June 02, 2022 – Thursday
Zechariah 12:10 NIV
10 “And I will pour out on the house of David and the inhabitants of Jerusalem a spirit of grace and supplication. They will look on me, the one they have pierced, and they will mourn for him as one mourns for an only child, and grieve bitterly for him as one grieves for a firstborn son.
Comment.
Many are familiar with Isaiah 53 where Jesus’ crucifixion was prophetically proclaimed, but not so many know about Zechariah’s prophecy above. This video from 6:50 to 7:05 covers this verse, but rather poorly in my opinion while covering the book well in outline form.
About our verse for today, The one speaking is clearly Almighty God. The Jews had pierced Him symbolically throughout their history by their rebellion and ingratitude. But God now tells them they will pierce Him, literally in the crowning act of their stiff-necked rebellion, in the Person of His Son upon the Cross.
This verse, per Benson’s Commentary, tells us, the Jews should themselves be first changed, and repent heartily of that sin which had been the cause of their fall, for God should pour out on them the spirit of grace and supplication, that they might look with compunction of heart on him whom they had pierced; and he should, by his Spirit, improve those good dispositions into a thorough conviction of his being the Messiah, Thus we have repentance needed as they return from exile and repentance needed again in the future when they would reject Christ Jesus and beyond.
Benson goes on to tell us, But though this passage may chiefly relate to the future and general conversion of the Jews to the Christian faith, Which St. Paul calls life from the dead, and therefore will not receive its full accomplishment till that event takes place; yet it may also be understood of some other prior conversions of the Jewish people, and particularly of those of the many thousands brought to repentance by the preaching of John the Baptist, of Christ, and his apostles. For it appears from the accounts we have in the New Testament, that though the rulers and leading men among the Jews were not converted in that age of the Christian Church, yet a vast number of the people were. So that this prophecy has, in some degree at least, been already fulfilled, and the spirit of grace and supplication hath been poured out in a measure, if not upon the house of David, yet upon the inhabitants of Jerusalem. This continues to this day as the number of Messianic Jews continues to grow. This video is one example of how this often times occurs today in modern times.
But what is the spirit of grace and supplication? Matthew Poole writes, The Spirit of grace; which is the fountain of all graces in us, and which makes us lovely in the eye of our God; grace to purify us and to beautify us, that God may delight in us. And of supplications, or prayer, which is an early, inseparable fruit of the Spirit of grace: by the Spirit we cry, Abba, Father, and are helped to perform this duty, per Romans 8:26 – In the same way, the Spirit helps us in our weakness. We do not know what we ought to pray for, but the Spirit himself intercedes for us through wordless groans.
Bottom Line: Zechariah’s prophecy is ongoing even beyond this day and we should be aware of this one and others. The last chapter ties in closely with the book of Revelation.
Prayer: Almighty God, Your word and many of Your prophecies were fulfilled in the person of Christ Jesus and that should be warning enough that the rest will be fulfilled as well. – In Jesus’ Name. Amen.
RileyD, nwJ
Riley D. Driver – Pastor
Calvary Chapel of Dayton
in Beavercreek