Zechariah 9 Devotional

A King Without a Warhorse

“And I will cut off the chariot from Ephraim and the horse from Jerusalem, and the bow of war will be broken. Then He will proclaim peace to the nations. His dominion will extend from sea to sea, and from the Euphrates to the ends of the earth.”Zechariah 9:10 (BSB)

Zechariah 9 begins with judgment on the cities around Israel. Tyre has heaped up silver like dust, yet the Lord will throw her wealth into the sea (9:3-4). Even here there is mercy, because some of the Philistines will be cleansed and become like a clan in Judah (9:7).

Then Zion is told to shout for joy, because her king is coming. He is righteous and victorious, yet he comes humble, riding on a young donkey (9:9). He removes the chariot and the war horse, breaks the battle bow, and announces peace to the nations, with a rule stretching to the ends of the earth (9:10). Matthew says this promise was fulfilled when Jesus rode into Jerusalem on a donkey (Matthew 21:4-5). The King who has every right to come in force comes in gentleness instead. Because this King comes humbly, his rule is good news for the weak rather than a threat.

To think about: How does the gentleness of Jesus as King change the way you approach him with your weakness today?