Awake O Sword!

ZECHARIAH-JUDAH IS ONLY A REMNANT…JERUSALEM LIES IN RUINS.

ZECHARIAH WAS A YOUNG PROPHET WHO STOOD ALONGSIDE THE AGED PROPHET HAGGAI TO ENCOURAGE ISRAEL TO BUILD THE TEMPLE…

ZECHARIAH FORETELLS THE SAVIOR MORE THAN ANY OTHER PROPHET EXCEPT ISAIAH.

CHRIST’S ENTRY INTO JERUSALEM ON DONKEY.

THE GOOD SHEPHERD

BETRAYED FOR 30 PIECES OF SILVER

HANDS BEING PIERCED

CHRIST BEING WOUNDED IN THE HOUSE OF HIS FRIEND

JESUS WILL BE PRIEST AND KING

NOT HERE THIS MORNING TO TALK ABOUT ZECHARIAH BUT A PERPLEXING VERSE IN ZECHARIAH 13:7---God says…

“Awake, O sword, against my shepherd,

against the man who stands next to me,”

declares the Lord of hosts.

“Strike the shepherd, and the sheep will be scattered;

I will turn my hand against the little ones.

LET’S ASK A FEW QUESTIONS ABOUT THIS CHALLENGING TEXT…

1. WHAT IS THE SWORD?

O.T.= SWORD OF GOD’S JUSTICE AGAINST EVIL! NO MATTER WHOSE HAND THE SWORD WAS IN…GOD WAS SWINGING THE SWORD.

• GENESIS 6-GOD “AWAKE O SWORD AGAINST MY SHEPHERD”…NO NO…”AWAKE O SWORD AGAINST THESE PEOPLE WHOSE HEART IS ONLY EVIL CONTINUALLY!” I CAN UNDERSTAND THAT…GOD’S SWORD WAS AWAKENED AGAINST EVIL!

• WAKE UP O SWORD OF JUDGMENT …8 RIGHTEOUS PEOPLE WERE LEFT AFTER THE FLOOD.

• GOD’S SWORD AWOKE AND SHED THE BLOOD OF MILLIONS…SPARING 8.

• I GET THAT…GOD IS SERIOUS ABOUT SIN! SO SERIOUS THAT THE IMMORAL MAJORITY IS NOT THE STANDARD FOR HOW TO LIVE MY LIFE.

• WILL MOST PEOPLE BE SAVED?????????? BROAD IS THE ROAD THAT LEADS TO DESTRUCTION-MANY ARE ON IT.

• WILL GOD PUNISH THE GUILTY?

GOD’S SWORD AWOKE AND BROUGHT JUDGMENT TO MILLIONS…BUT WAS THE SWORD SATISFIED?

GENESIS 19-ABRAHAM- SODOM AND GOMORRAH…

AGAIN- “AWAKE O SWORD AGAINST MY SHEPHERD”

NO NO--- “AWAKE O SWORD AGAINST THESE IMMORAL, UNGODLY SODOMITES-AGAINST THIS WICKED CITY- GOD RAINED DOWN FIRE.

GOD PUT THE SWORD BACK IN IT’S SHEATH.

GO A LITTLE FURTHER IN THE O.T. …

ISRAEL IN CAPTIVITY IN EGYPT…EGYPT-WHERE THEY WORSHIPPED FLYS, RIVER NILE, WORSHIPING FROGS AND EVEN PHAROAH HIMSELF … CREATED THINGS

PERSECUTING GOD’S CHOSEN NATION…HIS CHILDREN…

GOD’S SWORD WAS UNSHEATHED AND RAISED AGAINST EGYPT…ON AND ON

ISAIAH 10:5

“WOE TO THE ASSYRIAN, THE ROD OF MY ANGER, IN WHOSE HAND IS THE CLUB OF MY WRATH!”

I SEND HIM AGANST A GODLESS NATION, I DISPATCH HIM AGAINST A PEOPLE WHO ANGER ME, TO SEIZE LOOT AND SNATCH PLUNDER, AND TO TRAMPLE THEM DOWN LIKE MUD IN THE STREETS.

GOD’S SWORD WAS AGAIN UNSHEATHED---

GOD WOULD USE THE CRUEL ASSYRIANS…

YEAH THOSE ASSYRIANS….STOPPED THE FLOW OF RIVERS WITH BODIES AND BONES OF THEIR VICTIMS.

THOSE ASSYRIANS WHO FLAYED THE FLESH OFF OPPOSING KINGS…PUT HOOKS IN THEIR VICTIMS TO DRAG THEM BEHIND THEIR HORSES..

GOD USED ASSYRIA AS HIS SWORD TO WIPE OUT THE 10 IDOLTROUS TRIBES OF ISRAEL.

THEN GOD PUT HIS SWORD BACK IN THE SHEATH…

BUT WAS IT SATISFIED?…ALL THAT BLOOD OF ALL THOSE PEOPLE. WAS THE SWORD OF JUSTICE SATISFIED?

NO IT WAS NOT SATISFIED!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

2.SECOND QUESTION-

AGAINST WHOM WAS THAT SWORD OF JUSTICE TO AWAKE?

THE JEWS WERE LOOKING FOR THAT SHEPHERD…EZEKIEL 34, 37

JOHN 10-“I AM THE GOOD SHEPHERD”

JESUS SAID-I AM THE SHEPHERD YOU’VE BEEN LOOKING FOR.

ZECHARIAH 13:7- AWAKE O SWORD AGAINS MY SHEPHERD- AGAINST THE MAN WHO IS MY FELLOW…MY EQUAL

GOD WAS TO AWAKEN THE SWORD OF HIS JUSTICE AGAINST HIS ONLY SON.

3.WHEN????…I WANT TO KNOW WHEN.

MATTHEW 26:31

Then Jesus told them, “This very night you will all fall away on account of me, for it is written:

“‘I will strike the shepherd,

and the sheep of the flock will be scattered.’

THE SWORD THAT HAD BEEN OUT OF THE SHEATH AT THE FLOOD…AT SODOM AND GOMORRAH…THE SWORD THAT WAS DRAWN TO PUNISH EGYPT.

THAT SWORD WOULD NOW BE UNSHEATHED AND FALL ON JESUS CHRIST!!!!!!

MOST IMPORTANT QUESTION----

4. WHY?????????????

WHY DID GOD’S SWORD OF JUSTICE HAVE TO FALL ON HIS SINLESS SON?

SHORT ANSWER- SO IT WOULDN’T HAVE TO FALL ON ME…AND ON YOU.

IF GOD DOES NOT AWAKEN THE SWORD OF HIS JUSTICE AND CAUSE IT FALL ON THE SHEPHERD….THEN IT MUST FALL ON THE SHEEP.

WHY? WHY DID GOD HAVE TO SLAY HIS OWN SON?

HE HAD TO OR HE WOULDN’T HAVE. ABSOLUTELY NECESSARY!

WASN’T THERE ANOTHER WAY?

SACRIFICE A 1000 CATTLE A DAY FOR A 1000 YEARS?

PRAY A MILLION PRAYERS?

CRY TEARS OF REPENTANCE FOR 10 MILLION YEARS?

NOPE-WILL NOT TAKE AWAY ONE SIN.

9 REASONS GOD HAD TO RAISE HIS SWORD OF JUSTICE AGAINST HIS SON

ISAIAH 53

Who has believed our message

and to whom has the arm of the Lord been revealed?

2 He grew up before him like a tender shoot,

and like a root out of dry ground.

He had no beauty or majesty to attract us to him,

nothing in his appearance that we should desire him.