Deeper Commentary

Zechariah Chapter 10

Zechariah 10:1 Ask of Yahweh rain in the time of the spring rains; Yahweh will make storm clouds, He will give rain showers to everyone for the plants in the field- I explained on Zech. 9:14 that the Angels had potentially prepared a way for Judah to return and prosper into a restored kingdom of God, just as the Spirit now fulfils that function for those who wish to be God's people today. Had Judah moved in step with this, they would have become part of the cherubim system. The cherubim reference is continued here. Yahweh would again “make bright clouds” (AV) for Israel, reminiscent of Ezekiel’s cherubim. Finally, the Lord shall go before them, as He had wanted to in Ezekiel’s time, and even the feeble amongst Israel “shall be as the angel of the Lord [who goes] before them” (Zech. 12:8). They would become as the Angel in the same way as Ezekiel became part of the cherubim system, following eagerly where the Angel-cherubim lead. All this huge potential, to move forward with the Angel cherubim above them, was theirs for the asking- "Ask [this] of Yahweh...". The drought which was crippling the exiles at this time (see on Hag. 1), would be replaced by showers.

Zechariah 10:2 For the teraphim have spoken vanity, and the diviners have seen a lie; and they have told false dreams. They comfort in vain- Here is evidence enough that the Jews returned from exile with teraphim and false prophets; perhaps the term "teraphim" is used to recall how the historical Jacob had also returned from his exile with teraphim (Gen. 31:32).

Therefore they go their way like sheep. They are oppressed, because there is no shepherd- As noted on Zech. 9:16, God was eager to shepherd His people; but they preferred false shepherds (:3), and chose not to walk in step with the Angel cherubim who were to shepherd the people (see on Zech. 9:16). This was exactly why they had gone into captivity (Ez. 34:8), and they were behaving the same at their return. The situation would only finally be resolved by a new shepherd arising in the Lord Jesus, and the final homecoming will be at His return.

Zechariah 10:3 My anger is kindled against the shepherds, and I will punish the male goats; because Yahweh of Armies has visited His flock, the house of Judah, and will make them as His majestic horse in the battle- God was angry with the false shepherds who claimed that now was not the time to rebuild the temple (see on Hag. 1:2); because it was the time, and the Angel hosts / armies of Yahweh had potentially enabled the way for them to return, and to be ridden by Him as a horse in victory against all their enemies. Those false shepherds acted as male goats, who were used to direct the sheep in the absence of a human shepherd. Zechariah and Malachi repeatedly criticize the shepherd-priests of Judah for not leading the people as they should have done, and thereby enabled the restoration as potentially envisaged. Because Yahweh had visited His people and (potentially) made them capable of establishing His Kingdom, therefore the priests were at fault for not enabling Judah’s spiritual revival. See on Zech. 13:7-9.

Zechariah 10:4 From Him will come forth the cornerstone, from Him the nail, from Him the battle bow, from Him every ruler together- The cornerstone of the new temple had been laid, but a far more glorious structure was possible, in line with that in Ez. 40-48. God would have raised up a new leadership, as explained on Zech. 6:14. "The nail", like the cornerstone, was the language of Messiah (Is. 22:23; Mt. 21:42). Under this leadership, a repentant Israel and Judah would have vanquished all opposition and established a restored Kingdom of God in the territory of the eretz. But they didn't, and yet the prophecies will come true when they do repent in the last days.

Zechariah 10:5 They shall be as mighty men, treading down muddy streets in the battle; and they shall fight, because Yahweh is with them; and the riders on horses will be confounded- The reference to trampling as mud is the language of 2 Sam. 22:43 about David, who has already been alluded to in Zech. 9:15; this would be a restoration of the Davidic kingdom. See on Gen. 49:17. As noted on :1 and Zech. 9:14, repentant Judah could have merged into the Angel-cherubim system; they could have been 'mighty ones', elohim, just as the Angels. Horse riders would be confounded because the restored Judah were as a horse ridden by Angels, and Yahweh Himself (:3). "Yahweh is with them" may be a hint that "God with us" in the person of Messiah was with them; and all this has its major fulfilment at the Lord's second coming. There is the implication that the returned exiles could have won great military victories; but instead they feared to challenge the local powers.

Zechariah 10:6 I will strengthen the house of Judah, and I will save the house of Joseph, and I will bring them back- Again we see the Divine intention to reunite both Judah and the ten tribe kingdom in their restoration; but this didn't happen because the majority preferred to remain in the lands of their exile. Ez. 37:16 had clearly spoken of such unity at the restoration: "Judah... the children of  Israel... Joseph, the stick of  Ephraim... all the house of  Israel". They didn't return despite God's desire to strengthen them and bring them back. And Judah was not strengthened or 'made to prevail' above their brethren (same Hebrew in 1 Chron. 5:2), even though this was the Divine intention. See on :12.

For I have mercy on them; and they will be as though I had not cast them off- This mercy was dependent upon their asking for it in repentance; but they didn't. And so it must have its fulfilment in a latter day scenario. Paul’s positive approach to Israel’s conversion is reflected in his whole reasoning in Romans 11, his classic statement about preaching to Israel. He begins by saying that God has not cast off His people Israel totally, because some, e.g. himself, have turned to Christ. So, seeing that God will not cast off His people Israel in the ultimate sense, it perhaps follows that in every generation some of them will come to Christ as Paul did (Rom. 11:1,2). In some sense, God has cast off His people (2 Kings 21:14 RV; Zech. 10:6); and yet, because a minority of them will always accept Christ, it is not true that God has cast off His people in a total sense (Rom. 11:1 RV). It was only because of this remnant that Israel have not become like Sodom (Rom. 9:29)- even though Old Testament passages such as Ezekiel 16 clearly liken Jerusalem to Sodom. Yet they are not as Sodom ultimately, for the sake of the remnant who will believe.

For I am Yahweh their God, and I will hear them- As noted on :1, if they had asked for the restoration to come about and done their part, it would've done.

  

Zechariah 10:7 Ephraim will be like a mighty man, and their heart will rejoice as through wine; yes, their children will see it, and rejoice. Their heart will be glad in Yahweh- Ephraim, the ten tribes, were not regathered because they didn't want to be. I noted on :5 that it would've been possible for the exiles to be the earthly function of the Angel cherubim of the heavens. Ephraim would be "mighty ones", elohim. They would receive the blessing of wine, the sign of covenant blessing, and the next generation, "their children", would experience the restored Kingdom of God in Israel. All this was possible but tragically was precluded by a lack of repentance and short term outlook which wanted to remain in the old and familiar. "Mighty man" is literally gibbor, the term used of Messiah in Is. 9:6. Finally these prophecies will come true when a repentant Israel identify with ["be like"] the Lord Jesus Christ at His second coming.

Zechariah 10:8 I will signal for them, and gather them; for I have redeemed them- “I will hiss for them" (AV) is the same phrase used in Is. 5:26 of the latter day regathering of Judah. But even at the time of the restoration it could have been fulfilled; God had hissed for them, urging them to return, because He had already potentially redeemed them. They were to quit Babylon to accept that redemption. And like many today, most of them just didn't want to do that. The short term attractions were too great for them. The regathering of Israel is therefore related to their redemption. The fact so many have now been regathered to the land is surely an indication that their redemption draws nigh; and should we not therefore tell them of the Gospel which they must accept as part of that redemption?

And they will increase as they have increased- The promise to Abraham of the seed multiplying would come true; for those promises are the basis of the new covenant, the new deal offered to repentant Israel and Judah.

Zechariah 10:9 I will sow them among the peoples; and they will remember Me in far countries; and they will live with their children, and will return- The context is of the return from captivity, so perhaps the reading of the GNB is correct: "Though I have scattered them among the nations, yet in far-off places they will remember me. They and their children will survive and return home together". We note the repeated mention of the children (:7 too). Likely the reason given for remaining in captivity was that it was better for the children to remain, rather than drag them on a long, uncertain journey to a strange land and live amongst the ruins. But their children would be blessed if they did return in penitence, with the experience of growing up in God's restored Kingdom. The exile was a 'sowing'; the fruit intended to rise up was a generation of penitent young people who would seek to return to their ancestral homeland. But instead, that generation bitterly blamed God for punishing them for their fathers' sins (Ez. 18). "Remember me" is better 'make mention of me'. The idea was that they would openly witness to the surrounding nations about the Hope of Israel, and even bring those Gentiles with them to Zion.

Zechariah 10:10 I will bring them again also out of the land of Egypt, and gather them out of Assyria; and I will bring them into the land of Gilead and Lebanon; and there won’t be room enough for them- In the first instance, the Jews in Egypt were those who had gone there in Jeremiah's time, disbelieving the promise that they would be safer remaining in the ruins of Judah. Those once spiritually weak ones, along with the ten tribes in Assyria, would return in great numbers, and live in the now fertile land of Gilead and Lebanon, back in the northern Kingdom. The potential for this had been set up by the chariots of Angels in the vision of Zech. 6:6. But they didn't- at that time. The potential prepared by the Angels wasn't actualized by them. Such a restoration will be realized, but in the last days. That generation resisted God's 'bringing them again' and 'gathering' of them, just as the invitation to participate in the Hope of Israel and the restored Kingdom of God is resisted by those who hear it today. "Bring them again" translates the usual Hebrew word for "return". God would return them; but they had to return. If they took that step in faith, just as today, then God would make it happen. They would be "gathered... with a mighty hand and [God's] stretched out arm" (Ez. 20:34 s.w.). But they refused that might hand which would have brought them safely through their physical and spiritual journey.

Zechariah 10:11 He will pass through the sea of affliction, and will strike the waves in the sea, and all the depths of the Nile will dry up; and the pride of Assyria will be brought down, and the scepter of Egypt will depart- If the Jewish exiles in Egypt and the ten tribes in Assyria had wanted to return, then as noted on :10, God's mighty hand would have even dried up the Nile, taken away the power of the Egyptians and brought down Assyria- just so that they could return. God will work powerfully in the geopolitics of the world for the sake of just a minority with whom He has a purpose. In my days I saw God open up then Communist Eastern Europe, allow the internet to be developed- for the sake of getting the Gospel to millions He sought to call out and save.

Zechariah 10:12 I will strengthen them in Yahweh; and they will walk up and down in His name, says Yahweh- see on Zech. 12:5,8; Ez. 16:63. As in :6, the strengthening in view is not simply prevailing above others in military terms; they would be spiritually strengthened. The new covenant offered to the exiles involved being given a new heart (Ez. 36:26), and that strengthening of the Spirit is still a part of the same new covenant we accept today in baptism. To some degree a repentant natural Israel will take over the role of the Angels as God's eyes walking up and down and to and fro in the earth (land?). This follows from Zechariah earlier describing the Angels as walking to and fro in the earth (Zech. 1:10;6:7). As noted on :1 and Zech. 9:14, repentant Judah on earth could have become part of the glorious system of the Angel cherubim above them. But this is to be fulfilled in their latter day repentance, when in visible, literal terms the glory returns to Zion eternally.