Zechariah 13

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Not Blood Only, but Water Also
“In that day there shall be a fountain opened to the house of David and to the inhabitants of Jerusalem for sin and for uncleanness” (vs. 1). It is not merely that they will “look on him whom they have pierced,” but besides there is the washing of water by the word. There is no such thing in scripture as a fountain of blood, spite of our own poet Cowper. To be cleansed with blood is not enough. We need to be bathed in water and to wash our feet also day by day. And all this we have in our Lord Jesus. “This is He that came by water and blood, even Jesus Christ; not by water only, but by water and blood” (1 John 5:66This is he that came by water and blood, even Jesus Christ; not by water only, but by water and blood. And it is the Spirit that beareth witness, because the Spirit is truth. (1 John 5:6)). He cleanses His people morally as well as atones for them.
False Prophets Then Purged Out
But in Zechariah 13 it is the water, not the blood. Here the Spirit uses the word as the moral power of the death of Christ doubtless; but still it is the word. Along with expiation, before God we need communion with the truth practically. Then appears the result for others. “And it shall come to pass in that day, saith Jehovah of hosts, that I will cut off the names of the idols out of the land, and they shall no more be remembered and also I will cause the prophets and the unclean spirit to pass out of the land” (vs. 2). Everything now is weighed that was offensive to God’s character. “And it shall come to pass, that when any shall yet prophesy, then his father and his mother that begat him shall say unto him, Thou shalt not live; for thou speakest lies in the name of Jehovah” (vs. 3). How many and grave had been the defilements, uncleannesses, and false prophesyings in the days of Antichrist! False Christs and false prophets had abounded then. All this will now be completely purged out.
“And his father and his mother that begat him shall thrust him through when he prophesieth” (vs. 3). They will play the part of Phinehas now in indignation at what dishonors the Lord. “And it shall come to pass in that day, that the prophets shall be ashamed every one of his vision, when he hath prophesied; neither shall they wear a rough garment to deceive” (vs. 4). Most seem disposed to take the two next verses as a continuation of the deceiver, who now repudiates any such claim, professes nothing but a mean condition, and either pretends that the idolatrous marks in his hands were the effects of maiming in grief for friends, or alleges that he was already punished for life, though not put to death for his fault.
Christ Abruptly Introduced
This may be a simple enough meaning; but it certainly presents a poor sense of verse 6. Others accordingly apply it to Christ thus: “But he shall say, I am no prophet, I am an husbandman; for man acquired me as a slave from my youth” (vs. 5). This last is a difficult passage, because it brings in Christ in so abrupt a manner; if I mistake not, contrasted with the false prophets, as we saw similarly with the shepherds. Just as in Zechariah 11 so in this, He is heard so suddenly that it is not easy to decide where Christ begins; but I suppose it to be from verse 5, which shows that the Lord was not in any way connected with the schools of men. He accepted the place of a Nazarene which God in His wisdom gave Him according to the record. For man had acquired Him as a slave from His youth. Compare the Hebrew servant in Exodus 21. He was the bondman of all, so much the more because He was the perfect servant of God. It is a figurative expression as applied to Christ; for I am now assuming this to be the true meaning. “And one shall say unto him, What are these wounds in thine hands? Then he shall answer, Those with which I was wounded in the house of my friends” (vs. 6). It can hardly be doubted save by an unbeliever that verse 7 applies to Christ. There may be a question about the preceding verses, but it is better in my opinion to take in all.
Given up to the Sword and Smitten
Then is heard a voice still more solemn. It is not wolves now, but God. “Awake, O sword, against My shepherd, and against the man that is My fellow, saith Jehovah of hosts: smite the shepherd, and the sheep shall be scattered: and I will turn Mine hand upon the little ones” (vs. 7). There is no more difficulty in “the sword” here than in Zechariah 11:1717Woe to the idol shepherd that leaveth the flock! the sword shall be upon his arm, and upon his right eye: his arm shall be clean dried up, and his right eye shall be utterly darkened. (Zechariah 11:17), where it is spoken of for the judgment of the worthless shepherd: it is used figuratively as to both for a violent end of life; but O! how deep the contrast. No longer do we hear of deceivers, or idolaters, or other wicked persons, who are outwardly and ostensibly in the house of the Messiah’s friends; but Jehovah Himself gives Him up to complete humiliation and rejection. A most solemn consideration; and how true! For we must remember that whatever the mischievous and miserable hatred of the Jews against the Messiah, it could have availed nothing unless Jehovah had allowed it for His own mighty purposes; and this He did. Consequently, here it is applied to Him. “Smite the shepherd, and the sheep shall be scattered; and I will turn Mine hand upon the little ones” (vs. 7). Out of the rejection of Christ comes all blessing to those that are His—out of that which was His unexampled shame and His unutterable sorrow in the cross; and this, in every point of view, not only for the counsels of grace, but also in the government of God. There is nothing holy in God which is not vindicated by it; there is nothing gracious toward man for which it has not laid a righteous ground.
A Third of the Jews Brought Through the Fire
At the same time the discerning government of God will have its way, for it is said here, “And I will bring the third part through the fire, and will refine them as silver is refined, and will try them as gold is tried” (vs. 9). The dross must perish, and what is precious be refined and tried. His people must go through trouble. “They shall call on My name, and I will hear them: I will say, It is My people: and they shall say, Jehovah is my God” (vs. 9). It is humiliating to read the comments even of such a man as Calvin, starting with the erroneous confusion of the church with the Jews in such a passage as this: “For when three hundred shall profess to worship God, one hundred only, says Zechariah, shall be saved.” Not so; it is only a mistaken expositor who says so, applying to the church in general what is really said of the Jews in their last crisis.