Thursday, November 26, 2009
Thirty Pieces of Silver
(Zechariah 11:1-13)
Zechariah prophesied to the exiles newly returned from Babylon. Though they knew firsthand the rigors of their captivity, some may not have been well familiar with what had brought Judah’s downfall to begin with. Essentially, Zechariah describes the failed leadership of Judah which ultimately led to God’s judgment. The “three shepherds” of verse 8 likely picture the prophets, priests, and kings—all of whom led Judah astray, and all of whom would ultimately reject Jesus Christ, Israel’s Messiah.
The failure of Israel’s spiritual leadership before the Babylonian Captivity would be repeated on a grander scale in the future. This time, Zechariah prophesied, they would reject the long-awaited Messiah! In words eerily prescient of the Gospel accounts, Zechariah predicted the price of Christ’s betrayal—30 pieces of silver (12). In addition, he describes Judas Iscariot’s return of the blood money and it’s rejection by the priests (13). Read Matthew 27:3-10. Again, the fulfillment is so exact as to astound even the most jaded skeptic. (Remember, Zechariah’s words were penned approximately 500 years before the events he describes!)
Obviously, Judas Iscariot had no purposeful inclination to fulfill Zechariah’s prophecy. He acted of his own sinful will, ignorantly fulfilling prophecy to the exact detail. And so it is with the sovereignty of God and sinfulness of man. The sins of man can never thwart the plan of God. And God will accomplish His will either with us or without us. How much better for us to be on His side!
