"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.
In the whole land declares the LORD,
two thirds shall be cut off and perish,
and one third shall be left alive.
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 13:7-9
I recently was part of a conversation about this passage at a Bible study. We looked extensively into Zechariah's prophecy in chapters 12 and 13. It was a great study and sweet fellowship. However, the Holy Spirit took its time to work these passages into my mind and then into my heart. I dwelled on the promises written in chapter 13 about the coming shepherd. After rereading them this afternoon, I felt compelled to share a contrast to which my eyes were opened after prayer and meditation.
Here in Zechariah, God refers to the "shepherd" multiple times. After looking at the context, it becomes apparent that the "shepherd" is none other than Jesus Christ. It is confirmed when Jesus himself quotes this prophecy in Mark 14, referring to himself as the shepherd being struck (crucified) and his sheep scattering. If we begin to read this passage using Christ instead of shepherd, it is a little surprising what the LORD of hosts is commanding against His own Son. The Father is awakening His sword to strike the Son. With the Gospels, we realize just how brutal this strike really was. The Father did not simply scratch the Son with His sword, nor did He place on Him a mere flesh wound. The Father struck the Son with such force that no one in the history of man has ever fully felt. The Father struck the Son with every bit of wrath that we deserve. If that thought does not put you and me on our knees in humility and gratitude, then not much else will.
As the passage continues, we see another aspect of God's dealings with man at work. We must first realize that the fullness of God's wrath rested upon the innocent Son. He was "to drink the cup that the Father had given him," the cup of God's wrath against the sin of the elect. As He cried out "It is finished" on the cross, he finished every last drop of that wrath in the cup. There is absolutely no wrath reserved for those that trust in Christ. And yet we see in this passage that God is putting us into the fire. Is this leftover wrath for Christians here on earth?
By no means! God's wrath is completely removed from those who are found in Christ. The refining described in Zechariah 13 is not God's wrath, but His discipline. We must realize this difference as Christians, but also find joy in it! God does not operate on a karma system, rewarding good and punishing bad. If that were the case, our entire lives would be full of punishment. Instead, in an effort to glorify Christ through our lives on earth, God puts us through the fire in order to refine us and remove impurities.
Are you going through a tough time in your life? Think not how God's wrath is leaking through Christ onto you, but rather what impurities God is trying to remove from your life. Have you recently been convicted of sin? Or maybe you've recently been confronted by another with a persistent sin in your life. The anguish and guilt you feel, the defensive posture and the arrogant defiance that follow make you utterly miserable. This is not God's wrath punishing your sin, instead it is God's loving discipline refining your walk in Christ.
We must never believe for a second that God's grace is not evident in His discipline. God's mercy has completely removed the wrath which we rightfully deserve. God's grace refines us everyday for the purpose of glorifying our Savior, which we never deserve the opportunity to do. He disciplines us out of love and grace until we realize that He is doing it because we are His people. Then we will gratefully and humbly cry out, "The LORD is my God!"
