Humble King, Fierce Warrior

The Prophet Zechariah

Rejoice greatly, O daughter of Zion! Shout aloud. O daughter of Jerusalem! Behold, your king is coming to you; righteous and having salvation is he, humble and mounted on a donkey, on a colt, the foal of a donkey. _{Zechariah 9:9}

The promise of a Saviour was Israel’s future hope, although I am sure that the prophecies often left them a bit bewildered. Why would a great King be riding a donkey? Kings rode mighty horses, so it just didn’t equate. They were used to having leaders who were full of bluster and often arrogant, and yet their coming King would be filled with humility. I think it must have been hard for some of them to comprehend this description of greatness and among their many questions, they may have asked, ‘Will he fight for us?’

The answer is, ‘of course He will fight for you’. That has been the message through every prophet – the Lord fights for his own. He also equips his own for the battle:

Return to your stronghold, O prisoners of hope; today I declare that I will restore to you double. For I have bent Judah as my bow; I have made Ephraim its arrow. _{Zechariah 9:12-13}

Every child of God is a warrior and we go out every day in the strength of the Lord and the power of the Spirit. Until the King returns, the fight rages on and we need to clothe ourselves every day in the armour of Ephesians 6 so that we are able to stand against the schemes of the devil. The sword that we carry is the word of God, which should be by our side at all times. Better still, it should be stored in our hearts. The bible is our best defense and greatest strength in any given situation. When we stand firm in Him, he protects us on every side.

Then the LORD will appear over them, and his arrow will go forth like lightening; the Lord of hosts will protect them. The Lord their God will save them, as the flock of his people; for like the jewels of a crown they shall shine on his land. _{Zechariah 9:14-16}

The King is coming again and we wait eagerly for him. Until that day, we are beacons of hope, shining across this land. So stand strong and fight the good fight, for the battle belongs to the Lord.