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And my holy name I will make known in the midst of my people Israel, and I will not let my holy name be profaned anymore. And the nations shall know that I am the LORD, the Holy One in Israel. Behold, it is coming and it will be brought about, declares the LORD GOD. That is the day of which I have spoken. – Ezekiel 39:7-8

The visions in the second half of Zechariah bear a certain timelessness that makes them difficult to apply. No longer are we dealing with temporal concerns of temple-building or fast-keeping. Instead, past, present and future are woven throughout each other in what, at times, can feel like a confusing pattern.

Today’s opening is clear enough: the burden of the word of the LORD is against a variety of nations: Hadrach and Aram, Tyre and Sidon, and the tribes of the Philistines. For Jerusalem’s king is coming to her, who has bent Judah as His bow, and has made Ephraim His arrow, and His reign shall be from sea to sea, and from the River to the ends of the earth.

This promise to restore and protect Judah and Israel carries through chapter 10, but in chapter 11 comes an interesting command: “Thus said the LORD my God, “Become shepherd of the flock doomed to slaughter…” What follow might be difficult to trace: either Zechariah is speaking and living out a part, or someone else is doing the same, or the entire vision is a metaphor with no specific character attachments. It seems this could be a representation of Israel’s history to date, but this is inconclusive.

My encouragement, as elsewhere, is to read for broader implications and allow details to settle in through repeating readings. You’re allowed to be discerning while humble, recognizing that the meaning of these oracles may have been evident to the original hearers, or may have been just as cryptic to them as it isb to us.

Our verse for this week is Colossians 3:23: Whatever you do, work heartily, as for the Lord and not for men.

Zechariah 9 through 11. Now let’s read it!

Zechariah 9 - 11

A revelation. Jehovah's word is against the land of Hadrach, and will rest upon Damascus-- for the eye of man and of all the tribes of Israel is toward Jehovah-- and Hamath, also, which borders on it, Tyre and Sidon, because they are very wise. Tyre built herself a stronghold, and heaped up silver like the dust, and fine gold like the mire of the streets. Behold, the Lord will dispossess her, and he will strike her power in the sea; and she will be devoured with fire. Ashkelon will see it, and fear; Gaza also, and will writhe in agony; as will Ekron, for her expectation will be disappointed; and the king will perish from Gaza, and Ashkelon will not be inhabited. Foreigners will dwell in Ashdod, and I will cut off the pride of the Philistines. I will take away his blood out of his mouth, and his abominations from between his teeth; and he also will be a remnant for our God; and he will be as a chieftain in Judah, and Ekron as a Jebusite. I will encamp around my house against the army, that no one pass through or return; and no oppressor will pass through them any more: for now I have seen with my eyes. Rejoice greatly, daughter of Zion! Shout, daughter of Jerusalem! Behold, your King comes to you! He is righteous, and having salvation; lowly, and riding on a donkey, even on a colt, the foal of a donkey. I will cut off the chariot from Ephraim and the horse from Jerusalem. The battle bow will be cut off; and he will speak peace to the nations. His dominion will be from sea to sea, and from the River to the ends of the earth. As for you also, because of the blood of your covenant, I have set free your prisoners from the pit in which is no water. Turn to the stronghold, you prisoners of hope! Even today I declare that I will restore double to you. For indeed I bend Judah as a bow for me. I have loaded the bow with Ephraim. I will stir up your sons, Zion, against your sons, Greece, and will make you like the sword of a mighty man. Jehovah will be seen over them. His arrow will flash like lightning. The Lord Jehovah will blow the trumpet, and will go with whirlwinds of the south. Jehovah of Armies will defend them. They will destroy and overcome with sling stones. They will drink, and roar as through wine. They will be filled like bowls, like the corners of the altar. Jehovah their God will save them in that day as the flock of his people; for they are like the jewels of a crown, lifted on high over his land. For how great is his goodness, and how great is his beauty! Grain will make the young men flourish, and new wine the virgins. Ask of Jehovah rain in the spring time, Jehovah who makes storm clouds, and he gives rain showers to everyone for the plants in the field. For the teraphim have spoken vanity, and the diviners have seen a lie; and they have told false dreams. They comfort in vain. Therefore they go their way like sheep. They are oppressed, because there is no shepherd. My anger is kindled against the shepherds, and I will punish the male goats, for Jehovah of Armies has visited his flock, the house of Judah, and will make them as his majestic horse in the battle. From him will come the cornerstone, from him the tent peg, from him the battle bow, from him every ruler together. They will be as mighty men, treading down muddy streets in the battle. They will fight, because Jehovah is with them. The riders on horses will be confounded. "I will strengthen the house of Judah, and I will save the house of Joseph. I will bring them back, for I have mercy on them. They will be as though I had not cast them off, for I am Jehovah their God, and I will hear them. Ephraim will be like a mighty man, and their heart will rejoice as through wine. Yes, their children will see it and rejoice. Their heart will be glad in Jehovah. I will signal for them and gather them, for I have redeemed them. They will increase as they were before. I will sow them among the peoples. They will remember me in far countries. They will live with their children and will return. I will bring them again also out of the land of Egypt, and gather them out of Assyria. I will bring them into the land of Gilead and Lebanon; and there won't be room enough for them. He will pass through the sea of affliction, and will strike the waves in the sea, and all the depths of the Nile will dry up; and the pride of Assyria will be brought down, and the scepter of Egypt will depart. I will strengthen them in Jehovah. They will walk up and down in his name," says Jehovah. Open your doors, Lebanon, that the fire may devour your cedars. Wail, cypress tree, for the cedar has fallen, because the stately ones are destroyed. Wail, you oaks of Bashan, for the strong forest has come down. A voice of the wailing of the shepherds! For their glory is destroyed--a voice of the roaring of young lions! For the pride of the Jordan is ruined. Jehovah my God says: "Feed the flock of slaughter. Their buyers slaughter them and go unpunished. Those who sell them say, 'Blessed be Jehovah, for I am rich;' and their own shepherds don't pity them. For I will no more pity the inhabitants of the land," says Jehovah; "but, behold, I will deliver every one of the men into his neighbor's hand and into the hand of his king. They will strike the land, and out of their hand I will not deliver them." So I fed the flock to be slaughtered, especially the oppressed of the flock. I took for myself two staffs. The one I called "Favor" and the other I called "Union", and I fed the flock. I cut off the three shepherds in one month; for my soul was weary of them, and their soul also loathed me. Then I said, "I will not feed you. That which dies, let it die; and that which is to be cut off, let it be cut off; and let those who are left eat each other's flesh." I took my staff Favor and cut it apart, that I might break my covenant that I had made with all the peoples. It was broken in that day; and thus the poor of the flock that listened to me knew that it was Jehovah's word. I said to them, "If you think it best, give me my wages; and if not, keep them." So they weighed for my wages thirty pieces of silver. Jehovah said to me, "Throw it to the potter--the handsome price that I was valued at by them!" I took the thirty pieces of silver and threw them to the potter in Jehovah's house. Then I cut apart my other staff, Union, that I might break the brotherhood between Judah and Israel. Jehovah said to me, "Take for yourself yet again the equipment of a foolish shepherd. For, behold, I will raise up a shepherd in the land who will not visit those who are cut off, neither will seek those who are scattered, nor heal that which is broken, nor feed that which is sound; but he will eat the meat of the fat sheep, and will tear their hoofs in pieces. Woe to the worthless shepherd who leaves the flock! The sword will strike his arm and his right eye. His arm will be completely withered, and his right eye will be totally blinded!"

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