Zechariah 9:9 Rejoice greatly, O daughter of Zion; shout, O daughter of Jerusalem: behold, thy King cometh unto thee: he is just, and having salvation; lowly, and riding upon an ass, and upon a colt the foal of an ass.
10 And I will cut off the chariot from Ephraim, and the horse from Jerusalem, and the battle bow shall be cut off: and he shall speak peace unto the heathen: and his dominion shall be from sea even to sea, and from the river even to the ends of the earth.
11 As for thee also, by the blood of thy covenant I have sent forth thy prisoners out of the pit wherein is no water.
12 Turn you to the strong hold, ye prisoners of hope: even to day do I declare that I will render double unto thee;
13 When I have bent Judah for me, filled the bow with Ephraim, and raised up thy sons, O Zion, against thy sons, O Greece, and made thee as the sword of a mighty man.
The Jews of Zechariah’s day needed to know there was something to look forward to. God was willing to bless them then, but they needed to turn to Him to be blessed by Him. In our text, God reminded the nation of Israel that the day of rejoicing was coming. For the true child of God, we can rejoice in Him at all times. We are encouraged to do so in His Word.
God told them of their King. This King was not David. David was a good king. God often referenced Him and compared other Jewish kings to him. However, David also sinned against the Lord.
This King was the Lord Jesus Christ. Jesus Christ is just and He has salvation. He is the Author and Finisher of our faith. Salvation is His possession. He offers It freely to all who will turn to God in repentance and trust in the Lord Jesus Christ for salvation.
As the King, He is also lowly, and riding upon an ass, and upon the foal of an ass. We know this is clearly speaking of the Lord Jesus Christ. He did not need all the external glamour to present Himself as King. He is glorious and He came in a lowly manner to invite all to look to Him and trust in Him. His first coming was not with pomp and ceremony. He set aside His glory to come as a man and to die on the cross of Calvary for our sins. His second coming will be different.
Zechariah was privileged to proclaim this great news some 500 years prior to its fulfillment. Zechariah was a true man of God who walked by faith, and not by sight. He trusted in God and was willing to proclaim His truth for all generations to read.
In his first coming, He came to offer salvation to the Jews and also to the Gentiles. He came unto His own people but they received Him not. He offered Himself to the nation of Israel. He fulfilled all the prophecies regarding His first coming. He will also fulfill all of the prophecies regarding His second coming.
In verse 10 we read of peace that will come to Israel as a whole. Ephraim is sometimes used to speak of the northern nation of Israel. Jerusalem is used to speak of Judah. The northern ten tribes were captured by the Assyrians in 722 B.C. Today, Israel has only a portion of what is their land as promised by the LORD. Judah was captured by Babylon around 597 B.C. Some of them did return to their homeland after the 70 year exile. However, they have not known the peace that God had promised them if they would trust in Him. The day is coming when they will turn to Him and acknowledge their sin and trust in the Lord Jesus Christ as their Messiah.
The Lord Jesus Christ’s dominion will be from sea to sea, and from the river to the ends of the earth. Today, there are foolish Gentiles who are chanting of the day when the Arab’s “Palestine” will rule “from the river to the sea.” That chant is calling for the annihilation of the Jews. It is an expression of hatred for God and the Jews and is an expression of extreme ignorance. The Arabs will never occupy that land. It is God’s land and He has given it to Israel. They are currently facing great challenges there, but Bible prophecy shows us they are there under God’s direction.
Canada also boasts of being a land built upon the promise of the LORD to have dominion from sea to sea. Canada is a very fragile group of provinces and territories that has proven to be unworthy of the blessing of the LORD. We are in a very dangerous time in this land. It is not a time for born again Christians to live in fear but we do need to be aware of the wickedness of our nation. Those who are truly saved need to be drawing nigh to the LORD in these days of grace and living for Him, to be able to witness to others of His grace and mercy. The need for a clear Gospel message is very apparent in this land.
In verse 11 God spoke of His promise to release Israel from their captivity. It was common for prisoners to be held in dry wells as captives. We know that Joseph’s brothers cast him into a pit when they held him against his will. They later drew him out of there and sold him to slave traders. He was a picture of the Lord Jesus Christ and also of the nation.
God was directing Zechariah to remind the Jews that their days of captivity were numbered. Again, the LORD reminded them that their deliverance would come due to God’s faithfulness, not theirs. They were not a faithful people.
In verse 12 they were challenged to turn to the strong hold. That strong hold is God. Jesus stated that those who are His sheep are held in His Father’s hand. That hand is a mighty hand. Those who are in that hand can never be removed. God’s salvation is eternal and it is sure. God’s blessings are great!.
In verse 13, the LORD spoke of the time when Israel as a nation would be a strong and mighty nation. Greece is a reference to the Gentile nations. Several times God refers to the Jew and to the Greek. Greece was the third empire mentioned in Nebuchadnezzar’s dream as well as in Daniel’s dream. The Greek empire was a powerful empire for a time. Its power did not last long because it was also a wicked empire. After the death of Alexander the Great it was divided into four parts. Eventually it would fall to the Romans.
Jerusalem has seen much turmoil. God chose it as His city. It is referred to as Zion. In the Millennium it will be the central city of the world. The European Union is a union that is trying to function under a common set of laws. There is unease among the members of that union. There is a push for a “one world system” which will find its climax during the time of the antichrist. That system will be extremely corrupt with the antichrist eventually declaring himself the god of that system. His rule will be short lived and it will be disastrous for him and for all who follow him.
When the LORD establishes Israel in its land under His rule as their King, things will be different than they have ever been in Jerusalem and in the world.
Those who are saved need to be reminded of the promises of God. His will is going to be done. Jesus taught His disciples to pray to that end. We do not pray that way because there is a danger that it might not happen. We pray to that end because we know it will happen and we look forward to the day when it will be so.
Revelation 22:20 He which testifieth these things saith, Surely I come quickly. Amen. Even so, come, Lord Jesus.
Four times in the book of the Revelation of Jesus Christ, Jesus promised that He will come quickly. John was directed to invite Jesus to come. Every born again Christian needs to be reminded of the importance of inviting the Lord Jesus Christ to come. We need to be living in anticipation of His soon return. We do not know the day nor the hour. We seek to help others to turn to the Lord in these days of grace and we also know that God is giving every person the opportunity to be saved. We are not told to pray for the Lord to delay His return. We are commanded to go and to declare His salvation to all people. We are also told to look for His return. That is not a selfish, escapist position. That is a realistic and Biblical position.
It is important to believe the truth today. If you are reading this and not saved, turn to God today and trust in the Lord Jesus Christ today for your salvation. Procrastination is not a blessing. Delaying your turning to God is not a wise plan. Your days are numbered and they will be over sooner than you expect. That is true for all of us. Trust in the Lord today and begin to enjoy His blessings now.
Pastor Bartel
