Zechariah 11

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TALKS FOR GROWING CHRISTIANS

Three Significant Events to Come in Israel’s Future

BACKGROUND NOTES



DOCTRINAL POINT(S)

  1. Unbelieving Israel rejected the true Shepherd.

  2. Unbelieving Israel will accept a false shepherd.

PRACTICAL APPLICATION

  1. Don’t despise dramatic presentations.

QUESTIONS

  1. a. Review Zechariah’s prophesies: b. chapters 1-6 – eight prophetic c. chapters 7-8 – four prophetic chapters 9-14 – two prophetic

  2. What was the Lord’s purpose in giving Zechariah his first prophetic burden?

  3. Why had the blessing been delayed?

  4. Why did God allow the Roman armies to sweep in from the north, overrun the country, and destroy the temple?

  5. What did the Lord tell Zechariah to do in Zechariah 11:4-17?

  6. What were the two staffs called, and what did they represent?

  7. What would happen to these two staffs?

ANSWERS

  1. a. visions b. messages c. burdens (or oracles)

  2. To lift up and deliver the people. In context, it explains why all the blessing was predicted in Chapter 10.

  3. Because the true Shepherd of Israel was rejected by the people

  4. Because the Messiah was rejected, and before the blessing can come, Israel must undergo the discipline of God.

  5. He told him to act out the part of two shepherds. First, the part of the good and true Shepherd (11:4-14) and then the part of the foolish or false shepherd (11:15-17).

  6. One was called “Beauty” (or Favor), which represents the covenant of God to protect the people. The other staff was called “Bonds” (or Union), which represents unity within the people.

  7. Both staffs would be broken.

DISCUSS/CONSIDER

  1. The leaders of Israel were not caring for the sheep (remember the Scribes and Pharisees). These were the unfaithful rulers and false shepherds of the nation. In Zechariah’s role play, the two staffs were broken, showing that God’s protection was being removed so that the Romans would be free to sweep in against Jerusalem, and any unity in Israel would be impossible. There would be world-wide dispersion. God holds spiritual leaders of a nation responsible for the care of the flock. What about the false and unfaithful shepherds today? God still holds spiritual leaders responsible for the care of the flock. They will know God’s judgment.

  2. The anti-Christ will be accepted by the nation Israel. The good news is that this false shepherd will be conquered and removed. When the Lord comes He will cut down and eliminate the anti-Christ of the last days. See 2 Thessalonians 2:8. Not all the Jewish people will turn to the anti-Christ, and not all Gentiles will receive the mark of the beast. There will be 144,000 Jewish evangelists of the Tribulation Period who will lead many Jews to saving faith in the true Messiah who is returning to set up His kingdom. See Revelation 7. Could you make a time chart of the last days?

CHALLENGE

  1. God called Zechariah to make a dramatic presentation to illustrate the truth He wanted to convey to the people. Dramatic presentations can be very effective. God chose to use this method not only with Zechariah, but also with Jeremiah and Ezekiel. Re-think your position if you dislike dramatic presentations. Many people can be reached with truths of scripture by this method.

KEY VERSES

  • “I took for myself two staffs: the one I called Beauty, and the other I called Bonds.” Zechariah 11:7

  • “So I took the thirty pieces of silver and threw them into the house of the Lord for the potter.” Zechariah 11:13

Zechariah, Talks, Old TestamentDeb HarmsZechariah 11