Come To the Fountain by Brother Duke Hansen

         This morning, we are going to be reading from the book of Zechariah. It will be the 13th chapter, beginning at verse 1. If you wanted to know about the purpose for this book, it would be that 1) God used His prophets to teach, warn and correct his people. Unfortunately, they wouldn't listen and their sin would bring about God's punishment. 2) It also bears evidence of prophecy being corrupted in this time. In a historical sense, we are moving between testaments in the Bible, where there is no lasting prophetic voice that speaks before Jesus comes to earth. This brings us to 3) This particular chapter is about the coming of Jesus and his significance for those who believe upon him.

        We all move through this life where we are approached by people who carry various grievances, slights, pain, suffering, over things that they went through in their life which they never have overcome. Their bad times define them as a person. They have a lot of negative and bitter feelings. Their words are cynical and brittle. A lot of times, they're words bring their pain because their flesh doesn't know when to be quiet. They carry the character of a victim for everyone to see. Very rarely do these same people, or even you and I, ever realize the pain and hurt we have afflicted upon others.

        In the book of Ecclesiastes, Solomon put a lot of our current reality into perspective. Everything is this life is pure vanity which we are consumed with daily. You need to begin to hone and fine tune your discernment on what is your flesh working and what is actually spiritual.

        Do you think God is pleased with you when you speak ill of anyone? Especially if it's a brother or sister in Christ? A verbal slight with a punchline at the end is still a slight, no matter how many laughs you got. Some of our traps are in the world intentionally. The scientific theory of action and reaction you learned in school is a principality of God's. I want you to think on how you are presenting yourself, the language you use, the light you're casting and whether it aligns with what is in this scripture this morning.

        In that day there shall be a fountain opened to the house of David and to the inhabitants of Jerusalem for sin and for uncleanness.

        Do you understand what this says? This is speaking about the coming death of Jesus. A fountain sure sounds great at first to people looking for something positive in life, unless they are the fountain.

        2 And it shall come to pass in that day, says the Lord of hosts, that I will cut off the names of the idols out of the land, and they shall no more be remembered: and also I will cause the prophets and the unclean spirit to pass out of the land.

        3 And it shall come to pass, that when any shall yet prophesy, then his father and his mother that begat him shall say unto hi,. Thou shalt not live; for thou speakest lies in the name of the Lord; and his father and his mother that begat him shall thrust hum through when he prophesies.

        4 And it shall come to pass in that day, that the prophets shall be ashamed every one of his vision, while he hath prophesied, neither shall they wear a rough garment to deceive.

        Looking a little closer at verse 4. Zechariah is referring to Jacob deceiving his father by covering his arms with lamb skin, impersonating his brother Esau. Verse 4 is saying that God was not going to be deceived by man.

        When you are hurt or upset you tend to lash out with your mouth as a means to get even or hurt the other person more. That kind of behavior pleases your flesh. We have all fallen short and done this action more than we would ever care to admit. Maturity is seeing when you've done it and changing your action. There are some people that are too foolish to recognize they do anything wrong.

        God is in charge of it all here on earth. He can do whatever he likes. He can build up and tear down, increase and decrease. He can bless your house or put it through trials. If you read the book of Acts, you see that false prophets were called out, miracles happened and the truth spread among the Lord. 

        5 But he shall say, I am no prophet, I am an husbandman; for man taught me to keep cattle from my youth.

        Who shall say? He shall say. Jesus is the husbandman. He is the groom while the church is the bride. In looking at the phrase cattle from my youth, that is a reference to Joseph at the end of Genesis. He had gotten his family to join him in Egypt and he had petitioned Pharaoh for them to settle in Goshen and raise cattle.

        6 And one shall say unto him, What are these wounds in thine hands? Then he shall answer, Those which I was wounded in the house of my friends.

        Once again in verse 6, Zechariah is prophesying about the life of Jesus. the Bible demands for character changes and not complacence. How did those wounds happen? My friends gave them to me. What do you do when you sin again or move away from the faith? Look at Hebrews 6:6.

        7 Awake, O sword, against my shepherd, and against the man that is my fellow, saith the Lord of hosts: smite the shepherd, and the sheep will be scattered: and I will turn mine hand upon the little ones.

        8 And it shall come to pass, that in all the land, saith the Lord, two parts therein shall be cut off and die; but the third shall be left therein.

        Who is in the house of my friends? It's the church which the verse is speaking about. What happened to the rulers and religious leaders like the Pharisees? They aren't around at the present time. Don't decide which person is God's and who is not off what they dress like or talk about in public. Your flesh doesn't know the truth. It runs off pure emotion. God knows who are his and who are not. God is stating you are going to be afflicted and wounded. You will not walk through life unscathed.

        9 And I will bring the third part through the fire, and will refine them as silver is refined, and will try them as gold is tried: they shall call on my name, and I will hear them: I will say, It is my people: and they shall say, The Lord is my God.

        This verse is prophesying about the new testament church and how it will function and operate. The fire mentioned represents the burning off of sins and iniquities of our flesh. The third is referencing the believers in Christ and not the Jewish people. There are other verses which talk about the Jewish people in the end times.

        Our flesh carries pain from people who may not even be alive. Man's perceptions are not smart enough to discern what is of the spirit and of the flesh. This is why actual forgiveness is so important for us to use. You cannot control what surrounds you but you can control yourself. Don't ask God for justice on anything when he has let you off the hook numerous times. There are some people who are real good in not righting their wrongs and sweep things under the rug.

        Forgiveness is the hardest action our flesh can take. Righting wrong are difficult when you're preconditioned to keeping all the hurt and pain to nourish your flesh. Man has no bottom in how horrible he can be to himself and to others around him.

        Don't wait or put off killing your flesh today. Do it now! If a person hurts you, remain humble, reach out to them and forgive them. Love kills the snakes in your life. These steps are very hard to work, but they are doable. This is the path, a lifestyle for you to live in being a better Christian.