Daily Thoughts from Zechariah: The Pierced Yahweh (Zechariah 12:10-13:1)

“And I will pour out on the house of David and the inhabitants of Jerusalem a spirit of grace and pleas for mercy, so that, when they look on me, on him whom they have pierced, they shall mourn for him, as one mourns for an only child, and weep bitterly over him, as one weeps over a firstborn. On that day the mourning in Jerusalem will be as great as the mourning for Hadad-rimmon in the plain of Megiddo. The land shall mourn, each family by itself: the family of the house of David by itself, and their wives by themselves; the family of the house of Nathan by itself, and their wives by themselves; the family of the house of Levi by itself, and their wives by themselves; the family of the Shimeites by itself, and their wives by themselves; and all the families that are left, each by itself, and their wives by themselves. On that day there shall be a fountain opened for the house of David and the inhabitants of Jerusalem, to cleanse them from sin and uncleanness. (Zechariah 12:10-13:1, ESV)

The future empowerment of Jerusalem to overcome all the nations of the world who have mounted a campaign against Israel will be preceded by a time of deep repentance.  The level of pain will be like that of losing your firstborn child or like the pain Israel felt when her revival-leading king, Josiah, was killed at Hadad-rimmon in the prime of his life.  This pain will be caused when they realize that they pierced Yahweh.  It will be felt through all families, the kingly (David and Nathan), the priestly (Levi), and all others (Shimeites).

The way Yahweh was literally pierced that could cause such painful grieving is when Israel asked for Jesus’ crucifixion and let a Roman soldier pierce him on the cross to prove his death.  Deep pain will be experienced by Israel when they come to believe that it is their Messiah they allowed to be killed.  This final day of defeat of all the nations at their doorstep will come when the nation embraces their savior and the cleansing fountain of forgiveness bursts forth.

Moses describes in Deuteronomy a time when Israel would disobey Him to the extent that He would cast them out of the land.  It happened in 586 B.C. and it happened again in A.D. 70.  Zechariah is writing at the time when, as Moses predicted, God would circumcise the hearts of His people to return to Him (Deuteronomy 30:6).  They are returning to Him and He is returning them to the land.  But there has not been a returning to Him yet since the A.D. 70 dispersing. God has not poured out yet a spirit of “pleas for mercy” so that the people can repent.

Even though we are responsible for repenting when we do wrong, there is also a giving of repentance that must take place from God.  He is the one demanding repentance but also the one who chooses to circumcise our hearts (cut away the hardness) or pour out in us our pleas for mercy.  He gives what He commands.  Nevertheless, He is calling His people to repent over their Messiah.  And He is calling us to help them see how they pierced him.