National Cleansing For Israel

Zechariah 13:1–9
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“That day” (v. 1) refers to the future day of the Lord (14:1). “The house of David (political leaders) and the inhabitants of Jerusalem” include all the people of the land who need cleansing. The terms “sin” and “uncleanness” can refer specifically to idolatry but they probably have a broader reference here to the total sinful condition of the people. The Lord announced His intention to banish the names of the idols from the land (vv. 2-3). He will overcome all factors that detract from His worship and all idolatry will become extinct. Associated with the extinction of idolatry will be the extinguishing of false prophecy, which includes human false prophets and the (superhuman) spirit of impurity, probably to be understood as a personal agency of evil that will inspire false prophets.

This prevalence of justice will cause false prophets to disavow all associations with their prophetic trade. They will forego the deception of wearing a prophet’s garb (v. 4). Some true prophets did wear a garment of hair. Also to avoid detection, the alleged prophets will claim to have been involved in the lifelong occupation of farming (v.5). False prophets will lie about the source of scars on their bodies (v. 6). These scars no doubt will be from self-inflicted wounds associated with idol-worship.

This passage speaks of the smitten Shepherd (v. 7a), the scattered sheep (vv. 7b-8), and the saved remnant (v. 9). Calling on the wielder of the sword to strike the Shepherd, the Lord then indicated the consequences: the sheep will be scattered. In His crucifixion Christ was smitten (Isa. 53:4, 7, 10). His own disciples abandoned Him like scattered sheep (Matt. 26:31, 56). The scattering of the sheep also seems to refer to the scattering of the Jewish nation when Jerusalem was destroyed by the Romans in a.d. 70. At that time two-thirds of the Jewish nation was struck down and perished, but the surviving remnant was restored, for the most part, to their covenant relationship with the Lord.

Application

The Lord Says that there is a day coming when He will get rid of every trace of idol worship, all false prophets and the unclean spirits that inspire them. I look forward to that day.