King James Bible Study – “And when he had called the people unto him with his disciples also, he said unto them, Whosoever will come after me, let him deny himself, and take up his cross, and follow me.” – Mark 8:34
Date: Tuesday, September 22, 2020
Chapters: Zechariah 10-14
Message: Come Forth As Gold
Hello My Friend,
Sometimes the life of a Christian is not so easy, temptation comes at you in all forms as you attempt to live your life the way God wants you to. Besides dealing with our own sin, we face all sorts of opposition because we choose Christ over the world. The devil puts things in your heart like doubt, fear, pride, and heartbreak. People get angry and personal, as though it is an insult that you turned them down over Christ. And not only that, we have to deal with our own burdens too, just like they do. Do they even stop to think of the burden they put on us? With all that we deal with as Christians, why do we stay faithful? Because He is our God. We may get slack for our faith, we may get tried, in fact, we may be put in the fire, but we will come forth as gold, [Job 23:8-10 Behold, I go forward, but he is not there; and backward, but I cannot perceive him: 9 On the left hand, where he doth work, but I cannot behold him: he hideth himself on the right hand, that I cannot see him: 10 But he knoweth the way that I take: when he hath tried me, I shall come forth as gold.]
God often refers to His people as sheep. Why? Sheep are absent minded creatures who need a shepherd to guide them or they tend to wander off into the world and get into trouble, just as we do if we have no shepherd. When the Jews were in Babylon, many died before seeing an end to their captivity, but they had a promise awaiting them, God would restore Israel. Through Zechariah, God foretells of the time He will restore them and place judgment upon the shepherds that sent His sheep right out into the slaughter.
[Zechariah 10:3-8 Mine anger was kindled against the shepherds, and I punished the goats: for the LORD of hosts hath visited his flock the house of Judah, and hath made them as his goodly horse in the battle. 4 Out of him came forth the corner, out of him the nail, out of him the battle bow, out of him every oppressor together. 5 And they shall be as mighty men, which tread down their enemies in the mire of the streets in the battle: and they shall fight, because the LORD is with them, and the riders on horses shall be confounded. 6 And I will strengthen the house of Judah, and I will save the house of Joseph, and I will bring them again to place them; for I have mercy upon them: and they shall be as though I had not cast them off: for I am the LORD their God, and will hear them. 7 And they of Ephraim shall be like a mighty man, and their heart shall rejoice as through wine: yea, their children shall see it, and be glad; their heart shall rejoice in the LORD. 8 I will hiss for them, and gather them; for I have redeemed them: and they shall increase as they have increased.]
[Out of him came forth the corner,] Of course, God is talking about Jesus here, the Good Shepherd. Sadly, many false shepherds have led the people astray, allowing them to bring sin into the church, thinking that it is actually something that God approves of. Idolatry? Adultery? Fornication? Homosexuality? Abortion? Women leading the church? These are all things that God does not approve of, through Zechariah, God foretells of when He will place judgment upon the false shepherds, particularly one.
[Zechariah 11:4-5,7,10-14 Thus saith the LORD my God; Feed the flock of the slaughter; 5 Whose possessors slay them, and hold themselves not guilty: and they that sell them say, Blessed be the LORD; for I am rich: and their own shepherds pity them not. 7 And I will feed the flock of slaughter, even you, O poor of the flock. And I took unto me two staves; the one I called Beauty, and the other I called Bands; and I fed the flock. 10 And I took my staff, even Beauty, and cut it asunder, that I might break my covenant which I had made with all the people. 11 And it was broken in that day: and so the poor of the flock that waited upon me knew that it was the word of the LORD. 12 And I said unto them, If ye think good, give me my price; and if not, forbear. So they weighed for my price thirty pieces of silver. 13 And the LORD said unto me, Cast it unto the potter: a goodly price that I was prised at of them. And I took the thirty pieces of silver, and cast them to the potter in the house of the LORD. 14 Then I cut asunder mine other staff, even Bands, that I might break the brotherhood between Judah and Israel.]
[the one I called Beauty,] Beauty, represents the privileges of the Jewish nation, in their national covenant, Bands, the harmony which united them as the flock of God. They chose to cleave to false teachers, which followed the breaking of the covenant between God and them. This is why God decided to have one Shepherd who will lead not only Jews, but Gentiles in the way that they shall go. God gives some amazing insight to the first and second coming of Christ, including His crucifixion, a day that will bring mourning to all nations.
[Zechariah 12:1,3,8-10 The burden of the word of the LORD for Israel, saith the LORD, which stretcheth forth the heavens, and layeth the foundation of the earth, and formeth the spirit of man within him. 3 And in that day will I make Jerusalem a burdensome stone for all people: all that burden themselves with it shall be cut in pieces, though all the people of the earth be gathered together against it. 8 In that day shall the LORD defend the inhabitants of Jerusalem; and he that is feeble among them at that day shall be as David; and the house of David shall be as God, as the angel of the LORD before them. 9 And it shall come to pass in that day, that I will seek to destroy all the nations that come against Jerusalem. 10 And I will pour upon the house of David, and upon the inhabitants of Jerusalem, the spirit of grace and of supplications: and they shall look upon me whom they have pierced, and they shall mourn for him, as one mourneth for his only son, and shall be in bitterness for him, as one that is in bitterness for his firstborn.]
[and they shall look upon me whom they have pierced,] All who look to the One they pierced will be saved. Let me tell you, the burdens of life make us weak, they literally drain every bit of strength that is in us, but when we are weak, that is when Christ is strong in us. I can complain to God all I want about my situation, but until I stop fighting my battle myself I will never be strong enough to win it. All the people and things that made us weak will be the ammunition God uses to not only fight them for us, but strengthen us. Through Zechariah, God speaks of the glorious day when Israel will finally recognize Christ as the Messiah, but also gives details of why we suffer as Christians.
[Zechariah 13:1,4-9 In that day there shall be a fountain opened to the house of David and to the inhabitants of Jerusalem for sin and for uncleanness. 4 And it shall come to pass in that day, that the prophets shall be ashamed every one of his vision, when he hath prophesied; neither shall they wear a rough garment to deceive: 5 But he shall say, I am no prophet, I am an husbandman; for man taught me to keep cattle from my youth. 6 And one shall say unto him, What are these wounds in thine hands? Then he shall answer, Those with which I was wounded in the house of my friends. 7 Awake, O sword, against my shepherd, and against the man that is my fellow, saith the LORD of hosts: smite the shepherd, and the sheep shall be scattered: and I will turn mine hand upon the little ones. 8 And it shall come to pass, that in all the land, saith the LORD, two parts therein shall be cut off and die; but the third shall be left therein. 9 And I will bring the third part through the fire, and will refine them as silver is refined, and will try them as gold is tried: they shall call on my name, and I will hear them: I will say, It is my people: and they shall say, The LORD is my God.]
[I was wounded in the house of my friends.] He was wounded for our transgressions, He suffered and died on the cross because He loves us too much to let us end up in hell. Praise God! There is one reminder, one sign to show what Jesus did for us, and that is the scars in His hands and feet where the nails were driven into them. [and will try them as gold is tried:] Because we now have a clean soul, we can be sure that God will put us in that fire to remove all the impurities from our mind, heart, and spirit, [I Peter 5:10 But the God of all grace, who hath called us unto his eternal glory by Christ Jesus, after that ye have suffered a while, make you perfect, stablish, strengthen, settle you.]
Sometimes is seems like no matter what we do we are being chastened or punished by God. God uses affliction to refine us, to make us not only depend on Him for everything, but that through our affliction He shines. We can ask questions as to why God allows so many things, His own to live in poverty, to be abused, to be in pain, to be persecuted, but the real question is, why do we? We may not understand the purpose of God’s plan, but we can understand that all things work together for good when we love Him, even though we may be in the fire (Romans 8:28. One day all the suffering will be over and we will all unite as one nation with our King. Through Zechariah, God reveals the time that Israel will finally recognize Christ as their King and we will all join Him in Jerusalem.
[Zechariah 14:1,6-9,16-18 Behold, the day of the LORD cometh, and thy spoil shall be divided in the midst of thee. 6 And it shall come to pass in that day, that the light shall not be clear, nor dark: 7 But it shall be one day which shall be known to the LORD, not day, nor night: but it shall come to pass, that at evening time it shall be light. 8 And it shall be in that day, that living waters shall go out from Jerusalem; half of them toward the former sea, and half of them toward the hinder sea: in summer and in winter shall it be. 9 And the LORD shall be king over all the earth: in that day shall there be one LORD, and his name one. 16 And it shall come to pass, that every one that is left of all the nations which came against Jerusalem shall even go up from year to year to worship the King, the LORD of hosts, and to keep the feast of tabernacles. 17 And it shall be, that whoso will not come up of all the families of the earth unto Jerusalem to worship the King, the LORD of hosts, even upon them shall be no rain. 18 And if the family of Egypt go not up, and come not, that have no rain; there shall be the plague, wherewith the LORD will smite the heathen that come not up to keep the feast of tabernacles.]
[and to keep the feast of tabernacles.] Gospel worship is represented by the keeping of the feast of tabernacles. Every day of a Christian’s life is a day to keep the feast of tabernacles. It is just for God to withhold the blessings of grace from those who do not attend the feast. In fact, it is a sin that is its own punishment for those who forsake the duty, forfeit the privilege of communion with God, [I Corinthians 11:24-27 And when he had given thanks, he brake it, and said, Take, eat: this is my body, which is broken for you: this do in remembrance of me. 25 After the same manner also he took the cup, when he had supped, saying, This cup is the new testament in my blood: this do ye, as oft as ye drink it, in remembrance of me. 26 For as often as ye eat this bread, and drink this cup, ye do shew the Lord’s death till he come. 27 Wherefore whosoever shall eat this bread, and drink this cup of the Lord, unworthily, shall be guilty of the body and blood of the Lord.]
Today’s Prayer: God, Saved or not, we all have burdens in life, thankfully, we who know Your Son as our Saviour can overcome them through Him. He is not only the living water that sustains our soul, He is what gives us the strength to deal with every burden. Lord, Help us not to resent the trials and afflictions of life or be fearful of their effects, for they are meant to purify our hearts and minds and make them as gold. Fill us with Your power, mercy, and grace, let it overflow us as a fountain, and cover us with Your protective wings so that we can endure all things through His strength. I ask these things in Your name, Jesus. Amen.
God Bless You, I am praying for you,
Christina
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