Zechariah 9:9-17: The King’s Day

What does it mean to live far away from home? Of course you know where home is but you cannot go back. In fact someone else lives there now. This is what the exile was for Israel. They knew where home was but their enemies lived there. However the story does not end there. God brought his people back to their land. They had been restored! But as good as the homecoming was the return from exile in Babylon pointed to a greater restoration that Israel would never imagine.

The prophet Zechariah pointed to a greater and final day where the king comes to rule and to bring peace to the nations, not just to Israel (v. 10). On that day all of God’s enemies are destroyed (v. 14-15); and the Lord will save his people who sparkle as jewels (v. 16). On that day God will restore twice as much (v. 12) because he has compassion on his people (10:6).

That day came when Christ was born and when shepherds, angels (Luke 2:8-20) and Magi (Matthew 2:1-12) visited him. But the full inauguration has not taken place. That day of fullness is still coming, when God will dwell with us and wipe every tear from our eyes. When we will no longer live in exile as strangers and foreigners but finally home. There will be no more death or mourning or crying or pain, for the old order of things will pass away (Revelation 21:3-4). It will be a good and awesome day. For us Christmas touches on that day and we can have hope for today because we know that that day is coming. So let us be truly merry and as the Magi truly worship our king (Matthew 2:2, 11).

Posted By Aaron Miner