AWAKE O SWORD
Zechariah 13:7

Israel in Babylon for 70 years. Laid foundation of temple and for 16 years did nothing else
1. God raised two prophets, Haggai and Zechariah to get the people back to building the temple.
a. Zechariah’s motivation was the coming glory of Israel that would surpass glory of their day.
Near end of his encouragement he describes that day in Zech. 12:10.
Glory will be the day when God’s House and David’s receive God’s Holy Spirit.
(a) Read that chapter in your hearing this hour Zech. 13:1-9.
(b) That describes the death of Christ. The day when a fountain is opened in
Jerusalem for sin and uncleanliness.
(2) That fountain would be the blood flowing from Calvary redeeming mankind.
Vs. 8-9. That will happen when God brings judgment on the Israelite nation. Part to fire and destruction and Part to be refined and purified.
Judgment brings both justice and mercy. With God mercy is always a matter of justice. God gives mercy when justice has been satisfied.
(B) Gen. 2:7. That tells us the just requirement for sin. “The day you eat you shall die.”
(1) Rom. 8:2. calls it “The law of sin and death.” Death is the just requirement, the just penalty for sin. You sin and you die.
(1) When you sinned you were condemned to die. It was a just sentence.
(2) You were condemned to die and justice was satisfied. But I was not satisfied, the Bible was not satisfied and God was not satisfied with me dying.
(3) God’s mercy, love, grace, and my need was not satisfied and so someone else must die to satisfy the Justice of God.
(2) Examine Zech. 13:7, to help us understand. And do so by asking five questions.
(4) Zech. 13:7. Question #1, What is that Sword? God speaks to some sword and says, “Awake O Sword.”
(5) It’s the Sword of God’s Justice against evil. The Sword God must turn against the sinner or cease to be just = It is that sword that when satisfied will satisfy the justice of God so that mercy can flow like rivers of water.
2. Adam and Eve sinned and not many years till we read in Gen. 5, that the “Thoughts of man’s heart became evil continually.” The 1st time that sword was unsheathed it literally rained 40 days and 40 nights and all but those in the ark drowned. The ark rested on sinless ground at Mt. Arat. And God told that sword to go back into it’s sheath. But, was that Sword satisfied? Was the justice of God satisfied with the death of those millions? No, read on in the Good Book.
2. Gen. 19. Cities of Sodom and Gomorrah become totally given to sin. Abraham expresses concern that all Godly men have for the ungodly. Pleads with God 50, 45, 30, 20, 10.
(A) God shouts, “Awake O Sword.” Was the Sword of God’s justice satisfied? Read on.
(1) God’s chosen people in Egyptian captivity. God told Pharaoh, “Let My people go.” Pharaoh refused and God cried out, “Awake O Sword,” and all the 1st born died, Pharaoh’s army died. But, was God’ sword of justice satisfied? No! Read on.
(1) Israel is in the promised land. Blessed beyond belief, “The half has not been told!” Followed in the sins of their Kings and went into apostasy.
(2) God shouts, “Awake O Sword” and the King of Assyria and his cruel army was awakened with it.
(3) Isa. 10:5-6. And in 722 BC Assyria carried the 10 tribes of Israel into captivity and they never returned----they disappeared. Was the sword of God’s justice satisfied? No!

(4) All these deserved to die. They all deserved God’s sword of justice. But that
Sword still was not satisfied.
(2) 2nd Question. Against whom did it awake? “Awake against the one who is my fellow.” Means My Equal. Phip. 2:5-6, Jno. 1:1-3, That’s Jesus.
(1) 3rd Question. When? I can answer it in one Scripture. Matt. 26:31. That’s a direct quote from Zech. 13:7. It’s talking about Christ’s death on the cross.
(2) On the cross God brought all the judicial justice to bear on one person, Jesus. All the just punishment for our sins came to bear on Him. Jesus died like all those people in the Flood, Sodom and Gomorrah, Egyptians, Disobedient Jews—He died like a sinner —Without God, by the sword of God.
(2) The 4th Question. Why did the sword of God’s judgment have to fall on Him? So it would not have to fall on you and me. All Old Testament prophecies about that are fulfilled in Jesus, the Lamb of God who was slain for our salvation.
(1) Isa. 53:5, “He died for my sin.” 2 Cor. 5:21, “He who knew no sin was made to be sin in my behalf.”
(a) Isa. 53:5, also says “He died to give us peace with God.” Rom. 5:1, “Being justified by faith in Jesus I have peace with God.”
(1) Isa. 53:5, says, “He died to heal my soul.” That’s forgiveness of my sins.
(2) Eph. 1:7, “I have redemption and forgiveness of my sin through His blood.”
(2) Isa. 53:6, “He died to turn me to God.” To bring me into a covenant relationship with God. Because God does not deal with any man outside of His covenant.
(1) Isa. 53:7-11, “He died to satisfy God’s justice.” That’s our text in Zech. 13.
(2) Rom. 3:24-26, “God freely justified us by His grace through the redemption that is in Christ Jesus, so that He might be just and the justifier of the one who has faith in Jesus.”
(3) The sword of God’s justice against the sinner who must die, has been put back in it’s sheath. But it will be brought out in swift vengeance one more time. On the day of judgment against all who meet God unprepared.
(1) One last Question must be asked. Not of the Text, But of you and me.
(2) Will you come to the fountain filled with the blood of God’s son. That fountain opened by the Sword of God’s Justice.
(3) Jesus died for you. Will you die for Him? That you might live eternally, free from the fear and penalty of God’s sword of Justice?
(4) Acts 20:32.

Spur - 4/29/2001 am