Zec 13:7-9 | KingComments | STEP | The Lord Jesus is first stricken by men in the house of His friends ( ). Then He is stricken by God ( ). If would not be followed by , the mourning of Israel would not have come to an end and could never have been changed into a song of jubilation. We are not reconciled by what people have done to the Lord Jesus, be it the Jews or the Gentiles. It was not the wounds of Pilate’s scourges that brought healing for our sins, but the wounds of God’s judgment ( ). That is what the sword speaks of. Everything that we, humans, have done to Him has only made our guilt even greater. What has brought us reconciliation is not by what man has done, but by what God has done to Him. “But the LORD was pleased To crush Him” ( ). In the LORD takes over the conversation. However, He does not speak to His Son nor to man, but to the sword of judgment. When Abraham had to sacrifice his son, the judgment knife was stopped ( ). When God had to sacrifice His Son, He gave Him up to the sword of judgment. Here He Who sent the Shepherd speaks. He calls the Shepherd “My Associate”. That Shepherd is the Companion of God. That could not be said of any man on earth. How can God say “My Shepherd” and let follow directly after that “strike the Shepherd”? It is for the sake of the sheep and still sheep that are scattered. As fulfillment of this verse, the disciples fled ( ), which also refers to the scattering of Israel. But the consequences go much further. There will also come a moment when He will turn His hand to the little ones again. That will happen when He will fulfill the promises He made to Israel. He will gather His people from the ends of the earth and bring them into His land. Only in a spiritual way, i.e. after repentance and conversion, will God re-establish the ties with Israel. It says that He will turn His hand to “the little ones,” the remnant, the little flock ( ). Because His hand with in it the sword of His righteousness has come down upon His Shepherd in anger, He can turn His hand in grace to the little ones.

‏ Zechariah 13:7-9

God Strikes His Shepherd

The Lord Jesus is first stricken by men in the house of His friends (Zec 13:6). Then He is stricken by God (Zec 13:7). If Zec 13:6 would not be followed by Zec 13:7, the mourning of Israel would not have come to an end and could never have been changed into a song of jubilation.

We are not reconciled by what people have done to the Lord Jesus, be it the Jews or the Gentiles. It was not the wounds of Pilate’s scourges that brought healing for our sins, but the wounds of God’s judgment (1Pet 2:24). That is what the sword speaks of. Everything that we, humans, have done to Him has only made our guilt even greater. What has brought us reconciliation is not by what man has done, but by what God has done to Him. “But the LORD was pleased To crush Him” (Isa 53:10a).

In Zec 13:7 the LORD takes over the conversation. However, He does not speak to His Son nor to man, but to the sword of judgment. When Abraham had to sacrifice his son, the judgment knife was stopped (Gen 22:9-12). When God had to sacrifice His Son, He gave Him up to the sword of judgment.

Here He Who sent the Shepherd speaks. He calls the Shepherd “My Associate”. That Shepherd is the Companion of God. That could not be said of any man on earth. How can God say “My Shepherd” and let follow directly after that “strike the Shepherd”? It is for the sake of the sheep and still sheep that are scattered. As fulfillment of this verse, the disciples fled (Mt 26:31 ; 56), which also refers to the scattering of Israel.

But the consequences go much further. There will also come a moment when He will turn His hand to the little ones again. That will happen when He will fulfill the promises He made to Israel. He will gather His people from the ends of the earth and bring them into His land.

Only in a spiritual way, i.e. after repentance and conversion, will God re-establish the ties with Israel. It says that He will turn His hand to “the little ones,” the remnant, the little flock (Isa 40:11). Because His hand with in it the sword of His righteousness has come down upon His Shepherd in anger, He can turn His hand in grace to the little ones.

Two Parts and a Third Part

Zec 13:7-9 cover the period from the cross to the millennial realm of peace, with a large gap in time between Zec 13:7 and Zec 13:8. Zec 13:7 looks back on the death on the cross of the Lord Jesus and its consequences for His own, His sheep. Zec 13:8 looks forward to the future. “Two parts” is the ungodly mass of the people. They perish in the final judgments. “The third” part is the remnant, the little ones of Zec 13:7.

The remnant, “the third” part, will come into “the fire” of testing, which is the great tribulation (Zec 13:9). Refined they will come out of the great tribulation and then enter the realm of peace. Gold and silver are melted because only then can these metals be cleansed from the unclean, leaving pure silver and pure gold from which the blacksmith can make something beautiful (Pro 25:4). It can only be purified when it is melted.

In the fires of trial a purification process takes place that is completed by the Lord Himself at His coming (Mal 3:2-3). Peter uses this picture in his first letter for the purification of faith and that in view of the revelation of the Lord Jesus (1Pet 1:7; Psa 66:10).

Out of the distress of the trial they shall call upon the name of the LORD, and he will hear them. Then the result of the cleansing process is achieved, the restoration of the relationship between God and His people. The LORD will acknowledge them again as His people (Hos 1:9; Jer 30:18-22; Eze 11:19-20) and they will acknowledge that the LORD is their God.