A reflection on the state of our relationship with God

What will God do with His people in the last days?  

Branches were broken off that I might be grafted in.

Zechariah 12 begins with God promising to defend Jerusalem from enemy nations. He will make her like an immovable rock, and all who try to come against it will be injured (Zech 12:3). He takes the side of His people and strengthens even the weak to fight like David (Zech 12:8). But even more striking than His promise for protection is what He promises to do within them. Verse 10 marks a change in focus from physical protection to heart transformation. God declares that He will pour out a spirit of grace and supplication (Zech 12:10a). He opens their eyes so that they will finally recognize the One they have rejected. Their hearts will mourn like grieving a firstborn child with deep sorrow (Zech 12:10b). This sorrow is comparable to the historical mourning for King Josiah at Hadadrimmon (Zech 12:11). However, repentance is not a change we are naturally inclined to pursue. The Bible repeatedly shows that the human heart is stubborn and prone to self-justification. We either make excuses, downplay our faults, or grow numb to our mistakes. Yet through God’s mercy, our hearts seek repentance because God has begun the work in our hearts. Through an awakening sense of sorrow and longing, He moves our hearts so our eyes can now see. The goodness of God leads us to repentance (Rom 2:4), an invitation for us to draw back to Him through His grace. Realizing how we have strayed can leave us heavy-hearted, even ashamed. There might be a grief within us that says: I finally saw how far I had drifted from You, Lord. God does not reveal this to make us run; He tells it so we might come home. So instead of withdrawing, may we respond with courage, drawing near with a heart that says, “Lord, I want to walk with You again.” Though God offers this gift freely, not all will receive it. If we hear His voice today, let us not harden our hearts (Heb 3:15). Are we willing to walk through the door He has opened? “I will say of the Lord, “He is my refuge and my fortress, my God, in Him I trust.” (Ps 91:2) Let this be our response to His calling.

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.

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