need to solemnly focus on the spiritual restoration that is needed--not just the physical restoration.  The LORD will take care of both the people and the Land as we'll see next time.