Zechariah 11-12

“And I took my staff Favor, and I broke it, annulling the covenant that I had made with all the peoples” (11:10). Zechariah was called to ‘act out’ the terrible consequences of Israel’s rebellion against the Lord. Running away from the God of the covenant resulted in the loss of God’s ‘favor’ on the land and the breaking of the ‘union’ (11:14) between the tribes. But through experiencing the sad consequences of sin, God’s people would begin to mourn and repent (12:11-14), leading to salvation (12:7).

The destructiveness of sinful choices is not the end of the story. God gives a “spirit of grace and pleas for mercy” so that we can be healed (12:10).