Zechariah 13 says,...

Today our verses are all of Zechariah chapter 13.  It reads,

v.1 - "In that day a fountain will be opened for the house of David and for the inhabitants of Jerusalem, for sin and for impurity."

There is a fountain filled with blood, drawn from Immanuel’s veins, and sinners plunged beneath that flood lose all their guilty stains:  lose all their guilty stains, lose all their guilty stains; and sinners plunged beneath that flood lose all their guilty stains.

I think this is where this song comes from.  Here is a fountain that will be opened for the reason of the sin and impurity of Israel, from the top, the house of David, to the bottom, the unnamed inhabitants of Jerusalem.  We know that fountain to be Jesus and He was sent by God out of love to be opened up on the cross for our sins.

v.2, 3 - "It will come about in that day," declares the LORD of hosts, "that I will cut off the nations of the idols of the land, and they will no longer be remembered; and I will also remove the prophets and the unclean spirit from the land.  And if anyone still prophesies, then his father and mother who gave birth to him will say to him, 'You shall not live, for you have spoken falsely in the name of the LORD'; and his father and mother who gave birth to him will pierce him through when he prophecies." 

Needless to say, it is not going to go well for those who speak against God.  The teachers of other gods will be removed along with their man-made idols and the unclean spirit that resides within them.  It is unthinkable for a mother and father to take the life of their son who is speaking against God and promoting other gods but the word picture here is to show how our relationship with God is to be number 1 in our lives above any other.  A day of judgment is coming in which God will right all wrongs and this is a stern warning to the false prophets of their end if they don't turn back to Him.

v.4-6 - "Also it will come about in that day that the prophets will each be ashamed of his vision when he prophesies, and they will not put on a hairy robe in order to deceive; but he will say, 'I am not a prophet; I am a tiller of the ground, for a man sold me as a slave in my youth.'  And one will say to him, 'What are these wounds between your arms?'  Then he will say, 'Those with which I was wounded in the house of my friends.'"

The false prophets will try to flee from this judgement.  They will lie about who they are.  They will not dress as a prophet and they will give a story about being a farmer and how they have always been a farmer.  People will question their story and they will lie more to cover up who they really are and what they have said.  The wounds were another sign of a prophet like the hairy robe.  They would wound and cut themselves to prove and promote their false gods and their dedication to them.  This false prophet is saying these self-inflicted wounds came another way.  The false prophet is showing his true colors as he continues to lie to try to get out of what is coming rather than telling the truth.

v.7-9 - "Awake, O sword, against My Shepherd, and against the man, My Associate," declares the LORD of hosts.  "Strike the Shepherd that the sheep may be scattered; and I will turn My hand against the little ones.  It will come about in all the land," declares the LORD, "that two parts in it will be cut off and perish; but the third will be left in it.  And I will bring the third part through the fire, refine them as silver is refined, and test them as gold is tested.  They will call on My name, and I will answer them; I will say, 'They are My people,' and they will say, 'The LORD is my God.'"

An answer is coming, a Shepherd.  The answer comes with a sword against this one called God's Associate.  The sheep will scatter like the disciples scattering at the abduction of Jesus in the Garden of Gethsemane.  Persecution will come upon those who follow the Shepherd but also protection will come to those who call upon His name.  2/3rds will go the other way for the road is broad and many go that way but 1/3rd will be stand against the persecution, the fire of refinement like that applied to precious metals for purity, for the path is narrow and few go down it.  We are told that a Savior is coming but the Savior will suffer but those who still call on His name will know that they are the children of God.  

 

Those who truly follow this Shepherd will be tested.  The testing has a purpose to strengthen our faith in the One who gave His all for us.  As we go through His fire and still press on to follow, we will shed those practices that are not like Him.  Are there some things that come to mind that need to be burned off?  In the fire, do we continue to follow or do we resort to lying like the false prophet?  Do we do whatever to get out of the heat rather than stay true to who we are?  One way gets you out of the heat now but a greater heat will come at the judgment.  The other way is to be hot now but staying with the Shepherd will end with a comfort of His presence.  God's fire has a purpose in all of our lives.  Let us pray.

"Lord, You give us plenty of Scriptures about the day that is coming.  You give us plenty of warnings about not following after You.  You suffered for us and You walk us through suffering to know more of You and Your sufficiency to our lives.  May we be more aware each day of how much we need You above anyone or anything this world affords today.  May we keep in our view, the Day of the Lord.  Amen."

Pastor Adam