If you've got your copies of God's Word, turn with me, if you would, to Zechariah. Our study continues in Zechariah as we're making our way through this great prophet, Zechariah. I've taken now 18 groups, I guess, God willing, this coming year will be 19 and are learning the Bible in the land of the Bible. And I have been able, in the last year, to uncover two or three very special additions to that 11-day trip of learning the Bible in the land of the Bible. and I'm working them in to the trip. But there's one of them I just can't seem to work in, which I'd love to work in, particularly since I've been preaching through Zechariah, and that is over to the side of the Mount of Olives, down near the Valley of Hinnom, is a large complex of burial sites. It's called the Tombs of the Prophets. And there seems to be some pretty conclusive evidence that Two of our prophets that we are studying are actually buried there. One is Haggai, and the other is Zechariah, which I find interesting. And you want to know, why do you find it interesting that he is buried in a tomb on the side of the Mount of Olives near the Valley of Hinnom? You know, I'm so glad that you asked me that question, that why am I so interested in that? because next week I'm going to give you the answer to that question when we move on to the next chapter of Zechariah. But tonight, I want you to go with me to Zechariah chapter 11, Zechariah chapter 11, and I'm sorry, chapter 10. We're gonna go through chapter 11 in verse three as we come to this particular chapter. And while you're turning there, let me also mention, as I was talking with Marie and Bruce in separate occasions, and I was thinking about this Lord's Day evening, it just kind of started coming up on me that, well, guess what? Somehow they scheduled graduation on Mother's Day. How in the world do you do that? But we did, we succeeded in doing that. We had our graduation on Mother's Day. And then there were some guys out there today that really had some challenges. How do I honor my student? And boy, you better not forget this is Mother's Day. You gotta pull this one off. And so we had that today, baccalaureate. And I always know when we have baccalaureate services and graduation on that Sunday, I start subtracting the scores that are going to be missing on Sunday night at that time. And then when you got Mother's Day thrown in there, well, you absolutely feel like you're sinning against the Lord if you go to church on Sunday night. when it's called Mother's Day. Well, that's what I hear these days. And so I got another scores that are coming out of that one. And then Bruce just kind of threw in, oh yeah, the region's golf tournament is closing out today. And by the way, about half of your church works at region's bank. So guess what they're gonna be challenged with. And so I began to subtract some more. And then I said to my said descendant, I said, Well, I wonder who's going to be there tonight. And she looked at me and I was reminded of the time, I was reminded of the time, I probably shouldn't do this, a spur of the moment. I was reminded of the time the Baptist preacher I was listening to said, if you want to know who loves the church, just take a look at who comes on Sunday morning. And if you want to know who loves the preacher, take a look at who comes on Sunday night. And if you want to know who loves the Lord, see who comes on Wednesday night. Then you can take a look at that. So she said, well, I hope your self esteem is intact because it may not be too good tonight. And then I said, well, I don't know, but I know who will be there tonight. The elect are going to collect tonight. That's who is going to be there. The truly spiritual people that I am going to spend eternity in heaven with that have, from this Sunday morning, full assurance of their salvation by God's grace. But folks, I wanted to press on. I want to press on in Zechariah. I'm so grateful that you're here. I'm grateful to be able to spend time in God's word with you and coming to a little bit of a challenging text as Zechariah gets a little bit challenging. As I said, next week, we're going to see something really interesting about how Zechariah's ministry centers around the Mount of Olives. And that has an implication in terms of Zechariah's trajectory toward the first advent of Christ and then the second advent of Christ. And some of that is bleeding through the text that we're looking at tonight. So now remember, God's people have, under the prophetic word of God, God has taken the people who are not his people and used them to judge his people. When they were delivered out of Egypt and they were brought through the wilderness and brought into the promised land, God warned them, if you're ever unfaithful, then I will use the nation that is not my nation. There has only been one covenanted nation in the history of humanity, and that is Israel. And I am going to take those non-covenanted, i.e. Gentiles, I'm gonna take them and I will use them to discipline you. And then after they have been used for your discipline, then I will bring discipline upon them for what they have done to you." And so he declared that's what he is going to do, and that is exactly what he did. And the prophets have made that clear. The 10 northern tribes, when they abandoned the temple worship, they abandoned biblical worship, then God brought judgment upon them as they also abandoned the Davidic line of the kingdom, and the monarchy was divided. And so God brought the Assyrians, and this warlike people, very violent people. I won't take the time to describe the way that they would conquer people and what they would do with those whom they conquered. But the 10 tribes were taken away into captivity and amalgamated into the Gentile nations. So much so we talk about things like 10 lost tribes, even to this day. And then a little bit over a century later, The southern kingdom, that is Benjamin and Judah, began to follow the apostasy, the same route of apostasy, the same trajectory. And so then God raised up another kingdom. And this kingdom he used, first of all, to bring judgment upon the Assyrians, whom he had used to bring judgment upon the 10 tribes. This was the empire called the Babylonian Empire. And so then he uses the Babylonian Empire, and there are three deportations of the Israelites out of Judah, the environs of Jerusalem, Bethlehem, the Judean areas, which is where the two southern tribes were, that they were conquered. Jerusalem was seized, after it was put under a siege, was seized. And then Nebuchadnezzar, this king, comes back three different times, 605, 597, and 588. And he takes away the people of Israel into captivity. In his first trip, he took four young men that you're all familiar with, and that's Daniel, Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego. along with others. It is estimated that he took anywhere from 500,000 up to 2 million in the total three different deportations. In Israel, what was left of Judah and Jerusalem, the gates were down, the walls were down, people would just march in and out and through and just vandalize Jerusalem anytime that they wanted to. But God had also made a promise and a prophecy. It's found two times in the book of Jeremiah, and that is this discipline of the two southern tribes is going to be for 70 years. And therefore, Daniel, who survives the entire process of this 70 years, When we studied the book of Daniel, you realize that you're looking at Daniel. Now, we don't know for sure about the length of survival of Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego, but we do know that Daniel served and was in position of influence under the sovereign hand of God for two empires, the Babylonian Empire and the Medo-Persian Empire, and for five successive dynasties. five successive dynasties of those two empires. And he began to realize that the 70 years were coming. And so in Daniel chapter nine, you have this great intercessory prayer where Daniel is confessing the sins of the people and asking God to fulfill his word and restore his people. There is no evidence of Daniel ever having returned, but there is the evidence of Three, interestingly, three restoration movements back into Israel, and they correspond generally to the three deportations in terms of the 70-year period. We don't know how many came back. We don't really know how many left, but we do know a lot less came back. Somewhere likely between 20,000 and 50,000 returned. And when they returned, they made an initial movement to restore Jerusalem and to do so by rebuilding the temple on Temple Mount. It's what we call the Zerubbabel Temple. The first temple on Temple Mount was built in the days of the united monarchy under the reign of King Solomon. And this glorious, wonderful, Solomonic temple had been utterly destroyed by the siege and the occupation of first the Babylonians and then later the Medo-Persians. So it was destroyed completely. And now the plans were given and they went back and they got the foundations of the temple and the altar in place. But then the work fell off as they were constantly under assault. They were demoralized and they were, as it were, as it were completely under the control of these tribal rebel movements all over. And then God sends Zechariah and Haggai at the same time as two prophets. He sends them to call the people back to, called them to repentance and called them back into the engagement of rebuilding the temple, then will come the rebuilding of the walls, then will come the rebuilding of the gates, that Jerusalem, that the temple would be restored, the sacrifices would be restored, and then the city itself would be restored. And you begin to follow this, of course, throughout the Bible as God raises up individuals for leadership, like Zerubbabel, who is the governor, like Ezra, who will be a teacher, like prophets such as Haggai and Zechariah, throughout this period of time where God is moving to bring them into restoration. He initiated it. under a king that had been prophesied in the book of Isaiah. His name was Cyrus. Cyrus was a Persian king of the Medo-Persian Empire. He was followed by one named Darius, who was a Median king of the Medo-Persian Empire. And it is Darius who will carry on the policies of Cyrus that actually we have a record of with extra biblical references in what's called the Cyrus Cylinder that is in the museum there in Britain, and you can actually consult it. And you can see how that corresponds with the very things that are recorded in the Bible, in Daniel, in Zechariah, in Haggai, and then later in Malachi. And so that is what is happening, and we haven't been here in a while, so I wanted to take just a moment to refresh your memory of the setting that we are in. Now, what is going to happen here now that Zechariah is preaching. Well, they're demoralized because they've got some people that can remember, they're old enough to remember the Solomonic temple. And they look at the temple of Zerubbabel and they say, and they begin to mourn. It doesn't even compare to the size, to the scope, to the grandeur. But Zechariah and Haggai, and Malachi are going to be used of the Lord to tell the people, don't despise the day of small things. God's going to do something with this temple that will be greater than the Solomonic temple. And the sacrificial system that you see now will lead to a sacrifice. that puts to an end all sacrifices. Do not despise the day of small things. Be faithful and do know that I am your God. I have sent you home and I will be with you. I will uphold you. And it's that that we come to now. in a chapter in the book of Zechariah that is meant for both encouragement but also prophetic anticipation. And you find it here in Zechariah chapter 10. Zechariah is in a day in which the leadership in Judah has faltered now that they have returned. And as they have faltered, God is now going to tell them something, something that's very important. Would you look with me at Zechariah chapter 10, and would you look in verse one? Ask rain from the Lord in the season of the spring rain. From the Lord who makes the storm clouds, and he will give them showers of rain. To everyone, the vegetation of the field. For the household gods, that's the pagan idols, they utter nonsense, and the diviners see lies. They tell false dreams, and they give empty consolations. Therefore, the people wander like sheep. They are afflicted for the lack of a shepherd." And so, now stop right here with me. We're gonna pick up on this. Let me just give you a big picture for the moment. He is going to tell them, listen, we're not making progress because we need better leaders. And I've got Zechariah, I've got Haggai, but I'm gonna keep bringing more leaders. I'm going to bring true shepherds. I'm going to bring shepherds who will give of themselves to lead you. But the first thing you've got to do is not look to the leaders I'm going to give you, but trust me. Do y'all remember, I know it would be hard for you to remember, because we've been a number of weeks since we were in Zechariah. But back when we were in Zechariah 9 and 10, God said, there's a new day coming. There's a new covenant that's coming. It's not only the restoration of you now, but I'm doing something now that's a new covenant that's coming. I am going to draw a new Israel from all the nations of the earth to myself. And there's coming new grain and new wine. Well, you can't have grain and wine without what? Springtime and rains. And so he is saying to them, quit going to the pagan gods and diviners to find out what's going to happen. Quit going to the wisdom of the world. Quit going to the false dreamers who deceive you because you're coming to them instead of coming to me. And he's almost giving them a lesson in biblical logic, isn't he? He is saying to them, did I tell you you're going to have new grain and new wine? And is this not the God of creation who created the entire cycles, hydrological and the various botanical and hydrological cycles? who happens to know you need water and you need springtime and you need sun to get new grain and new wine. If I've promised that, then I will provide the means to accomplish that. I will bring the rain at the right time. I will ensure the springtime so that there is a harvest time. But yet you, In the moment of trial, now listen to me carefully. In the moment of trial, in the moment of adversity, in the moment of challenge, in the moment of curiosity, you don't come to me. You go to the world. You go to the divination of the false prophets who serve pagan idols. That's where you go. Now, I don't know whether you were with us this morning, but I couldn't help but think constantly about how God overlaps things sometimes. But this morning, I was talking about one of the marks of someone who has blessed assurance, Jesus is mine. One of the marks is, of course, that we're led by the Spirit, and the Spirit always leads with the Word, right? The Spirit of God always leads with the Word of God. One of the things that we've done today is even within the doctrine that the Spirit of God leads the people of God with the Word of God, we have created a movement within the evangelical church. I'm not talking about a liberal church, an apostate church, or the progressive church, but within professing evangelical churches. that points people in the name of spirituality to pursue divination of extra biblical revelation of how to live your life. And led by the Spirit now means go get extra biblical information from God. That's what you need to get. And by the way, really spiritual people go to God to get God's will for their life on the things that God has not revealed in his word. So I will say again, what I said this morning, I know it sounded a little harsh. I don't mean for it to be harsh, but I need to get the point across. The Bible is clear in Deuteronomy 29, 29. The secret things belong to the Lord our God. the things revealed to us and to our children. The Spirit of God leads me through the things revealed. And there I'm content. He'll fill in the blanks with the details in his secret will when they occur. What I am to follow is in the power of the Spirit of God. through biblical illumination of divine revelation and understanding God's word, is to take next step, the next steps in my life, and this is the language I like to use, hopefully it helps. Always taking the next steps in my life, not looking for the footstep of extra-biblical revelation, but following the channel markers of God's revealed will. He has given me His law to tell me how to love Him and love His people. He has given me His word. He has given me His precepts. That is what I am to follow. That's where I am to live my life. And in a real sense, the secret will of God is none of my business. In fact, whenever I image God by saying, okay, I'm going to plan my life. And that's when you're made in the image of God, you live life on purpose. But James tells me, Proverbs tells me, whenever I begin to plan my life, to live it responsibly, guided by divine revelation, whenever I get to particulars, I always add what? In fact, our forebearers, go read the Reformers. Go read the Christians in the last three centuries in America. and see how many of them write a letter and they tell you something they're planning on doing next month. And at the end of the sentence, they write D period, V period. Go see how many times you see that. It was so common, you didn't need to write it out. You just used the two initials. It was the penetration of a Christian view of life into how you lived your life. And if I start saying something such as, well, I'm going to take a vacation next week, you added D-V. Deo volentis. Latin. God willing. Straight from the book of James. Is it right to plan your way? Yes, you're made in the image of God. A man plans his way, DV, God directs his steps. And what I need to be fascinated with is not go on a search that leads me to false prophets and divination and worldly wisdom trying to fill in blanks. What I need to do is be in the word of God so that each step is within the channel markers of biblical truth. But Israel was demoralized. Those who had returned said, we're not making progress. We're hungry, famine, drought. Oh yeah, I think God did say, prophetically say, we're going to get new grain and new wine. But listen, we need to go find it. And so they were on a search from false gods to find out when's it going to rain? Well, listen, let me tell you, fertility gods and pagan gods are always ready to draw you in to their false prophecies. And he's saying to them, listen, did I not tell you what I was going to do? I know how to get it done, so why don't you trust me for the early and the latter raids? I will bring the rains to you, but you are going to the gods of this age, to the pagans of this age. I think one of the reasons that today in Christ's church, we have such biblical illiteracy, let me give you two. And I want to put the blame where the blame needs to go first of all, is we got pulpits that just don't preach the Bible. They don't expound God's word. They might get a verse and jump off with three stories and four coach me ups. but the exposition of God's word is not there. We say, well, if you start doing that, if you start trying to teach a Bible, nobody will listen. It's got to be quote unquote, entertaining. Now folks, I don't try to, when I preach, I don't try to be dry. But I know what you need is to know God's word. I want to make it as interesting as possible. I want to throw the stories in, the illustrations, everything else. I want to mix up my metaphors so you'll go home and say, would somebody tell him to quit mixing up his metaphors? I know I've got you if you're thinking that way. So I know all of that is crucial, but there is ought to be a hunger in our souls for the word of God. Now, can I connect one more dot here? We live in an age where the evangelical church is not under the assault of liberalism like the mainline Protestant church was in the 19th and 20th century. The mainline Protestant church was under the assault of liberalism And it assaulted the doctrine, two doctrines, the infallibility of the word and the inerrancy of the word. That God's word is not reliable, that's infallibility. Or that God's word is not trustworthy, that's the doctrine of inerrancy is abandoned. And liberalism had its day, and the result is the mainline Protestant church that was going to be saved by abandoning the doctrine of inerrancy and infallibility to arrive at modern thought and be acceptable to the modern mind is now on the trash bin of history. The mainline Presbyterian church lost another million and a half members. It's done unless God sends a revival. But the evangelical church today is told, you know, you're going to lose the next generation. These young people John was telling you about, the singles that say young was telling us about, you're going to lose them. if you keep insisting on the exclusivity of the gospel and the sufficiency of God's Word, that God's Word is sufficient. Why do you think evangelical churches in the last three years were so quick to go to secular, blasphemous, instruments and use them in the discipleship of God's people to quote-unquote deal with the sins of favoritism or prejudice or racism, such as critical theory, critical law theory, critical race theory, because the evangelical church did not believe that God's word was sufficient to deal with the sins of God's people and what it promised it couldn't deliver. Why do you think you invent a whole new sexual ethic that then gives itself to affirming sexual desires that are pagan and that are destructive and that are ungodly. And then say, it's all right to have the sins of thought as long as you don't act on them. Because they did not believe in the sufficiency of the scripture and the sufficiency of the promises of God that I can change not only habits, I can change hearts. does not believe in the sufficiency of God's word. Why were these who had returned going to foreign prophets and false teachers? Because they did not believe. in the infallibility, reliability, inerrancy, and sufficiency of God's Word. Listen, this battle for the integrity of God's Word from the pulpit to the lectern into the small group discipleship is a constant one that is with the church, and it will be with the church until Jesus comes back. I have no idea how many years I have left to serve the Lord. D V. But I do know this, I pray every day that the congregation of God's people will never abandon the authority, the integrity, the infallibility, the inerrancy, the sufficiency of the word of God. Because once you do, you are no longer, you're not just a crippled Christianity, You are in opposition to Christianity. When you abandon the Word of God, you've abandoned the God of the Word. And that's why Zechariah is telling them, believe God. He will bring the rain and quit going to the foreign idols and pagans for your direction in life. Now look, if you would go with me further, go with me further to the next passage in verse three. My anger is hot against what? The shepherds. This is looking at the shepherds of Judah. those that were not leading the people, those that had demoralized the people with their own unbelief. My anger is hot against the shepherds, and I will punish the leaders. For the Lord of hosts cares for His flock, the house of Judah, and will make them like His majestic steed in battle. "'From him shall come the cornerstone, "'from him the tent peg, "'from him the battle bow, "'from him every ruler, all of them together. "'They shall be like mighty men in battle, "'trampling the foe in the mud of the streets. "'They shall fight because the Lord is with them. "'They shall put to shame the riders on the horses.'" "'I will strengthen the house of Judah, "'and I will save the house of Joseph.'" Notice he has now said, not only the two southern tribes, I'm going to complete God's covenant people. The tribes of Joseph is looking back to the 10 tribes that had been lost under the Assyrians. "'I will bring them back because I have compassion on them, "'and they shall be as though I had not rejected them, "'for I am the Lord their God, and I will answer them.'" Then Ephraim, again, that's referring to the 10 northern tribes. shall become like a mighty warrior and their heart shall be glad as with wine. Their children shall see it and be glad. Their heart shall rejoice in the Lord." Watch, I just love this. One of the things that a shepherd, a true shepherd knows his sheep and his sheep know him and he calls out by name. But another thing a shepherd did, just whistled. And when I read this and was thinking about it, praying through it, I remember I would go and watch my son and daughters in their field of athletic competition as they played basketball and ran track and everything. And it was really interesting. We got to know each other so much. All I had to do was, and Abigail would look, Jennifer would look, Ike would look, I'd give the fist pump, the encouragement or whatever I wanted to do. Well, that's what he's saying. I'm going to give, I am going to give shepherds who are so trustworthy and so intimate with the sheep, all they got to do is whistle and the sheep know to come. Not these false shepherds that are letting you go to false gods. I am going to give you, catch this. God, whenever God does something, he does it through leaders. Church history documents it, the Bible documents it. Every time God does something, he raises up a leader and then he'll usually surround them with some more leaders because God's a Presbyterian. So there's plurality of leadership. That's what he does time and time again. And so what he is telling them, I am going to take care of you. I've promised what I'm going to do. There's a day coming when my covenant people will be restored. And I don't think he's just looking at the patchwork of the next three to 400 years. He is looking to the new covenant where the new Israel will be called from every tribe and nation. and God will ordain his people. How will I do that? I'm not going to go back to the text. I'll just call on it for you. I read it for you. How will I do that? I'm going to raise up shepherds for you. These shepherds, and look, notice how he describes them. They're the bow of the warrior's instrument of warfare. The battle bow. They are the cornerstone. They are the pillar. He's using regal terms of kingly warriors. And I don't believe he's just talking about what he's going to do over the next 400 years. I believe he's pointing you right to Jesus, the great warrior for our souls. He's the one that will bring the new wine and the grain. He is the fulfillment of my word. And I will give you royal rulers. I will give you royal kings. I will give you royal warriors. I will give you a great shepherd. And he will bring all of my covenant people from all the nations to himself. And again, my covenant people will behold as they are collected from every tribe and nation, as he had promised back in Zechariah 9 and in Zechariah chapter 10. Now, look what else he says. He says, all they have to do is speak, all they have to do is whistle, and the sheep will come. I will whistle for them, and I will whistle for them and gather them in, for I have redeemed them, and they shall be as many as they were before. Though I scatter them, here's the anticipation, here's we're looking to the new covenant. Though I scatter them among the nations, yet in far countries they shall remember me. and their children, they shall live and return. I will bring them home from the land of Egypt. I will gather them from Assyria and I will bring them to the land of Gilead and to Lebanon for there is no more, I'm sorry, until there is no room for them. I'm going to fill up this royal nation from all these nations. and he shall pass through the sea. Now watch, how am I gonna do this? This shepherd is going to bring them through. Now watch, he shall pass through the sea of troubles and strike down the waves of the sea and all the depths of the Nile shall be dried up. The pride of Assyria shall be laid low. and the scepter of Egypt shall depart, and I will make them strong in the Lord, and they shall walk in his name. Open your doors, O Lebanon." See, this king has authority, all authority. Lebanon, open your doors. that the fire may devour your cedars. Wail, O Cyprus, for the cedar has fallen, for the glorious trees are ruined. Wail, oaks of Bashan, for the thick forest has been felled. The sound of the wail of the shepherds, for their glory is ruined. The sound of the roar of the lions, for the thicket of the Jordan is ruined." In other words, "'I will bring my leaders, and those that aren't my leaders "'will fall by the wayside. "'And those who would stop this leader I bring, "'I will bring them to an end, "'and my people will be called from all of these nations.'" Do you know what he's giving a picture of here? And we'll finish with this, okay? We'll finish with this. Go with me, if you would, to Deuteronomy chapter 30. This is language drawn from the from the first Exodus. Go with me to Deuteronomy chapter 30. Genesis, Exodus, Leviticus, and then that concluding booklet of the Mosaic Pentateuch. Go to chapter 30. And in this, God has said through Moses, If you falter, I'll bring a people who are not a people to bring judgment. Then I'll bring judgment on those people and I will then restore my people. And then he anticipates something. Look with me in Deuteronomy chapter 30 and go to verse one. And when all these things come upon you, the blessing and the curse, which I have set before you, And you shall call them to mind among all the nations where the Lord your God has driven you. See the anticipation of his judgment as they're scattered. And then you return to the Lord your God, you and your children, and obey his voice in all that I command you today with all your heart and with all your soul. Then the Lord your God will restore your fortunes, will have mercy on you, He will gather you again from all the peoples where the Lord your God has scattered you. If your outcasts are in the uttermost part of heaven, from there the Lord your God will gather you, and from there He will take you. And the Lord your God will bring you into the land that your fathers possess, that you may possess it, and he will make you more prosperous and numerous than your fathers. And the Lord your God will circumcise your heart. See, this is a new covenant, people, in a new land, a new nation. that he has established Israel to bring forth. Now folks, listen. When he called Abraham, he called him and gave him a covenant. And the covenant had a promise. In you, I will give a seed. And in that seed, I will bless all the nations of the earth. The covenanted nation of Israel that is the result of the covenant with Abraham that is restored in the Exodus with Moses was never designed to stop with one nation, but through that nation to bring the seed from which his covenant people will be called from every nation. Every nation. God's plan, God didn't have two plans, Israel and then the church. God's got one plan, his covenant people. And he had Abraham and he gave him a family and he gave him a seed and gave him a nation. And through that nation would come the royal line of the Messiah and all the promises and all the prophecies that will be fulfilled in the promised one, Jesus. And now when he is risen, he now has all authority. Now listen folks, did Jesus have authority before he came to this earth? Yes, but what does he mean now he's got all authority? He has all authority as the messianic king of a covenant people that are coming from every tribe and nation. And that's what he now is about. And it is that picture that Zechariah is giving. Do you see what is here in this text? He is saying this, I'm bringing out my people. I'm going to take them through the Red Sea. I'm going to bring them up here to a promised land. You know what they're going to do? They're going to disobey me and I'm going to take a nation that's not a nation and I'm going to discipline them. Then I'm going to restore them. And then I'm going to do this restoration that's so glorious, it is going to come from every tribe and nation. In fact, he gives it the picture. What is he giving the picture? a second Exodus. And you and I are part of that. He is calling us from the ends of the earth into a royal nation with King Jesus. And we belong to him. And just as he parted red seas, He is bringing his people from every tribe and nation. And Zechariah, they're giving, and then Zechariah, he's giving them just a taste of what will be fulfilled, not in the immediate time in the building of the second temple, but ultimately when the king warrior cornerstone comes. And then God will call from all the tribes and all the nations. And another exodus is here as people leave the kingdoms of darkness and sin and Satan and come into the kingdom of God and are not marked out by the circumcision of the flesh, but by the circumcision of the heart. Here is the new covenant people. And they have had done to them what they could not do for themselves. The prophets called them, circumcise your hearts. You can't do that. But there is one who does and that's Jesus through the Holy Spirit when he cuts out our old heart and gives us a new one. When he cuts out our sin record and nails it to the cross and gives us a new record. And Zechariah is anticipating that. He is wetting their appetite with this wild mixture of metaphors that he's given to them. And now you've got a shepherd whom you love. who loves you and knows you and you know him. And because you love him, you want to obey him. And when he calls you by name, you follow. All he's got to do is whistle and you come because you are his and he is yours. One final lesson. And I actually am gonna end on time. Here I am, two minutes, I got two minutes. One final lesson. If God took away false shepherds who used the sheep, abused the sheep, and did not care for the sheep, and bring them to the Lord God, but use them for themselves, If he got rid of those shepherds in Judah to give them true shepherds, ultimately bringing them to the great shepherd, Jesus. If he did that then, will he not do that now? What an awesome thing to be ordained as an elder shepherd of Christ's church. And the question we ask ourselves, Are we laying down our life for the sheep to hear the voice of the shepherd? Or are we using the sheep for our own purposes in life? Jesus said, the good shepherd lays down his life for the sheep. And if we're not those good shepherds, God has no problem, ethically or otherwise, to remove such shepherds, to give his people faithful shepherds who will lead them to Christ and Him alone. Let's pray. Father, thank you so much for this marvelous chapter of Zechariah and the privilege to just immerse ourselves into your word. Thank you for the great joy of studying the scriptures together and seeing how the trajectory of the Old Testament is bringing us to Jesus. And the exposition of the New Testament is explaining Jesus. And God, we give you praise and glory that you sent your Son who came from the authority over all creation to be our Redeemer and now has all authority to bring to consummation the work of redemption and bring his people not into a little corner of the Middle East, but to a new heavens and a new earth. The royal nation of God, from every tribe and nation, who sing praises to their King, Jesus, to the glory of the Father in the power of the Spirit. Oh God, give us a taste of that today. In Jesus' name, amen.