I am using the daily Bible reading schedule from “The Bible.net” for my daily Bible reading.

Today, I am reading and commenting on Zechariah 11-14.

    I am not sure that I understand Zechariah’s prophecy concerning the shepherds in this passage. However, I will take a shot at writing the meaning I find in it. The main thrust of it seems to be about the people of Israel before the Exile, but I am not going to interpret it based on that. The passage speaks of people who have bad leaders because they refuse to listen to faithful leaders. The people complain about their leaders, but when God gives them a good leader who calls them to serve God, they reject him. If we refuse to accept the Good Shepherd whom God has sent us, He will turn us over to the destruction which we merit. (When I started writing this last paragraph I thought I had a much more eloquent way of expressing my thoughts).

    Zechariah ends his prophecy by writing about a day when all of the people of Israel will individually turn to God. They will mourn the one whom they have pierced, which I understand to be Jesus. On that day, God will open a fountain of cleansing which will cleanse them of their sin. That fountain is already open, anyone who turns to Christ for forgiveness of their sin and accepts Him as Lord over their life will be so cleansed. However, Zechariah is referring to a day yet to come. A day when all of the nations of the earth will gather themselves to attack God’s people. Initially, the nations will cause great distress for God’s people, but then God will join the battle and destroy those who do not bow their knee to Him. Shortly after a day of great devastation for those who serve the Lord God will show His great power and those who survive it will worship Him. As I typed this, it occurred to me that this is both a reference to God’s final judgement and a hyperbolic reference to events which occur periodically throughout history. If you look throughout history, you will see that from time to time, God’s people (both the Jews and those who truly serve Christ) have been subject to overwhelming persecution. And each time, that persecution has soon been followed by a time when godliness takes hold where the persecution had been.