Your King Series

Intro

Our previous study concluded in Zechariah 9:8 with God supernaturally protecting Jerusalem

from a brutal attack by Alexander the Great. Now in verse 9 Zechariah declares the coming of

Messiah and the manner in which he will come. His manner contrasts dramatically with that of

Alexander. Like all worldly kings, Alexander acted in brutal self-interest, enlarging his domain

by unmerciful force. But your king, Israel’s king and our king, is of a different nature altogether.

The prophecy in Zechariah 9:9 reads, “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, A colt, the foal of a donkey.”i

Zechariah does not identify exactly when this will happen. But the promise is this: “your King is

coming to you.”

I. PROMISE OF YOUR KING’S COMING

That assurance is cause for rejoicing. The text does not say “a” king or even “the” king, for the

application is very personal. The King that Israel has longed for ever since God promised him to

David—he is coming! Zechariah and his companions immediately identified Messiah as that

promised King. God’s promise to David is recorded in Psalm 132:11. “The Lord has sworn in

truth to David; He will not turn from it: ‘I will set upon your throne the fruit of your body.’”

And the rule of this Messianic Son will be forever. In 2 Samuel 7:16 God told David, “And your

house and your kingdom shall be established forever before you. Your throne shall be

established forever.” It will happen through this promised Messiah.

This promise was verified by the prophets even when the nation had failed God. Isaiah 11:1-2

declares, “There shall come forth a Rod from the stem of Jesse, And a Branch shall grow out of

his roots. 2 The Spirit of the Lord shall rest upon Him, The Spirit of wisdom and understanding,

The Spirit of counsel and might, The Spirit of knowledge and of the fear of the Lord.” Verse 5

says, “Righteousness shall be the belt of His loins, And faithfulness the belt of His waist.” And

you will recall the confirmation of this by Zechariah in in chapter 6 verse 12, “Behold, the Man

whose name is the BRANCH! From His place He shall branch out, And He shall build the temple

of the Lord; 13 Yes, He shall build the temple of the Lord. He shall bear the glory, And shall sit

and rule on His throne; So He shall be a priest on His throne, And the counsel of peace shall be

between them both.’”ii This coming King will lead as both King of Kings and High Priest for his

people.

At the time Zechariah 6:12 was given, Zerubbabel, a descendant of David, was functioning as

governor of the region. He was not recognized as a king, but at least he was there representing

the Davidic dynasty. However, by the time we get to Zechariah 9, Zerubbabel has passed from

the scene.iii There is no record of the Davidic linage ruling then or afterwards.iv As we saw in verse 8, leadership was provided by the high priest.

It was in that context that this beautiful promise was declared: “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, A colt, the foal of a donkey.” While the promise came to Israel through Zechariah, it is very personal for you and me as well. For this king is my king and your king. His presence and favor are central to all our hopes, just as it was for Zechariah and his companions. “Your King is coming to you.” Isn’t that a beautiful thought?

The Hebrew word (lakah) translated “to you” is a dative of advantage. It’s not just that he is coming, but his coming is for your benefit and wellbeing.v Therefore, “Rejoice greatly.”

This call to rejoice is given in poetic form. “O daughter of Zion!” and “O daughter of Jerusalem!” are parallel terms addressing God’s people.vi The call to “Rejoice” and the call to “Shout” are parallel imperatives. Both terms refer to loud exuberance. Did you know it’s okay to get emotional about God? It’s okay to get loud when it comes from a sincere response to the Lord. Pentecostals are sometimes criticized for their emotional expressions of joy and praise to the Lord. But here we’re told to do exactly that. The Hebrew word (gili), translated rejoice, indicates an action of spinning round and round.vii The Hebrew word (hari’i) is translated shout because it’s root figuratively meant “to split the ears [with sound].”viii You might sum up these imperatives with the call to twist and shout with joy. The promise being presented here should arouse excitement.