Zachariah 13:1-6 – God desires pure and authentic worship

Zachariah 12 has the eschatological theme of Israel’s national mourning and repentance of Israel over the One whom they pierced. Enlarging on the eschatological theme, Zachariah 13 addresses issues such as purification, judgment, and restoration with God's ultimate triumph.

 Zachariah 13:1 begins by talking about “the opening of the future fountain of God both for the house of David and the inhabitants of Jerusalem.” The phrase ‘in that day’ speaks of a future time. The ‘fountain of God’ indicates the continual abundance of God’s cleansing and purification. ‘The house of David and the inhabitants of Jerusalem’ refers to Israel’s leadership. Sin and impurity are humanity’s fundamental issues. Here, God is promising purification and forgiveness.

Verses 2-3 suggest that Israel’s chief flaw was idolatry, which the false prophets constantly encouraged. This is where God will start His cleansing process. He will eliminate idolatry and remove the false prophets from the land. To eradicate the land of false prophets and prophecies, the parents of the false prophets will be involved in removing them. This shows us how bent God is on eliminating the means of sin and falsehood.  

Verses 4-6 speak of the purification of God’s people. There will come a time when false prophets will be ashamed of their claims. They will stop prophesying and tear up their prophetic garments in regret. Recognizing the consequences of falsehood, the false prophets will abandon their roles. This emphasizes a time of authenticity and humility.

Interestingly, some have seen verse 6 as a foreshadowing of Jesus Christ. The mention of wounds received in a friend’s house is seen as a reference to betrayal, which parallels the betrayal of Jesus by Judas Iscariot, one of his close followers.

There are two lessons to note: first, sin and impurity are the root causes of one’s estranged relationship with God, and He wants to remove them so we can have a reconciled relationship with Him. Second, false worship and prophecy need to be eradicated. God wants to remove the source of deception to ensure authenticity and holiness in prayer.