Charles Spurgeon Commentary Zechariah 11

Behold, I will make Jerusalem a cup of trembling unto all the people round about, when they shall be in the siege both against Judah and against Jerusalem.

This is a promise of God's abounding mercy to His chosen people Israel. When He comes to their aid, they will be a cup of trembling to their enemies. Those enemies will try to swallow them, but they will find that they are drinking a cup of poison, which will cause their own death.

Oh, that the day might soon come when God would remember His ancient people, the Jews, and bring them back to their own land, as He certainly will do in the fullness of time! And when He has done it, then it will come to pass that all who fight against them will find His people to be as a cup of trembling to them.

This promise, which is to be literally fulfilled to God's chosen people, the seed of Abraham, is also spiritually true to all believers.

Christian, your enemies cannot really hurt you. If they could drink you up, as people drink a cup of wine, you would be a cup of trembling to them; they would find that they had taken in more than they wanted.

All the persecutors of the Church of God, in striking this stone, have themselves been broken on it. They have found that they have undertaken a task which has ended in their own destruction.

Woe to the man who fights against the Church of the living God! Victory must always come to the Lord's people, for greater is He who is with them than all that can be against them.

And in that day will I make Jerusalem a burdensome stone for all people: all that burden themselves with it shall be cut in pieces, though all the people of the earth be gathered together against it.

This is true literally, but it is also true spiritually. As the Church of God is to be a cup of trembling to its enemies, so is it also to be a burdensome stone. They do not like it; they cannot bear it. They would, if they could, get rid of the spiritual Church of God; but they cannot get rid of it. There it is—a stone, cut out of the mountain without hands, which will grow until it fills the whole earth, and breaks in pieces everything that opposes it. Those who set themselves against God, and against his Christ shall find themselves crushed to atoms by this mighty stone.

This is a deep prophecy. It may be interpreted concerning many events, but I think it primarily refers to the departure of the people of Israel from God, and their rejection of Christ.

It has to do with the first coming of Christ, and the way in which they cast off the great Shepherd, and he cast them off, so that Israel was simply despoiled and scattered throughout the whole earth. The teachers of those days were false to their service.

In that day, says the LORD, I will smite every horse with astonishment, and his rider with madness:

The chief strength of Jerusalem's enemies lay in horses and chariots; but God tells his people not to fear them, for he knows how to overcome all power, whether it be the power of cavalry or the power of infantry. He knows how to smite every horse with astonishment, and every rider with madness, for, as the mountains are round about Jerusalem, so the Lord is round about his people, from henceforth even for ever, and he can protect them against the most powerful foes that may assail them.

And I will open mine eyes upon the house of Judah,

It looked as if the Lord had been asleep, but now he says, 'I will open mine eyes upon the house of Judah,' – I will look at them, and note their sufferings, pity their griefs, plan for their good, and come forth for their defense.

And will smite every horse of the people with blindness.

Their enemies will not be able to see them, but God will see them, and he will deliver his people and overthrow all their adversaries.

They bound heavy burdens upon them, grievous to be borne, but they did not touch them with one of their fingers. The Scribes and Pharisees were false shepherds, and had completely departed from God in the time of our Lord.

The literal prophecy is that the seed of Israel will go back to their own land and will prevail over their adversaries; but the spiritual meaning is that the Church of God will have great power among the people of the earth.

They will have fire put into them – the fire of the Holy Spirit. They will be like a lighted firebrand among the wood, or as a flaming torch in a sheaf of corn; and you know how soon the sheaf would be burned up.

If God has put within you fire from heaven, you will be sure to burn, and those with whom you live will soon feel the flame. Place one truly gracious person in any district, and if they are thoroughly on fire with the Holy Spirit, it will be like throwing a blazing firebrand into a field of dry corn.

What a conflagration will there be! May the Lord send us many such blessed burnings!