ZECHARIAH 12: 10-14
THE SPIRIT OF GRACE AND SUPPLICATION
[John 19:30-34-38]
The ultimate goal of God for His people is more than just physical preservation, He is working toward their spiritual restoration. He wants to reveal Himself not only as their deliverer but as their Savior. Israel great need is to repent, to change their perception and attitude toward the Messiah, and then to receive Jesus as their Lord and Savior.
The first nine verses of the 12th chapter describes the Lord’s deliverance of Judah and Jerusalem from the vicious attack of the sieging enemy. That victory will be greater than any other in Israel’s miraculous history: Greater than the deliverance from the land of Egypt, or at the crossing of the Red Sea, or the victory when they entered the Promise land or when the walls of Jericho fell, or when Gideon’s 300 were victorious over incredible odds, the destruction of Assyria’s army, or the conquest of the Sixty Day War or the Seven Day War. A still greater and more permanent blessing is in store for Israel "in that day" than mere outward deliverance and earthly protection; the God wrought victory over self.
The nation and its people are still not in the place of blessing because they are not placing their faith in and giving obedience to the only Lord and Savior, Jesus Christ. So in that day the Lord will pour out the "Spirit of Grace and Supplication" upon Jerusalem which will lead them to the crucified Messiah who they have so venomously rejected. Their guilt over having denied the Savior who has just protected, strengthened and delivered them will overwhelm them and will cause them to weep bitterly.
Israel’s lament over the Messiah who died on the cross for their sins will be a far greater victory than the one just won over the armies which will surround Jerusalem. It will be the victory of repentance, the victory over a stubborn heart, the victory over self (CIM).
I. The Spirit Poured Out, 12:10a.
II. A Vision of The Crucified One, 12:10b.
III. National and Individual Repentance, 12:11-14.
I. THE SPIRIT POURED OUT 12:10a.
Verse 10 reveals God divinely bestowing His awakening gift upon Israel in that day. "And I will pour out on the house of David and on the inhabitants of Jerusalem..." The prophecy continues with God speaking in the first person. The word "pour out" denotes full and abundant refreshing like water poured on thirsty ground. Very obviously this is the culmination of Joel’s prophecy (2:28-32) that Peter quoted in Acts 2:16-21 when the Spirit’s out-pouring began at Pentecost. Ezekiel 39:29 and Isaiah 44:3 also prophecy of this day.
The recipients of this spiritual blessing are "the house of David and the inhabitants of Jerusalem." The designation is for those destined to belong to the Davidic King and live in His city, Jerusalem. This event is described in Romans 11:26-27, Isaiah 27:9; 59:20f; Jer. 31:31-37.
The second thought of verse 10 reveals how the LORD will awaken His people. "I will pour out .... the Spirit of Grace and of Supplication."
This is a title for the Holy Spirit. The Holy Spirit is the Spirit of Grace (Heb. 10:29) and Supplication (Rom. 8:26-27), because this is what He brings and causes. The Holy Spirit is called the Spirit of supplication because it is He who awakens us to the desire and need to pray. He quickens the believer to pray now as He will in the day of Israel’s spiritual awakening.
He is elsewhere (Isaiah) called "The Spirit of Wisdom and Understanding" because He infuses wisdom and understanding, and the Spirit of Counsel and Might" because He imparts the ability to see what is to be done and the might to do it, and "the Spirit of Knowledge and of the fear of the Lord" because He gives intimate acquaintance with God with an awe for His infinite majesty.
The Spirit’s action within the people is twofold. "Grace" (hen from hanan) means a demonstration of favor, to show favor. The Spirit’s action is granted for the purpose of bringing into favor with God. This action produces an inner realization of their spiritual rebellion and blindness which leaves them convicted of their sin.
"Supplication," (tahanunim from hanan) which has the same root as grace and denotes pleading for favor. As the Spirit of Supplication, He works within them the additional reaction of seeking for forgiveness and mercy from the LORD to further establish their relationship with Him.
When we receive His grace, His unmerited blessing is released, empowering us to truly see and to pray. His grace will lift us, embolden us, change us into people of real prayer. It will move us to deep entreaty before God.
The Spirit of Grace is the Spirit infusing grace and drawing toward favor with God. The Spirit of Supplication is the Spirit calling out of the inmost soul the cry for yet a larger measure of the grace already given. You could also view them as cause and effect, for the grace which God sows produces the fruit of supplication.
II. A VISION OF THE CRUCIFIED MESSIAH, 12:10b-c.
Romans 2:4 says. "The kindness of God leads to repentance." The stubborn unbelieving hearts of the remnant of Israel will at last be broken. After the goodness of God leads to glorious victory even for the feeble among them and after the Spirit moves them to supplication, then the conviction of God will flood into them and their hearts will be broken in great self-abasement and tears.
The blessed effect of the pouring out of the Spirit of Grace and of Supplication is that "They will look on Me whom they have pierced."
Apart from the second person of the trinity, Jesus Christ, these words remain a mystery. But it is not difficult for Christians to comprehend who is intended in this prophecy. Who are they to look upon? Who does the Me refer to? John quotes this piercing of Jesus’ side at His crucifixion (19:34-38). Notice that John does not say this Scripture is fulfilled as he had the others he quoted. The One they pierced is the Lord who will pour out the Spirit upon them.
The word "look on" (hibbitu’el) is frequently used of both physical and mental vision (Num. 23:21, 1 Sam. 2:32, Isa. 5:12). It means to look with confidence in the object, to look with earnest regard and fixed attention. It is the word which is used of the Israelites who looked on the bronze serpent (sin) and lived in Numbers 21:9. In the same way the remnant of Israel will look upon Christ (John 3:14-15) and experience the same results.
Israel, like Thomas, has said in unbelief, "Unless I shall see in His hands the imprints of the nails, and put my finger into the place of the nails, and put my hand into His side, I will not believe" (John 20:25). As Jesus proved Himself to doubting Thomas and told him to put his hand in His pierces and believe, so the Spirit of Grace and Supplication will open up the perception of Israel. So they may no longer disbelieve but believe. The piercing proves His love for us and them and as Thomas cried out "My Lord and My God" so will they.
Notice the text says, "Whom they have pierced." It was a Roman soldier who pierced His side where the blood and water came out. It was Roman soldiers who drove the cruel stakes in His hands and feet and pierced His blessed brow with the crown of thorns. But the guilt and responsibility for those actions will be brought home to the heart and conscious of Israel in that day and they will acknowledge that both by delivering Him into the hands of the Romans and because of their own individual sins, it was "they" who pierced Him.
Have you recognized your part in crucifying Jesus? It was your sins that nailed Him to that Cross. He was crucified because of you, because of the way you have lived. He was crucified for you that you might live and have spiritual life. You never will have spiritual life until you look upon Him whom you by your sin have pierced. You are the reason Jesus died.
Two comparisons are employed to bring out the depth of their distress in the second part of verse 10(c). "And they will mourn for Him, as one mourns for an only son, and they will weep bitterly over Him, like the bitter weeping over a first born."
Here is the proof of the complete reversal of attitude of these previously hardened people. The depth of mourning is parallel to the mourning that would occur "for an only son." This is the height of mourning that can enter a home (Amos 8:10) which is appropriate for HIM who is the first-born from the dead.
The word mourn, saphadh, means to strike, indicating the striking of the chest in deep grief and then to lament or wail (Lk. 23:48). It indicates deeply moving emotional demonstrations of bitterness. The word is used here to describe the moving repentance of the Jewish remnant.
This mourning includes bitter weeping in their display of bitter sorrow and remorse at the realization of their dreadful crime of crucifying the Messiah redeemer. Read Isaiah 53:2-5.
III. NATIONAL AND INDIVIDUAL REPENTANCE, 12:11-14.
Verse 11continues revealing the depth of the mourning that will take place when the Holy Spirit pours out conviction of sin, righteousness, and judgment. "In that day there will be great mourning in Jerusalem, like the mourning of Ha/dad/rim/mon in the plain of Me/gid/do."
The greatness of the mourning is made evident in that it is compared to the greatest display of grief in the recorded history of Israel. The name Hadadrimmon is a compound name of two Syrian gods, Hadad and Rimmon- 2 Kings 5:18. It is where Armageddon occurs in Revelation 16:16. ["Har"-magedon, hill of Megiddo, where the battle of Armageddon will take place.]
The reference is to the sorrow caused by the tragic death of godly King Josiah from the wounds he received in a battle with Pharaoh Necho of Egypt near the fortified city of Megiddo in the plain in 609 BC recorded in 2 Chronicles 35:20-25. When Josiah died, all Judah and Jerusalem mourned for him. He was the last righteous King of Judah and the people mourned, for with his death Judah’s doom was practically sealed. Josiah’s death involved a bitter loss of hope as the last reforming king of Judah was taken from them, and the possibility of averting the course of events which ended in the exile of 586 B.C. was lost. [John MaKay, Focus on Zechariah. ]
So too the rejection of the Good Shepherd had fearful consequences (11:9, 11, 14) for the Jewish people. Repentance is their only hope. Thank God for the godly sorrow which works repentance!
The extent of the distress is brought out in verses 12-14. Verse 12 begins with a report of serious mourners all across the land, not just the capital. "And the land will mourn, every family by itself; the family of the house of David by itself, and their wives by themselves; the family of the house of Nathan by itself, and their wives by themselves..."
A list of those who demonstrate deep repentance follows to emphasize the total involvement of the community. "Family by family"(or clan by clan) they will grieve with conviction so immense as this demands. One and all will do the utmost heart-searching.
Wives and husbands will grieve in privacy. Individual by individual, each will face his own ugly sin before God. Contrition so overwhelming will demand complete seclusion for its expression and out-pouring.
David’s clan or tribe may mean the leaders. Nathan’s clan may mean the prophets (2 Sam. 7) [Though their was also a Nathan, King David’s son, a lesser known brother of Solomon who is listed in the genealogy of Christ in Luke 3:31].
Verse 13 continues the list of tribes. "The family of the house of Levi by itself, and their wives by themselves; the family of the Shimeites by itself and their wives by themselves..."
Four families have been singled out apparently because of their abundant mourning. Two clans are well known and two are lesser known. There can be no doubt that this passage is Jewish in its fulfillment.
David and Levi were the head of their families. The house of Levi speaks of the priests. "Shimei" was a subordinate family of the priestly line of Levi (Num. 3:17-18, 21).
Verse 14 teaches that the mourning is national as well as individual. "All the families that remain, every family by itself, and their wives by themselves."
Repentance will touch "all the families" and will cover all the nation. Leaders, prophets, priests and people are indicate meaning every strata of society will be touched.
It will be a time of deep and authentic nation repentance such as has not been encountered before. "All families" (not necessarily all individuals) will experience this deep sorrow for sin, both on a personal and corporate level for putting to death the only Son of God. Who ever will call upon the name of the Lord Jesus Christ will be saved.
Each person must look upon Jesus, mourn and repent for themselves. I cannot look upon Jesus dying for you, for your sin. I cannot weep over the tragic consequence of your sin for you. I cannot mourn over how you have ignored what Jesus has done for you. I cannot turn from following your own will and way for you. You -each of you individually- must do so on your own for yourself.
If God will not open the door of heaven, the door of salvation for His chosen people unless they individually weep and repent, friend, He will not open it for you, unless you mourn, repent and accept His dear Son either. Will you?
CONCLUSION
These words whose ultimate fulfillment lies yet in the future are not strange to us. Each individual who has ever been saved has experienced this same realization concerning Christ because of the Holy Spirit (Mk. 1:15, Acts 2:38, 3:19, 2 Cor. 7:9). Each person that has ever been saved has mourned and weep over his sins and repented in deep contrition. Praise His dear Name for that day in which we looked upon Him whom we pierced by our sin and cried out in mourning for forgiveness. For in that day we found salvation full and free.
"Behold, He is coming with the clouds, and every eye will see Him, even those who pierced Him; and all the tribes of the earth will mourn over Him. So it is to be. Amen. (8) "I am the Alpha and the Omega," says the Lord God, "who is and who was and who is to come, the Almighty" (Revelation 1:7-8, NASV).
May many, many more be touched by the Spirit of Grace and Supplication and look upon Him Whom they, by their sins and rebellion, have pierced before the day of His final judgment arrives. Even so, "Come Lord Jesus."
