Israel is Cleansed through Christ's Death (Zech. 13:7)

SPIRITUAL DIARY FOR 10/26/2016 11:30 PM

My Worship Time                                                            Focus:  Cleansed through Christ’s Death

Bible Reading & Meditation                                     Reference:  Zechariah 13:7

            Message of the verses:  “7 "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.”

            We move from the death of the false shepherds to the death of God’s Shepherd and as we look at this verse we see something that some may find a bit confusing and that is who is it that kills the Shepherd?  I have to say that when I first became a believer in Jesus Christ I has some pretty weird ideas of who Jesus really was.  I used to think that all of a sudden Jesus came along and so while He was on earth He died on the cross for me.  The thing that is true is that it was all in the plan of God, and God had to be the One who would put His Son to death in order to bring about redemption to those who would confess Him as their Savior and Lord.  MacArthur writes “Who calls for the sword?  God does. ‘Awake, O sword, against My Shepherd, against the man who is My fellow, saith the Lord of armies, Smite the Shepherd.’  Listen, who called for the death of Jesus Christ then?  Who did?  God did.”

            MacArthur goes on to say “You know, Jewish people, and I understand what they feel in their hearts, have for years wanted to make sure nobody blamed them for the death of Christ. I don't know why. God even takes the responsibility Himself right here. The envy, the hatred of Satan, the blind fury of the chief priests, the contempt of Herod, the guilty cowardice of Pilate, all of these things put together only accomplished what God had designed to do from the very beginning before the foundation of the world. He was the lamb slain. So God did it.

“And I want you to notice the Hebrew here because the Hebrew syntax emphasizes the word "O sword." The sword is in action. This is a figure of the death of Christ. And the word "awake," it's as if the sword has been sleeping. It's as if it's been set aside. And you know, Isaiah says it's God who does it in Isaiah 53, I think it's verse 10, it says, "And it pleased God to bruise Him," remember that? It was God who took out the sword. It was God who struck it at Calvary. The cry comes from God, "Smite the Shepherd."

“Once weeping Jeremiah called to the sword of the Lord. He actually called to the sword of the Lord. The sword is kind of like a vivid symbol. And he called out to the sword and Jeremiah 47:6, he said, "O thou sword of the Lord, how long will it be ere thou be quiet? Put thyself in the scabbard and be still." Jeremiah had seen enough of the sword. But in this case, God pulls the sword out to be used against His own beloved Son. And I love what He calls Him, He says, "Against My Shepherd...My Shepherd." We're not talking about false prophets anymore, oh no...oh no. False prophets aren't His shepherds. His Shepherd was Jesus Christ. Take the sword against My Shepherd. He's speaking of His possession.

“And then, people, there's a fantastic statement following that, you've got to get it. "Against the man, My fellow." Now in the Hebrew you don't really see...until you know the Hebrew, I should say, you don't see what this is saying. The word "man" here is an uncommon word for man in the Hebrew. It doesn't just mean man, it means a strong man or a mighty man. So we're not just talking about an ordinary man. He says, "Take the sword against the strong man, the mighty man," and then the phrase, "My fellow" is literally of My union. Take the sword against the strong, mighty man of My union.

“You say, "What do you mean by `of my union'?" The Hebrew could be translated this way, the man, the mighty man who is coequal with Me. The man, the mighty man who is My equal. The man, the mighty man associated with Me in equal status. That's what the Hebrew really means. What a fantastic statement about the deity of Jesus Christ. Take the sword against My Shepherd, the mighty man, My equal...that's what He's saying. My equal.

“This is a prophecy, beloved, of the wonderful statement that Jesus fulfilled when He said, "I and the Father are one." The mighty man, My equal. Listen, Jesus is God. He's God. How else can you have Him be Micah's baby born in Bethlehem and Isaiah's the Father of eternity? Unless He is God. Jeremiah calls Him Jehovah Tsidkenu, Jeremiah chapter 23 verse 6. He is the man who is equal to God. He is Jehovah Tsidkenu. And what that means is powerful, the Lord our righteousness. He is God.

“Israel in order to be cleansed must have a sacrifice for sin, the Shepherd must be smitten. “

10/26/2016 11:51 PM