CLEANSING FROM SIN

Passage: Zechariah 13:1-9

Key verse: 1

NIV

Cleansing From Sin

13 “On that day a fountain(A) will be opened to the house of David and the inhabitants of Jerusalem, to cleanse(B) them from sin and impurity.

2 “On that day, I will banish the names of the idols(C) from the land, and they will be remembered no more,”(D) declares the Lord Almighty. “I will remove both the prophets(E) and the spirit of impurity from the land. 3 And if anyone still prophesies, their father and mother, to whom they were born, will say to them, ‘You must die, because you have told lies(F) in the Lord’s name.’ Then their own parents will stab the one who prophesies.(G)

4 “On that day every prophet will be ashamed(H) of their prophetic vision. They will not put on a prophet’s garment(I) of hair(J) in order to deceive.(K) 5 Each will say, ‘I am not a prophet. I am a farmer; the land has been my livelihood since my youth.[a]’(L) 6 If someone asks, ‘What are these wounds on your body[b]?’ they will answer, ‘The wounds I was given at the house of my friends.’

The Shepherd Struck, the Sheep Scattered

7 “Awake, sword,(M) against my shepherd,(N)
    against the man who is close to me!”
    declares the Lord Almighty.
“Strike the shepherd,
    and the sheep will be scattered,(O)
    and I will turn my hand against the little ones.
8 In the whole land,” declares the Lord,
    “two-thirds will be struck down and perish;
    yet one-third will be left in it.(P)
9 This third I will put into the fire;(Q)
    I will refine them like silver(R)
    and test them like gold.(S)
They will call(T) on my name(U)
    and I will answer(V) them;
I will say, ‘They are my people,’(W)
    and they will say, ‘The Lord is our God.(X)’”

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Footnotes
  1. Zechariah 13:5 Or farmer; a man sold me in my youth
  2. Zechariah 13:6 Or wounds between your hands
Holy Bible, New International Version®, NIV® Copyright ©1973, 1978, 1984, 2011 by Biblica, Inc.® Used by permission. All rights reserved worldwide.
Source: BibleGateway

ESV

13 (A)“On that day there shall be (B)a fountain opened for the house of David and the inhabitants of Jerusalem, to cleanse them from sin and uncleanness.

Idolatry Cut Off

2 “And (C)on that day, declares the Lord of hosts, (D)I will cut off the names of the idols from the land, so that (E)they shall be remembered no more. And also (F)I will remove from the land the prophets and the spirit of uncleanness. 3 And if anyone again prophesies, his father and mother who bore him will say to him, (G)‘You shall not live, for you speak lies in the name of the Lord.’ And his father and mother who bore him shall pierce him through when he prophesies.

4 “On that day (H)every prophet will be ashamed of his vision when he prophesies. He will not put on a hairy cloak in order to deceive, 5 but he will say, (I)‘I am no prophet, I am a worker of the soil, for a man sold me in my youth.’[a] 6 And if one asks him, ‘What are these wounds on your back?’[b] he will say, ‘The wounds I received in the house of my friends.’

The Shepherd Struck

7 “Awake, O sword, against (J)my shepherd,
    against the man who stands next to me,”
declares the Lord of hosts.

(K)“Strike the shepherd, and the sheep will be scattered;
    I will turn my hand against the little ones.
8 In the whole land, declares the Lord,
    two thirds shall be cut off and perish,
    (L)and one third shall be left alive.
9 And (M)I will put this third into the fire,
    and refine them as one refines silver,
    and test them as gold is tested.
(N)They will call upon my name,
    and (O)I will answer them.
(P)I will say, ‘They are my people’;
    and they will say, ‘The Lord is my God.’”

Read full chapter
Footnotes
  1. Zechariah 13:5 Or for the land has been my possession since my youth
  2. Zechariah 13:6 Or on your chest; Hebrew wounds between your hands
The Holy Bible, English Standard Version. ESV® Text Edition: 2016. Copyright © 2001 by Crossway Bibles, a publishing ministry of Good News Publishers.
Source: BibleGateway

1. A fountain to cleanse sin (1-6)

God hates sin and wants to remove it from all people. Zechariah looks forward to the fountain which God will open in the house of David to cleanse the sin-sick soul. Prophets should call people to repent and return to God. They look forward to the coming of the Good Shepherd. When Jesus comes, he exposes false prophets. They will be shamed and silenced. God alone can remove idolatry and the spirit of impurity from the land, for he cleanses the heart.

2. The shepherd is struck; the sheep scattered. (7-9)

Jesus quoted verse 7 to his disciples the night he was arrested, for they fulfilled this prophecy (Mt 26:31). Jesus is the true shepherd of God's people. He refines his people in the fire of suffering so that they might be purified.

Prayer: Lord, wash my sins in the fountain filled with Jesus' blood. Cleanse me from all sin. Remove the idols from my heart and from this land.

One Word: A Fountain for cleansing