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A Year Held in His Hands| A New Year Sermon

By Ekombe Hau -
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A Year Held in His Hands| A New Year Sermon Photo by Annie Spratt on Unsplash Every time a new year comes close, something in me start feeling that weird mix of excitement and heaviness. Maybe you know the feeling too—like you’re standing at this invisible doorway. One foot in the old year (the stuff you want to forget but somehow still sticks to you like stubborn glue), and the other foot stepping into something you still can’t see clearly. And sometimes you’re hopeful, sometimes you’re scared, sometimes you’re… well, both at the same time. I was thinking about all that while reading some Scriptures again, and honestly, it hit me harder this year. Maybe because life been kinda loud lately, or maybe because I’m tired of pretending everything always makes sense. But the Bible does this thing, right? It sneaks into the parts of your heart you thought you cleaned up, and suddenly you realize God is trying to talk to you again. Even if it feels like you weren’t exactly listening. S...
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Zechariah Chapter 10 – God’s Promise of Restoration

By Ekombe Hau -

 

Zechariah Chapter 10 – God’s Promise of Restoration

Photo by Pablo Heimplatz on Unsplash

When you open Zechariah 10, you can feel this shift in tone compared to some of the earlier chapters. It’s like God’s not just warning anymore—He’s talking about restoring, blessing, and protecting His people. This chapter isn’t very long (only 12 verses), but it’s packed with meaning. And if you take your time, you start to see the layers.

This part of Zechariah is still future-looking for Israel when it was written, but it’s also timeless because God’s heart here, His promises, His way of working—they still apply.

Verse 1 – Asking for Rain

Ask ye of the LORD rain in the time of the latter rain; so the LORD shall make bright clouds, and give them showers of rain, to every one grass in the field.

Right from the start, God tells them to ask Him for rain. In an agricultural society like Israel’s, rain was life. No rain meant no crops, no food, no survival. And here’s the interesting part—it’s “the time of the latter rain.” That’s the rain that comes in the spring, right before harvest, that helps the crops ripen.

So God’s saying, “Ask me, even when it’s the season for rain, don’t just assume it will happen naturally. Come to Me.”

It’s a reminder: even the things we expect, the stuff we think “just happens,” still comes from God’s hand. Sometimes we forget to pray for what we think is automatic. But here, God is teaching dependence.

And also—this verse has a spiritual echo. Rain is often symbolic of blessing, revival, or the Holy Spirit. The “latter rain” is tied in prophecy to an end-times outpouring of God’s Spirit (see Joel 2). So, it’s physical and spiritual at the same time.

Verse 2 – The False Shepherds

For the idols have spoken vanity, and the diviners have seen a lie… therefore they went their way as a flock, they were troubled, because there was no shepherd.

This is God pulling back the curtain and saying: “The leaders you had misled you. The ones you trusted fed you lies.”

In Israel’s history, bad leadership was a huge problem—whether it was corrupt priests, selfish kings, or false prophets who told the people what they wanted to hear instead of the truth from God.

Because of these leaders, the people wandered spiritually like sheep without a shepherd. And when sheep don’t have a shepherd, they scatter, get lost, get hurt.

It’s sobering, because this is still a problem today—not just in political leadership, but in spiritual leadership too. People can end up chasing “diviners” (modern-day spiritual fakes, prosperity scammers, or even self-help gurus dressed up as pastors) instead of God’s Word.

Verse 3 – God’s Anger Against the Bad Shepherds

Mine anger was kindled against the shepherds, and I punished the goats: for the LORD of hosts hath visited his flock the house of Judah…

God’s not indifferent to bad leadership. He says outright: “I’m angry.” And He’s going to deal with them. The “goats” here might mean arrogant rulers who oppressed the weak.

But there’s a turning point—God Himself “visits” His flock, the house of Judah. That’s big. When God “visits,” it’s not just a casual drop-in. It’s a divine intervention. He comes to rescue, to restore.

And the way He describes Judah—like His own warhorse—it’s almost like He’s saying, “I’m going to take these people who were wandering like sheep and make them strong, fearless, ready for battle.”

Verses 4–5 – The Cornerstone, the Nail, the Battle Bow

Out of him came forth the corner, out of him the nail, out of him the battle bow… And they shall be as mighty men…

This is packed with Messianic imagery. “The corner” likely refers to the cornerstone—the most important stone in a building, the one that sets the foundation. That’s Jesus (see Psalm 118:22, Ephesians 2:20).

The “nail” could refer to a secure peg in a wall, something you can hang weight on—again, Christ is our stability. The “battle bow” is for victory over enemies.

God is saying He’s going to raise up strong, victorious people through Judah, anchored by the Messiah Himself.

And these people—described as mighty men—will fight not in their own strength but because “the LORD is with them.” That’s the real source of victory.

Verse 6 – Strengthening and Saving

And I will strengthen the house of Judah, and I will save the house of Joseph…

This is where we see unity. Judah (the southern kingdom) and Joseph (representing the northern kingdom) had been divided for centuries. But God promises restoration for both.

He says He’ll “bring them again to place them.” That’s about returning them to their land, but also restoring them to their identity as His people.

And the reason? Simply this: “I have mercy upon them.” Not because they earned it, but because of His compassion. That’s the heart of God.

Verses 7–9 – Joy and Multiplication

And they of Ephraim shall be like a mighty man… their children shall see it, and be glad; their heart shall rejoice in the LORD.

God’s restoration isn’t just survival—it’s joy. It’s strength. It’s generational blessing. Their children will see it and rejoice.

He even says in verse 9, “I will sow them among the people: and they shall remember me in far countries.” That’s huge, because it shows God’s reach isn’t limited to one land. Even when scattered, His people can turn back to Him and live.

Verses 10–12 – Return from Every Corner

I will bring them again also out of the land of Egypt, and gather them out of Assyria… and he shall pass through the sea with affliction…

This is Exodus language—God parting the sea, removing obstacles, leading His people home. It’s both a picture of the past (God rescuing Israel from Egypt) and a prophecy of the future (God regathering His people from all over the world).

The chapter ends with “they shall walk up and down in his name, saith the LORD.” That’s a picture of living daily life with God’s authority, confidence, and presence.

Themes in Zechariah 10

  1. God’s provision – Even for things we take for granted, God invites us to ask Him.

  2. God’s anger against injustice – He sees false shepherds and will act against them.

  3. Messianic hope – The cornerstone, the nail, the bow—all point to Jesus as the source of strength and victory.

  4. Restoration and unity – God will bring His people together again.

  5. Global reach – Even scattered in other nations, His people can remember Him and return.

Why This Still Matters Today

Zechariah 10 might be about Israel’s restoration, but the principles still hit home for us.

  • We live in a world full of false voices. God calls us to listen to Him.

  • We all face seasons of spiritual dryness where we desperately need the “latter rain” of His Spirit.

  • God still strengthens His people today for the battles they face—sometimes those battles are internal, sometimes external.

  • His mercy is still the reason He restores us. Not because we’ve been good, but because He is good.

If you read this chapter and think about your own life, you might find a personal application: maybe you’ve been listening to the wrong voices, or maybe you’ve been wandering like a sheep without a shepherd. Maybe you’ve been dry spiritually and need to ask God for rain.

God’s promise here is that He hears, He restores, and He strengthens. He takes the weak and makes them mighty—not because they have the strength in themselves, but because He is with them.

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