Zechariah 10:1-12 – Restored

Read Zechariah 10:1-12

Our focus shifts a bit in this new section of Zechariah. No more glimpses into the kingdom. They are oracles from God alright, but they speak to all that is wrong with the world. Such a contrast to the messianic rule of peace. Yet, there are promises woven in.

The first problem to fix or restore is finding a shepherd for those who don’t have one. In Zechariah’s context, the whole concept of shepherd would have been a lot different than ours today. My mind went to the perfect solution – Jesus. Jesus is our Good Shepherd. “For the Lord of Heaven’s Armies has arrived to look after Judah, his flock.”

Zechariah 9:11-17 – Lost Sheep

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Chapter 9 has been interesting because it seems to jump from theme to theme. With the brief oasis in our last reading that spoke about the king riding on a donkey, we now seem to be back to the promise of the coming kingdom and how God will make things right for his people.

While there are a lot of rich images in this reading, verse 16a was the verse that spoke to me the most today. It reads, “On that day the Lord their God will rescue his people, just as a shepherd rescues his sheep.” Of course, I couldn’t help but see Jesus as that shepherd and remember the story he told about the lost sheep.

Zechariah 9:9-10 – Triumph!

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Don’t you love this passage?! I can almost hear the shouts of “Hosanna” while palm branches are waving about. It’s always great to know where the Old Testament prophecies are that Jesus fulfilled. Here Zechariah announces the coming messianic king.

When the people heard “victorious” and “righteous,” they likely pictured their messiah would be a warrior king. Why then, would he be riding on a donkey’s colt? To be mighty in battle, that king would ride a spirited stallion, a war horse. Note the text says nothing about warfare.

Zechariah 9:1-8 – Safety

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You probably noticed the style change in today’s reading. The remainder of the book of Zechariah is regarded by Bible scholars as “separate works.” While hard to pinpoint exactly, it’s likely these messages from God came after the temple was completed from prophets who were not necessarily returnees from exile.

This reading tells how God is going to level the playing field and destroy Israel’s oppressors. Foreign nations would likely try and revolt against Israel again, sensing Israel’s potential weakness. We know God allowed the punishment his people endured in exile. But those days were past. As God said, “I am watching closely to ensure that no more foreign oppressors overrun my people’s land.”

Zechariah 8:9-19 – Source of Blessing

Read Zechariah 8:9-19

Zechariah’s message reminds the people of God’s love with a tangible example and a promise. The people can see the construction efforts on the new temple as they are returning from exile. We’ve also heard how the remnant returnees experienced poor profit on their crops and other financial stressors. This message says, “those days are over.”

Soon, the people will start to see all the bounty God promises. After years in exile, these words would have been even more precious and comforting. But the people still needed to listen. The keys to success were being spoken through God’s prophets. How would the people respond to how God was moving?