“Sing and rejoice, O daughter of Zion!

... For behold, I am coming and I will dwell in your midst,” says the LORD.  “Many gentiles shall be joined to the LORD in that day, and they shall become My people. And I will dwell in your midst” (Zechariah 2:10, 11). Being an Old Testament prophet was a serious buisness, for if your prophecy did not take place, the people were to stone you (Deuteronomy 18:20).  This being so, many prophecies had both a then current fulfillment, and a future one. We see this in the prophecy that “the virgin shall conceive and bear a Son, and shall call His name Emmanuel” (Isaiah 7:14, 16; Matthew 1:23). The name is itself prophetic, for it means “God with us.” The phrase “the daughter of Zion” refers to the whole (redeemed) Jewish nation, and the then current fulfillment of  'I will dwell in your midst' was the Lord coming to the soon to be rebuilt temple. It found a greater fulfillment in the Christmas story in that “the Word (Jesus) became flesh and dwelt among us” (John 1:1, 14). It finds a still greater fulfillment in eternity (Revelation 7:15 NKJV).

Since by and large, the Jewish nation rejected Jesus as their Messiah (John 1:11), it was assumed for almost two thousand years that the Church had replaced Israel as God's people. But Paul asks “have they (Israel) stumbled that they should fall?” He answers “Certainly not! But through their fall, to provoke them to jealousy, salvation has come to the Gentiles.”  And there is coming a day when “All Israel will be saved” (Romans 11:11, 26).  So God has not finished with the Jew! In particular, the rebirth of Israel in 1948 was prophesied,  for Isaiah ask “Can a nation be born in a day” (Google “Birth of Israel,” and see Isaiah 66:8)? In addition  Zechariah's prophecy speaks of Gentiles being joined to the Lord to be His people,  in the same way Israel are God's people.  Modern day Israel is not perfect, but neither is the church. God is finished with neither of us!

And as I meditated on these things this morning I was  reminded again of the patience of God, and the lengths to which He has gone to make it possible for rebellious mankind to have a relationship with Him. From the moment of the first sin in the Garden (Genesis 3), until today He was planning it all. And when the time was right,  He sent His Son to be born of a woman to redeem those under the law (the Jew), and that we (the gentiles)  might  receive adoption  as sons and daughters of God (Galatians 4:4, 5). And He  made us one new man (Jew and Gentile) making peace, so that He might reconcile us both to God in one body through the cross (Ephesians 2:15, 16). And again from the beginning,  His primary plan and purpose was to unite us all in love with Him and with each other (Ephesians 1:10). Did I mention His patience?  

Father, I am reminded again this morning Lord, that  You are not willing that any should perish but all come to repentance, and that You wait for us to be gracious to us.  Your prayer Lord Jesus,  is that we should be one as You and the Father are One. Give us grace Lord,  especially at this season,  to display peace and goodwill to all. We choose to sing and rejoice in You,  and to give You the glory in Jesus Name Amen