Amen. Thank you for tuning us in tonight. I'm Darrell Bailey. As we continue on in the book of Zechariah. Zechariah from the Old Testament. Here as we look back and we see the 28th book in the Word of God of the Old Testament. Amen. Excuse me, the 38th book between Haggai and Malachi. If you're having a hard time finding it, go to the book of Matthew right in the middle of the Bible. Take a left as you pass Malachi, the next book will be Zechariah. If you go too far, you'll run into Haggai. Right in between Haggai and Malachi is the 14 chapters of the book of Zechariah. When we look at this, We, tonight, in chapter 10, verses 1 through 12, Zechariah means God remembers. And so, tonight, as we look at our King James Version, November the 6th, 2024, the 5th of Chesvon, 5785 of the Hebrew calendar. Here, tonight, as we get ready to go into the wonderful word of God, we talk about return to the shepherd. And I'm glad here at Wednesday in the Word as we look at the wonderful Word of God. Here tonight, we'll be talking about a call for rain and the rejection of false leaders, God's promise to shepherd His people, and we'll be talking about restoration and the blessing for Israel. Here tonight, we're gonna open up with a time of prayer before we go any further tonight. here as we get into our Bible study in Zechariah chapter 10 verses 1 through 12 tonight. But we want to open up with a time of prayer. I want to remind you today as we went to the funeral home up in Rome, up in Cusa, of our good friend Wayne Randall that passed away, that we worked with at the Floyd county campus with Georgia Northwestern Technical College. And so, and of course, his father, or his son, Kevin, which was my boss. And so, back in the day. And so I want you to remember the Randall family, amen. as they are going through grief with him passing on. You know, I'm glad that he's where we want to be. Brother Wayne, he loved his family. He loved his wife, Beverly, that had passed away. And it never seemed the same after she passed. And so I want you to remember them. Remember Oso, a good friend. Andy Anderson that just has got out of the hospital that's had, I think, herniated disc. a lot of problems as well with his stomach and so you lift him up as well along with my good friend and best friend Daryl Pruitt and his family as he has got a lot of water retaining around in his lungs. which happens after open heart surgery, and he's back in ICU, and so I want you to remember him when you pray as well. And so, continue remembering Bert Ford and Teresa Ford. Bert needs a kidney transplant, and Teresa Ford has pancreatic cancer. And as we lift them up, most importantly for salvation, because they're lost and they need to be brought into the family of God before they leave this walks of life. And so I want you to continue remembering all of our needs at Bethel Crossroads Baptist Church, our pastor, Keith and Amy Dempsey. And I thank God for them, our pastor, all of our deacons, Rusty and Lynn Lanier. as our kids for Christ as they meet tonight. And so I want you to just remember all of our pastors and our leaders and we're thankful for the good Lord as We've got now a president that loves the Lord, and as he says, if he keeps his word, that God has given him the task of being able to replenish America as a leader that believes in the Lord Jesus Christ. And so as the country has voted, and that's what's come about, And so I want you to continue praying for our current leadership and then for our future leadership as we go forward. This coming Sunday will be Veterans Sunday. Boy, I tell you, we know so many veterans and we know a lot that have passed. And so I want you to remember to take time out to go and visit somebody that you know that served our country, whether it was man or woman, whoever that it is, let them know that you appreciate them for giving their time to serve our country and to dedicate that time of their life to protect us from all harm and from all enemies, that America has a lot of enemies, believe it or not. And believe it or not, why do we not try to get along better among ourselves within this country than trying to make enemies? We've got enough enemies in the world already without trying to make enemies among ourselves politically. across the board. And so maybe this time around where things will be different than last time, when we have our leaders, some people think that their leader is the only one that can do anything. And we all have, are biased about those things, but let's pray for each other and let's come together in unity to resolve this conflict because we've got a lot of enemies that want to take and turn this country upside down. and destroy this country. And so tonight, I'll talk to you about return to the shepherd, amen. And I'm glad there's nothing like a shepherd that leads the flock, that loves them, and that gives of himself to them. And so before going any further, let's open up with a time of prayer tonight. Thank you if you're joining us here tonight. As we get into the book of Zechariah chapter 10, if you have your Bibles handy, go ahead and turn on over there and wait for us as we get done. Pray with us tonight, just not listen, but pray with us as we pray tonight. Heavenly Father, you're the ancient promise keeper tonight of the eternal truth, that we come humbly before you, seeking wisdom and clarity, just as you spoke through the prophet Zechariah. We ask that you speak to us tonight, and Lord, open our hearts to receive your voice, Lord, in a world filled with confusion and competing messages. We acknowledge, Lord, that you alone are the true shepherd, the one that gathers, the one that restores, and the one that renews, Heavenly Father. Guide us back to your ways, America. Lord, silence the voices that lead us astray, that have been leading false hopes and leading those ones out of the way from the wisdom of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ. Fill us with the presence of the Holy Spirit. Lord so that we may discern truth and Lord find healing in this country of America and walk in the fullness of life that comes only from you and we surrender this time to you our God O Lord and Redeemer and Lord we asked all of it in the powerful name of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ Amen. Thank you tonight if you're just tuning in as we talk to you about our Bible study in Zechariah chapter 10, verses 1 through 12. And we'll be talking about the return to the true shepherd. God's renewal in this world today is one that renews us of a world of misleading voices. There's a lot of misleading voices that are going on out there, across the media, across the television, that are all about themselves instead of about the love of Jesus Christ and rescuing and bringing lost sinners under the convicting power of the Holy Ghost and saving their lost souls before it's too late. I'm glad when we look tonight, we begin to look and remind you of the restoration of Jerusalem, the divine justice and mercy, the messianic expectation of all the symbolic visions of this prophetic book of Zechariah. Amen. And so I'm glad as we get into it tonight, the return to the true shepherd. I'm glad Zechariah is telling them, return to the true shepherd. And I'm glad that here, that when we look at the message that God has about the true shepherd who gathers and restores his people, I'm glad that he's contrasted in comparison across the world and America today of those false leaders and those shepherds of society that lead people astray. There's a lot of messages that have been going on in all of the politicking lately that has been so false. And it's all about getting your vote to get them to do another term in the White House. Whether they mean it or not, they tell it. And so we look at the imagery of shepherding that speaks directly to the need for discernment tonight and trust in almighty God, especially in the time when people often look for guidance in unreliable places out there in the world today. There's an old saying that not all who wonder are lost. Well, yet in today's world, wondering and being lost can often look the same. Amen? And so people are seeking truth and peace and purpose, but amidst voices that mislead and distract. Zechariah the prophet from the Old Testament speaks to a people surrounded by false guidance and empty promises. And so, the Israelites were led astray by false shepherds, finding themselves lost and vulnerable. Here tonight, I tell ya, I preach exactly what I say, and that is, for we preach not ourselves, but Christ Jesus the Lord, and ourselves your servants, for Jesus' sake, praise God. And so, when we look again, from this chapter 9 all the way to chapter 14 to the end, it will deal with the word prophecy, prophesying. That relates, and I use the acronym for it, the prophecy of the Messiah's coming. We started with this in the 9th chapter, we'll continue again tonight in the 10th chapter, amen? And so, we see that when we look at this, we look at the prophecy next time concerning the rejection of the Messiah. You know what? There's a lot of people that don't want to hear the truth. They'd rather hear the lie that they're being told and hide their heads in the sand instead of listening to all of the world of misleading voices that are out there today. And so, We see the prophecy also in verses 12 to 13 that deals with the Messiah's deliverance and cleansing power. And we'll be talking about before we get done in the 14th chapter, the prophecy of the coming day of the Lord and the Messiah's kingdom. Now, I thank God, when we look at the acronym for prophecy, the P promises fulfilled, emphasizing God's assurance of the future, amen. The R, revelation of mysteries, unveiling of divine mysteries or visions. The omniscient God, highlighting God's all-knowing nature within the prophetic vision. And the power and authority, as we continue to spell out the word prophecy, displaying God's supreme power over all things. And the H, a hope amid tribulation, providing hope even during the challenging times foretold in prophecy. And the E of prophecy, the eternal kingdom, the vision of everlasting kingdom and God's ultimate reign, and the coming of the Messiah, pointing to the prophecy regarding Christ's first and second coming, and lastly, the why, yearning for redemption, the longing for salvation and fulfillment of God's promises, amen. We've been talking about the eight visions in chapters one through eight, as we dealt with each one of those eight visions all the way down till we got to the ninth chapter last time. But as it changes over into the 10th chapter that you see, all the way down to chapter 12, it deals with burdens. And I'm looking at, we talked about the judgment of the enemies of Israel. And as we see all of this, from the eighth chapter, The eighth chapter here, they were two years that had transpired since Zechariah had received his eight nighttime visions that had taken place. But when we get to chapters 9 through 14, it switches from the chosen people of the temple to the messianic king and the kingdom. And it deals with chapters 9 through 11, the first burden, and then chapters 12 through 14, the second burden. The first burden, the final restoration of Judah and Israel, the destruction of the enemy that we talked about, the restoration of the people, and the good and the evil shepherds, amen, that we're talking about that will go on from chapter 10, chapter 11. And so, then we'll later on talk about the world drama of judgment and redemption, the messianic forecast, the messianic method, and the messianic triumph. as we see these. And so, as we look at the past history, the captivity, the return, the Messiah himself, the present age, Daniel's 70th week, and the millennium, each one of Zechariah chapter 7 all the way to the 14th chapter, each one of these deals with a part of all of those. Looking right here at the 10th chapter, verses 1 through 5, dealing with Daniel's 70th week, amen, of prophecy. And so, when we look and realize of all this prophecy that we see tonight that we talk about, we look at the return to the shepherd. And as we look at this, we're reminded, Abe man, that the Israelites were led astray by false shepherds, finding themselves lost and vulnerable. And like them, we are surrounded by voices that compete for our attention. And it tells us where to find happiness, success, and purpose. You see, there's authors out there. There's always Hollywood stars out there. There's somebody trying to compete for your attention, telling you where you can find happiness, telling you where you can find success, telling you where you can find purpose. But I'm going to tell you something. This Word of God right here is the best resource that you can ever find. And so, we'll be looking at the natural and the spiritual reign that the Holy Spirit, as Zechariah begins to talk about that tonight, because I'm glad when we look at Zechariah chapter 10, as it reminds us of the promise of a true shepherd, one who would gather, one who would renew, one who would protect his people. Here tonight, the message calls us back to Jesus. the good shepherd who laid down his life for his sheep, that he's calling us to return. He's calling us to trust. He's calling us to receive the renewal of promises, even as the world pulls us in countless directions tonight. And so, we see the reliance on God versus those false promises because in verses one and two, we'll be reading about the warning against looking to the idols or false diviners for answers and the people that are encouraged to seek God for their needs as alone. Sometimes these things, the controls, the blessings of rain and harvest. You see, in modern time today, Many people put their hope in worldly promises. They put it in money, they put it in success, they put it in political leaders, or even social media trends, emphasizing that only God can truly meet our needs tonight. Boy, I'm glad that President Trump got elected, but President Trump ain't got all of the answers. God's got those answers, but hopefully that through a leader that respects the word of God, that will get the right leadership, that he will look after Americans, that he will look after our senior citizens, he will look after our veterans, amen, he will look after this country and protect us overall from all enemies far and large. Remember, We've got enemies you wouldn't believe that are out there, and we've got enemies that are within that are using the enemies from without to destroy this nation. Why do they want to destroy America? I wish sometimes this is bad, but some of those folks that are trying to destroy America, you'd want them to hop on a plane and go somewhere else, but we can't get rid of them. We're stuck with them. We're all Americans, and somehow or another, we've got to unite and come together. Or, listen, whenever the rapture comes, whenever the second coming of Christ comes, buddy, you talking about something hitting the fan. When the church is raptured out, you're going to see America plummet like it's never plummeted before. And all of these folks that want to do all of their bad and all of their voices that are trying to lead this way and that way, Blood, boy, they can have at it. Because it's gonna, they all gonna be looking for the exit sign somewheres, but they won't find it. Because they're destined to go through the tribulation because they chose to rebuke the Holy Spirit. And when you blast me against the Holy Spirit, and when you rebuke it and say, I do not want you, Lord, I refuse you, Jesus Christ. Then you're asking for it, and you're going to get it, because when the rapture comes, you're going to be left behind, which is for the Jewish people to go through. There will only be about two-thirds of the people of the Jewish that will be spared. You see how you know that? Joel, all the Old Testament tells exactly how many will be left behind. Oh yeah. And so, I thank God, we emphasize not only God can truly meet our needs and guide us, but much like he promises rain to nourish the land that we'll be reading about tonight, as ancient Israel was misled by false idols, people today can be drawn to the idols of modern life. encouraging people to seek God tonight, I'm gonna tell you, as the ultimate source of guidance, I can shout it no louder than I can tonight. The provision that he can do for you what no one else can. Return to the true shepherd tonight, America. And so, we see the reliance on God versus the false promises that are being told out there today that we'll be looking at in verses one and two. here tonight. And so, Christ will destroy all hypocritical worship and false shepherds and religious leaders in verses 1, 2, and 3 tonight, when we talk to you about returning to the true shepherd. Return to the shepherd tonight. And so, when we look at this, we're reminded of the Word of God. Ask ye of the Lord rain in the time of the latter rain so that the Lord shall make bright clouds and give them showers of rain to everyone grass in the field. Boy, something's important because this is talking about natural and spiritual rain and it says it three times. And so it's asking rain in the time of rain. That's crazy, ain't it? And so because of Israel's spiritual condition, during the time of Jeremiah, the promised latter rain was withheld and the harvests were therefore paused. And so each and every one of us, as we go through life, I'm always knocking something around here, but I thank God, as long as I don't knock my PowerPoint off again, amen? But I thank God when we look and realize tonight that each and every one of us through the book of the Word of God of Zechariah, we can see some of the most powerful scriptures because here he says, ask ye of the Lord. Amen? And so, what does he say? Ask ye the Lord of rain. And so here we see the word rain, g'shim. Geshem is the Hebrew word for rain, and I'm glad that rain often is used to symbolize God's provision and blessing. It's the image of trust. God will rain blessings on His people who look to Him, not just materially, but spiritually. And this can remind people today that God provides refreshment to our souls, especially in the times of dryness or hardship. Ain't nothing like being a pastor when you go, I call it going through a dry season, when ain't nobody getting saved. But you preaching your heart out, you living as close, you doing everything you can, and all of a sudden, you steal. Still, nobody's getting saved. And so, I call it a dry season. But I thank God, every one of us, as we go through life today, the return to the true shepherd, amen? Because he says, ask for guidance from that true source. Encourage people to make prayer and reliance on God's wisdom a daily habit, amen? Especially when we're seeking direction. rather than leaning on the societal trends or the public opinions or the believers are called to turn to God first, amen. And so I'm glad that we are to trust in God's restoration, amen, for those that feel broken or have lost hope. to remind them that God promises healing and restoration. Just as He gathered Israel back from exile, He's actively working to restore every believer, giving them peace and purpose in Him, praise God. And so, I'm glad that every one of us, when we look and realize here that Christ will destroy all of the hypocritical worship and false shepherds the religious leaders that are out there. Zechariah 10 is a chapter of hope and restoration. God promises to restore Israel, guide his people, overcome the forces that have scattered and oppressed them. And he calls them to turn away from the idolatry, and the false shepherds to seek him alone as the true source of blessing and leadership. How about it tonight, America? How about it tonight, Facebook? Turn away from all of that other junk that you're looking at and whatever it is and go back to the main source of the true shepherd and seek him alone and the true source of blessing and leadership. Because we see God's power as a shepherd king who provides rain, gathers his people, strengthens them for victory. And so. the reasons for the destruction of what revealed about all of the false shepherds was the Lord alone can give rain and harvest. Amen. And so, asking the Lord rain at the time of the latter rain, God invites Israel to ask for rain, that symbol of blessing and provision. The latter rain was especially crucial for the crops, representing the season of growth and abundance. And so, geshim, the Hebrew word rain, amen. a blessing from God. The latter rain or the spring rain was essential for the fruitful harvest, amen. And so the need for rain that God's provision provides, amen, that we got to recognize our dependence on God. And I'm glad that the spiritual rain of renewal Just as rain renews the land, God promises to renew our hearts when we earnestly seek Him in a world that is parched by empty promises. And we need the Holy Spirit's rain to revitalize us. and to fill our hearts with hope and purpose, save man, and God's faithfulness to provide. This verse reminds us that God hears our prayers, He meets our needs, and when we come to Him acknowledging our dependence, He responds generously. I wonder what areas of your life are in need of God's refreshing tonight, refreshing rain tonight, because have you brought those needs to Him in prayer? the need for rain and praying for God's provision, amen. Old Paul Harvey told the story one time, he says, if I were the devil, and so he said, he imagines the scenario in which the devil infiltrates every aspect of life and his strategy to confuse, to water down the truth, to create despondency on false sources of satisfaction. Harvey began to go on and he told the story that describes a society where people turn to materialism, fame, and shallow pleasures to quench their spiritual thirst, ultimately leading to a parched and a hollow existence. Just as Zechariah called Israel to pray for rain, from the true source, we must recognize where we're looking to satisfy our spiritual thirst. in a world pushing us to seek fulfillment from things that only dry out our souls. God calls us to seek his spirit tonight, who brings true life, who brings true renewal. And when we pray to God for our needs, he promises to give us his reign, his provision, his spiritual growth, according to John 7, verses 37, 38, and 39. Are we seeking that reign? from the true shepherd or from a dry worldly wells that are out there today. I tell you every one of us we need to look to him for those things amen and so here This shows the contrast that we're looking at. But then we look at verse 2. They comfort in vain. Therefore, they went their way as a flock. They were troubled because there was no shepherd." Oh, man. Troubled because there was no shepherd. Boy, I'm going to tell you, when you ain't got a shepherd, a true shepherd, you're in trouble. And so, here it sets the stage for the following verse, which shows the contrast between what only God can do, in this case, He can control nature, and what idols and fortune tellers can do, which is nothing. Regardless, God reminds His people that it would be He and He alone who would save them and that would provide for them. He would create the storm clouds that would bring victory. Or the storm clouds might refer to those that are physical rain. That in other words, the people's prosperity and their victory and fruitfulness would come directly from the Lord. And so, the point to see is that Zechariah, he called the people to prayer, to ask the Lord for rain, and to seek Him for the blessings that He promised. Boy, I remember times in the church when we'd get together and we'd get a drought going and, man, we'd begin to pray for some rain. Boy, I'm gonna tell you, God is the source of true prosperity, both physical and spiritual. And His people must all of us seek the blessings only from Him. And so, the Lord alone can give rain and harvest is what we saw in verse 1. In verse 2, The idols, the so-called gods, and the fortune-tellers, they were fake. And so, Israel had turned to fake idols and diviners, leading to confusion and wandering without a true shepherd, and the people were vulnerable. We see the word idols, and it's the Hebrew word teraphim. Teraphim. And so, Teraphim, these were household gods that were used for guidance of that day, which Israel mistakenly relied upon, leading them away from the truth of God. And so, we see the misleading voices of the world out there today. the philosophies, the ideologies that promise happiness, security, and truth, but lead only to confusion and emptiness. We see the consequences of following the false shepherds of the world out there today. The people of Israel wandered in spiritual blindness because they lacked true guidance, but tonight many are left broken Many are lost due to the promises of a society that cannot deliver eternal peace. Boy, they ain't nothing like peace. Finding the true shepherd in Christ. And so, Jesus said, I am the good shepherd in John chapter 10, verse 11. Declared that he alone is that source of true life and guidance, amen. Are there influences or beliefs that are in your life that have led you away from Jesus, the true shepherd, tonight? How can you discern the voice of Christ amidst all of this noise that is out there of misleading voices in the world tonight? And so, C.S. Lewis said one time in the Chronicles of Narnia, The Silver Chair, that he describes the character of a lady of the green kirtle who deceives a group of travelers by luring them with music and words. and she convinces them that Narnia, a place of joy and life, doesn't even exist. Of course, this is a fictional story of a Christian writer. Through the hypnosis and manipulation, she nearly convinces them in the story that the reality they know and hope for is an illusion. Only when one character Puttiglum, he speaks up and he does the fog lift and the truth resurfaces. Today, there are many false shepherds that are out there. They use words, they use ideas that seem comforting, but ultimately, they lead us away from God's truth. social media influencers, misguided philosophies. Certain cultural trends may sound very, very appealing tonight, but actually cause us to question our faith. I saw a lot of preachers sometimes that go off to seminary and come back and they've been lost everything they ever had when they started. just like the pudiglum in the silver chair of Narnia. We need the courage to cling to the truth of God's word, even when others may try to sway us. Jesus warned against wolves in sheep's clothing in Matthew chapter seven, verse 15. He warned us against those and he calls us to stay vigilant. Are we being led by the true shepherd or by those who distort his truth? And so each and every one of us, I'm glad that the prophet draws the contrast as the true God against all of these idols, these fortune tellers, these lies that are being deceptive, amen. And so whenever an idol is there, a lie comes from either a corrupt heart of the human race that we hear what we want to hear, or from Satan and his demonic forces, the fortune tellers also lie. They say what people want to hear, and usually only for money or for some other material gain. How can they be trusted? Well, idols and fortune tellers are fake because they give false comfort. Think how many times God's people have been led astray by false prophets. And so it's sad, true prophets such as Isaiah, such as Jeremiah warned the people against all of the false peace prior to judgment that came by Babylon. Only the Lord could give that real comfort, amen. And so. We see the reasons that the Lord alone can give rain and harvest in verse one. And the result, the Lord punished those false shepherds and those corrupt leaders, amen. And I'm glad also we see, mine anger was kindled against the shepherds, those false ones. And I punished the goats for the Lord of hosts hath visited his flock, the house of Judah, and hath made them as his godly horse in the battle. Let's back up. When we look at this, we think of those ones that during the Persian time, that they were the ones that were taken and put into a bad situation. Because when we look and realize those that were the kings during that time, those, the kings during that timeframe, when Judah, before the exile and after the exile, who influenced the spiritual and the political landscape, it was Jehoahaz, known as Shalom. The last king of Judah before the Babylonian exile. The second one, Jehoiachin, another king during the decline of Judah. Jehoiachin. or Jehoiachin, the king taken into exile by Babylon, and the fourth one, Zedekiah, the last king of Judah before the Babylonian conquest. These kings represent the failed leadership of Judah that ended in a fall of the kingdom and how they were led astray. by false leaders of that time. And so God is angered with these false shepherds, these leaders that have misled the people. Amen. The word shepherd, the Hebrew word for it is ro'i. And it's talking about a shepherd that creates the symbol of leadership. God rebukes the false leaders that have failed in that role, but God is angered with leaders that are false shepherds. And so, every one of us, when we look and realize that there's a restoration of strength purpose. God promises to strengthen and to save each and every one of us, amen? And so my anger was kindled against the shepherds and I punished the goats for the Lord of hosts hath visited his flock, the house of Judah, and hath made them as his goodly horse in the battle. And so each and every one of us, when we look and we realize what God is wanting to do, Eggman, in each of our lives, God wants to be able to use us for his glory. Each and every one of us, the Lord Himself spoke and pronounced judgment against these faults. The Lord's anger was burned against them. The false shepherds would be judged, they banned, but God's people would be protected and made victorious. And so here, I'm glad that each and every one of us, God's spiritual blessing, His grace, His forgiveness of sins, life through His Son and His Holy Spirit would make His people victorious in life. Unlike the false shepherds who spoke lies that led to death, God would personally shepherd his people and bring them victorious life. And so I'm glad that when we look as we go on as the return to the shepherd, we see not only that of God will destroy all the hypocritical worship and the false shepherds, the religious leaders in verses one through three, but in verses four, five, six, seven, and eight, Christ will be with his people and he will empower them to be victorious because here they shall be as mighty men which tread down their enemies in the mire of the streets in the battle and they shall fight because the Lord is with them and the riders on horses shall be confounded. And so, out of him came forth the corner. I'm glad that when we look and realize that in that fourth verse, the cornerstone, which was Jesus Christ. Let me see, did I miss that somehow or another? Amen. I'm glad out of him came forth the corner, out of him the nail, out of him the battle bow, out of him every oppressor together. And so it refers to the Messiah who will come from Judah. As a cornerstone, he provides the strength and the stability. We know who he is. He's the true shepherd. I'm glad. And I'm glad that the Hebrew word for corner is pinaia. Pinaia. And it signifies strength and leadership, symbolizing the cornerstone, which is essential in construction, representing a foundation in the community, praise God. And so I'm glad that each and every one of us Unlike all of those false leaders of Judah's past, Christ would be the ideal, perfect leader. Christ would be the cornerstone and the foundation. A cornerstone that is used to join two walls of a building together, praise God. I'm glad that The image speaks of Christ uniting his people, praise God. Christ will unite Judah and Israel when he restores the nation in the last days, amen. Christ will join the believer together by his spirit and the church that unifies all believers to God, praise God. The cornerstone, also that is the foundational stone, hallelujah, and Christ will be his people's foundation. And so of him, all the promises of God would be laid in his street and all people would regress. And Christ is the cornerstone because we can build our lives on him. We can trust him for all the needs of life, amen, and for eternal life. praises my name. And so, every one of us, Christ would be the source of security and victory. In ancient times, tent pegs were used in two ways. And I'm glad that because not only came out of him the corner, but out of him the nail. I'm glad that the stakes secured the tents to the ground. The tents kept them stable in the midst of the storms and the desert winds. And if a tent was not anchored, it would be blown away. And so this, in this way, Christ would be his people's anchor. He's the cornerstone. He's the nail. He's the tent peg, praise God. If a tent was not anchored, is blown away. I wonder, are you nailed down by Christ tonight? Are you stable and unmovable, or are you secure? Because I'm telling you tonight, the second way that tent pegs were used was as a mean to hang precious objects on the walls of tents. You can read about that over in Isaiah chapter 22. In this light, Christ would be the nail upon which the hopes and even the burdens of his people would hang on those. God's own promises, God's own blessings, praise his mighty name, would hang on Christ and be secured through him. The quarter, the nail, the battle bow, hallelujah. And so what was the battle bow? The battle bow was the weapon of war. And Christ would fight for his people and he would cause them to be victorious. He would be their chief weapon against all enemies. Likewise, he's the chief weapon for believers right now. Christ will destroy all of those hypocritical worship and false shepherds, amen. But I'm glad that when we look, he goes on and he says, out of him, every oppressor together, amen. And so, as we move on, he tells us again that, secondly, Christ will be with his people and empower them to be victorious. And they shall be as mighty men which tread down their enemies in the mire of the streets in the battle. And they shall fight because the Lord is with them. And the riders on horses shall be confounded. Man, God's people, Christ will help his people overcome the enemy. And I'm glad that when we look at this, they're empowered to defeat their enemies because why? God's with them. The return to the true shepherd tonight. I'm glad that when we look and we see that he's talking tonight about these riders, amen, on the horses. Well, I thank God. And I'm glad that they're the mighty men, and they shall be as mighty men. The Hebrew word for mighty men, eight man, is giborum, giborum, giborum, eight man, is the Hebrew word for mighty men. talking about champions, talking about warriors, talking about portraying strength, talking about courage in battle, amen. Many of us today go up against a battle every day as men and women of God. Why? Because we are the temple of the Lord. this temple, we're indwelt by the Holy Spirit of God, and we're in a battle because the enemy, even though that we're saved by the marvelous grace of God, he's still content with this old fleshly nature, and all of a sudden we're in a daily battle with this thing every day. God declares his anger toward those shepherds, though, who failed his people with the intent of personal care to strengthen the flock. Many people feel disappointed, even betrayed by institutions and leaders and ideologies. But Zachariah 10 speaks to the hope that God himself cares for his people. And I'm glad that the Lord promised to be with his people. Amen. But I'm glad that as he tells us this, that as he's talking about these mighty men which tread down their enemies in the mire of the streets in the battle, and they shall fight because the Lord is with them, and the riders on horses shall be confounded. Oh, I'm glad that Christ will be the one that strengthens, that saves, and restores every one of us. The Lord promised to be with us, but remember that all of these promises were to be fulfilled by the Messiah. through the person of Jesus Christ. And because Christ will be with his people, they will together overcome the horsemen. God's people will be like mighty warriors that trample their enemies in the mud. What a glorious picture of a total victory, a victory that will be won by Christ. And so, it speaks of a victory that will be won during the great tribulation to come upon Israel in the end times, amen. And so, as we move on. And I will strengthen the house of Judah, and I will save the house of Joseph, and I will bring them again to place them, for I have mercy upon them. And they shall be as though I had not cast them off, for I am the Lord their God and will, listen, will hear them. And so when we look and realize that here he's talking, he promises to strengthen and restore both Judah and Israel, bringing them back as if they had never been cast off. When we see the word mercy, we see a word that's called kesed, kesed, the Hebrew word for mercy. That represents God's loyal covenant love. which is steadfast, which is unconditional, praise God. He promises to strengthen. He promises to restore. And I'm glad that every one of us, this word represents God's loyal covenant love, which is steadfast and unconditional. And so because of the people's sins, they had been rejected by the Lord. They had forsaken His people for a time, but in part so they would learn what life was like without Him. I don't want to experience life without my Lord and Savior. And so apart from God, the people had been helpless. But in spite of everything, the Lord now promised to be with them and to strengthen and to restore them. Why? He will strengthen and restore them because He's compassionate. He'll strengthen and restore them because He is their God. He'll strengthen and restore them because He hears their prayers. God promised to show compassion and mercy. And so His salvation, His compassion, His blessings would be so great that it would seem as if He had never rejected or judged them. His blessings would be so abundant their joy would be so complete that they would forget all their past sufferings, amen. And so I'm glad that when we look and realize that what God is wanting to do, praise God, how he blesses each and every one of them as he brings them back because we've got to return to the shepherd. Israel, a Jewish people, You need to return to the shepherd. Hey, lost person, you need to return to the shepherd. Some of you have never even met the shepherd tonight. You have no idea what it's like to be in the family of God. And so we look and he says, I will strengthen you, praise God. I will restore you tonight. I will show mercy to you, praise God. And so, as we move on, he tells us, and they of Ephraim shall be like a mighty man, and their heart shall rejoice as through wine. Yea, their children shall see it and be glad. Their heart shall rejoice in the Lord. And so, Ephraim, that's a representative of the northern tribes. They said they will be strong, they will be joyful. The blessings of God will be so evident that the children will witness and celebrate. We look at a powerful word because live, L-E-V, is the word for heart. It's the Hebrew word for heart, live, and it means the inner life, the thoughts, the emotions, amen. It denotes the joy and the strength that they need, the blessings of God that comes from within, deeply connected to God's presence, that they shall rejoice as if someone that is being cheerful as they have that wine, amen, that it talks about in their life. They shall rejoice as through wine, as a spiritual saying of it. The spiritual basis of this is God promises to bring his people back from exile, and he has. He's given them strength to walk up and down in his name, and he points the empowerment and the restoration to them, the transformation from a scattered people, a man. And so today, many people feel scattered. isolated, spiritually scattered in a changing world. But tonight, Zachariah is telling you that there's a promise of unity and empowerment that speaks to all of us tonight, feeling alienated by the societal shifts that are out there tonight. that we can reassure them that God not only gathers us together as his family, but he strengthens and equips us to walk confidently in his name. No matter where we are right now, it's a call to trust that God Is with us even when we face challenges even when we feel alone in our beliefs Maybe all of your loved ones have passed on and you're the last one that's left we've got it look and realize that God's compassionate leadership and Restoration that he has for each and every one of us a man as we go through life today Ephraim was used as that northern kingdom that the Lord reminded the nation of that they would be reunited later on, amen. And so each and every one of us, the people had already returned from one exile, the Babylonian captivity. And even though many had not yet returned, we look and realize that the land of Israel was being well populated with Jews during Christ's lifetime. Nevertheless, while on earth Christ prophesied that Jerusalem would be destroyed and her people scattered again in Matthew chapter 24, this destruction came in AD 70 at the hands of the Romans. This was the first fulfillment of a double prophecy since Matthew chapter 24 also speaks of the end times. Although Israel was established again as a nation in 1948, most Jews are still dispersed, even still today, even though they're still bringing a lot of them back every day. They have not returned all of them to the homeland yet, but these verses speak of the end times. The Lord now promised that in the last days he would once again single or hiss or whistle to his people, and he would call them to return and gather them together in the promised land. Amen. And so, I'm glad as we look at this, the heart in Hebrew represents that inner life, the thoughts and the emotions, redemptions that is suggested that God's people would be delivered and preserved, amen, from each and every one of them. And so, as we move on, I will hiss, I will whistle for them and gather them for I have redeemed them and they shall increase as they have increased. And so, I'm glad that as we look at verse 8, God promises us something here that he said God's people will remember. God's people will be redeemed. And so through that redemption, amen, each and every one of us as we go through life today, the redemption that the redeemed as they shall increase as they have increased. And so I'm glad that every one of us, as we go through life today, there's times when we feel like, man, you know what? God's people, as he's talking about, they will multiply. And so I will hiss for them. And I'm glad that each and every one of you, the Lord loves you more than you can ever know, because he is the true shepherd. And I'm glad that these are promises ever since right here. This is a promise. for the people that he gives, the Lord is proclaiming to all of them. These are his promises. God's people will be redeemed. The Hebrew word, Pada, Pada, P-A-D-A, redeemed, he says. They will be redeemed. They will multiply, praise God. But he goes on and he tells us further in verses nine, as we saw, that Christ will destroy all the hypocritical worship and false shepherds, the religious leaders of verses 1, 2, and 3. Verses 4 through 8, Christ will be with his people. He will empower them to be victorious. And lastly, from verses 9 to 11, Christ will call his people to return to the promised land. This is happening again, as we see, each and every one of us, but he says, as we go forward, he tells us this, he says, and I will sow them among the people and they shall remember me. and far countries, and they shall live with their children and turn again." And so, the Hebrew word for remember is zakar, zakar, and it implies an action based on memory. Israel's remembrance of God prompts their return to Him. The people have scattered. They've exiled only recently, but in view of that, Zechariah has been prophesying of a future scattering as well. This dispersion would come at the hands of the Romans in A.D. 70. The Jews had scattered several times since, but the Lord promises people they would remember him no matter where they were scattered and no matter for how long they would remember him. And this promise suggests that God's people will be eager and ready to return when the Lord calls them back to Israel in the last days. Amen. And so God's people will survive as a people will always have the hope of returning home. that they will be able to remember. Amen. Zakar, praise God. And so he goes on and he tells us, and I will bring them again also out of the land of Egypt and gather them out of Assyria and I will bring them into the land of Gilead and Lebanon and place and place shall not be found for them. And he says, and Lebanon, and place shall not be found for them. And so I thank God, he's telling every one of them that his people back from all of the nations like Egypt and like Assyria, restore them to a land of plenty because we look at Aesop. Aesop, which is the word for gather. The Hebrew word for gather is Aesop. And so it means bringing people together from various places, symbolizing God's power to reunite His people. These two nations that represent all the nations where God's people would be dispersed, whenever God's people were scattered, He'll call them back to return. and they would come back eagerly from all of the corners of the earth. Amen. God's people will be redeemed in verse 8. God's people will multiply in verse 8. God's people will remember the Lord in verse 9. God's people will survive as a people and will always have the hope of returning home in verse 9. But here in verse 10, God's people will return from Egypt. They will return from Assyria. God's people will live in the land of Gilead in Lebanon, promised by God to Abraham. And so, he says, I'm going to gather every one of them. The promise of restoration, of renewing his people, praise God. A. W. Tozer said one time, God never uses anyone greatly until he tests them deeply. Toza was reminding all of us in that quote that God's restoration often comes after we have experienced a time of need. testing and straying, much like the Israelites that faced exile and hardship because of their waywardness. God allows trials to draw every one of us back to Him through discipline and repentance. He not only restores us, but He renews us in a deeper, stronger relationship with Him in a society that is broken today. Many people feel weary and restless, yet God's promises tonight for you that are listening to an Old Testament in a New Testament society. The kind of restoration means that we can become vessels of His glory tonight, strengthened to face life's challenges and equipped to share His grace with others. When we seek God's forgiveness and His guidance, He strengthens us And I'm glad he fills us with peace and he empowers us to live out his purpose. Are we allowing God's renewing work to transform us? Or are we holding back and fearing change? You see, I don't like change either, but sometimes change is a good thing. None of us want to change. We want to stay just like we are. But God sometimes says, you know what? I'll strengthen the house of Judah. I'll save the house of Joseph. And I will bring them again to a place, again to a place then, for I am the Lord their God and will hear them. Gilead and Lebanon show that God's people will inherit all the land. that is originally promised in the Abrahamic covenant of Deuteronomy chapter 30 verses 3, 4, and 5, despite the fact that today much of the land of Palestine is controlled by Arab peoples, God will one day give all of the land to Israel and it will be theirs as their eternal inheritance. Amen? And so I'm glad that as we go on and get ready to close out, and he shall pass through the sea with affliction and shall smite the waves in the sea and all the deeps of the river shall dry up and the pride of Assyria shall be brought down and the scepter of Egypt shall depart away. When we look at this, we see God's people will safely pass through all obstacles and afflictions as they return. And so God's power will overcome all barriers and oppressions that have held his people captive. They will walk freely, strengthened by the Lord. And so I'm glad that when we look at this, as he tells us that they shall pass through the sea, with affliction. They shall smite the waves in the sea. All the deeps of the river shall dry up, and the pride of Assyria shall be brought down, and the scepter of Egypt shall depart away." And so, When we look and realize no matter how great God's resistance, no matter how things look out there today, God has his strength that he will provide for each and every one of us tonight. And so I'm glad that all of us may feel like we're scattered tonight, that we don't feel a part of anything. But I'm glad God's power will overcome all the barriers and all the oppressions that have held you captive tonight. Wherever you are, the great promises that are given to this point have been leading to one thing, the promised Messiah. The Messiah would come not only once, but also a second time to strengthen and win peace for his people, which would be an everlasting worldwide peace. You see, when he comes the next time, It won't be as an humble shepherd. It will be as a conqueror. His first coming was to redeem and to save his people for God. It had the cross in view. Tragically, his salvation was largely rejected by Israel. In the last days, however, many in Israel will, at long last, recognize their true Savior. They will finally accept the one whom they have pierced, according to Zechariah 12, verse 10, that he talked about, that he says, At that time, Christ will strengthen them to gain victory over all their enemies. Not only will they be victorious, but God's people will also walk in the name of the Lord. Amen. And so I'm out of time, amen, tonight. And so as we get to our last verse, as he talks about tonight, he says, lastly, Christ will strengthen his people for one reason, that they might walk in his name. And that's what he's talking about. I will strengthen them in the Lord, and they shall walk up and down in his name, saith the Lord. Boy, I'm glad that when we look and realize tonight, Think of the great mercy of Christ. Christ's first coming to earth was to offer salvation. Rather than coming in judgment, he came in peace, gently, and riding a donkey. He came to offer God's salvation to thousands of generations. How many more of us will he comfort with his love and win by his grace? Millions? Billions? Only the Lord knows. What we do know is that Christ first came to us to offer his life so that we might live and live abundantly. We need to rejoice not only for our own salvation, amen, but also for the untold billions of others whom he has mercifully sought and is seeking until the time of his return. We look at his first coming, but also Christ is second as well, because each and every one of us, as we see, the second coming will not be peaceful. It will be a day of terrifying judgment. Believers rejoice now, but we also tremble. We tremble because we know the day of Christ's return will be fierce, as I was saying. That will be the day of war horse, not a donkey. There'll be warhorses in darkness, inescapable darkness of Christ's judgment. Imagine the power of Christ when He comes. God's Word declares that He will come with all the hosts of heaven. He will come riding on a stallion with all the angelic armies of heaven. He will come in the clouds surrounded by thunderous bursts of lightning. All of his foes will then be vanquished. No army will be able to stand against him. No empire will be able to stand, nor will any man stand, nor any government, any economic power, any military might. Every power in heaven and earth and every last person will fall to their knees in submission to Christ, the one that they pierced. And they will at last submit to the true King, the Lion, the Lamb, the Suffering Servant, the Alpha and the Omega, the Ancient of Days, the King of Kings, the King of our Earth. He's the King for whom all things were created and through whom all things were created. He lived and died for you and I and for every person who will ever walk on the face of the earth. How heartbreaking. then that so many still rejecting tonight. To be sure, Christ's second coming will be a day of great rejoicing for believers. But for those that have rejected him, it will be a terrible day of judgment. Listen, listen, will you follow the word of God? He said, how do you know this? 2 Peter 3, verses 8, 9, and 10. Matthew chapter 25 verse 31. When the Son of Man shall come in his glory and all the holy angels with him, then shall he sit upon the throne of his glory. 2 Thessalonians chapter 1 verse 8. In flaming fire taking vengeance on them that know not God and that obey not the gospel of our Lord Jesus Christ. Jude verse 14 and 15. And Enoch also the seventh from Adam prophesied of this sin. Behold, the Lord cometh with ten thousand of his saints to execute judgment upon all, and to convince all that are ungodly among them of all their ungodly deeds, which they have ungodly committed, and all their hard speeches, which ungodly sinners have spoken against him. Do I need to go on? Hey, Revelation chapter 1 verse 7. Behold, he cometh with clouds, every eye shall see him, and they also, which pierced him in all kindreds of the earth, shall wail before him even so. Amen. Hey, I could go on and on and on. I could go on and on and on because the Word of God tells us that when He comes in that day and you don't know Jesus Christ, boy, as I said earlier, you're going to be looking for the exit sign and you will not find it because everything Daniel chapter 7 verses 9 through 14 tells another dramatic thing that will happen. Now, can I close out with this? Number one, three things. Seek God alone. Rather than relying on idols or false leaders, Israel is to seek blessings from God directly. Would you seek God alone tonight? Secondly, God's faithfulness is to restore. And so God promises to restore His people, bring them back to the land and make them strong. And listen, if you're saved and you've been out of the will of God, you're still saved, but you're not living how you should. You're losing out in that relationship with the Heavenly Father. God's faithfulness is to restore you. And thirdly, there'll be victory in abundance. Because with God's help, Israel will be strong and victorious. Enjoy the blessings and the freedoms. Amen. And so, you know what? When you look at the Bible, the Bible was recounted by memory through the Hebrew alphabet. The letters in the Hebrew words in the chapter like Ath is Aesop. which means the word gather that he talked about tonight. The lamin in the leaf, which is the harp, reminds us of God's foundational role in both calling and gathering his people with compassion and strength. And so they could remember the stories until they could be recorded and written down, because through memorization, as the tribes of the people, they had a way of being able, through the alphabet of the Hebrew, to make that connection. The message of hope and restoration tonight, that God alone is the source of true blessing and strength. Return to the shepherd tonight, would you? He's calling us to return to that true shepherd in a world of false shepherds. The invitation to return is not merely about going back, but receiving the strength, the guidance, and the promises to renew and to restore all who come to him. I hope that you open your hearts to his voice tonight. asking for the reign of his spirit to refresh and to revive you. And in this journey, may we be discerning and rejecting the misleading voices that are all around us and embrace the call to be a people fully dedicated to the shepherd who never falls. Return to the shepherd. tonight. I hope and pray that you're able to do that that needs to be done tonight. Return to the shepherd before it's too late. As we close out tonight, I hope and pray that you have listened to something that the Lord has said through all of this Bible study tonight. Let's pray together. Lord, we are grateful for the unchanging love and faithfulness, Lord, that you alone are our true shepherd. and we recognize how much we need your guidance in this world of conflicting voices that are on the television, that are on the radios. Thank you for calling us back, for renewing our strength, for refreshing our souls. We ask, Lord, that you continue to lead us, the paths of righteousness, away from the distractions, into your truth. Give us discernment to recognize the false shepherds that are around us, and courage to follow you, the source of true life and peace, and may We be a light to this world, sharing your message of renewal with those who are lost. As we leave this, may your spirit go with us, strengthen us for the days ahead. In the name of our mighty Lord and Savior, Jesus Christ, amen. Thank you for tuning us in tonight. May God bless you.