“This is the message from the Lord against the land of Aram and the city of Damascus, for the eyes of humanity, including all the tribes of Israel, are on the Lord. Doom is certain for Hamath, near Damascus, and for the cities of Tyre and Sidon, though they are so clever. Tyre has built a strong fortress and has made silver and gold as plentiful as dust in the streets! But now the Lord will strip away Tyre’s possessions and hurl its fortifications into the sea, and it will be burned to the ground. The city of Ashkelon will see Tyre fall and will be filled with fear. Gaza will shake with terror, as will Ekron, for their hopes will be dashed. Gaza’s king will be killed, and Ashkelon will be deserted. Foreigners will occupy the city of Ashdod. I will destroy the pride of the Philistines. I will grab the bloody meat from their mouths and snatch the detestable sacrifices from their teeth. Then the surviving Philistines will worship our God and become like a clan in Judah. The Philistines of Ekron will join my people, as the ancient Jebusites once did. I will guard my Temple and protect it from invading armies. I am watching closely to ensure that no more foreign oppressors overrun my people’s land. Rejoice, O people of Zion! Shout in triumph, O people of Jerusalem! Look, your king is coming to you. He is righteous and victorious, yet he is humble, riding on a donkey— riding on a donkey’s colt. I will remove the battle chariots from Israel and the warhorses from Jerusalem. I will destroy all the weapons used in battle, and your king will bring peace to the nations. His realm will stretch from sea to sea and from the Euphrates River to the ends of the earth. Because of the covenant I made with you, sealed with blood, I will free your prisoners from death in a waterless dungeon. Come back to the place of safety, all you prisoners who still have hope! I promise this very day that I will repay two blessings for each of your troubles. Judah is my bow, and Israel is my arrow. Jerusalem is my sword, and like a warrior, I will brandish it against the Greeks. The Lord will appear above his people; his arrows will fly like lightning! The Sovereign Lord will sound the ram’s horn and attack like a whirlwind from the southern desert. The Lord of Heaven’s Armies will protect his people, and they will defeat their enemies by hurling great stones. They will shout in battle as though drunk with wine. They will be filled with blood like a bowl, drenched with blood like the corners of the altar. On that day the Lord their God will rescue his people, just as a shepherd rescues his sheep. They will sparkle in his land like jewels in a crown. How wonderful and beautiful they will be! The young men will thrive on abundant grain, and the young women will flourish on new wine.”
Zechariah 9:1-17 NLT
God has a plan for his people. A few chapters back, he notes that he “delights in humble beginnings.” Here we start to see what becomes of humble beginnings with God. From a small faith, he forms a great nation. From one nation’s belief, he forms a coalition of people who serve him, beyond blood or creed. From a dejected people who can barely rebuild their building, the temple, he forms a city of builders. He forms and forms. He does all the conquering and the building with hands on precision. He delights in subverting the wisdom of men. While talking about a conquering king, he speaks about his active humbleness and his revelation to the world as one who rides in on a donkey. To the casual and the cynical, God must be puzzling. Because he defies expectations and defines his own conventions, he must be infuriating. But to those who love him and know of the infinite prowess and depth of his craftsmanship, it is not only a joy, but an honor to watch his work unfold.
JOSH McGARY. COM 