The Day of Redemption

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PASSAGE: Zechariah 13:1-9

COMMENT: The day of redemption for Israel will be a day of refreshing from the Lord (v.1), a day of removal of false prophets (v.2-5), a day of remembrance of the rejected shepherd (v.6-7), and a day of refining for the remnant of the people (v.8-9). It is the day when the people of Israel will say, “The LORD is my God.” We can all rejoice in what a day that will be!

WHAT DOES IT SAY?

1.                   In that day there shall be a ____________ opened for sin and for _____________.

2.                   The Lord will cut off the ________ of the idols out of the land and they shall be no more remembered.

3.                   It will come to pass that the prophets shall be _____________ every one of his vision.

4.                   The prophet will say, I am no prophet, I am an _______________.

5.                   The third part of the inhabitants of the land will go through the _______ and God will ________ them as silver.

WHAT DOES IT MEAN?

1.                   Compare the prophets of Zechariah 13:2-5 with the shepherd of Zechariah 13:6-7. What kind of prophets are these prophets? Why are they doing what this passage records? Who is the shepherd? What contrasts can you find between the prophets and the shepherd?

2.                   In Zechariah 13:3, the parents of the prophet condemn and execute their son. Look at the following passages and tell what tests God gives to determine a true prophet: Deuteronomy 13:1-3; 18:20-22; Isaiah 8:18-20. How does Deuteronomy 13:5 help to explain Zechariah 13:3?

3.                   Zechariah 13:6 asks about the wounds in the hands of the shepherd. What are these wounds? What does this verse mean when it says that these wounds were received in the house of friends?

WHAT DOES IT MEAN TO ME?

1.                   Zechariah 13:4 speaks of prophets who wear a rough garment to deceive. A rough garment could refer to older clothes or clothes of lesser quality (2Kings 1:8; Matthew 3:4); or it could refer to sackcloth, a clothing often used in times of fasting or mourning (Isaiah 20:2; Revelation 11:3). How could wearing such clothing be used for deception? What do some preachers or evangelists do today that deceives some people into thinking they are more holy than they are or into following them? What are our best guards against such deception?

2.                   Zechariah 13:7 declares this precept, “smite the shepherd, and the sheep shall be scattered.” How was this prophecy fulfilled in Matthew 26:31? How can this precept be applied to our modern service for the Lord? Knowing this precept, what steps would wisdom have us take in order to lessen its impact?

SUGGESTED MEMORY VERSES: Zechariah 13:1, 6, 7

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