Rejoice greatly, O daughter of Zion!

.... Shout, O daughter of Jerusalem! Behold, your King is coming to you; He is just and having salvation, Lowly and riding on a donkey. I will cut off the chariot from Ephraim and the horse from Jerusalem; The battle bow shall be cut off. He shall speak peace to the nations; His dominion shall be from sea to sea ... to the ends of the earth. (Zechariah 9:9, 10).   As Zechariah prophesied here, Messiah the King, whose birth we celebrated yesterday,  would just a few short years later, come riding into Jerusalem on a donkey.  The donkey, as opposed to a war horse, signified peace. Zechariah's prophecy tells that  as King Messiah will have world wide rule (dominion to the ends of the earth).  Other passages show Messiah's peace will come as He judges and rebukes the nations, breaking them with a rod of iron (Isaiah 2:4; Psalm 2:8, 9).

We see  two very different pictures of Messiah in these two adjacent verses, the lowly,  humble one, and the conquering Messiah. Consistent with the first,  we read of Him as the suffering servant,  bringing salvation through His suffering (9:9; Isaiah 53).  The two pictures must have seemed very confusing at the time of Christ. It's not therefore surprising that many, suffering under the oppressive rule of the Romans,  were desiring and concentrating on the second picture, the conquering Messiah. The Christmas season is often described as advent. Advent means coming, and the New Testament explains that it's the same Messiah, and that there are two distinct advents, two comings (Acts 1:11).  And  it's at the second coming that He will rule the nations with a rod of iron (Revelation 2:26, 27).

We can learn something from this, in particular, if we think we have God all figured out, we have not. I remember the Lord saying to me years ago “You'll never outguess me Phil.” Tongue in cheek (I was not serious) I replied “Don't underestimate my intelligence.” We both had a good laugh! There are so many things we don't understand. But why the delay? Well for one thing “He is not desirous that any should perish but all come to repentance” (2 Peter 3:9).  And He waits for us so that He may be gracious, wanting us to come to that repentance (Isaiah 30:18). In the meantime in this morning's reading He calls those of us who love Him to rejoice, for He has already come to us. And He comes in humility and gentleness, willing to give us peace and rest in the here and now while we wait for His appearing (John  14:27; Hebrews 9:28).  Our ultimate hope is in eternity, but there is here and now hope too, for He has plans for us (Jeremiah 29:11). They may just not look like what we expect, but they are good plans!    

Father, Your World tells us that ear has not heard, nor has the eye seen any God besides You, who acts for the one who waits for Him (Isaiah 64:4).  There are many of us Father, that are waiting for You to intervene in our situations at this Christmas time.  Waiting is hard Lord, and waiting patiently even harder!  But You have purpose in the delay, and with this morning's verses You are calling us again while we wait to rejoice in the Lord always, and in case we missed it You say again it rejoice (Philippians 4:4). Give us grace to do this Lord, in Your precious Name Amen