National Cleansing For Israel
August 24, 2019
Commentary
“That day” (v. 1) refers to the future day of the Lord (14:1). “The house of David (political leaders) and the inhabitants of Jerusalem” include all the people of the land who need cleansing. The terms “sin” and “uncleanness” can refer specifically to idolatry but they probably have a broader reference here to the total sinful condition of the people. The Lord announced His intention to banish the names of the idols from the land (vv. 2-3). He will overcome all factors that detract from His worship and all idolatry will become extinct. Associated with the extinction of idolatry will be the extinguishing of false prophecy, which includes human false prophets and the (superhuman) spirit of impurity, probably to be understood as a personal agency of evil that will inspire false prophets.
This prevalence of justice will cause false prophets to disavow all associations with their prophetic trade. They will forego the deception of wearing a prophet’s garb (v. 4). Some true prophets did wear a garment of hair. Also to avoid detection, the alleged prophets will claim to have been involved in the lifelong occupation of farming (v.5). False prophets will lie about the source of scars on their bodies (v. 6). These scars no doubt will be from self-inflicted wounds associated with idol-worship.
This passage speaks of the smitten Shepherd (v. 7a), the scattered sheep (vv. 7b-8), and the saved remnant (v. 9). Calling on the wielder of the sword to strike the Shepherd, the Lord then indicated the consequences: the sheep will be scattered. In His crucifixion Christ was smitten (Isa. 53:4, 7, 10). His own disciples abandoned Him like scattered sheep (Matt. 26:31, 56). The scattering of the sheep also seems to refer to the scattering of the Jewish nation when Jerusalem was destroyed by the Romans in a.d. 70. At that time two-thirds of the Jewish nation was struck down and perished, but the surviving remnant was restored, for the most part, to their covenant relationship with the Lord.
Application
The Lord Says that there is a day coming when He will get rid of every trace of idol worship, all false prophets and the unclean spirits that inspire them. I look forward to that day.
Zechariah 13:1– 9 (NET)
1 “In that day there will be a fountain opened up for the dynasty of David and the people of Jerusalem to cleanse them from sin and impurity. 2 And also on that day,” says the Lord of Heaven’s Armies, “I will remove the names of the idols from the land and they will never again be remembered. Moreover, I will remove the prophets and the unclean spirit from the land. 3 Then, if anyone prophesies in spite of this, his father and mother to whom he was born will say to him, ‘You cannot live, for you lie in the name of the Lord.’ Then his father and mother to whom he was born will run him through with a sword when he prophesies.
4 “Therefore, on that day each prophet will be ashamed of his vision when he prophesies and will no longer wear the hairy garment of a prophet to deceive the people. 5 Instead he will say, ‘I am no prophet; indeed, I am a farmer, for a man has made me his indentured servant since my youth.’ 6 Then someone will ask him, ‘What are these wounds on your chest?’ and he will answer, ‘Some that I received in the house of my friends.’
7 “Awake, sword, against my shepherd, against the man who is my associate,” says the Lord of Heaven’s Armies. “Strike the shepherd that the flock may be scattered; I will turn my hand against the insignificant ones.
8 It will happen in all the land,” says the Lord, “that two-thirds of the people in it will be cut off and die, but one-third will be left in it.
9 Then I will bring the remaining third into the fire; I will refine them like silver is refined and will test them like gold is tested. They will call on my name and I will answer; I will say, ‘These are my people,’ and they will say, ‘The Lord is our God.’”
Illustration: Lord’s Prayer 25 is Deliver me From Evil
Do you remember the Lord’s Prayer? Twenty-five percent of Christ’s fifty words have to do with deliverance from evil. What did he say? Matthew 6:13, “Lead us not into temptation, but deliver us from evil.” I challenge you to make that petition before God. I challenge you to say, “From this day forward, I am going to adopt this keep me from evil attitude with the Lord.” (Source Unknown).