Daily Thoughts from Zechariah: Be a Tent Peg Leader (Zechariah 10)

Ask rain from the LORD in the season of the spring rain, from the LORD who makes the storm clouds, and he will give them showers of rain, to everyone the vegetation in the field.  For the household gods utter nonsense, and the diviners see lies; they tell false dreams and give empty consolation.  Therefore the people wander like sheep; they are afflicted for lack of a shepherd.

“My anger is hot against the shepherds, and I will punish the leaders; for the LORD of hosts cares for his flock, the house of Judah, and will make them like his majestic steed in battle.  From him shall come the cornerstone, from him the tent peg, from him the battle bow, from him every ruler—all of them together.  They shall be like mighty men in battle, trampling the foe in the mud of the streets; they shall fight because the LORD is with them, and they shall put to shame the riders on horses.

“I will strengthen the house of Judah, and I will save the house of Joseph.  I will bring them back because I have compassion on them, and they shall be as though I had not rejected them, for I am the LORD their God and I will answer them.  Then Ephraim shall become like a mighty warrior, and their hearts shall be glad as with wine.  Their children shall see it and be glad; their hearts shall rejoice in the LORD.

“I will whistle for them and gather them in, for I have redeemed them, and they shall be as many as they were before.  Though I scattered them among the nations, yet in far countries they shall remember me, and with their children they shall live and return.  I will bring them home from the land of Egypt, and gather them from Assyria, and I will bring them to the land of Gilead and to Lebanon, till there is no room for them.  He shall pass through the sea of troubles and strike down the waves of the sea, and all the depths of the Nile shall be dried up.  The pride of Assyria shall be laid low, and the scepter of Egypt shall depart.  I will make them strong in the LORD, and they shall walk in his name,” declares the LORD. (Zechariah 10, ESV)

Making your crops for the season is critical to surviving.  If you don’t get rain and the crops fail there is nothing to eat.  Yahweh had promised Israel the seasonal rains if they trusted in and obeyed Him.  But too often they hedged their bets and also offered sacrifice to Baal or other gods of the nations around them.  What would they do now?  Would they fall back on their household gods or go to diviners to see what the future would be?  The leaders at every level, the shepherds, should have been directing them to trust in Yahweh but instead were failing to speak up. 

Yahweh would not put up with poor leadership because He loves His flock.  So through Zechariah Yahweh promises to raise up good leaders to become needed cornerstones, tent pegs and battle bows, as He continues to whistle, like a shepherd does for his flock, for His people to return from exile.  Like a new Exodus from Egypt He will pass through the waters with them and bring them to the place of prosperity.  The northern kingdom of Israel (represented by Ephraim and Joseph) will be restored from Assyria.

Yahweh the Son seems to be speaking all this because he ends with “I will make them strong in Yahweh, and they shall walk in his name,” referring to Yahweh in the third person and yet himself also identified as Yahweh.  The angel of Yahweh who has been speaking to Zechariah is also Yahweh, a concept that only makes sense once we understand who Jesus is and have an inkling of the Trinity.

Will you be a part of leading God’s people today?  Will you be a faithless shepherd or one who cares enough for God’s flock to direct them to the true God to meet their most basic needs?  Will you be a cornerstone, tent peg and battle bow, or one who speaks nonsense and gives empty consolation?  Will you even speak at all?  Let Jesus make you strong in the Lord, and walk in His name.