Tue, 26 December, 2006: Today’s Bible readings.
7 “Awake, O sword, against my shepherd,
against the man who stands next to me,”
declares the LORD of hosts.“Strike the shepherd, and the sheep will be scattered;
I will turn my hand against the little ones.
8 In the whole land, declares the LORD,
two thirds shall be cut off and perish,
and one third shall be left alive.
9 And I will put this third into the fire,
and refine them as one refines silver,
and test them as gold is tested.
They will call upon my name,
and I will answer them.
I will say, ‘They are my people’;
and they will say, ‘The LORD is my God.’”
Zechariah tells us that God will strike the shepherd and scatter the sheep, but out of this will come the formation of the people of God.
What do we learn from this?
We see it all over in the scriptures. God allows evil to happen in this world. Since He is God and He is omnipotent, He could stop every evil in this world. But for His own purposes, He allows bad things to happen. However, they always happen for a reason. They bring about a greater good. Every thing, even the evil that occurs, is for God’s glory and for the good of His people.
In our passage today we see that the shepherd is struck and the sheep are scattered, but the end result is that people will call upon God’s. They will claim the Lord as their God, and God will accept them. They are my people, will be His reply.
A great evil will occur, but the result is a greater good: People will become the people of God and will be accepted by God.
God works in the midst of evil to bring about His glory and the good of His people.
Where is Christ in this passage?
On the night that Jesus Christ was betrayed, He tells us that He is the shepherd who was struck, and His disciples are the sheep who were scattered.
31 Then Jesus said to them, “You will all fall away because of me this night. For it is written, ‘I will strike the shepherd, and the sheep of the flock will be scattered.’ 32 But after I am raised up, I will go before you to Galilee.”
