Zechariah 13:7 Awake, O sword, against my shepherd, and against the man that is my fellow, said the LORD of hosts: smite the shepherd… I. THE PERSON TO BE SMITTEN. 1. He is Jehovah's fellow. He is in equality with God. 2. He is man. His humanity — His manhood — are as distinctly affirmed as His Deity and His equality with God. 3. The title given to Him as the Son of man — the Shepherd. II. THE SWORD WHICH IS TO WAKE AGAINST HIM. 1. What is this sword? It is the sword of Divine justice. 2. What are we to understand by its awakenings? Every manifestation of God in punishing sin is as nothing compared with the manifestation in Christ's sufferings. 3. Who demands this sword, who calls for its awakening? "The Lord of hosts." The crucifixion as much as the exaltation of Christ was "the Lord's doing, and it is marvellous in our eyes." 4. What was the sword to awaken to? It was to smite unto death. III. THE REASONS WHY IT WAS SAID, "AWAKE, O SWORD, AGAINST THE VICTIM." It was to make manifest Divine justice, that there should be no connivance with the enormity of sin. IV. THE EFFECTS WHICH FOLLOWED. "The sheep were scattered." But they were brought back again from their dispersion. (J. Stratten.) Parallel Verses KJV: Awake, O sword, against my shepherd, and against the man that is my fellow, saith the LORD of hosts: smite the shepherd, and the sheep shall be scattered: and I will turn mine hand upon the little ones. |
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