Zechariah 9
COMMENTARY:
: 7 And I take away his blood out of his mouth, and his abominations from between his teeth: but he that remains, even he, shall be for our God, and he shall be as a governor in Judah, and Ekron as a Jebusite. (3249 “I will take away” [yacuwr] means to change direction, to remove something concrete, to cause to depart, or to withdraw from calamity.)
DEVOTION: Is it possible for enemies to become friends? Is it possible that those who worship false gods can worship the ONE TRUE GOD? Does God even forgive those nations that once hurt HIS people?
The answer to all the questions is yes. With God all things are possible. We have a group of people called Philistines that constantly fought against Israel. They were their natural enemies during the times of the judges.
They were not supposed to exist because the LORD had commanded the Israelites when they entered the Promised Land to kill all the people that were there. They disobeyed God by sparing them and just requiring them to pay them tribute money or payment to let them live.
Now we go to the end times and these enemies are going to worship the LORD. It even says that they will be like another clan of Israel. They will join Judah in the worship of the LORD.
Our responsibility today is to love our enemies. Part of loving our enemies is showing the Christ through our actions and words. Our goal is to see that they become followers of the LORD.
CHALLENGE: The LORD is being proactive at this time to help HIS people. This was true then and it is true today. HE is working daily in our lives.
: 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. (4428 “King” [melek] means royal, a title for the one true God, or male royal ruler.)
DEVOTION: Israel has a coming KING. He is going to come riding on a donkey. HE is going to rule with peace. HIS dominion is from sea to sea or the whole world. HE is going to set the prisoner free. There is going to be the sound of a trumpet. HE going to be noted for HIS goodness. HE is going to be noted for HIS beauty. People are going to be happy.
This took place when Jesus entered Jerusalem before the Passover. It is called HIS triumphant entry. The people thought HE was coming as their KING right then. HE was no coming this time for that purpose. HIS purpose was to shed HIS blood for the remission of the sins of the world. Only those who make a commitment to HIM will be covered with HIS blood.
At HIS second coming HE will come to rule and reign with HIS people. Only then will there be peace. Only then will the world be turned right side up.
We have a king! The children of Israel are promised a future king that would be just and bring salvation. This verse tells them to rejoice and shout before their coming King. They did it on Palm Sunday for Christ. They will do it again when HE comes again to reign over all the earth. HE will establish peace in the whole world.
We need to remember that we have something to shout about. We have someone to rejoice over. Sometimes we look like we have sucked on sour lemons. We are the only ones who have HOPE in this world. We need to share that hope with others. Remember that after Palm Sunday comes Resurrection Sunday. The tomb is empty. Our LORD is in heaven until the day the Father has appointed for HIS return. Are we looking for our King to sound the trumpet? We should be!!!
CHALLENGE: Live as if the LORD is coming in another hundred years but look for it to happen tonight! Never doubt that HE is coming again.
: 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 to the heathen: and HIS dominion shall be from sea even to sea, and from the river even to the ends of the earth. (657 “to the ends” [’ephec] means extremity, nothingness, or non-existence.)
DEVOTION: When the LORD returns for the second time HE is going to set up HIS kingdom. HE is going to speak peace to the nations of those who have turned their life over to HIM. There is going to be a change of heart by the nations. During the Tribulation there are going to be people from every tribe following the LORD because of the witness of the 144,000 Jewish virgins who are sealed with the Holy Spirit.
Now HIS reign is described as going from sea to sea. It is going to go to the ends of the earth. We don’t know exactly what is going to happen to the earth when it is changed during the Millennium. The book of Isaiah gives us many passages that try to explain what happens to the earth and the animal kingdom. It is hard to imagine right now but the Bible says animals will not be enemies anymore to each other or to humans during this time period.
Today we have war between humans and animals because of the sin of Adam and Eve but then things will be different. Look forward to this day when the LORD will return to set up this type of kingdom.
CHALLENGE: The LORD continues to inform us that HE is in full control of what is happening in our world. HE is not sitting idly by. What are we doing to help others?
: 17 For how great is his goodness, and how great is his beauty! corn shall make the young men cheerful, and new wine the maids. (2898 “goodness” [tuwb] means kindness, beauty, well-being, success, beneficial qualities, desirability or fairness.)
DEVOTION: The LORD promises to provide our every need according to HIS riches in glory. When Christ returns to set up HIS kingdom on earth we find that HE is going to supply abundance to the people.
Too often we ask the LORD for things we don’t need and wonder why HE doesn’t give them to us. HE knows what we need when we need it. HE loves HIS children. HE wants to provide for them. HE also wants obedience from HIS children.
Throughout the history of Israel HE has manifested HIS desire to provide for them. They have always taken what HE has given them and worshiped false gods. They don’t seem to learn from their past sins.
The Bible records all that has happened since the LORD called HIS people Israel. We are commanded to learn from their example. We are to learn what is desirable in the LORD’S eyes. We are to understand HIS desire to provide for us but also HIS desire to watch us grow.
During the Millennium the time for growth is over and it is just a time of blessing and service to HIM.
CHALLENGE: Continually understand HIS message of hope to HIS people in all generations. Our character should manifest this hope before others.
DISCIPLINES OF THE FAITH:
BODY
Chastity (Purity in living)
Fasting (Time alone with LORD without eating or drinking)
Sacrifice (Giving up something we want to serve the LORD)
Submission (Willing to listen to others and LORD)
Solitude (Going to a quiet place without anyone)
SOUL
Fellowship (Gathering together around the Word of God)
Frugality (wise use of resources)
Journalizing (Writing down what you have learned from the LORD)
Study and Meditation (Thinking through your study in the Word)
Secrecy (Doing your good deeds without others knowing but God)
SPIRIT
Celebration (Gathering around a special occasion to worship LORD)
Confession (Tell the LORD we are sorry for our sins on a daily basis)
Prayer (Conversation with God on a personal level)
Silence (Letting the LORD deal with some problems and needs)
Worship (Time to praise the LORD alone or in a group)
DOCTRINES OF THE FAITH:
Scripture (66 inerrant books of the Bible)
Word of the LORDverse 1
Covenantverse 11
God the Father (First person of the Godhead)
LORD – Jehovah (Covenant keeping, Personal)verses 1, 14-16
Word of the LORDverse 1
Lord – Adonai (Master, Owner)verses 4, 14
GOD – Jehovahverse 14
Lord GODverse 14
Blow a trumpetverse 14
LORD of hostsverse 15
LORD their Godverse 16
Goodness verse 17
Beautyverse 17
God the Son (Second person of the Godhead – God/man, Messiah)
King is comingverse 9
Justverse 9
Having salvationverse 9
Lowly and riding on donkeyverse 9
Speak peaceverse 10
Dominion – world earthverse 10
Blood of the covenantverse 11
God the Holy Spirit (Third person of the Godhead – our comforter)
Trinity (Three persons of the Godhead who are co-equal = ONE God)
God – Elohim (Creator, Sovereign, Plural name)verses 7, 16
Angels (Created before the foundation of the world – Good and Evil)
Man (Created on the sixth twenty-four hour period of creation)
Land of Hadrachverse 1
Damascusverse 1
Hamathverse 2
Tyrusverses 2, 3
Zidonverse 2
Ashkelonverse 5
Gazaverse 5
Ekronverses 5, 7
Ashdodverse 6
Philistinesverse 6
Jebusiteverse 7
Heathenverse 10
Greeceverse 13
Sin (Missing the mark set by God on man and angels)
Prideverse 6
Eat bloodverse 7
Abominationverse 7
Heathenverse 10
Salvation (Provided by Christ’s death on the cross for our sins)
Eyes toward the LORDverse 1
Rejoiceverse 9
Shoutverse 9
Salvationverses 9, 16
Peaceverse 10
Covenantverse 11
Prisoners of hopeverses 11, 12
Stones of a crownverse 16
Cheerfulverse 17
Israel (Old Testament people of God)
All the tribes of Israelverse 1
Judahverses 7, 13
Daughter of Zionverses 9, 13
Daughter of Jerusalemverse 9
Ephraimverses 10, 13
Jerusalemverse 10
HIS peopleverse 16
Stones of a crownverse 16
Church (New Testament people of God)
Last Things (Future Events)
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