11/3 Zechariah 12:10

¹⁰ "And I will pour out on the house of David and the inhabitants of Jerusalem a spirit of grace and pleas for mercy, so that, when they look on me, on him whom they have pierced, they shall mourn for him, as one mourns for an only child, and weep bitterly over him, as one weeps over a firstborn.

Zechariah prophesied about a future day when the nations of the earth gather to attack Jerusalem. God promises to confuse the attackers and empower the inhabitants of Jerusalem so that they will win a great victory over their enemies. The house of David will be especially empowered during that battle. The outcome of the battle is quite unusual.

God "will pour out on the house of David and the inhabitants of Jerusalem a spirit of grace and pleas for mercy." It is not clear if it is during the duress of the battle or after their victory. It is by grace that we are saved (Ephesians 2:8). Even our pleas for the mercy of God are a gift from God. Perhaps while in the face of immanent death the Jewish people will cry out to Jesus as their Messiah. Then, after the answer from God who turns the tide of battle, they realize that their ancestors had rejected the true Messiah.

They will mourn greatly as they look on the One they pierced. Does this Scripture refer to a vision, or the return of the LORD? John the Beloved cites this verse and tells us that this One is Jesus (John 19:37). Why do the people weep so bitterly? Think of all the generations that missed the blessing of knowing His saving grace. Think of the years wasted in study that fell so short of the fullness of Christ. Think of the love of God that they rejected for so long.

Consider: Those are our tears too, for when we come to Christ we weep bitterly for rejecting such a great love for so long. Let us live fully in that relationship that we have been given by the spirit of grace that led us to pleas for mercy.