THE KING IS COMING!
Opening Prayer
Merciful God, you are faithful to your promises and consistent in your purposes, I thank you for that great truth and blessing.
Read Zechariah 9
For additional translations of the passage, use this link to Bible Gateway.
Judgment on Israel’s Enemies
9 A prophecy:
The word of the Lord is against the land of Hadrak
and will come to rest on Damascus—
for the eyes of all people and all the tribes of Israel
are on the Lord—[a]
2 and on Hamath too, which borders on it,
and on Tyre and Sidon, though they are very skillful.
3 Tyre has built herself a stronghold;
she has heaped up silver like dust,
and gold like the dirt of the streets.
4 But the Lord will take away her possessions
and destroy her power on the sea,
and she will be consumed by fire.
5 Ashkelon will see it and fear;
Gaza will writhe in agony,
and Ekron too, for her hope will wither.
Gaza will lose her king
and Ashkelon will be deserted.
6 A mongrel people will occupy Ashdod,
and I will put an end to the pride of the Philistines.
7 I will take the blood from their mouths,
the forbidden food from between their teeth.
Those who are left will belong to our God
and become a clan in Judah,
and Ekron will be like the Jebusites.
8 But I will encamp at my temple
to guard it against marauding forces.
Never again will an oppressor overrun my people,
for now I am keeping watch.
The Coming of Zion’s King
9 Rejoice greatly, Daughter Zion!
Shout, Daughter Jerusalem!
See, your king comes to you,
righteous and victorious,
lowly and riding on a donkey,
on a colt, the foal of a donkey.
10 I will take away the chariots from Ephraim
and the warhorses from Jerusalem,
and the battle bow will be broken.
He will proclaim peace to the nations.
His rule will extend from sea to sea
and from the River[b] to the ends of the earth.
11 As for you, because of the blood of my covenant with you,
I will free your prisoners from the waterless pit.
12 Return to your fortress, you prisoners of hope;
even now I announce that I will restore twice as much to you.
13 I will bend Judah as I bend my bow
and fill it with Ephraim.
I will rouse your sons, Zion,
against your sons, Greece,
and make you like a warrior’s sword.
The Lord Will Appear
14 Then the Lord will appear over them;
his arrow will flash like lightning.
The Sovereign Lord will sound the trumpet;
he will march in the storms of the south,
15 and the Lord Almighty will shield them.
They will destroy
and overcome with slingstones.
They will drink and roar as with wine;
they will be full like a bowl
used for sprinkling[c] the corners of the altar.
16 The Lord their God will save his people on that day
as a shepherd saves his flock.
They will sparkle in his land
like jewels in a crown.
17 How attractive and beautiful they will be!
Grain will make the young men thrive,
and new wine the young women.
Footnotes
- Zechariah 9:1 Or Damascus. / For the eye of the Lord is on all people, / as well as on the tribes of Israel,
- Zechariah 9:10 That is, the Euphrates
- Zechariah 9:15 Or bowl, / like
New International Version (NIV)Holy Bible, New International Version®, NIV® Copyright ©1973, 1978, 1984, 2011 by Biblica, Inc.® Used by permission. All rights reserved worldwide.
Reflect
Imagine the preparations and anticipation if the President were coming to your town. Can you imagine being Israel and realizing that their long-awaited king was coming?This chapter marks the start of the second half of Zechariah. In the first eight verses, we read a prophecy concerning the conquests of Alexander the Great, who passed Jerusalem, but never laid siege to it – God protected her (vs 8). The great moment of joy bursts forth in verse 9 – the King is coming to Jerusalem! His character is righteous, his manner is humble, and the kingdom he comes to establish will be marked by international peace (v 10). The nation of Judah will have abundant blessings with which to celebrate the wonder of God’s salvation (see vs 14–17).
Our God is a God who delights to save his people from their enemies, like a shepherd rescuing his sheep (v 16). They are valued by God as precious jewels in a crown (v 16). And we know that joy because humble King Jesus came to Jerusalem as our good shepherd, ready to lay down his life for us, his sheep (see John 10:11,15).
Apply
As you imagine Jesus arriving in Jerusalem, consider how his character shaped all that was to follow – his righteousness, his humility. Worship God for the salvation that Jesus has achieved as our Good Shepherd!
Closing prayer
Lord, I need to see afresh that because of my faith I am dead to sin and alive to Christ. May that help me to live victoriously.
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