Restoration of Judah and Israel
“Ask the Lord for rain in the time of the latter rain. The Lord will make flashing clouds; He will give them showers of rain, grass in the field for everyone.
For the idols speak delusion; the diviners envision lies, and tell false dreams; they comfort in vain. Therefore, the people wend their way like sheep; they are in trouble because there is no shepherd.
“My anger is kindled against the shepherds, and I will punish the goatherds. For the Lord of hosts will visit His flock, the house of Judah, and will make them as His royal horse in the battle. From him comes the cornerstone, from him the tent peg, from him the battle bow, from him every ruler together. They shall be like mighty men, who tread down their enemies in the mire of the streets in the battle. They shall fight because the Lord is with them, and the riders on horses shall be put to shame.
“I will strengthen the house of Judah, and I will save the house of Joseph. I will bring them back, because I have mercy on them. They shall be as though I had not cast them aside; for I am the Lord their God, and I will hear them. Those of Ephraim shall be like a mighty man,
and their heart shall rejoice as if with wine. Yes, their children shall see it and be glad; their heart shall rejoice in the Lord. I will whistle for them and gather them, for I will redeem them; and they shall increase as they once increased.
“I will sow them among the peoples, and they shall remember Me in far countries; they shall live, together with their children, and they shall return. I will also bring them back from the land of Egypt,
and gather them from Assyria. I will bring them into the land of Gilead and Lebanon, until no more room is found for them. He shall pass through the sea with affliction, and strike the waves of the sea:
all the depths of the River shall dry up. Then the pride of Assyria shall be brought down, and the scepter of Egypt shall depart. “So I will strengthen them in the Lord, and they shall walk up and down in His name,” says the Lord.”
RAIN! Right now, farmers in much of the world are crying for rain. Crops that should be flourishing are withering for lack of rain. Here in our little village, we had heavy rain two days ago, and the farmers immediately went to their farms to take advantage of the softened earth. Our area is dry for much of the year, so rain is a precious commodity. It was the same thing in Zechariah’s time. Unfortunately, some of the pagan deities the Israelites were worshiping were rain gods or fertility gods, ignoring the One True Living God who truly did control the weather. The god Baal was frequently portrayed as a man standing on the back of a bull and holding a lightning bolt in his hand. Here God is proclaiming that He and not Baal controls even the lightning.
The priests and prophets for those false gods must have been masters of special effects that would impress their followers. Caught up in idolatry, the Israelites refused to realize that all the prophecies from these people were convenient lies. Who are the shepherds and goatherds referred to in this passage? These are the spiritual and political leaders who should have led people in straight paths but who have abandoned the people to wander willy nilly without protection. Now God promises to do what these leaders failed to do.
“For the Lord of hosts will visit His flock, the house of Judah, and will make them as His royal horse in the battle. From him comes the cornerstone, from him the tent peg, from him the battle bow, from him every ruler together. They shall be like mighty men, who tread down their enemies in the mire of the streets in the battle. They shall fight because the Lord is with them, and the riders on horses shall be put to shame.”
Not only does God promise to protect His people, but He also promises to bring them back from exile “until no more room is found for them.” God promises to make ways through the oceans, to dry up the River (most likely the Euphrates), and to strike down the Assyrians and Egyptians so that they are no longer world powers. Although these events might seem impossible, the truth is that the Euphrates River IS drying up! “The Euphrates River is at risk of drying up due to climate change. Temperatures in northeastern Syria have risen by one degree Celsius compared to 100 years ago, and average rainfall has decreased by 18 millimeters per month per century. The Iraqi Ministry of Water Resources warns that the river could be dry by 2040.” (The Center for Strategic International Studies – https://features.csis.org/the-future-of-the-Euphrates-River/)
Finally, God promises to strengthen His people. “So I will strengthen them in the Lord, and they shall walk up and down in His name,” says the Lord.”
APPLICATION: Years ago, I had an elderly friend who told me that she came to faith in Jesus Christ when she saw Biblical prophecies coming true as Jews fled from war-torn Europe and other parts of the world to found the State of Israel. Now we are watching this Biblical prophecy about the Euphrates River come true in our time. “But,” you say, “this is all due to climate change and the number of dams on the rivers feeding into the Euphrates.” My answer: So what? God is sovereign; if He chooses to use climate change for His purposes, is He not allowed to do so? Our problem is that our concept of God is far too small; we are in danger of reducing the Ruler of the Universe to the level of one of the teraphim, a small household deity that is only good for little petitions but not for big ones.
How many of us need help? How many of us are feeling broken and in need of restoration? God is promising to send healing rains, rains of mercy and grace, and He will do this for us if we will only ask.
PRAYER: Father God, thank You for loving us and for caring for us. Lord, each of us needs Your healing touch, Your mercy, Your grace. Come into our hearts and heal the wounds. Send the rain of Your love to water our lives, so that our lives will become beautiful proofs of Your power. In the mighty and precious Name of King Jesus. Amen.
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