I got a little lost in these chapters; here’s what my commentary said about the two shepherds:
“In this message, God told Zechariah to act out the roles of two different kinds of shepherds. The first type of shepherd demonstrated how God would reject his people (the sheep) because the rejected him. The second type of shepherd demonstrated how God would let his people fall into the clutches of evil shepherds. (See Ezekiel 34 for more details).” Pg 1177 NLT Study Bible
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“Then I will pour out a spirit of grace and prayer on the family of David and on the people of Jerusalem. They will look on me whom they have pierced and mourn for him as for an only son. They will grieve bitterly for him as for a firstborn son who has died.” 12:10
My heart always lurches when I read a foreshadowing of Jesus in the Old Testament. Here, Zechariah is mentioning the Holy Spirit who he refers to as a spirit of “grace and prayer”. Let us not take for granted this gift. The Holy Spirit grounds us. Convicts us. Prompts us. Assures us. Guides us. I let so much noise into my spirtual life, muffling the Voice of Truth.
Join me in asking God to fill me more fully with his Spirit! This is a bold prayer, because it will mean living a more intentional, sacrificial and selfless life. Are you up for that?
-Carly