When the Good Overcomes Bad"

 O. T. #2318 "When the Good Overcomes Bad" 

Nov. 9, 2022

Zechariah 11-Part 6 

LET IT GLOW

But now, O LORD, thou art our father; we are the clay, and thou our potter; and we all are the work of thy hand. (Isaiah 64:8)

Are we allowing our Potter to form us into the vessel of honor that He desires?

We pick up at verse 14. the prophet is chopping up the second staff, which refers to all relationships between the Good Shepherd and Israel, His flock. It is as if God was saying, "When Me and turned Me over into the hands of the Gentiles to be crucified, I broke My covenant. Titus the Roman will soon be here, and you will be scattered throughout the world." Israel's Messiah came, they rejected Him, and the Jewish people are still scattered throughout the world. (J.V. McGee)

Now is the part where Zechariah plays the part of the foolish shepherd, the Antichrist, Foolish means morally deficient, corrupt. It is because he does not accept God's truth. (During the Great Tribulation, Satan's Antichrist will be the Antichrist.)

What are the characteristics of this Foolish Shepherd?

• He doesn't care for the sheep-those dying nor young.
• He does not seek the lost, heal the injured, nor feed the flock, unlike the Good Shepherd.
• He will slaughter the flock to feed himself. (Ezek. 34)
• He will abuse, mistreat, and neglect the flock. 

During this time to come, people will be deceived. It could be sooner than we think. 

Jesus said, in John 5:43, I am come in my Father's name, and ye receive Me not: if another shall come in his own name, him ye will receive. 

LET IT GROW

The false shepherd will promise everything but do nothing. He will use and abuse. God says that judgment will come upon him. His right eye will be blinded and his arm shriveled. In Revelation, the Antichrist will make it to the lake of fire even before the Devil gets there! (verse 17)  (McGee) 

The Antichrist will make a covenant with the Jews for 7 years, to protect them so they can rebuild their temple and resume their sacrifices. But after 3 1/2 years, he will break it, put his own image in the temple, and for the world to worship him. (Rev. 13, 2 Thess. 2:1-12)

Good news! The Messiah will come and reign on earth 1,000 years with Israel receiving the blessings foretold, the church will reign with Him, and all creation will enter into the glorious liberty of the children of God. (Rom. 8:21) (Wiersbe)

LET IT GO

Hold onto Jesus through it all.

What a Faithful Savior and Loving Shepherd!

Clay in the Potter's Hand

O. T. #2317  "Clay in the Potter's Hand"

Nov. 8, 2022 

Zechariah 11-Part 5

LET IT GLOW

Is your life broken physically, mentally, morally, or spiritually like clay? Let the Great Potter, Jesus, mold and shape our heart and circumstances so we become a vessel of praise and glory for our Savior to use. Read on to learn more about clay.

The price of a good, sound slave was considered 60 pieces of silver back then. Zechariah asked for his wages, but only received 30 pieces of silver. What sharp sarcasm! How insulting this cheap amount was! So he took it and cast the silver pieces at the potter's house. The potter had field where he threw the scraps, unwanted pieces from the potter's wheel when he was making a vase or pot. Perhaps the clay was not the right texture to be molded, thus it was discarded as useless. If a clay jar is flawed, the potter has the right to remake it. He has the freedom to make what he chooses from his clay.

Does this sound familiar?  In Jeremiah 18, the prophet was sent down to the potter's house to watch the potter form clay into a useable vessel. If it was marred, the potter could remake it. 

O house of Israel, cannot I do with you as this potter? saith the LORD. Behold, as the clay is in the potter's hand, so are ye in mine hand, O house of Israel. (Jeremiah 18:6)

Now put your name in place of Israel to make the scripture personal. Just as God had the right to pronounce doom or blessing on Israel, so He has the right to do to you and me. He is the potter and we are the clay. God wants to mold us and shape us into a vessel of honor for His glory.  

LET IT GROW

This prophecy was fulfilled when the true good shepherd came-Jesus. Judas Iscariot agreed to betray Jesus to the chief priests for 30 pieces of silver. (Matthew 26:14-16) When Judas felt remorse after this, he returned the money and hanged himself. (Matt. 27:1-5) the chief priests took the returned money and bought the potter's field with it to bury strangers there. (Matt. 27:6-7) This prophecy of Zechariah and Jeremiah was for a purpose-to foretell what would happen to Jesus' betrayer.

Since we are clay for God to put on the potter's wheel, He attempts to fashion us into the vessel He has in mind. We must yield to Him. The clay that won't yield to Him is thrown out into the potter's field. He can't use it. 

LET IT GO

What is in our life that we need to let go of so we can become a vessel of honor for Jesus to use? 

Do we need to let Him soften our hard heart toward others?

What will the Potter have to do so we are a vessel that praises Him?

Warnings

O. T. #2316 "Warnings"

Nov. 7, 2022

Zechariah 11-Part 4

Did you notice in verse 9 there is a word repeated three times? It is the word let. Here we have an expression of judgment by the Messiah: 

First, the Messiah says He will not feed you. Since the Jews despised and blasphemed the Savior with the Gospel, He would then go to the Gentiles with the Gospel. It was not just the false shepherds, but the people who abhorred Christ, so it was taken away from them.

Secondly, let them die through the famine of the Word they despised.

Thirdly, let them die in sins, die the second death they justly deserved. They would be cut off spiritually, as unfruitful branches. 

Fourth, let the rest experience famine, destroying each other in internal divisions, which was the case of the Jews when Jerusalem was besieged. (Galatians 5:15) (John Gill)

J. Vernon McGee believed the Lord was speaking to the false prophets. The people in that day were stingy, not giving a tenth as an offering to the Lord; they gave sacrificial animals not meeting the requirements. The Lord was calling the Jews back to honesty and clear-cut in their dealings, instead of being phony and pretending.

What kind of offerings do we give the Lord? Do we pretend to give a tenth of our income? Do we give out of a joyful heart instead of being a phony? Remember, the Lord sees what in in our heart as He did with the Jews back then.

LET IT GROW

The staff Beauty that was broken was not referring to the Abrahamic Covenant, but an indirect covenant with the other nations due to His covenant with Israel. When Israel was in fellowship with God, He restrained the heathens so they could do not violence to Israel.  However, this protection was lifted when they rejected the Son of God, Jesus Christ, as Savior and Messiah. The Romans devastated their land and will occur again during the Great Tribulation. A conditional covenant depends upon a response from the human side. 

Those humbled spiritually (believers) are the remnant of the election of grace knew it was according to the Word of God. (Romans 11:5) Those in the right relationship with God receive whatever when it is according to the Word. When we obey God's Word, He gives us grace. 

God is longsuffering and waits for sinners to repent of their sins and believe in Jesus as The Savior. He is the only way to heaven. Although, there does come a time when He has done all He will do to reach them when they do not repent and believe. (John 12:37; Matthew 23:37)

God demonstrates His own love for us in this: While we were still sinners, Christ died for us. (Romans 5:8)

LET IT GO

Thank You Father for a love that never fails, never gives up, and never runs out on us.

Christ Jesus is worthy of glory, honor, and praise today!

 

Grace That Binds

O.T. #2315 "Grace That Binds"

Nov. 4, 2022

Zechariah 11-Part 3

LET IT GLOW

Remember that Zechariah was having a vision from God. In verses 4-11, we read of the details of the Messiah's rejection. The Roman Empire was ruler over Israel during the New Testament time. As the flock (Israel) was slaughtered, Zechariah was told to care for them (in the vision). Their shepherds (priests) did not have compassion, pity on their brethren. Let them fall in the hands of the cruel king, was their attitude.

So Zechariah cared for the flock intended for slaughter, the oppressed. He took 2 shepherd's staffs named them Beauty and Bands. 

Beauty means splendor or grace; pleasant; favor; and Bands means binders; a company (as if tied together).

With the two staffs, the Messiah will guide and protect the nation Israel. He will have Beauty, attractiveness and graciousness in ministering to them.  With Bands, He will bind them together.

Jesus fed the entire flock so that as the result of His ministry, the remnant could be separated from the rest of the flock. (verse 7)

As believers in Jesus, He shows us grace and binds us with other believers. Churches should experience this loving, caring, and graciousness shown them and thus, showing it to others.

LET IT GROW

In verse 8, he got rid of three evil shepherds, who were worldly leaders. Israel killed the One who came to be their King and Messiah. They should have handed over everything to Him, but did not. And today, other nations reject Jesus as The Savior. They have false gods, fake saviors, substitutes for the True religion-Christianity.

Friend, do you believe Jesus is your only hope of eternal life? He came to save and to seek those who were lost. What love He showed us by giving His life in our place, as payment for our sins. Simply ask His forgiveness of your sins.

Jesus is the Way, the Truth, and the Life. No one comes unto the father God except through Jesus. 

LET IT GO

Thank You Jesus, for Your love, patience, forgiveness.

Please bless all who read this with Your mercy and grace and salvation.

May Grace bind us together.

 

 

Shepherds Good and Bad

 O. T. #2314 "Shepherds God and Bad"

Nov. 3, 2022 

Zechariah 11-Part 2

LET IT GLOW

God told Zechariah to act out the roles of two different kinds of shepherds. The first type of shepherd demonstrated how God would reject His people (the sheep because they rejected Him (verses 4-14).  The second type of shepherd demonstrated how God would allow His people to fall into the clutches of evil shepherds (verses 15-17). Ezekiel 34 detailed portrayal of the evil shepherds of Israel. (Life Application Study Bible)

In the vision, the prophet performed in actions that which the Messiah Jesus actually did while on earth. Zechariah was a type of Christ:

• Care for and feed the flock intended for the slaughter. (verse 4) 
• The buyers slaughtered their sheep without remorse, after all, God gave them sheep for food.
• Even the shepherds (sellers) had no compassion for the sheep either. They praised the Lord, for they were rich. (verse 5)
• So, God said He would no longer have pity on the people of the land. He would let them fall into each other's hands and into the hands of their king. (verse 6)
• Then they would turn the land into a wilderness, but God would not rescue them. (verse 6)

The destiny of Israel was slaughter by the Romans because they rejected the Messiah. One and a half Jews did die at the hand of Rome. Their treatment was like that the sheep experienced. So the Romans did not feel guilty in killing the Jews, for God gave them into their hands, so they thought. 

Their own shepherds did not pity them. This referred to the Sanhedrin, Pharisees, Sadduccees, Herodians, and other leaders who sought their own ends and not the good of the nation. (Mark 12) By rejecting Jesus as their King, the Jews had to pay tribute to Caesar as their king. The Jewish leaders were only concerned with their own position and power.

LET IT GROW

What was Zechariah's reaction in verse 7? He would feed the flock intended for the slaughter. Jesus did that while on earth-healed the sick, protected the poor and met needs of a variety of people. Dare I say they were mostly poor who could not repay Jesus? He was a Shepherd among His sheep, tenderly caring for them.

I am reminded of Peter, who denied Jesus 3 times before His crucifixion. After the resurrection, Jesus told Peter to feed His lambs and sheep. (John 21:15-17) The word feed means to pasture, graze, keep; to tend as a shepherd, rule, supervise. 

Jesus forgave Peter and gave him a purpose. Peter was the one who preached on the Day of Pentecost and 3,000 were saved. such love, grace, mercy our Savior shows us when we fail Him.

How can we feed the flock? Using reproof, instruction, and comfort. Are we helping others get spiritual food from the Truth?

LET IT GO

Open our eyes, Lord, to see the needs of others.

Help us show compassion to those in need.

Thank You for all You have given us, Jesus.

Wailing Shepherds

O. T. #2313 "Wailing Shepherds" 

Nov. 2, 2022

Zechariah 11 

LET IT GLOW

Looking at the time of Zechariah's writings, and putting it perspective for us, his prophecies were given during the time of Haggai. Both spoke after the 70 years of captivity for the Jews in Babylon. The remnant of Israel and Judah (believers in God) made 3 different journeys back to Jerusalem to rebuild the city and the Temple. The books recording events during that time are found in Esther, Ezra, and Nehemiah. It is towards the end of the Old Testament. (Then God was silent 400 years.) That helps me put all of this in perspective and I hope it does for you, too. Let me tell you, I am struggling with this chapter, for I am no scholar, just able to read commentaries who were written by those who were. There are various views as to its meaning, but here we go. What can we learn and apply to our life?

So far, we have seen Zechariah as the prophet of hope. His name actually means "the Lord remembers." However...

Some consider the conquerors of Alexander the Great and then the Roman armies. The first 3 verses tell of the judgment resulting from the coming Messiah's rejection by the Jews. It doesn't sound very encouraging. Keep in mind that the Jews were scattered then. 

The key places mentioned are Lebanon, Jordan, and Bashan. Fires were coming upon them, in the forest, and thickets. This could be a description of the Romans invading the Holy Land. The cedars of Lebanon, which were located north of Judah are mentioned first. (Beirut is the modern capital, which you may recognize.) Those cedars were used to build Solomon's Temple and his palace. 

This could be a literal fire, set by the invading armies. Not only would the forests suffer, but also the pastureland. No one or nothing would escape the judgment visited upon by the land by God. 

LET IT GROW 

In verse 3, we are told there will be wailing shepherds. Those were the ones who led the people astray from God., paying for their sins. Those leaders were to protect, provide for, and lead the people in God's ways. The shepherds themselves are led to the slaughter. 

The high priest, Caiaphas, thought his killing Jesus would keep his people from destruction. (John 11) By rejecting Jesus as the Messiah, the opened the doors of judgment and dispersal. Not only id Jesus for the sins of the Jews, but for the Gentiles, too. (1 John 2:1-3) the rejection of the truth led to their accepting lies, and the Roman invasion, and the destruction of the city and Temple. (Wiersbe)

Keep in mind, this could also refer to the results of the Great Tribulation, before Jesus returns to reign as King-Priest. History tends to repeat itself. (Next, we will study about the True Shepherd.)

On a more positive note, believers will not be part of the Tribulation for we will have been raptured out by that time. When all is finished, we will not stand in the judgment, but our trial will be concerning our obedience, giving of gifts, loving others, etc.

LET IT GO

Jesus, we are trusting in You as Sovereign Controller of all things. 

You are our Hope, our Way, The Truth, the Life for the believer.

You will give us a new day and a new way of life-heaven.

In the meantime, bless Your followers with peace, love, and mercy today.

Prisoners of Hope

O. T. #2312 "Prisoners of Hope"

Nov. 1, 2022 

Zechariah 10-Part 4

LET IT GLOW

We have been reading about the 6 blessings upon Israel brought by the Messiah when He returns to reign as King. They will come because the people will look only to the Lord Jesus:

1. Hope. In 9:12, the Jews who were still prisoners of hope under Persia's control, but will be given a double portion of blessing, as the first-born son. The northern and southern tribes will be united into one nation of Israel. Messias, Messiah, (Mes-see'-as) refers to Christ as in the Greek language, found in John 1:41, where Andrew told his brother Simon Peter that he had found the Messiah, the Christ.
2. A bountiful land. The grain fields and vineyards will yield abundant crops when the Lord is asked. (9:17-10:1)
3. Deliverance from idolatrous practices in the past will come because they forsook Jehovah and turned to idols for blessings.
4. The Deliverer is the Messiah. (10:4) Their government will rest upon Christ and He will be their defense.
5. Restoration by the Messiah. He will call and gather the scattered Jews. Israel will be regenerated and repopulated.
6. National redemption. They will be the realization of the New Covenant. Jesus will keep His promises. He will strengthen Israel.

Paul called himself a prison of Christ Jesus. (Philemon1) Do we consider ourself a prisoner of Jesus Christ? Are we a prisoner of hope? As the world has us prisoner here, hold onto Jesus. He can deliver you from whatever has you in bondage. He came to set the captives free, free from the stronghold of sin, temptation, and worldliness.

[Resource: Liberty Bible Commentary]

LET IT GROW

When the Messiah came the first time to earth, it was not God's Plan B. the plan of redemption was settled in eternity, before there was ever a creation. God knew we would sin and need a Redeemer and Savior. We had no hope until Jesus became our Savior. When He returns, Jesus will bring peace. People will then worship Him, not self, idols, things, evil.

If you are a believer and follower of Jesus Christ, then you have hope of a better day coming-eternity with Him and loved ones. He will deliver us from this evil and hateful world. Our joy will be restored when we change citizenship. Are you ready?

LET IT GO

Jesus, You are our joy, peace, love, and hope.

We run into Your arms. How e need Your reassurance today!

You alone are Lord, Savior, Messiah, Redeemer, the Way, the Truth, the Life.

No other can provide for us as You do, Jesus.