Scripture Reading : Zechariah 12
Theme : The Pierced Messiah
Physical Deliverance (1-9). God encourages His covenant people by contrasting His initial judgment on Israel with their ultimate deliverance. God is faithful and will ultimately fulfill His promise to rid Israel and the world of sin. . In the end times, the nations will attack Israel, but through the Messiah, God will strengthen Israel so that even the weakest Jew will be as strong as David and their attackers. V.8 is a reference to the Messiah who will sit on the throne of David so that the house of David will be like God (1 Chron. 17:11-15). It will also be like the Angel of the Lord, which is another reference to the pre-incarnated Messiah. This verse is also an implicit reference to the trinity.
Spiritual Deliverance (10-14). God is not just concerned about their physical deliverance, but also their spiritual deliverance, which will come when God pours out His Spirit to open the hearts of spiritually dead Jews to embrace Jesus, whom they had pierced. Physical blessings cannot come without first receiving spiritual blessings. 12:10 is one of the most stunning prophecies about the death of Jesus and the trinity. God speaks in the first person, and then refers to himself in the third person as Jesus, whom the Jews had pierced on the cross. This is fulfilled in John 19:37. This verse alone can demonstrate the incredible divine nature of Scripture. No man can ever make up such out-of-this-world prophecy and fulfill it in the most incredible way: through the cross of Jesus. Glory and praise be to God.
Praying the Scripture
- It is clear from Scripture that salvation is ultimately from the Holy Spirit, not from man. For man are all dead in sin and unable to open their hearts to God. Only God can open their hearts to believe. Jesus rebuked Nicodemus, as a great teacher of the OT, for not knowing this (John 3:10). We need to be responsible to make the gospel clear when we evangelize (Col. 4:4), but we should also pray with equal fervency for God to shower His mercy on unbelievers because it is God alone who can open people’s hearts. Heavenly Father, we pray you will cause us to pray more when we evangelize. Let us pray before, during and after evangelizing unbelievers. We pray for your gracious mercy to open their hearts to believe, not for our sake, but for the sake of your glorious name.
经文：撒迦利亚书12
主题：被扎的弥赛亚
外在的拯救（1-9）。神将祂对以色列起初的审判和最后的拯救作对比，从而鼓励祂的子民。神是信实的，必要履行祂的承诺，除尽以色列和世界的罪。末日时，列国将攻击以色列，但神会藉着弥赛亚保护她，使最软弱的犹太人也能与大卫和他的烈士一样坚定。第八节指的是将坐在大卫宝座上的弥赛亚，叫大卫的家必如神（代上17:11-15）。大卫的家也如耶和华的使者，即未道成肉身的弥赛亚。这一节也暗示了三一神的运作。
属灵的拯救（10-14）。神在乎的不但是以色列国的拯救，更在乎祂子民的灵性拯救。神将在这些灵里已死的犹太人身上浇灌祂的灵，打开他们的属灵之窗，叫他们能拥抱自己所扎的耶稣。人首先要得灵性的祝福，才能蒙受外在的祝福。第十节是有关耶稣之死和三一神其中最令人惊叹的预言之一。神先用第一人的角度说话，接着又用第三者的身份（耶稣）指自己，即犹太人在十架上所扎的那一位。这在约翰福音19:37应验了。这一节经文本身就能体现经文奥妙的神圣性质。无人能制造如此破天荒的预言，又以最巧妙的方式应验预言，就是藉着耶稣的十字架。愿荣耀和赞美都归于神。
用经文祷告
- 我们从经文中能清楚看到救恩最终是从圣灵而来，不是从人而来，因为人人都死在罪恶过犯之中，无法向神敞开他们的心。唯有神能解开人心，叫他们投靠神。耶稣曾经为此责备一名旧约大师尼哥迪慕，因为他不晓得这事（约3:10）。我们必须负责任，向他人传福音时清楚地传讲（西4:4），同时也要热切祷告，叫神能怜悯这些非信徒，因为唯有神能敞开人心。天父啊，我们祈求您能叫我们在传福音时能多祷告。让我们向非信徒传福音的前、中、后都在祷告。我们求您荣耀的怜悯能敞开他们的心，不为自己，乃为您荣耀的名信靠您。。
