Today in God’s Word

Today in God's Word—December 2024

East Tallassee Church of Christ

December 26, Zechariah 9

Rejoice greatly, O daughter of Zion! Shout aloud, O daughter of Jerusalem! Behold, your king is coming to you; righteous and having salvation is he, humble and mounted on a donkey, on a colt the foal of a donkey.

- Zechariah 9:9

The Old Testament traces the history of Abraham's descendants from the time God made the great promises to the old patriarch, through their development as a nation, and down to the post-exile Jews who returned to Palestine to rebuild. We also learn about world powers that rose and fell during those years as they impacted Israel during that time. The Hebrew people had been enslaved in Egypt. They fought wars through the years with the Philistines and other Canaanite neighbors. Northern kingdom Israel fell to Assyria. Just over a century later, Babylon conquered southern kingdom Judah. After the Persians took over Babylon, the Israelites were freed to return to their homeland.

God’s sovereign hand raised up and put down all those ancient kings and kingdoms. The Lord used them to accomplish his purposes, especially as what they did impacted his covenant people in Israel.

The next world-beater who would appear on history's stage was the Greek, Alexander the Great. He had not risen to power in the days of Zechariah. But God showed Zechariah that he was coming and how he would mow down all the nations in Palestine. He would destroy all the major cities of the occupied lands with one notable exception. He did not enter the city of Jerusalem. Alexander claimed that the God of the Jews had guided him in his conquest through dreams.

Israel was not supposed to be like the other nations around them. God called them to be his holy people and made an exclusive covenant with them. No other people enjoyed such favor from the Lord. But sadly, Israel was very much like the neighboring nations who did not know God. Israel worshiped the same idols and practiced the same degrading sins as their pagan neighbors. But Israel's guilt was greater than the other nations, because the Israelites knew better.

Yet God remained faithful to his covenant promises. His plan was still on track to bring a Savior into the world through Abraham's descendants. Israel strayed from God in large measure because their kings and priests failed to lead the people to obey God. Israel wanted a king to be like the other nations around them, and, they became just like the neighbors through the influence of weak and wicked kings.

God showed Zechariah a new king who would come. He would be a descendant of David, but he would be a very different kind of king from the others in Israel's history. This king would enter Jerusalem in humility, not arrogance. He did not ride a prancing steed into the city, but arrived on a young donkey. He came to bring peace, not war, to the people's lives. Little children, broken sinners and social outcasts would be comfortable in his presence. Instead of subjecting his people to harsh slavery, he freed them from their bonds to serve him out of love. He would bring righteousness and peace, not violence and warfare.

This king would redeem the prisoners by the blood of the covenant. By his own blood, he would free them from the chains of sin and the pit of despair. He would give the hopeless new hope because he would take their place and bear their sins. He would equip them to fight and win spiritual battles by giving them spiritual weapons. And he would bless them. He would be the Good Shepherd of these sheep. These people would be the king's treasure, the jewels in his royal crown. He would be their great and beautiful Savior.

Truly Messiah would not be a king like other kings, and his kingdom would not be like worldly kingdoms. Jesus was right when he told Pilate, "My kingdom is not of this world."

We who know the gospel can look back on Zechariah 9 and see all these prophecies fulfilled in Jesus of Nazareth, the Son of God. It is our privilege to know and serve him as our Lord and King. We are the New Israel of God through our trusting faith in him. We have so many precious present blessings and future promises because of and through Jesus.

If Zechariah called his hearers to rejoice and shout at the prophecy of the coming King, how much more should we rejoice and worship at the feet of this King who has now come and fulfilled these prophecies and promises of God? All four gospel writers record the event Zechariah foretold of Jesus and how he rode into Jerusalem as the last week of his earthly life before the cross began. The people who saw him that day cried out "Hosanna (save now!) to the Son of David." How much more should we now, living on this side of the cross, shout Hosanna to the King of glory who redeemed us by his blood?

Copyright © 2024 by Michael B. McElroy. Used by permission. All rights reserved.