Skip to main content

Zechariah 13:4 The one whom they pierced - Day 360

Good evening friends,

As another Sabbath draws to a close, we continue to look at this difficult section of Zechariah.  I am generally a proponent of inductive study (going from specifics of what does it say to general or how does it apply0.  However, my late friend Martyn Lloyd Jones highlights the value of deductive study.  In this case, his view is more helpful.  Once we understand the purpose of whole Bible, it helps us to understand what the individual portions mean.  While we may not come up with an absolute correct understanding, if we try to see how it points to Christ, we can't be far off.

Blessings,

Jeff 

That day" - And I will pour out on the house of David and the inhabitants of Jerusalem a spirit of grace and pleas for mercy, so that, when they look on me, on him whom they have pierced, they shall mourn for him, as one mourns for an only child, and weep bitterly over him, as one weeps over a firstborn. Zechariah 12:10

So this is a very messianic day - Jesus is the one whom they pierced.  Yet only His followers mourned for him.  So it seems that there is a day yet in the future when people will mourn in this way.  It is not just the people who physically pierced him for they have long since died.  I think this refers to when Jesus returns and all who participated spiritually in His crucifixion will weep for not having turned to Him in faith.  From a spiritual point of view, Christ was on the cross for the sins of the world.  In that way, every person who has ever lived "pierced him".

Another aspect to "that day" is this "prophets being ashamed of his vision" and even denying that he is a prophet.  Previous 2 verses describe idols and false prophecy being removed from the land.  Given the penalty for these false prophets (killed by their own parents), it make some sense that anyone associated with this practice would try to deny it to safe his life.  If this is all associated with the return of Christ, it would seem that false prophecy and idols would continue up to that day.  As I think about what makes their prophecy false, it seems that it would have to do with denying the return of Christ or drawing people away to "false Christs".  Men who claim to be Christ but aren't.

I am committed to the concept that the entire Bible points to Christ.  This passage is addressed to post exile Jews, yet the ultimate fulfillment is related to Christ.  The mystery that was hidden for ages and generations is Christ in you the hope of glory.  I think seeing this passage as pointing to this mystery is helpful.


Comments

Post a Comment

Popular posts from this blog

Revelation 22:3-5 Final and eternal restoration - Day 365

Dear saints in the Lord, Congratulations!  You made it.  We have been through much turmoil in the last year ('20-'21).  But God is faithful to His promises.  I trust that you have been blessed in your reading and have drawn closer to God.   Since we didn't get the blog up and running at the beginning of the challenge, I am going to go back and post entries to cover that first month or so.   Blessings, Jeff Nothing accursed in the city of God, the new Jerusalem.  The presence of sin will be gone.  I am working on memorizing Westminster Shorter Catechism and currently on question 82.  Is any man able perfectly to keep the commandments of God? No mere man since the fall is able in this life perfectly to keep the commandments of God but does daily break them in thought, word and deed. I think our passage today points to the truth of this question.  Do you notice how this answer is not exactly the same as the question. "Any man" bec...
Post a Comment
Read more

Malachi 2:10-12 Here we go again!! Day 363

Good afternoon friends, As we draw to the end of the Old Testament, we see that Judah has rebuilt the temple and the walls of Jerusalem, but they are following in the footsteps of faithless fathers and not in the footsteps of Abraham and ultimately God.  The exile was a low point, but now a new low is about to happen.  The prophetic voice has once again become warning and not encouraging. Faithful reading and preaching of the word is all that keeps us from losing our way.  May we be faithful in our generation. Blessings, Jeff I am sure I have mentioned this before, but it bears repeating.  The section summary, chapter and verse are not in the original language.  They are all rather modern inventions to help us.  For example, the section title here is "Judah profaned the Covenant".  That is OK as far as it goes, but which Covenant?  So let's take a look. Observations Starts with 3 questions but who is asking the questions and to whom are they addre...
Post a Comment
Read more

2 Chronicles 33:7-9 Thoughts on Davidic covenant - Day 362

Good morning faithful readers, The finish line is in sight!!!  One of the themes of scripture is that God is a covenant keeping God.  There are many between God and man. Adam, Noah, David are examples.  Covenants are more than promises.  They are made between a superior and inferior with conditions for each side and blessing and penalties based on keeping the conditions.  These are covenants of works which fallen man was unable to keep.  Thanks be to God that the Father made a covenant of grace with Christ, the second Adam, which he fully kept. Blessings, Jeff The promise in v8 was made to David when he had planned to build the temple and God promised to build him a house forever. (2 Sam 7:10).  Seems like there are only two possibilities about Manasseh's disobedience.  Either he knew of this covenant that God had made with his 13th great grandfather and chose to disregard it, or he didn't know of it and was unaware of the penalty.  Let's con...
Post a Comment
Read more