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- What attributes of God’s character does this passage reveal?
- How does the passage point to Jesus?
- How should the truth of this passage change me?
- How do the events of today’s reading help you better understand the grand narrative of Scripture?
Zech. 11
This prophecy of the shepherds clearly tells of Jesus. Besides seeing that in the thirty pieces of silver, I think we also see it in the two staffs. Jesus is God’s new covenant with the world, which replaces His covenant of favor with the Jews. Consequently, union with God no longer has anything to do with Jewish heritage. I’ve got to say, though, that the rest of this story is rather lost on me. One thing I am very curious about, however, is the flock intended for slaughter. It sounds like this could be another indication that being Jewish under the Covenant of the Law does not lead to salvation. In a way, though, the term could apply to all of us because in our humanity we are all doomed to death.
Zech. 12-13
The last part of Zechariah 12 caught my interest. Of all the names God could have called out here, why did He specify these four? Why did He use the names of David, Nathan, Levi, and Shimei? Interestingly, the first three of these four names connect to Jesus in a couple of ways. The first is through His physical lineage. His genealogy leads to David not just through Solomon, but also through Nathan, another of David’s sons, as noted in Luke 3. In addition, Luke 1 connects Jesus to Levi by noting Mary’s relation to Elizabeth, who was a daughter of Aaron. The second connection is that these names indicate both Jewish royalty and priesthood, the two leadership roles united in the person of Christ.
I have no clue as to the connection to the name of Shimei. Nor do I understand the depth of the message in this passage. The specific mention of these particular names, however, does, to me, emphasize Jesus as the pierced one. I also get the sense that it says something about the ones who rejected and pierced Jesus, as well as offering hope that even they can and will receive God’s grace.
Zech. 14
Something about the prophecy in this chapter sounds final to me. It feels like something yet to be. I may be wrong, but I get the sense that it speaks of God’s final victory. One of the statements that gives me this sense of finality is, “And on that day there will no longer be a Canaanite in the house of the LORD of Armies.” (Zech. 14:21b). The Canaanites were the cursed descendants of Noah’s son, Ham. They were the ones God commanded His people to drive out of the Promised Land. Yet they remained because the Israelites failed to ever completely remove them. Sin is still present with us; still pulling us away from God. But a day belonging to the LORD is coming when God will complete the good work that He started.