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Thursday 8/19/21
The Lord Fights Our Battles
πŸ“½οΈ Zechariah 12 πŸ”Š

 1The burden of the word of the LORD for Israel, saith the LORD, which stretcheth forth the heavens, and layeth the foundation of the earth, and formeth the spirit of man within him.
 2Behold, I will make Jerusalem a cup of trembling unto all the people round about, when they shall be in the siege both against Judah and against Jerusalem.
 3And in that day will I make Jerusalem a burdensome stone for all people: all that burden themselves with it shall be cut in pieces, though all the people of the earth be gathered together against it.
 4In that day, saith the LORD, I will smite every horse with astonishment, and his rider with madness: and I will open mine eyes upon the house of Judah, and will smite every horse of the people with blindness.
 5And the governors of Judah shall say in their heart, The inhabitants of Jerusalem shall be my strength in the LORD of hosts their God.
 6In that day will I make the governors of Judah like an hearth of fire among the wood, and like a torch of fire in a sheaf; and they shall devour all the people round about, on the right hand and on the left: and Jerusalem shall be inhabited again in her own place, even in Jerusalem.
 7The LORD also shall save the tents of Judah first, that the glory of the house of David and the glory of the inhabitants of Jerusalem do not magnify themselves against Judah.
 8In that day shall the LORD defend the inhabitants of Jerusalem; and he that is feeble among them at that day shall be as David; and the house of David shall be as God, as the angel of the LORD before them.
 9And it shall come to pass in that day, that I will seek to destroy all the nations that come against Jerusalem.
 10And I will pour upon the house of David, and upon the inhabitants of Jerusalem, the spirit of grace and of supplications: and they shall look upon me whom they have pierced, and they shall mourn for him, as one mourneth for his only son, and shall be in bitterness for him, as one that is in bitterness for his firstborn.
 11In that day shall there be a great mourning in Jerusalem, as the mourning of Hadadrimmon in the valley of Megiddon.
 12And the land shall mourn, every family apart; the family of the house of David apart, and their wives apart; the family of the house of Nathan apart, and their wives apart;
 13The family of the house of Levi apart, and their wives apart; the family of Shimei apart, and their wives apart;
 14All the families that remain, every family apart, and their wives apart.
Written By: God through Inspiration
Penned By: Zechariah
Date Penned: (1-8 520-518BC)(9-14 480BC)
Overview: Messages while After Completing the Temple (c 9-14)
Theme: Zechariah's Words of Encouragement (c 7-14)
Message: God will Destroy His People's Enemies (v 1-14)

Zechariah: Chapter 12 Commentary
  
(12:1) This chapter pictures the final siege against the people of Jerusalem.

(12:2-4) This speaks for a great future battle against Jerusalem. Some say it is Armageddon, the last great battle on earth. Those who go against God's people will not prevail forever, Evil, pain, and oppression will one day be abolished once and for all.

(12:7) As water flows downhill, so a city's influence usually flows to its surrounding countryside. But this time, the countryside of Jedah would have priority over Jerusalem so that the people of Jerusalem would not become proud. Don't think you have to witness first the "important" people - professional athletes, movie stars, and top businessmen. Christ came to seek and save the lost, even the "down and out" lost. We must be careful to avoid spiritual pride if we, like Jerusalem, may be the last to know what God is doing.

(12:10) The Holy Spirit was poured out at Pentecost. 50 days after Christ's resurrection (Acts 2) Zechariah calls the Spirit "the spirit of grace and supplications." It is this Spirit who convicts us of sin, reveals us to God's righteousness and judgement, and helps us as we pray. "Likewise the Spirit also helpeth our infirmities: for we know not what we should pray for us with groanings which cannot be uttered" (Romans 8) Ask God to fill you with His Spirit. Eventually all people will realize that Jesus, the man who was pierced and killed, is indeed the Messiah. There will be an awakening and a revival. The crucified Messiah will be clearly revealed (Phillippians 2)

(12:11) Hadadrimmon could refer to King Josiah who was killed in the valley of Megiddo. He was greatly mourned by his people (2 Chronicles 35)

(12: 12-14) These verses are saying that all Israel will mourn - king, prophet, priest, and people. Each family will go into a private morning, husbands and wives apart to face their sorrows.
Each day we walk through the Bible chapter by chapter making an application of our text to help us grow in the Lord. Many applications can be made from each day's text. Today we continue in the book of Zechariah with Chapter 12. In our text today we see God will destroy his people's enemies. In making application we see how the Lord fights our battles as He is faithful. Today we can face many adversaries but the Lord is with us and will allow us to do His Will by overcoming our adversaries. How about you? Do you have enemies? Let us learn from our text today and the example of Zechariah to see that the Lord fights our battles and simply need to walk by faith to walk in victory.
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ο»ΏSincerely,
Dr. Dave Burnette
Director, The United States Bible Society, Inc.