November 07, 2023 – Tuesday
Zechariah 12:11-14 AKJV
11 In that day shall there be a great mourning in Jerusalem, as the mourning of Hadadrimmon in the valley of Megiddon. 12 And the land shall mourn, every family apart; the family of the house of David apart, and their wives apart; the family of the house of Nathan apart, and their wives apart; 13 the family of the house of Levi apart, and their wives apart; the family of Shimei apart, and their wives apart; 14 all the families that remain, every family apart, and their wives apart.
Comments
Yesterday we looked at verses 9 and 10, the second clearly about Jesus, 10 And I will pour upon the house of David, and upon the inhabitants of Jerusalem, the spirit of grace and of supplications: and they shall look upon me whom they have pierced, and they shall mourn for him, as one mourneth for his only son, and shall be in bitterness for him, as one that is in bitterness for his firstborn. Today we continue to the end of the chapter with verses 11-14.
The mourning spoken of in verse 10, then the prophet Zechariah speaks of a historical event which resulted in widespread mourning in Jerusalem, 11 In that day shall there be a great mourning in Jerusalem, as the mourning of Hadadrimmon in the valley of Megiddon. This refers to the mourning there for King Josiah slain in Hadadrimmon, a town in the valley of Megiddon. The mourning, lamentations, for him started in Hadadrimmon and continued as they carried his body back to Jerusalem, a distance of over 60 miles. When the body reached Jerusalem, all of Judah and Jerusalem mourned for him and created the day to be observed annually, much like our Veterans Day coming up on November 11. You can find more on the mourning in 2 Chronicles 35:25.
Then we have verses 12-14, with much about mourning apart, 12 And the land shall mourn, every family apart; the family of the house of David apart, and their wives apart; the family of the house of Nathan apart, and their wives apart; 13 the family of the house of Levi apart, and their wives apart; the family of Shimei apart, and their wives apart; 14 all the families that remain, every family apart, and their wives apart. The Benson Commentary captures the thought or idea of what this is all about, Those of the royal family, who have rejected Christ, shall lead the way. Even husbands and wives shall abstain from each others company, as was usual in times of solemn humiliation. Or, as some learned men suggest, in solemn processions, it was usual for the several orders of men to go distinctly, and likewise for the women to go in ranks by themselves, each tribe, or order of men and women, using a distinct form of lamentation, and expressing their sorrow in different words. This was probably done in the mourning for Josiah, and observed in the times after the return from captivity.
Thus, there would be corporate mourning as well as individual mourning. Guzik adds, This indicates there will be both great individual repentance and great corporate repentance. It seems fantastic to us that Israel as a whole would turn to Jesus and repent of their sin of rejecting their Savior – it is so amazing that we would not believe it unless the Bible so clearly taught it.
Bottom Line: Israel will once again turn to God and His Son as prophesied here and in Revelation. We can believe it because the Bible tells us it is so.
Prayer: Almighty God, You will bring about great joy and great mourning when Jesus returns, but the joy shall be greater for all those who repent. Knowing Your plans makes so much of the madness in the world today much easier to deal with. Thank You. – In Jesus’ Name. Amen.
RileyD, nwJ
Riley D. Driver – Pastor
Still writing and working for the Glory of God