The Divine Source and the Vain Substitutes Text: Zechariah 10:1-2
Introduction: The War for Dependence
We live in a world that is fiercely committed to the religion of self-reliance. Our entire secular project is an organized attempt to declare independence from God. We want the rain, but we want to seed the clouds ourselves. We want the harvest, but we want to credit our own advanced agricultural techniques. We want guidance for the future, but we want it from our algorithms, our experts, and our five-year plans. In short, we want all the benefits of living in God's world without any of the attendant obligations to the Landlord. This is the oldest sin, the lie of the serpent, "you shall be as gods." You can have the fruit without the Gardener. You can have the life without the Giver of life.
But this grand project of human autonomy is a sham. It is a house of cards built in a hurricane. For all our technological prowess, we are still creatures. We are utterly and completely dependent upon God for our very next breath. The sun rises not because of astrophysics alone, but because God tells it to. The rain falls not simply because of meteorological patterns, but because God sends it. To deny this is not sophisticated; it is stupid. It is to look at a intricate clock and deny the existence of a clockmaker. It is to read a novel and deny the existence of an author.
The prophet Zechariah speaks into a similar situation. The people of God had returned from exile. They were rebuilding, but they were tempted to trust in the old pagan securities, the dead-end superstitions of the nations around them, or in their own strength. God, through his prophet, issues a sharp, bracing corrective. He calls them back to the fundamental reality of the universe: God is the source of all blessing, and all other sources are fraudulent. This passage is a collision of two worldviews. One is the worldview of covenantal dependence upon the living God. The other is the worldview of foolish reliance on dead idols and human vanity. And we must see that this is the same collision that defines our own day. We are either a people who ask God for rain, or we are a people who look to worthless idols for comfort.
The Text
Ask rain from Yahweh at the time of the late rain, Yahweh who makes the storm clouds; And He will give them showers of rain, the plant in the field to each man.
For the teraphim speak wickedness, And the diviners behold false visions And speak worthless dreams; They comfort in vain. Therefore the people journey like sheep; They are afflicted because there is no shepherd.
(Zechariah 10:1-2 LSB)
Ask the Right Person (v. 1)
The command that opens this chapter is simple, direct, and foundational.
"Ask rain from Yahweh at the time of the late rain, Yahweh who makes the storm clouds; And He will give them showers of rain, the plant in the field to each man." (Zechariah 10:1)
The first thing to notice is the straightforward command: "Ask rain from Yahweh." This is a call to prayer, but it is more than that. It is a call to recognize reality. God is not telling them to perform a rain dance. He is telling them to acknowledge the source. The surrounding pagan cultures all had their own storm gods, their Baals, who they believed controlled the rain and fertility. This command is a direct polemic against all such idols. Do you want rain? Do not look to the impotent gods of the Canaanites. Ask Yahweh, the covenant God of Israel.
This establishes the principle of proper address. Who are you talking to? Who are you petitioning? Our world is full of people asking for blessings from the wrong address. They ask for prosperity from the government. They ask for meaning from their careers. They ask for salvation from political movements. And God says, "You're knocking on the wrong door." All blessing, both material and spiritual, flows from one source: the throne of the sovereign God.
He reinforces this by reminding them of God's credentials. Ask Yahweh, "who makes the storm clouds." God is not just a dispenser of rain; He is the manufacturer of the entire system. He doesn't just answer a prayer for rain; He designs, builds, and operates the whole water cycle. This is a statement of God's absolute sovereignty over creation. He is not one power among many; He is the uncreated Creator of all things. To pray to anyone or anything else for what God alone can give is the height of folly.
And notice the result of asking the right person. "He will give them showers of rain, the plant in the field to each man." God's provision is both abundant ("showers of rain") and personal ("to each man"). This is not some impersonal cosmic force. This is the personal God of the covenant caring for His individual people. He knows your field. He knows your need. And He delights to provide. This is a beautiful picture of grace. The rain falls because God sends it, but He commands us to ask for it. Why? So that when it comes, we know who to thank. Prayer is God's ordained means of keeping His creatures in a right relationship with Himself, a relationship of humble dependence and grateful praise.
The Impotent Alternatives (v. 2a)
Verse 2 pivots from the true source of blessing to the fraudulent alternatives that the people were tempted to trust.
"For the teraphim speak wickedness, And the diviners behold false visions And speak worthless dreams; They comfort in vain." (Zechariah 10:2a)
The "teraphim" were household idols, small figurines that were used for divination and as title deeds of a sort. They were a form of pagan superstition that had crept into Israelite homes. The "diviners" were those who claimed to see the future through various occultic means. Zechariah lumps them all together and delivers a devastating four-part critique.
First, they "speak wickedness." The Hebrew word is "aven," which means trouble, sorrow, and iniquity. The guidance you get from idols is not just wrong; it is destructive. It leads you into sin and misery. Second, the diviners "behold false visions." They see lies. Their spiritual sight is a delusion. Third, they "speak worthless dreams." The content of their message is empty, hollow, and without substance. It is spiritual junk food. It promises much and delivers nothing.
And the result of all this is the fourth critique: "They comfort in vain." This is the crux of the matter. People turn to idols because they are looking for comfort. They want assurance. They want security. They want to know that everything is going to be alright. And the idols, ancient and modern, promise this. The financial gurus promise financial security. The self-help books promise inner peace. The political ideologies promise utopia. But it is all a lie. It is a vain comfort, a hollow comfort. It is like drinking salt water to quench your thirst. It only makes the problem worse. Any comfort that is not grounded in the sovereign goodness of the triune God is a damnable lie.
The Shepherdless Sheep (v. 2b)
The verse concludes by showing the tragic result of seeking comfort from vain sources.
"Therefore the people journey like sheep; They are afflicted because there is no shepherd." (Zechariah 10:2b)
When a people abandon the true God for idols, the inevitable result is societal breakdown and personal affliction. They "journey like sheep," which means they wander aimlessly. They are scattered, confused, and without direction. A sheep without a shepherd is one of the most helpless creatures on earth. It cannot find its own way, it cannot defend itself from predators, and it cannot find good pasture. This is a picture of a nation that has lost its way because it has abandoned its God.
And the reason for their wandering is that "they are afflicted because there is no shepherd." The false shepherds, the purveyors of vain comfort, cannot lead. The idols cannot guide. The diviners cannot protect. The people have rejected the true Shepherd, Yahweh, and the result is affliction. This points us directly to the great problem of humanity. We are sheep who have gone astray (Isaiah 53:6). We have turned every one to his own way.
This diagnosis of the problem cries out for the solution that the rest of Scripture provides. If the problem is that the people are afflicted for lack of a shepherd, the only solution is the coming of the true Shepherd. Jesus Christ looked out at the crowds and had compassion on them, "because they were harassed and helpless, like sheep without a shepherd" (Matthew 9:36). He declared, "I am the good shepherd. The good shepherd lays down his life for the sheep" (John 10:11).
Conclusion: Rain and Righteousness
This passage sets before us a stark choice. It is the same choice that every individual and every culture faces. Will we ask Yahweh for rain, or will we consult the teraphim? Will we build our lives on the rock of God's sovereign provision, or on the sinking sand of vain comforts?
The call to "ask for rain" is not just about agriculture. In the prophets, rain is often a symbol of God's spiritual blessing, the outpouring of His Spirit that brings life and righteousness. Hosea says, "Let us know; let us press on to know the LORD; his going out is sure as the dawn; he will come to us as the showers, as the spring rains that water the earth" (Hosea 6:3). God's ultimate provision is not just water for the ground, but the living water of His Son and Spirit for our souls.
Our society is afflicted. Our people wander like sheep without a shepherd. And the reason is plain: we have sought comfort in every vain thing imaginable. We have our modern teraphim in our pockets, promising us connection but delivering distraction. We have our modern diviners on the news, beholding false visions and speaking worthless dreams about the future. And they all comfort in vain.
The call of the gospel is the call of Zechariah. Stop looking to broken cisterns that can hold no water. Turn to the fountain of living waters. Stop listening to the wicked whispers of idols. Listen to the authoritative Word of God. Stop wandering aimlessly. Submit to the lordship of the Good Shepherd, Jesus Christ. He is the only one who can lead you to green pastures and still waters. He is the only one who can provide the rain of the Holy Spirit to make the barren fields of your heart fruitful. Ask Him. He is the one who makes the storm clouds, and He will give you showers of rain.