“Rejoice greatly, O daughter of Zion! Shout loud, 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. I will cut off the chariot from Ephraim and the war horse from Jerusalem; and the battle bow shall be cut off, and he shall speak peace to the nations; his rule shall be from sea to sea, and from the River to the ends of the earth. As for you also, because of the blood of my covenant with you, I will set your prisoners free from the waterless pit.”
- Zechariah 9:9-11
As the return of the remnant errs closer and closer, God puts more work on His plate to ensure His promises are fulfilled and the prosperity of Jerusalem can commence. Chapter 9 starts off a little confusing if you have never gotten to study a map of the holy land. We hear about all these cities that are going to be punished and then we get to our verses above. But wait, punished for what?
“And I am exceedingly angry with the nations that are at ease; for while I was angry but a little, they furthered the disaster.”
- Zechariah 1:15
Jerusalem was sent into Exile for 70 years because of its own sins. But their punishment exceeded what God had intended because various nations took advantage of the opportunity. So, chapter 9 starts by proclaiming the coming punishment to two of Judea’s neighbors, Hadrach and Philistia. Hadrach is a region just north of the sea of Galilee, spanning from Damascus in the desert to the great port cities of Tyre and Sidon. Tyre, arguably being one of the most important trade cities in the holy land. Then we have Philistia, though not named specifically, is the land of the Philistines between Judea and the Mediterranean. Gaza, Ashkelon, and Ekron are their major cities with fortress-like defenses.
Why am I getting all geo-political? Because these regions to the north and the west were oppressors of God’s people, and as they return and gain prosperity, it will greatly impact their neighboring nations. Especially when you read Zechariah 9:10. The coming king's reign will stretch from the Dead Sea to the Sea of Galilee, and from the Jordan River to the Mediterranean Sea (the end of the earth/land). This king will absorb Philistia and border Hadrach. Which is all part of God’s restorative promises to His people! Thus, God is faithful.
Righteous and Humble King:
We are also getting geopolitical because the text itself brings up the return of the king. Now, when we read this we need to keep 2 things in mind:
1) They didn’t know about Jesus, so they were most likely looking to the return of Zerubbabel or the next in line.
2) We know this word of the Lord is also pointing toward Christ, who on Palm Sunday rode into Jerusalem on a donkey, coming in righteousness and with salvation.
So, remember, while this is talking about Jesus this is also talking about another historical event that is very important to the original audience.
Their newly reinstated king is said to be righteous, having “salvation,” and humble. Man, if only every authority figure was like that! Whether it’s Zerubbabel or someone else, this is pretty high praise or high expectations for them. For they must be righteous and humble. Undefiled by the exile, pure from stain, and yet fine riding a donkey back to Jerusalem rather than a warhorse!
What about “having salvation,” aren’t we only saved by Christ? YES, but remember, salvation for them at the time was less about the eternal life offered to us free from sin and bought by the Son. Salvation at their time was simply looking forward to living in a restored and rebuilt Jerusalem. As their king comes, he comes having salvation because he can lead the rebuilding.
Speaking Peace:
This king will have an important role beyond having salvation, he is also to speak peace to the nations, including Philistia and Hadrach. God’s going to cut off Judea’s war horses and chariots, and break the bows. No longer will the ground be gained through war and violence led by the king. The land will be recovered by God; the king on the other hand is to be a peacemaker.
This is incredibly radical. In my mind at least, any other king would come back with a vengeance. Any other religion would justify vengeance in light of what Judea has been through. Heck, modern-day Israel justifies their actions against the Palestinians because of the Holocaust. It seems counter-intuitive to justify suppression of a people group by using the Holocaust, you know, an event that justified suppressing a people group. There is no place for violence and vengeance in this kingdom.
We need to deal with things today in a manner that goes against our initial thoughts, our feelings, and our gut instincts. We are wired toward brashness and because of our sinfulness anything but righteousness, humility, and peace. We need to be reliant on God to help us be righteous and peacemakers. Their king needed it to talk with his nation's oppressors. We need it when we try to witness a secular culture.
Final Blessing:
Their king humbly liberated them to rebuild Jerusalem. Jesus humbly liberated us from the sins that would keep us from God. We today should follow their humility and seek to liberate, not by our power but as Christ is in us, He is still liberating, He is still righteous, and He is still speaking peace. May we do the same.
Now may the Lord of Life and Redemption be with you in every step, every breathe, and every heartbeat of your journey.
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