Zechariah 10 … Consider Him Who Strengthens His People in His Name

Originally posted: 12/02/2021

“And I will strengthen them in the Lord,
And in His name they will walk,” declares the Lord, (10:12).

When the Lord speaks of His Name, He is indicating His attributes, His nature and His character by which He has made Himself known.

From https://www.blueletterbible.org/study/misc/name_god.cfm:
“In the Old Testament times, a name was not only identification, but an identity as well. Many times a special meaning was attached to the name… Throughout Scripture God reveals Himself to us through His names. When we study these names that He reveals to us in the Bible, we will better understand who God really is. The meanings behind God’s names reveal the central personality and nature of the One who bears them.”

We pick up from yesterday, as the Lord had assured His people of what is coming, and called them to look to that day when He will surely save and restore His own possession to beauty and prosperity through Our King Who Is Coming.

And the Lord their God will save them in that day
As the flock of His people;
For they are as the stones of a crown,
Sparkling in His land.
¹⁷ For what comeliness and beauty will be theirs!
Grain will make the young men flourish, and new wine the virgins, (Zechariah 9:16-17).

And today He continues to encourage all His people to look to Him in faith, and to ask for what only He can provide by His Sovereign Rule over His creation.

Ask rain from the Lord at the time of the spring rain—
The Lord who makes the storm clouds;
And He will give them showers of rain, vegetation in the field to each man, (10:1).

And to this careworn people, weakened in numbers and strength, comes His promise to Strengthen His People in His Name.

Consider Him Who Strengthens His People in His Name

Let’s again turn our ears to hear His promise.

 “And I will strengthen them in the Lord,
And in His name they will walk,” declares the Lord, (10:12).

Every promise of God points to the only Name given whereby we must be saved.

“And there is salvation in no one else; for there is no other name under heaven that has been given among men by which we must be saved,” (Acts 4:12).

And every promise given is absolutely fulfilled in the Name of Jesus Christ.

For as many as are the promises of God, in Him they are yes; therefore also through Him is our Amen to the glory of God through us, (2 Corinthians 1:20).

His promise to strengthen His People in His Name is His to fulfill, not ours. He does not call us to Strengthen ourselves, for He alone is able to do the Impossible. But He does tell as that He will Strengthen His People as we walk in His Name, as we humbly and reverently walk in His Ways, depending on His Holy Spirit to renew us and grow us in the likeness of our Creator through the true knowledge of Him Who Strengthens His People in His Name.

How blessed is everyone who fears the Lord,
Who walks in His ways, (Psalm 128:1).

that He would grant you, according to the riches of His glory, to be strengthened with power through His Spirit in the inner man, (Ephesians 3:16).

and have put on the new self who is being renewed to a true knowledge according to the image of the One who created him, (Colossians 3:10).

Since the Lord has declared that He will Strengthen His People in His Name, it stands to reason that we must know His Name. And in our reading today, He has painted a glorious picture before our eyes of His Name. And in each promise of what is coming, He reveals not only His attributes, His nature, and His character that Strengthen His People, but His Promised Messiah and our Marvelous Savior.

• He Is Truth: He will purge every false teacher from our midst.
  • For the teraphim speak iniquity,
    And the diviners see lying visions
    And tell false dreams;
    They comfort in vain.
    Therefore the people wander like sheep,
    They are afflicted, because there is no shepherd.
    ³ “My anger is kindled against the shepherds,
    And I will punish the male goats;
    For the Lord of hosts has visited His flock, the house of Judah,
    And will make them like His majestic horse in battle,” (10:2-3).
    • Jesus said to him, “I am the way, and the truth, and the life; no one comes to the Father but through Me,” (John 14:6).

• He Is our Sure Foundation and Cornerstone: He was raised up from His own.
  • “From them will come the cornerstone,
    From them the tent peg,
    From them the bow of battle,
    From them every ruler, all of them together,” (10:4).
    • “let it be known to all of you and to all the people of Israel, that by the name of Jesus Christ the Nazarene, whom you crucified, whom God raised from the dead—by this name this man stands here before you in good health. ¹¹ He is the stone which was rejected by you, the builders, but which became the chief corner stone,” (Acts 4:10-11).

• He Is Conqueror: He puts the enemy to shame.
  • “They will be as mighty men,
    Treading down the enemy in the mire of the streets in battle;
    And they will fight, for the Lord will be with them;
    And the riders on horses will be put to shame,” (10:5).
    • having canceled out the certificate of debt consisting of decrees against us, which was hostile to us; and He has taken it out of the way, having nailed it to the cross. ¹⁵ When He had disarmed the rulers and authorities, He made a public display of them, having triumphed over them through Him, (Colossians 2:14-15).

• He Is Compassionate: He will gather His people in the strength of His salvation.
  • “I will strengthen the house of Judah,
    And I will save the house of Joseph,
    And I will bring them back,
    Because I have had compassion on them;
    And they will be as though I had not rejected them,
    For I am the Lord their God and I will answer them,” (10:6).
    • “My sheep hear My voice, and I know them, and they follow Me; ²⁸ and I give eternal life to them, and they will never perish; and no one will snatch them out of My hand. ²⁹ My Father, who has given them to Me, is greater than all; and no one is able to snatch them out of the Father’s hand. ³⁰ I and the Father are one,” (John 10:27-30).
      

• He Is Redeemer: He calls His people to the joy of His Presence.
  • “Ephraim will be like a mighty man,
    And their heart will be glad as if from wine;
    Indeed, their children will see it and be glad,
    Their heart will rejoice in the Lord.
    ⁸ “I will whistle for them to gather them together,
    For I have redeemed them;
    And they will be as numerous as they were before,” (10:7-8).
    • Now to Him who is able to keep you from stumbling, and to make you stand in the presence of His glory blameless with great joy, ²⁵ to the only God our Savior, through Jesus Christ our Lord, be glory, majesty, dominion and authority, before all time and now and forever. Amen, (Jude 1:24-25).

• He Is Reconciler: He brings His people back to His fullness.
  • “When I scatter them among the peoples,
    They will remember Me in far countries,
    And they with their children will live and come back.
    ¹⁰ “I will bring them back from the land of Egypt
    And gather them from Assyria;
    And I will bring them into the land of Gilead and Lebanon
    Until no room can be found for them,” (10:9-10).
    • For it was the Father’s good pleasure for all the fullness to dwell in Him, ²⁰ and through Him to reconcile all things to Himself, having made peace through the blood of His cross; through Him, I say, whether things on earth or things in heaven, (Colossians 1:19-20).

• He Is Peace: He calms the raging seas of distress and brings down every enemy.
  • “And they will pass through the sea of distress
    And He will strike the waves in the sea,
    So that all the depths of the Nile will dry up;
    And the pride of Assyria will be brought down
    And the scepter of Egypt will depart,” (10:11).
    • “These things I have spoken to you, so that in Me you may have peace. In the world you have tribulation, but take courage; I have overcome the world,” (John 16:33).

How do we respond to Him Who Strengthens His People in His Name?

As His Name reveals Who He Is, and as He has promised to Strengthen Us in His Name, then knowing Him is our only Strength.

“Cease striving and know that I am God;
I will be exalted among the nations, I will be exalted in the earth,” (Psalm 46:).

We are not called to work for our Strength; we are called to know Him and to walk in the God we know. And as we do, He has promised to provide all the Strength we need.

“And I will strengthen them in the Lord,
And in His name they will walk,” declares the Lord, (10:12).

And as it is only in His Name that we are secured in His Strength, may we boast only in Who He Is, that He would Strengthen Us in His Name.

May the Lord answer you in the day of trouble!
May the name of the God of Jacob set you securely on high!…
⁷ Some boast in chariots and some in horses,
But we will boast in the name of the Lord, our God, (Psalm 20:1, 7).

And He has said to me, “My grace is sufficient for you, for power is perfected in weakness.” Most gladly, therefore, I will rather boast about my weaknesses, so that the power of Christ may dwell in me, (2 Corinthians 12:9).

Today’s chapter revealed only a few of His attributes. In closing, I am including two amazing resources about His Name. The first is from Blue Letter Bible and includes Old Testament Names of God. Each Name provides a link to the website with further description on the meaning.

From https://www.blueletterbible.org/study/misc/name_god.cfm

• Introduction
• El Shaddai (Lord God Almighty)
• El Elyon (The Most High God)
• Adonai (Lord, Master)
• Yahweh (Lord, Jehovah)
• Jehovah Nissi (The Lord My Banner)
• Jehovah-Raah (The Lord My Shepherd)
• Jehovah Rapha (The Lord That Heals)
• Jehovah Shammah (The Lord Is There)
• Jehovah Tsidkenu (The Lord Our Righteousness)
• Jehovah Mekoddishkem (The Lord Who Sanctifies You)
• El Olam (The Everlasting God)
• Elohim (God)
• Qanna (Jealous)
• Jehovah Jireh (The Lord Will Provide)
• Jehovah Shalom (The Lord Is Peace)
• Jehovah Sabaoth (The Lord of Hosts)

Secondly, is a site entitled “950 Names and Titles of God” from Christiananswers.net.

https://christiananswers.net/dictionary/namesofgod.html
(this a great resource as the list of Names is given in alphabetical order and includes Scripture references on where each Name is found)

How blessed we are that He has chosen to reveal His Name to the likes of us! And while He truly Is beyond our ability to fathom, He has promised that He will make us to know His Name!

“Therefore behold, I am going to make them know—
This time I will make them know
My power and My might;
And they shall know that My name is the Lord,” (Jeremiah 16:21).

And as we grow in our knowledge of His Name, He will be faithful to fulfill His Promise. Oh, may we seek to increase in our knowledge of Him, that we would be Strengthened to walk in steadfast patience and joyful thanksgiving, that we would be empowered, each and every day, to live in such a way that is pleasing to Him Who Strengthens His People in His Name.

so that you will walk in a manner worthy of the Lord, to please Him in all respects, bearing fruit in every good work and increasing in the knowledge of God; ¹¹ strengthened with all power, according to His glorious might, for the attaining of all steadfastness and patience; joyously ¹² giving thanks to the Father, who has qualified us to share in the inheritance of the saints in Light, (Colossians 1:10-12).

Let’s Grow Together!