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. Zechariah 10 ESV
Zechariah 10
Ask for rain from the Lord - The nations around Israel had fertility gods, gods for harvests, and besides the fact that they weren't real, the people were also committing sexually immoral acts to "appease these gods", but that was probably more to appease their own perverted wants, like Joseph Smith or Jim Jones. The actual Creator of the universe, Who made the water and hydrological cycle, did not approve of their delusion or going away from His creative intent. God is inviting Israel to come back to Him, and He has had His prophets preach repentance, which would also cause spiritual blessing to be poured out like rain.
…14For the palace will be forsaken, the busy city abandoned. The hill and the watchtower will become caves forever—the delight of wild donkeys and a pasture for flocks— 15until the Spirit is poured out upon us from on high. Then the desert will be an orchard, and the orchard will seem like a forest. 16Then justice will inhabit the wilderness, and righteousness will dwell in the fertile field.… Isaiah 32: 14-16
…2This is the word of the LORD, your Maker, who formed you from the womb and who will help you: “Do not be afraid, O Jacob My servant, Jeshurun, whom I have chosen. 3For I will pour water on the thirsty land, and currents on the dry ground. I will pour out My Spirit on your descendants, and My blessing on your offspring. 4They will sprout among the grass like willows by flowing streams.… Isaiah 44: 2-4
For the household gods utter nonsense - The people are going to the wrong things for an oracle, things they made with their hands. In the end times, during the time of Jacob's trouble, Israel will want peace as anyone does and should, but they will put trust in the Antichrist, who will put up an image, and even cause that image to speak. This chapter is looking forward to the time when Israel will be at the end of this, the materialism will not work out, going to idols and asking for the wrong things will not improve their relationship to God.
…2You crave what you do not have; you kill and covet, but are unable to obtain it. You quarrel and fight. You do not have, because you do not ask. 3And when you do ask, you do not receive, because you ask with wrong motives, that you may squander it on your pleasures. 4You adulteresses! Do you not know that friendship with the world is hostility toward God? Therefore, whoever chooses to be a friend of the world renders himself an enemy of God.… James 4: 2-4
Therefore the people wander like sheep - They are reaping the reward of going to diviners, putting their hope in idols, false prophets and teachers. Jesus warns that this will increase and grow worse all the way to the end.
3 As he sat on the Mount of Olives, the disciples came to him privately, saying, “Tell us, when will these things be, and what will be the sign of your coming and of the end of the age?” 4 And Jesus answered them, “See that no one leads you astray. 5 For many will come in my name, saying, ‘I am the Christ,’ and they will lead many astray. 6 And you will hear of wars and rumors of wars. See that you are not alarmed, for this must take place, but the end is not yet. 7 For nation will rise against nation, and kingdom against kingdom, and there will be famines and earthquakes in various places. 8 All these are but the beginning of the birth pains.
9 “Then they will deliver you up to tribulation and put you to death, and you will be hated by all nations for my name's sake. 10 And then many will fall away and betray one another and hate one another. 11 And many false prophets will arise and lead many astray. 12 And because lawlessness will be increased, the love of many will grow cold. 13 But the one who endures to the end will be saved. 14 And this gospel of the kingdom will be proclaimed throughout the whole world as a testimony to all nations, and then the end will come. Matthew 24: 3-14
…2Preach the word; be prepared in season and out of season; reprove, rebuke, and encourage with every form of patient instruction. 3For the time will come when men will not tolerate sound doctrine, but with itching ears they will gather around themselves teachers to suit their own desires. 4So they will turn their ears away from the truth and turn aside to myths.… 2 Timothy 4: 2-4
They are afflicted for lack of a shepherd...My anger is hot against the shepherds - You see that, how can God be mad at shepherds when they lack shepherds? That's simple, they have people with the title, shepherd, which are also called, kings, governors, priests, prophets. Now Israel does not have it's own king outside of the tidal rule of another kingdom, not since the Babylonian captivity, but those of any kingdom, who rule, will be judged for how they treated those made in His image. God is just, so if you enlist yourself in a role as a shepherd, a leader, a manager, a police officer, someone who is supposed to uphold justice, but you don't, well, God is angry. Those who call themselves shepherds of flocks, like preachers, priests back then, and prophets, yet lead people astray, use the position, the title, to fleece the flock, and think their own dreams, thoughts, visions and words are equal to or better than God's, yes, God is angry with you. Read the links above, and think, because this carries out to the end. Do you want what the heart wants, or do you want God to change your heart so that you want what God wants? Who is teaching you that your first priority is to be rich in this life? Who is telling you about positive thinking and learning ways to be liked, and leaving out the teaching of God's holiness and His wrath toward sin. We need to have an eternal perspective, but these shepherds did not. They did not love the sheep, regardless of what they said.
…11I am the good shepherd. The good shepherd lays down His life for the sheep. 12 The hired hand is not the shepherd, and the sheep are not his own. When he sees the wolf coming, he abandons the sheep and runs away. Then the wolf pounces on them and scatters the flock. 13The man runs away because he is a hired servant and is unconcerned for the sheep.… John 10: 11-13
From him shall come the cornerstone - This is Messiah, Who is Christ, coming out of Judah. He will be described three ways here.
…41“He will bring those wretches to a wretched end,” they replied, “and will rent out the vineyard to other tenants who will give him his share of the fruit at harvest time.” 42 Jesus said to them, “ Have you never read in the Scriptures: ‘The stone the builders rejected has become the cornerstone. This is from the Lord, and it is marvelous in our eyes’? 43Therefore I tell you that the kingdom of God will be taken away from you and given to a people who will produce its fruit.… Matthew 21: 41-43
1Now, O daughter of troops, mobilize your troops; for a siege is laid against us! With a rod they will strike the cheek of the judge of Israel. 2But you, Bethlehem Ephrathah, who are small among the clans of Judah, out of you will come forth for Me One to be ruler over Israel— One whose origins are of old, from the days of eternity. 3Therefore Israel will be abandoned until she who is in labor has given birth; then the rest of His brothers will return to the children of Israel.… Micah 5: 1-3
19Therefore you are no longer strangers and foreigners, but fellow citizens with the saints and members of God’s household, 20built on the foundation of the apostles and prophets, with Christ Jesus Himself as the cornerstone. 21In Him the whole building is fitted together and grows into a holy temple in the Lord.… Ephesians 2: 19-21
Feature number one – and I’m going to jump into verse 4 for number 1 and then backtrack. Feature number one, the first thing Israel will receive is a divine Redeemer – the divine Redeemer. Verse 4, “Out of him” – and the Him there refers back to its antecedent in verse 3, which is the house of Judah, so out of Judah – “came forth the corner, out of him the nail, out of him the battle bow, and out of him every oppressor together.” Now let’s go back and look at this verse. Zechariah reminds the people that the Messiah is coming and he identifies Him in this verse. Really this is one of the richest Messianic prophecies in the Old Testament and it’s not one that’s studied very often, and yet it’s just really loaded. I don’t even think tonight I have time to cover all the things that are here in this one verse. - J Mac
And what Zechariah is saying here is really the same thing. He is saying Christ is the one who will come and give stability to Israel. And that’s the thing they’ve needed for so many centuries. Baron, David Barron, in his great commentary on Zechariah, says, “The great architect of the universe has purposed for Himself from all eternity to raise out of frail imperfect human materials a glorious temple for His own eternal habitation through the Spirit, which when completed shall show forth, even more than the material temple of the universe, to principalities and powers the infinite power and manifold wisdom of God. And in order to insure that temple’s eternal safety, He has bestowed great care on the foundation. He Himself has laid it, and the tried and precious cornerstone which He has laid as the basis of this mystical structure is His own Son who is perfected forevermore against whom the gates of hell cannot prevail.” And so we can say, let the storms rage and let infidelity assail and let men and devils do their utmost. When God sets Jesus as the cornerstone, the foundation stands sure. And we know that now, don’t we, because Christ is the cornerstone of the foundation of the church. And we have seen the church stand and weather the storm. And some day He’ll become the cornerstone of Israel. - J Mac
From Him the tent peg - So, an interesting word here for peg, or tent nail, and what comes to mind first is that which we are all familiar with, the pegs that go into the tent that keep it spread out, or on larger tents, the even longer tent pegs attached to rope. The rope is attached to a tent pole at one end and the other to the stake, to keep the pole straight, so the wind doesn't push it over. Now that brings to remembrance, Jael, the woman who killed Sisera. But there is another peg for which this work can refer, and it goes well with the idea of the cornerstone, and that is the peg that goes into the center pole of the tent. This is where the valuable items of the family were hung, on the peg, on the center pole of their dwelling. So that is a good possibility, since Christ is the most honorable thing we have, the most precious and valuable. He is also that peg upon all of history past and present hangs, for without His sacrifice, all of history would have ended in the garden.
…25He asked for water, and she gave him milk. In a magnificent bowl she brought him curds. 26She reached for the tent peg, her right hand for the workman’s hammer. She struck Sisera and crushed his skull; she shattered and pierced his temple. 27At her feet he collapsed, he fell, there he lay still; at her feet he collapsed, he fell; where he collapsed, there he fell dead.… Judges 5: 25-27
…22I will place on his shoulder the key to the house of David. What he opens no one can shut, and what he shuts no one can open. 23I will drive him like a peg into a firm place, and he will be a throne of glory for the house of his father. 24So they will hang on him the whole burden of his father’s house: the descendants and the offshoots—all the lesser vessels, from bowls to every kind of jar.… Isaiah 22: 22-24
From him the battle bow - Judah will be victorious through God once again, as we saw in a nearer fulfillment against Antiochus, and then in the greater fulfillment with Christ at the end of the age. Israel, though small and beleaguered in that day, will be victorious through Christ.
…12Return to your stronghold, O prisoners of hope; even today I declare that I will restore to you double. 13For I will bend Judah as My bow and fit it with Ephraim. I will rouse your sons, O Zion, against the sons of Greece. I will make you like the sword of a mighty man. Zechariah 9: 12-13
10So I fell at his feet to worship him. But he told me, “Do not do that! I am a fellow servant with you and your brothers who rely on the testimony of Jesus. Worship God! For the testimony of Jesus is the spirit of prophecy.” 11Then I saw heaven standing open, and there before me was a white horse. And its rider is called Faithful and True. With righteousness He judges and wages war. 12He has eyes like blazing fire, and many royal crowns on His head. He has a name written on Him that only He Himself knows.… Revelation 19: 10-12
I will strengthen the house of Judah and I will save the house of Joseph - This is an interesting statement, since Judah has come back from the Babylonian captivity, but the tribe of Joseph is represented by the two tribes, Ephraim and Manasseh, Ephraim being the largest and most influential tribe in the northern kingdom, often it's name was used as the representation for the 10 tribes of the northern kingdom. The northern kingdom was taken to Assyria, and seemingly spread out and mixed with the nations to the point of an impossible recovery. This reaches out to all of Israel, the children of Jacob.
I will bring them back because I have compassion on them - Oh, not because they are pretty, smart, wise, or good?
…18Then Moses said, “Please show me Your glory.” 19“I will cause all My goodness to pass before you,” the LORD replied, “and I will proclaim My name— the LORD— in your presence. I will have mercy on whom I have mercy, and I will have compassion on whom I have compassion.” 20But He added, “You cannot see My face, for no one can see Me and live.”… Exodus 33:18-20
I will whistle for them - Chills...
a. I will whistle for them and gather them: The promise to gather Israel is repeated often in the prophecies of New Covenant (Deuteronomy 30:1-6, Jeremiah 23:1-8, Jeremiah 32:37-41, Ezekiel 11:16-20, Ezekiel 36:16-28). Though Israel was scattered to the nations, they shall remember Me in far countries and come back to the land.
i. In the 20th Century many Jewish people were gathered back to the land of Israel, and in 1948 Israel became a nation again – after more than 2,000 years of not being a nation. Does the 20th Century gathering of Israel fulfill this prophecy? It fulfills it in part, but only in part – because Israel will be gathered again in belief, not in rejection of the LORD and His Savior. The gathering began in unbelief, but will end up in belief and trust in Jesus. - Enduring Word
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