In Zechariah 11, God asks Zechariah to act as a shepherd. Zechariah 11:13 is particularly striking: he is valued at 30 silver pieces, thrown to the potter. This clearly points to Judas betraying Jesus for the same amount, which was later used to buy a potter's field. While earlier chapters point to Jesus as the coming Good Shepherd who visits His flock (Zech 9:9, Zech 10:2-3), the tone shifts here. Chapter 11 depicts Jesus’ betrayal and rejection by the Jews. This rejection has consequences, symbolized by Zechariah breaking two staffs: "Beauty," representing God's covenant with the peoples, and "Bonds," representing the brotherhood between Judah and Israel. This can be seen in the Jews - they themselves rejected the New Covenant Jesus made, and in 70 AD, they were scattered throughout the world as Jerusalem was destroyed. This makes me reflect on the cost of rejecting the Lord. Jesus being sold for 30 pieces of silver was not only the work of Judas, but also of the priests, the scribes, and all the Jews who rejected Him.  The consequences of rejecting their Shepherd were severe. And it has been clearly shown in the Bible to us today as an example. We may think that we will never do something as heinous as the Jews who crucified Jesus. But when we reject Him in our hearts, the consequences are equally severe. Just like the breaking of the 2 staffs, when we reject Christ, we break our relationship with God and His people. God next tells Zechariah to play as a foolish shepherd in place of the previous shepherd, who will not care for the sheep, and even eat the flesh of the fat and tear their hooves in pieces (Zech 11:16). Rejecting Christ the Good Shepherd, Israel has become blinded (Romans 11:7-8) and follows foolish shepherds who do not care for the flock like Jesus does. When we reject Christ, we may seek after other shepherds as our guide and reliance in our lives. These may be actual people we put our trust in, or the false idols that we replace God with, such as money. But these shepherds do not truly have our interest at heart, just like the worthless shepherd in this chapter. Let us reflect today. Are there any areas where we reject Jesus and His words - perhaps for some temporary gain, like Judas? Or because of pride, like the scribes and Pharisees? Let us take heed from what Jesus tells us in John 3:16-18.

Admitting our inadequacies and wrongs does not get any easier as we grow, especially when it means coming before God. 

In today’s modern-day context, reading prophetic books can be a very unrelatable or dissociative experience and process; having to plough through pages of seemingly fictitious or abstract content, far removed from reality. The more advanced command of language used in each of these books makes for an additional barrier to entry. Nevertheless, we must hold this fact at the forefront of our minds, “All Scripture is given by inspiration of God, and is profitable for doctrine, for reproof, for correction, for instruction in righteousness, that the man of God may be complete, thoroughly equipped for every good work.” – 2 Timothy 3:16-17 Carefully and systematically examining the details in this chapter, the following introspective questions come into view: No matter how perplexing it may be to completely decipher and convey clear, truthful interpretations of prophetic books, one shared and recurring message across them is this: Those God has chosen to love, He will jealously defend, strengthen and preserve, especially those who have, likewise, set their love upon Him, honoured Him, and known His name. Those God has deemed opposers, He will zealously and utterly devastate and destroy, that His absolute sovereignty and dominion might persevere and prevail, even to the ends of the earth. “God is not a man, that He should lie, nor a son of man, that He should repent. Has He said, and will He not do? Or has He spoken, and will He not make it good?” – Numbers 23:19 Lowly as our Lord Jesus was sent and came to save, throughout our Christian life, let us keep our heads down and strive, work hard, and stay humble, as we, against all odds, in Jesus’ footsteps, stand united and ride towards God’s eternal stronghold.

In life we face countless temptations and attacks from Satan, let us learn how to overcome Satan from those who have emerged victorious.

Do we respond to God's zeal by being zealous for Him?

Zechariah 7 starts with the people questioning if God wanted them to continue fasting, as they had done for many years in captivity. In response, God questions their intentions — “When you fasted and mourned in the fifth and seventh months during those seventy years, did you really fast for Me—for Me? ” (Zech 7:5) God, who knows the hearts of men perfectly, knew that their fast wasn’t out of repentance, but rather because they were in a period of mourning for their plight. Instead, God wanted their obedience to the many warnings He sent through the prophets (Zech 7:7), revealing God’s desire for obedience and sincere repentance over empty actions. Similarly, Isaiah 58 tells us more about fasting that is accepted by God, with the emphasis on the intention and accompanying actions when one fasts. “…Behold, in the day of your fast you seek your own pleasure, and oppress all your workers. Behold, you fast only to quarrel and to fight and to hit with a wicked fist. Fasting like yours this day will not make your voice to be heard on high.” (Isaiah 58:3-4, ESV) The Israelites’ fast was rejected by God as they continued in their wicked ways, instead of fasting accompanied by righteousness and compassion (Isaiah 58:6-8). Fasting expresses our devotion to God when done with the right heart . Today, we often have church-wide fasts before Spiritual Meetings and large-scale Evangelistic Services where we pray for God’s guidance and for His Spirit to work mightily around us. When we take part in these fasts, let us also consider if we are doing so with the right heart. Reflecting on our intentions also applies to other things beyond fasting, like prayer, Bible-reading, reaching out to brethren, or even just coming to church. Just as Jesus says in Matthew 6, let us not do these things with the same heart as the hypocrites who receive their desired recognition and glory from men, but not God’s reward. Instead, when we do these things to the Father who is in the secret place, and truly humble ourselves before Him with a sincere and obedient heart towards His words, our Father who sees in secret will reward us openly. It is easy to get accustomed to doing things out of habit, including things related to our faith. Therefore it is all the more important for us to constantly reflect on our purpose, and ensure that God is truly at the centre of all that we do. May our hearts always be well-pleasing to God so that our actions that follow are also accepted by Him. (Extra!) Read this Manna article to find out more about the purpose and right attitude towards fasting: What You Need To Know About Fasting (Manna 5) https://ia.tjc.org/elibrary/ContentDetail.aspx?ItemID=12690&langid=1