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Text from Zechariah 12:1-13:1
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Text from Zechariah 12:1-13:1
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The transcription is a sermon on Zechariah chapter 12, verses 1-8. The speaker discusses the author, audience, and message of Zechariah. He emphasizes the importance of understanding the historical context and the credibility of the Bible. The main point is that God's word concerning Israel is true and should be listened to, despite opposition. The speaker also mentions the rebuilding of Jerusalem and the temple after the exile. chapter 12, verse 1, through chapter 13, verse 1. So we're going to take a moment so you can find Zechariah chapter 12. Of course, if you're using the Red Pew Bible that's before you, then you have Sandy Walters to thank, because she has placed the bookmarks right there at today's text. So thank you, Sandy, for doing that. If your bookmark got moved somewhere along the way, Zechariah chapter 12 is found on page 673 in the Red Pew Bible. If you brought your own Bible, Zechariah, there is a handy little table of contents right in the front of your Bible, or at least there should be, unless you've torn it out. The next-to-last book of the Old Testament, and that's where we're finding ourselves today. So, Zechariah chapter 12 is God's Word. This is the Word of the Lord concerning Israel. "...and who forms the spirit of man within him declares, I am going to make Jerusalem a cup that shall be all the surrounding peoples reeling. Judah will be besieged as well as Jerusalem. But when all the nations are gathered against her, I will make Jerusalem an immovable rock for all the nations. On that day I will strike every horse with panic, and its rider with madness, declares the Lord. I will keep a watchful eye on the horses of the nations. Then the leaders of Judah will say in their hearts, the people of Jerusalem are strong, because the Lord Almighty is their God. On that day I will make the leaders of Judah like a fire pot and a wood pile, like a flaming torch among sheaves. They will consume right and left all the surrounding peoples, but Jerusalem will remain intact in her place. 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. 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. On that day I will set out to destroy all the nations that attack Jerusalem, 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. On that day the weeping in Jerusalem will be great, like the weeping of Hadad-Rimon in the plain of Medigo. 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, the clan of the house of Levi and their wives, the clan of Shimei and their wives, and all the rest of the clans and their wives. And 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 Word of the Lord. Thanks be to God. Please be seated. Continuing in our Advent series, the series entitled, The Weary World Rejoices, and today we have the privilege of studying our text here from the prophet Zechariah. Here's how we'll break down this text. First we're going to take a minute to consider the author and his audience and his message. Then we'll look at chapter 12, verses 1-8, the plan of God for the city of God. Chapter 12, verses 9-14, it's the gift of Emmanuel. It's Christmastime. We study that throughout the season and here it is. In chapter 13, verse 1, he was pierced for our transgressions. So let's begin with a consideration of the author, his audience, and his message. His name was Zechariah and he served God as a prophet. And specifically we say that he was a post-exilic prophet. Now we characterize the prophets when they serve in relation to the Babylonian exile. So some prophets, like, and there will be a test afterwards, you don't have to take notes, but if you want to, go right ahead. Some prophets, like Isaiah or Jonah, are described as pre-exilic prophets because they were active before Judah was taken into exile by the Babylonians. Other prophets are characterized as exilic, as they prophesied in Babylon during the captivity. Ezekiel and Daniel are exilic prophets. And then certain prophets are known as post-exilic prophets because they served in and around Jerusalem after the return of the captives. Now Haggai and Malachi are post-exilic prophets and Zechariah is too. That's placing him in history for us. So when we read and study the words of the prophets, it's important for us always to consider the context in which the prophecy appears. Zechariah's ministry began about 520 BC, was after the return of the Jews from exile. Zechariah prophesies about the time of the building of the second temple. It's the time that Ezra and Nehemiah were writing about. And we know that Zechariah is serving during this time because Ezra tells us about Zechariah in his ministry. We read that in several places in Ezra's book. So why is it important to know all this? Why do we need to know all this information about Zechariah? Well, it's important for two reasons. First, it's something that we've discussed previously, and that it is that the Bible claims to be true, and one of the ways it makes its claim is by locating its characters and stories in human history. So here, in the midst of the reigns of the Persian kings, Cyrus and Darius and Artaxerxes, the things here in the text are extra-biblically verifiable. That means we know there are sources outside the Bible that confirm the things that the Bible is teaching. We know this story is true about the captivity of the Jews, and their release, their release and return to Israel, and their rebuilding of the city and the temple. And the facts concerning Zechariah's ministry are tied to these historical accounts. So unbelievers and skeptics and critics who like to make the claim that the Bible isn't true. Well, it's difficult to make such a claim when much of what the Bible speaks of contains is also present in other writings outside the Bible. The writings outside the Bible give credence to our claim of its truth. But there's a second reason why we need to know this background information, and it's tied to our first verse in the text for today. Zechariah chapter 12, verse 1. Notice that first verse. It says, this is the word of the Lord concerning Israel. Now, a number of Old Testament prophets will say things like the word of the Lord, and then they'll begin to say what God has commanded them to say. They're all prophets of God. The word they communicate, it truly is the word of the Lord. That's their job. But we notice the writings of some of the prophets will say something like, this is the word of the Lord. Or they may say something like, an oracle concerning the word of the Lord. Now, why do they have to put those extra words in there? Why is it important when they say that, why do we need to know that? When a prophet of God begins with a statement like an oracle concerning the word of the Lord, or in this case, this is the word of the Lord, they're using similar language, and the use of the phrase indicates a weight or a burden felt by the prophet. The prophet feels that he must declare this word to this people. The prophet is commanded to do so. The prophet is preoccupied with the message and the communication of it. He probably can't sleep at night because he knows he needs to declare this word to this people. So we begin our text with a sense of the weight and the importance of these words. Zechariah begins with, this is the word of the Lord concerning Israel. And despite what the Babylonians might have said, and regardless of the pronouncements of the Persian kings, the prophecy given through Zechariah is the declaration that God's people must listen to and they must attend to, because God is the one who speaks concerning his people, because they belong to him, and he rules and reigns over them. So it doesn't matter what anybody else in the world is saying, when God speaks, God speaks the truth, and what God says is what Zechariah says, this is the word of the Lord concerning Israel. And does this not speak to us today? God is the one who speaks with authority over God's people. God's word is the word concerning God's people. The world today wants so badly to relegate the Bible to insignificance and to disregard Christ but that's not going to happen, because the kingdom of the Lord Jesus Christ is expanding, is expanding even now, and it will continue to expand until the day of Christ's return, when Christ's kingdom will be known in its fullness and its completeness. And on top of that, we know this truth, child of God, hear this truth, God will never fail nor forsake his children. So the world wants to speak doom and gloom over the kingdom of God, but it is God who has declared that these words are true. So when we hear these words of the prophet, this is the word of the Lord concerning Israel, we know it to be true. We know this is the plan that God has for his people. So the prophet Zechariah is right to make this bold proclamation. The Syrians and the Babylonians had thought that they were in charge over the people of Israel and Judah, and in Zechariah's day it was the Persians who thought that they held sway. But it's God who has declared that the Jews would come back to Jerusalem to rebuild the temple and the city, and so the exile has ended, and the people that were captive have been released, and they have returned, and this is the word of the Lord concerning Israel. And you know, because this is the time when they are back in Jerusalem, you know that this is the time when they're rebuilding the temple and the city. The building projects have begun, yet as you know from the story, opposition arises, and some of this opposition comes from locals occupying the land. They're the ones who are occupying the place of Jerusalem, and they're opposed to the rebuilding of Jerusalem. We read about this in the book of Nehemiah, for example, chapter 4, verses 7 and 8. The text says that when Sanballat, Tobiah, the Arabs, and the Ammonites, and the men of Ashdod heard that the repairs of Jerusalem's walls had gone ahead and that the gaps were being closed, they were very angry, and they all plotted together to come and fight against Jerusalem, and to stir up trouble against it. As Nehemiah tells the story, the people of Judah were continually dealing with Sanballat and the others who were trying to stop the rebuilding of the temple and the city, but what Sanballat and his buddies didn't know and couldn't possibly understand was that God had plans for Jerusalem, and those plans were going to be completed because the truth of God's people in Jerusalem was this, this is the word concerning, the word of the Lord concerning Israel. And if this wasn't enough, there actually was another group to contend with concerning Jerusalem, and this is the Jews, people who had returned from exile, they were now living in Jerusalem, and God had commanded the people to attend to the rebuilding of the temple, but these folks had other plans in mind. In fact, the prophet Haggai tells us that instead of working on the temple, they're working on adorning their own houses. They're working on not just building their own houses, but decorating their houses, rather than building a temple, and they're complaining that they need time to decorate their houses instead of spending time building the temple. The Jews are trying to rebuild the temple, and yet some are working on their own houses, which would be okay, but they've built their houses, now they're decorating them instead of spending time attending to construction of the temple. But we know that in the text that the work of the temple eventually continues, the place of worship must be built, the truth concerning God's people in Jerusalem, this is the word concerning Israel. Okay, that's all background to get us to our text for today. Verses 1-8, God is pleased to bring back Jerusalem to the people who were exiled, and now that the Jews have returned, God is directing the people to rebuild the temple, the city, God speaking through His prophets. We read of these various promises here in the text, but we realize that these promises are not, they cannot be immediate. There's something bigger, and there's a bigger picture going on, and we notice that here in the text. Beginning with the second half of verse 1, notice some of God's promises for Judah and for Jerusalem. Notice what the text says, verse 2. He writes, I'm going to make Jerusalem a cup that sends all the surrounding people's reeling. Verse 3, I'll make Jerusalem an immovable rock for all the nations. Verse 4, I'll keep a watchful eye over the house of Judah. Verse 6, I'll make the leaders of Judah like a fire pot and a wood pile. In other words, Judah will thrive and grow. It'll become like a fire that can't be put out. In fact, Zechariah is looking into the future, and he's looking into an unspecified date and time, and he's saying, these things are going to come to pass. Zechariah is making these grand, sweeping statements over time and creation. He looks all the way back to the very beginning, and he looks forward to the conclusion, and he does it all in one big picture. Do you notice the text where it says, the Lord who stretches out the heavens, who lays out the foundation of the earth, and who forms the spirit of man within him declares, I'm going to make Jerusalem a cup that sends all the surrounding people's reeling. And then we notice the favor bestowed upon the inhabitants of Jerusalem. Not only does God promise a new city, but God also promises a new people. It's found in verse 8. Look at the text. It says, on that day the Lord will shield those who live in Jerusalem, so that the feeblest among them will be like David. 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. God, who is sovereign over all creation, is looking back to the beginning, and he's looking forward to the end, and he says, here's what I'm going to do. Here the prophet Zechariah declares the plan of God for the city of God. So we ask the question, well, how is God going to bring this all about? How is God going to do this? How is God going to make this all happen? Now we come to verses 9 through 14, to the end of the chapter, and first we've got a little work to do with the text. So you'll have to bear with me a little bit here, but there's a little work to do with the text. A couple of things that we're going to look at. First, you see this verse, verses 9 and 10, and at the beginning of verse 10 it has the word and, but really that should be but instead of and, because there's opposition in the text. And then at the end of verse 10 the word supplication is there, that better understood as mercy. So we put that together, and here's the way we can read verses 9 and 10. It'll say this, On that day I will set out to destroy all the nations that attack Jerusalem, but I will pour out on the house of David and the inhabitants of Jerusalem a spirit of grace and mercy. Now, the day of judgment for those who fight against God, those among the nations that would attack Jerusalem, but the glorious blessing of grace and mercy for those who believe in God, for those who are residents of the house of David and the inhabitants of Jerusalem. Condemnation for those who reject God, but divine favor and compassion for those who trust in God. So we come to the middle of verse 10, the claim of the Old Testament of which we recall during this season. This is a verse that is one of those verses that we read of often, especially this time of year, from the Old Testament that point us forward. We read this verse and clearly we know there's a price to be paid. We know that a spirit of grace and mercy will be poured out upon the house of David and the inhabitants of Jerusalem, but we see in the text that it's going to come at a cost. For there will be one who will come, one who will be the agent of the outpouring of grace and mercy, and clearly this one will serve, and clearly this one will give of himself as a sacrifice. Let's notice together the middle of verse 10. Look what it says. It says, They will look on me, the one they have pierced. They will look on me, the one they have pierced. Of course, the imagery here clearly points us forward. Zechariah is writing sometime around the year 520 BC. He doesn't have a precise date. He doesn't have a name, but he has a vision, and Zechariah describes that vision, and the vision he has is this. They will look on me, the one they have pierced. One who is promised, one who will come to God's people, one who will pour out upon the people grace and mercy, one who will be with us, and yet they will look on him, the one they have pierced. And then we see that for this one who will serve and will be a sacrifice, there will be the grief of those who will experience sorrow at his suffering and anguish at his death. Look at the text. It says they will mourn for him as one mourns for an only child and grieve bitterly for him as one who grieves for a firstborn son. Beyond the mourning at the time of this one's death, the mourning will continue into the future, and we see this in verse 11. The text says this. It says, on that day the weeping in Jerusalem will be great, like the weeping of Hadad-Rimon in the plain of Megiddo. Now, Hadad-Rimon is a place in the valley of Medigo, and this is in Israel, and this is the place where Judah's king Josiah was mortally wounded in battle. If you want some homework this week, 2 Chronicles 35 tells us of this story, and it tells us that all of Judah and Jerusalem mourned over the loss of Josiah. The mourning endured by God's people over the one who was pierced will be great, just like it was for Josiah. And this one whom the people look upon, the one who was pierced, this mourning will continue. Notice verses 12 through 14. The land's going to mourn, and the families mourn, and the clans will mourn. And we know this mourning continues, and Scripture confirms this. And we read about this mourning in other places in Scripture as well. The apostle John wrote this at the beginning of the book of Revelation. He sees the same display of mourning. Revelation 1-7, John writes, look, he is coming with the clouds, and every eye will see him, even those who pierced him. And all the peoples of the earth will mourn because of him. Now, but here we've got to ask a question. If grace and mercy are poured out upon the people, why would the people mourn? Think about that, you know, that doesn't make any sense. If the Bible is telling us that this one comes who was pierced, and for this all the people will mourn, why would they mourn if grace and mercy is being poured out? Why would all the people mourn? If grace and mercy is poured out upon the people, why would the people mourn? Well, my friends, it's this. We mourn over grace and mercy when we learn that we need grace and mercy. We mourn over grace and mercy when we learn that we need grace and mercy. When grace and mercy is displayed, lifted up so that everyone can see it, then it becomes evident. People know what it is, they can see it, they understand this is grace and mercy, and it's grace and mercy which I need. The people mourn over grace and mercy when they learn that they need grace and mercy. You and I know that we need grace and mercy. I wonder sometimes clearly the gospel message is a difficult message because it requires us to understand that we are a people in need of grace and mercy. The Apostle Paul talks about this same kind of mourning. This is in 2 Corinthians chapter 7. Paul says, even if I caused you sorrow by my letter, I don't regret it. Though I did regret it, I see that my letter hurt you, but only for a little while. Yet now I'm happy, not because you were made sorry, but because your sorrow led to repentance. For you became sorrowful as God intended, and so were not harmed in any way by us. Godly sorrow brings repentance that leads to salvation and leaves no regret, while worldly sorrow brings death. Paul continues, he says, see what this godly sorrow has produced in you, what earnestness, what eagerness to clear yourselves, what indignation, what alarm, what longing, what concern, what readiness to see justice done. My friends, my brothers and sisters, it is quite okay to mourn over and feel sorrow over our sin, our own sin as well as the sin around us. We would do well in fact to grieve because of it. In fact, the opposite would be terrible if you or I comprehended even some measure of sin in our life, and yet were indifferent to it, were callous toward it, were scoffing of the alarm concerning it, were uncaring about it. If you and I comprehended even some measure of sin in our own life, yet didn't care about it, my friends, this would certainly be indicative of a dead, cold, stony, unrepentant, unbelieving heart. And we've all been there at various times in our life, and it's a place we never want to be. But it's true, our hearts must ache and must mourn over the understanding of our own sin and our need of a Savior. And so therefore, we recognize and we agree with the text of Zechariah, which reminds us that we would grieve over our own sin. Even recorded in Matthew's Gospel, Jesus declared, at the time the Son of Man will appear in the sky and all the nations will mourn, because all will be called to attention to the truth concerning their sin and their need of a Savior. So we come to the first verse in chapter 13, and there's a connection in this first verse. So the chapter ends at a difficult spot, and it's kind of a grumpy spot. You know, the Old Testament prophets seem kind of grumpy. Some of them seem really grumpy. And we're in kind of a grumpy spot. And is that the place we should end? Well, there's a little bit more, and it's in the first verse of chapter 13. There's a connection here to the preceding chapter. So here it is. We know that grace and mercy are poured out upon the children of God. And why is this important for us to know? Well, we've just had this lecture from Zechariah about our knowledge of our own sin and the fact that we should acknowledge it and grieve over it. Grace and mercy poured out for the children of God. Why do we need to know this? What is the benefit or the application received and enjoyed from this outpouring of grace and mercy? Grace and mercy don't— God doesn't pour out grace and mercy just to pour out grace and mercy. He's just not doing it just for no reason. No, grace and mercy are divine avenues, and they exist because through them something is received from God. Right? We receive grace and mercy because through grace and mercy, God has something for us. So grace and mercy are avenues. They are instruments. They are tools that God's using to deliver something to us. What is the thing that he's delivering to us? Well, let's look together at chapter 13, verse 1. What do we receive from God? Look at the text. 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. So we compare this with chapter 12, verse 10. We find similarities between the two verses. Chapter 12, verse 10, it's an outpouring. Chapter 13, verse 1, it's a fountain opened. In both chapter—in both verse 10 and then 13, verse 1, the recipients are the same, aren't they? The house of David and the inhabitants of Jerusalem. Chapter 12, verse 10 tells us what's received, grace and mercy. And chapter 13, verse 1 tells us the benefit of what's received. It's cleansing from sin and cleansing from impurity. So let's consider the benefits. First, cleansing from sin, something we should all certainly comprehend. Why? Because we know that all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God. And, of course, this includes you and me. And we know that sin is offensive to the Holy God. And we know that the Maker has called each person to live obedient lives. And we know that sin no longer reigns over the believer, yet it does remain in each believer's life. So we picture the child of God resting below the fountain from which grace and mercy is poured out. So the child of God is cleansed from sin. But Zechariah also tells us that grace and mercy deliver not only cleansing from sin, but cleansing from impurity. Do you see that in the text? It's not just cleansing from sin, but it's also cleansing from impurity. Now, there's one word in particular here used by the prophet, not pleasant to consider, but it's intentionally descriptive here in the text. In the language of Zechariah's day, the word here rendered in English as impurity is the word for uncleanness as a result of menstruation. And if you recall in Leviticus chapter 15, menstruation rendered a woman ceremonially unclean for seven days. And because of ceremonial uncleanness, she was unable to go to temple, unable to visit another person's house, and unable to enjoy a meal with anyone except immediate family members. Due to her ceremonial uncleanness, the woman was cut off from the presence of God and separated from the people of God. This is Old Testament stuff here. And it's a declaration of impurity which is given to all women, every woman, every month during the span of each woman's life, during the time of life that includes menstruation. Happens all the time for each woman. And here is the understanding of Zechariah's choice of words. Just as in the way in which a woman is regarded as unclean due to her monthly impurity, so are all women and all men declared as impure due to sin by the Holy God. None are righteous. No, not one. Everyone cut off from the presence of God. Everyone separated from the people of God. But Zechariah has good news. Notice chapter 13, verse 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. We're reminded of the words, Isaiah 53. Surely he took up our infirmities and carried our sorrows. Yet we considered him stricken by God, smitten by him and afflicted. But he was pierced for our transgressions. He was crushed for our iniquities. And the punishment that brought us peace was upon him. The declaration of the Word of God is that there is a fountain flowing, a fountain which pours forth grace and mercy. And who are the recipients of grace and mercy? Zechariah says it's the house of David and it's the inhabitants of Jerusalem. Okay, who meets that test? Who are the residents of the house of David? Who are the inhabitants of Jerusalem? And the Bible tells us this as well. It's in Hebrews chapter 12. Listen to what the text says. This is Hebrews chapter 12. It says, but you, believers in Jesus, but you have come to Mount Zion, to the heavenly Jerusalem, to the city of the living God. You, believers in Jesus, you have come to thousands upon thousands of angels in joyful assembly to the church of the firstborn, whose names, your name, my name, the name of all who have placed their faith and trust in Christ. The names are all written in heaven. You, believers in Jesus, you have come to God, the judge of all men, to the spirits of righteous men made perfect, and to Jesus, the mediator of a new covenant. So here's the good news for all who believe. Those who have placed their faith and trust for Jesus Christ, for salvation, are thereby declared by God's word to be residents of the house of David, and inhabitants, permanent inhabitants, eternal inhabitants, forever inhabitants of the heavenly Jerusalem. And that includes you and me. Now I know what you're thinking, because I'm thinking the same thing. I don't deserve this. I can't possibly be counted as a member of the house of David and inhabitant of the eternal Jerusalem. I can't possibly be counted in that number. There is no way, because I don't deserve this. Of course I don't deserve this. Neither do you, but we receive it. Why? Because we belong to Jesus, and he's the one who was pierced. Christ is the fountain from which we receive grace and mercy, and Christ is the fountain from which we receive cleansing from sin and impurity. We think of the words of the hymn, Come thou fount of every blessing, tune my heart to sing thy praise. Streams of mercy, never ceasing, call for songs of loudest praise. Teach me some melodious sonnet, sung by flaming tongues above. Praise the mount, I'm fixed upon it, mount of thy redeeming love. Now typically I offer an extemporaneous prayer at the close of the sermon, but today we would do well to use a prayer that John Calvin wrote, one that he sought fit to include at the end of his commentary of this passage in Zechariah. This is a great prayer. He says it better than I could. Let's bow our heads and pray together, shall we? Grant, almighty God, that since thou has been pleased to adopt us as thy people, and from being thine enemies, profane and reprobate, to make us the children of Abraham, that we might be to thee a holy heritage. O grant that through the whole course of our life, we may so repent as to attain thy mercy, which is daily set before us in the gospel, and of which thou has given us a sure pledge in the death of thy only Son, so that we may become more and more humble before thee, and that being thus united to thee, we may be confirmed in the faith until we shall reach that blessed rest which has been procured for us by the blood of thy Son, Jesus Christ. Amen. I invite you to stand.
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