1. The apostasy of Israel in the last days (Zechariah 10:2-4)

2. The victory over the enemies (Zechariah 10:5-7)

3. Deliverance and restoration (Zechariah 10:8-12)

Zechariah 10:1-4. Idolatry was the great sin of both Judah and Israel. They practiced the occult things of heathendom and worshipped their false gods; they had teraphim used for divination. On account of this the wrath fell upon the former generations, and the Lord’s anger was kindled against their leaders, the shepherds, and they were dispersed. We have called attention before to Matthew 12:43-45, the passage in which the Lord Jesus announces that the unbelieving part of the nation will return in the last days to the unclean spirit of idolatry, only in a worse form than before. Many of the unbelievers amongst the Jews in our days turn to the witchery of Christian Science; they adopt also that Satanic system known as Spiritism. But the apostates will go beyond that. They will finally accept the Devil’s master production, the man of sin, and worship him 2Thessalonians 2:1-17; Revelation 13:1-18; Daniel 9:27. Then the Lord will punish these goats. At the same time there is a remnant which will stand aside from these future idolatries; they will fear the Lord and not enter into a covenant with the beast (see annotations Daniel 9:27. The second half of the third verse in this chapter belongs to this remnant: “The LORD of hosts visits His flock, the house of Judah, and makes it like His state-horse in the war.” He will use them and finally deliver them.

The fourth verse (Zechariah 10:4) is of much interest. “From him will be the cornerstone, from him the nail, from him the battle-bow, from him every ruler goeth forth at once” (corrected translation). The nail in the oriental house is a large pin, often very beautifully ornamented, and the most costly things are hanged thereupon. “And I will fasten him as a nail in a sure place and he shall be for a glorious throne to his father’s house. And they shall hang upon him all the glory of his father’s house” Isaiah 22:23-25. The Shemoth rabbah, a Jewish interpretation, says on this verse, “this is King David; as it is said, the stone which the builders rejected is become the chief cornerstone.” Some say it is spoken concerning the Lord, that He is the cornerstone and the nail. It refers to Him, no doubt, but what is spoken of Him finds also a fulfillment in restored Israel. Thus Israel is yet to be the cornerstone upon which everything rests in the earth, and the nail upon which hangs the glory.

Zechariah 10:5-7. The great final victory is announced in this section. They shall fight and conquer, for the LORD of hosts is with them as of old. They will be saved out of the time of Jacob’s trouble, “For I have mercy upon them; and they shall be as though I had not cast them off; for I am the LORD their God, and I will hear them.” Ephraim will be there, the restored ten tribes.

Zechariah 10:8-12. They will be delivered in that day, redeemed and restored. Let us notice that the eleventh verse (Zechariah 10:11) must be applied to the Lord. He is with them in the sea of affliction, as He was with them in Egypt and went before them in the pillar of cloud.