Zechariah 13:1 – “On that day there shall be a fountain opened for the house of David and the inhabitants of Jerusalem, to cleanse them from sin and uncleanness.”
Welcome back, dear readers! I am glad you have returned to continue our study of the book of Zechariah. 
As you know, the bible was not originally divided into the chapters and verses that we use today. Stephen Langston is credited with determining the chapter divisions. He completed his work in the early 13th century (around 1227 AD).
The Old Testament was divided into verses by a Jewish Rabbi named Nathan in 1448 AD. The New Testament verses were established by Robert Estienne around 1551 AD. The Geneva Bible, published in the mid 16th century, was the first bible to include chapter and verses in both the Old and New Testaments.
Obviously, their hard work has been a tremendous benefit to believers. However, some of the chapter divisions are, shall we say, unfortunate. The division of Zechariah chapters 12 and 13 are one such example. Let me explain.
Zechariah chapter 12 ends with a series of verses that focus upon a state of bitter mourning. The prophet tells us that this mourning is the result of sin and it is so intense, that it touches every man, woman and child in the nation. It is a mourning that is so grievous, it causes people to withdraw from each other (wives from husbands, children from parents, etc) so they can give full vent to their bitterness.
If you stopped reading at the end of chapter 12, you may get the idea that God is pleased when his people are in bitter distress, or that the relationship between God and the Jews has been permanently destroyed. You may get the feeling that there is no hope for a sinner like you. But all those ideas are false.
We know that, because we know the purpose of Holy Spirit conviction is not to condemn people; it is for the purpose of bringing them to salvation:
II Corinthians 7:10 – For godly sorrow works repentance to salvation not to be regretted: but the sorrow of the world works death.
So, chapter 12 verse 14 can’t be the end of the prophesy, because it leaves the penitent Jews in a situation that is without hope or mercy. However, if we continue reading and look at chapters 12 and 13 as one continuous word from the Lord, a familiar pattern emerges - God sends a spiritual awakening (Zechariah 12:10), which results in an intense remorse for sin (Zechariah 12:11-14), after which God steps in and opens up a way of reconciliation/redemption (a ‘fountain’), which will bring relief to those seeking forgiveness (Zechariah 13).
Thus, when the two chapters are viewed as a whole, everything falls into place, and we realize that God is acting in accordance with his nature which includes both perfect justice and perfect mercy. Let’s take a closer look:
On that day: As we noted in our study of chapter 12, ‘that day’ refers to the day/time period when a spiritual awakening will occur within the Jewish nation. At that time, the Jews will realize that Jesus is the true Messiah, and they will experience mourning over the sin of their nation (especially their rejection of him) as well as their own personal sin. Most scholars believe this will occur at the end of this age.
There shall be a fountain opened: The word ‘fountain’ immediately produces thoughts of water. Under the Old Testament law, water was an integral part of religious activity. Here are a few examples: 
- Anytime a priest went into the Holy Place of the temple, he had to first wash himself, which was a symbol of purification and cleansing (Exodus 40:30-32).
- When an Israelite came into contact with a dead body, they were considered ceremonially unclean for seven days. On the third and seventh days of the week they had to wash with water as part of the cleansing process (Numbers 19:11-13).
- When Israel destroyed Midian and took hordes of plunder, everything that was metal was cleansed by passing it through fire, then sprinkling it with the water of purification. Anything that could not survive fire was just sprinkled. This means that all of the plunder that was taken was cleansed and purified by water before being given to the people of Israel (Numbers 31:21-27).
There are many other examples of ceremonial washings in the Old Testament, but the one thing they have in common is this: Under the old covenant, water was used in the purifying/cleansing of both people and objects from defilement, sin and uncleanness.
These ceremonial washings (along with the blood sacrifices of animals) were a type or shadow of the blood of Christ which cleanses us from all sin:
1 John 1:7 – But if we walk in the light, as he is in the light, we have fellowship with one another, and the blood of Jesus his Son cleanses us from all sin.
There was another common element in the ceremonial washings of the old covenant – the water used for cleansing was kept in a vessel (like the laver used by the priests before entering the Holy Place). This means that the available water was limited in quantity; you had to constantly refill the vessel. It was also limited in quality, as the water could become stagnant by remaining in the vessel too long.
However, on ‘that day’, the Jews will no longer depend upon the stagnant ceremonial washings (and the blood of animals) of the old covenant to cleanse them from sin and defilement. No longer will they have to wash again and again and again.
Instead, the Jews will be completely cleansed by the perpetual, lavish, unlimited, freely flowing fountain of the blood of Christ, which cleanses from all sin and defilement (Hebrews 9:11-15). Like the Samaritan woman at the well, they will gladly immerse themselves in the fountain of living water provided by Jesus:
John 4:13-14 –Jesus said to her, “Everyone who drinks of this water will be thirsty again but whoever drinks of the water that I will give him will never be thirsty again. The water that I will give him will become in him a spring of water welling up to eternal life.”
Jeremiah 17:13 – O Lord, the hope of Israel, all who forsake you shall be put to shame; those who turn away from you shall be written in the earth, for they have forsaken the Lord, the fountain of living water.
Opened for the house of David and the inhabitants of Jerusalem: This phrase can be a bit misleading. At first glance, we may be tempted to think that salvation will not be open to the Jews until the end of this age. But we already know this cannot be the case.
First of all, salvation by the blood Jesus Christ is for all people; there is no other way to be reconciled to God (John 14:6). The apostle Paul specifically tells us that all people (Jews and Gentiles) are cleansed by the same blood, and become members of the same body of Christ:
Colossians 3:11 – Here there is not Greek and Jew, circumcised and uncircumcised, barbarian, Scythian, slave, free; but Christ is all, and in all.
Galatians 3:28 – There is neither Jew nor Greek, there is neither slave nor free, there is no male and female, for you are all one in Christ Jesus.
Since Jews and Gentiles drink from the same fountain of grace, salvation must have been opened to the Jews immediately after the death and resurrection of Christ. The evidence in support of this is undeniable, as the very first converts to Christianity were the disciples! In fact, the Jews actually drank from that fountain first; it wasn’t until much later that the apostle Peter was called to deliver the message of salvation to the Gentile house of Cornelius (Acts 10). 
Furthermore, scripture tells us that the gospel message started in Jerusalem and then spread to Judea, Samaria and the rest of the world through the Jewish believers (Acts 1:8).
So, if the ‘opening’ does not refer to the fountain of salvation, what does it refer to?
Answer: It refers to the spiritual hearts and minds of the lost Jews.
Think of it this way: Back in the book of Genesis, we find that Abraham sent his mistress Hagar and her son Ishmael away from the family. On their way to Egypt, they traveled through the wilderness. Eventually, they ran out of water and were about to die. At that moment, the Lord ‘opened’ the eyes of Hagar, so she could see a well that was already in existence:
Genesis 21:19 – Then God opened her [Hagar] eyes, and she saw a well of water. And she went and filled the skin with water and gave the boy [Ishmael] a drink.
Notice that the well of water was in the wilderness all along, even though Hagar did not know of its existence. She continued to remain ignorant of it until God pointed it out to her (opened her eyes to it). She could only drink from that life-giving water after God revealed its presence to her.
In the same way, the Jews have been temporarily blinded to the truth of the gospel. The apostle Paul tells us that this spiritual blindness will remain until God is finished drawing the Gentiles into his kingdom. Then, at the end of this age, he will ‘open their eyes’ or remove their spiritual blindness. They will then ‘look on him whom they have pierced’ and be spiritually awakened.
Just as Hagar drank from the well that God revealed to her, the Jews will drink of the fountain of salvation that God reveals to them.
To cleanse them from sin and uncleanness: It is interesting to note that the Hebrew words translated as sin and uncleanness are legal terms. ‘Sin’ refers to any transgression of the law which requires atonement. ‘Uncleanness’ refers to legal defilement and/or moral impurity which prohibited or cut off a person from any contact with holy things.
Under the old covenant, atonement was made by the sprinkling of blood and washing with water. Under the new covenant, justification and sanctification both flow from the blood of Christ, which is freely given to all (Hebrews 11:9-15, I Corinthians 1:30).
Here is something else to consider: We are discussing the salvation of the Jews – the very people who betrayed the Messiah! They were the ones who were chosen of God, they were the ones who had his word and were under his covenant. Yet, they were also the ones who stood before Pilate demanding the release of Barabbas and the death of Christ!
The Jews rejected, betrayed, blasphemed and crucified Christ. Then, for good measure, they persecuted and martyred his followers! If they can be cleansed of sin, we can truly conclude that Christ tasted death for ALL mankind. Every person can find atonement, regardless of what they have done, if only they will seek it!
Zechariah 13:2 – “And on that day, declares the Lord of hosts, “I will cut off the names of the idols from the land, so that they shall be remembered no more. And also I will remove from the land the prophets and the spirit of uncleanness.”
God also promises to remove idols and false prophets from the land.
Idols/Idolatry, Old Testament: Strictly speaking, idolatry is the worship of a deity where homage is paid to a symbolic representation of that god. In other words, people bow down, clothe, kiss, offer sacrifices, etc. to some physical/visible form that represents the god they are worshiping.
In the Old Testament, idols took the visible form/shape of men, women, animals, nature or any combination of these.
Israel was strictly forbidden to make idols or to worship them (Exodus 20:23). In fact, the very first of the Ten Commandments is: 
Exodus 20:3 –You shall have no other gods before me.
Why was it such a sin to worship idols? It’s because idolatry takes the glory and honor due to God and gives it to someone or something else.
Idolatry causes the worshiper to trust in another source for their care, which is blasphemy against God because it implies that he is unwilling or unable to take care of his creation. Idolatry also seeks to promote the desires of the worshiper over the will of God for the worshiper’s life.
Israel certainly has a history of idol worship. Throughout the Old Testament we find them worshiping golden calves (Exodus 32:1-8, I Kings 12:25-33), household idols/teraphim (Genesis 35:2), the moon and stars (II Kings 23:5, Ezekiel 8:16) and other idols which they created themselves (Isaiah 44:9-20).
They also worshiped the idols/false gods of the nations around them such as Baal, Chemosh, Molech, Ashtoreth, Milcom, Tammuz, etc. In fact, Israel’s idolatry was one of the main reasons the nation was sent into captivity.
Idols/Idolatry, New Testament: In the New Testament, the concept of idolatry was modified and expanded. It still includes giving idols the worship, honor and devotion that belongs to God alone. However, it also entails giving any human desire precedence over God’s will. (Colossians 3:5, I Peter 4:3).
More specifically, idolatry is the act of placing anyone or anything before God in our hearts and lives. These idols include material possessions, power, success, relationships, sex, entertainment or any other desire we have. When we elevate anything or anyone to a place of supreme importance above God, we are committing idolatry.
Why do we commit idolatry?
The allure of idolatry is the promise of fulfillment or satisfaction. We think that if we acquire enough money, or attain a certain position of power, or have a particular relationship, we will find happiness and fulfillment. Idolatry also reflects the belief that we have a better understanding than God about what is best for us. Both of these beliefs are lies from the enemy.
Scripture tells us that those who worship idols are deceived (Isaiah 44:20), shamed (Isaiah 44:11) and foolish (Jeremiah 10:8). Those who continue in idolatry will eventually become as worthless as the idols they serve (Hosea 9:10, II Kings 17:15). The eventual outcome of idolatry is disappointment, emptiness, frustration, judgment and spiritual separation from God.
It is no wonder that the New Testament tells us to renounce idolatry:
I Corinthians 10:14 – Therefore, my dear friends, flee from idolatry.
I Peter 4:3 –For you have spent enough time in the past doing what pagans choose to do – living in debauchery, lust, drunkenness, orgies, carousing and detestable idolatry.
Idolatry can be avoided by making a conscious choice to put God first in our life. When we make him the center of all we think and do, we will be in line with his plans for our life. We can freely experience the manifold blessings of his love, guidance and provision. At that point, we will come to know that true satisfaction and fulfillment do not come from the temporary pleasures of this world; they can only be found in our relationship with God!
So, as a result of Israel’s spiritual awakening and her new-found relationship with God, all idols/idolatry will be renounced or ‘remembered no more’.
False Prophets, Old Testament: False prophets are people who pretend to have a word from God for his children, but they are lying; God is not speaking through them. False prophets were a major problem during the times of ancient Israel. 
In the Old Testament times, these men and women (Nehemiah 6:14) often practiced divination and witchcraft (Jeremiah 14:14, Ezekiel 22:28). They spoke what was in their own hearts and minds (Jeremiah 23:25-26), or they spoke under the influence of evil spirits (I Kings 22:21-22).
Scripture describes them as covetous (Micah 3:11), treacherous (Zephaniah 3:4) and drunken (Isaiah 28:7), as well as immoral and profane (Jeremiah 23:11-14). They practiced all forms of evil and corruption (Jeremiah 23:9-15). Their overall goal was to lead the children of Israel astray/away from the Lord:
Jeremiah 23:13 – In the prophets of Samaria I saw an unsavory thing: they prophesied by Baal and led my people Israel astray…
Sadly, their tactics were very successful.
False Prophets, New Testament: In the New Testament, the definition of a false prophet expanded to include false teachers as well. False prophets/teachers are just as dangerous now as they were in ancient Israel.
Matthew 7:15 – “Watch out for false prophets. They come to you in sheep’s clothing, but inwardly they are ferocious wolves.”
False teachers are people who intentionally interpret scriptures and/or teach doctrines that directly contradict the core teachings of the New Testament. We might say that they ‘twist’ scriptures to make the bible say what they want it to say. Their goal is to convince their listeners that the Bible says something other than what it really does.
Like false prophets, they can be influenced by demonic spirits:
I Timothy 4:1 – The Spirit clearly says that in later times some will abandon the faith and follow deceiving spirits and things taught by demons.
These false doctrines often embrace rebellion, pride, discord/controversy, and half-truths (especially about Christ). They lead people toward the lust of the eyes, the lust of the flesh and the pride of life. False teachers often seek their own glory, as well as positions of power/influence and financial gain.
Sadly, there will continue to be false prophets and teachers. But there is good news too - every believer who ‘correctly handles the truth’ (II Timothy 2:15), is fully capable of identifying false doctrine.
The best way to guard against a lie is to know the truth! So, make sure you are spending time in the word of God. If someone teaches something that sounds ‘fishy’ to you, that may be the prompting of Holy Spirit. Don’t ignore it; double check what the teacher or prophet is saying. It MUST line up with other scriptures in the bible.
Also, be clear about what the teacher has to say about Christ. If they teach that something must be added to the sacrifice of Christ in order to secure salvation, they are a false teacher!
God promised Israel that on ‘that day’, the day of spiritual awakening, he would remove false teachers and prophets from their nation. What a blessing!
Let me offer you some encouragement and some relief:
Today’s post speaks of idolatry. Most Christians probably think that they have no idolatry in their lives. Admittedly, it is unlikely that modern day 
Christians are bowing down before golden calves.
However, when we consider that idolatry includes the act of placing anyone or anything before God in our hearts and lives, it is entirely possible that we could have some form of idolatry in our lives, perhaps without even realizing it.
Shockingly, our idols could even be good things like careers, hobbies, or assisting the poor. While there is nothing intrinsically wrong with these things, if they consume all our time and energy and keep us from a close relationship with God, they are idols!
These ‘idols’ essentially put a wedge between us and the Lord, which can lead to further problems.
Scripture tells us that whatever we do, we are to do it for the glory of God (I Corinthians 10:31). With that in mind, why not spend some time this week reviewing how you spend your time, energy and money?
If you find something that looks idolatrous, pray and seek the Lord on how to keep that thing in proper perspective in your life.
Let me offer you some strength:
In the 12th and 13th chapters of Zechariah, a number of references are made to ‘that day’. This tells us that God has a specific day/time period scheduled for the spiritual awakening to the Jews.
God has specific days and seasons planned for our lives too. Scripture tells us that before we were born, God had already determined the number of our days (Psalms 139). This brings up a good question – are we being good stewards of our time? What about our resources and our talents?
Ephesians 5:15-17 –Be very careful, then, how you live – not as unwise but as wise, making the most of every opportunity, because the days are evil. Therefore, do not be foolish, but understand what the Lord’s will is.
What season of life are you in right now? Have you recently retired, married or graduated from school? Do you have small children or have your children recently ‘left the nest’?
Every time you enter a new season of life, it’s a good idea to seek the Lord’s will for your current situation because your ministry may change/evolve depending on your new season. So don’t get stuck in the past. God will give you the strength and grace to embrace all the new challenges he is setting before you!