Zechariah 10

CHAPTER 10

The Lord Will Care for Judah (10:1–12)

1–2 In this chapter, the Lord continues to assure the people of Judah (and all Israelites everywhere) that He has a wonderful future in store for them. It is the Lord who will ensure their future—not idols and diviners (false prophets). It is the Lord who will give showers of rain (verse 1)blessings both physical and spiritual. But now, because so many of Judah’s leaders have been corrupt and self–serving, the people wander like sheep without a shepherd (see Mark 6:34).

3–5 Therefore, the Lord will punish those corrupt shepherds and leaders (verse 3), and He Himself (as the Messiah) will lead His people and make them strong and triumphant like a proud horse. For it’s from the tribe of Judah that the Messiah will come (Genesis 49:10; Micah 5:2); He will be a cornerstone (see Isaiah 28:16; Ephesians 2:19–20), a tent peg supporting the “tent” of God’s people (verse 4). In short, the Messiah will be the foundation and support of the restored Judah. He will lead God’s people in battle, both militarily and spiritually. Because the Lord is with them, they (the people of Judah) will overthrow their enemies²³ (verse 5).

6–12 The Lord promises to strengthen the house of Judah (the southern kingdom) and to save the house of Joseph²⁴ (the northern kingdom). God will reunite the two kingdoms, because of His covenant relationship with them. He is the Lord their God—the Lord of all Israelites. Therefore He will not reject them (verse 6).

In verses 7–12, the Lord continues His promises to the Ephraimites (the people of the northern kingdom); even though they have been scattered among many nations, the Lord will signal for them and gather them in (verses 7–8). He will redeem²⁵ them and make them as numerous as they were before they were conquered. The Lord mentions two of Israel’s greatest enemies: Egypt and Assyria (verse 10); these two are representative of all the places where the Israelites have been dispersed. These enemy nations will be overcome, and the scattered Israelites will be restored to their land—to Lebanon (west of the Jordan) and to Gilead (east of the Jordan). They will be strengthened in the LORD,²⁶ and they will walk in his name, that is, according to His will (verse 12).²⁷