A Messianic King

Zechariah 9-10

March 9, 2003

 

Biblical prophecy serves to keep God's people focused in faith upon Him even in dark days. The forward look of these prophetic words, often filled with poetry, metaphors, imagery, and symbols, were offered to a particular people so that they might trust the Lord in present and future.  The poetic language often perplexes us when we try to read it as a narrative.  It is not narrative at all, but brilliant poetry to deliver truth that will anchor troubled hearts. 

 

This particular poetic prophecy has the central messianic motif but it also explains the events that would unfold prior to the Messiah's coming.  We must remember that this was the 5th century BC.  Much world history awaited unveiling.  The details given show remarkable accuracy.   

 

I. The Stage is Set   vv. 1-8

 

Introduces the conquest of Alexander the Great who was making his way to India as a conquering lord. 

 

1. Conquered lands

 

Syria v. 4

Phoenicia vv. 2-4

 

Tyre had been impregnable - Assyrians besieged it  for 5yrs and the Babylonians for 13 yrs, but to no avail; Island fortress, 150 ft high walls with 25' of earth filling it.  They considered themselves insolated from attack.  But Alexander conquered it in 7 months.  He built what was called a "mole," a causeway of earth (still standing) stretching � mile in the sea to the island.  Then he threw down its walls and threw them into the sea.  "...Tyre was literally scraped flat, thus fulfilling the prophecy of Ezekiel, who had said: 'They will break down your walls and demolish your fine houses and throw your stones, timber and rubble into the sea...I will make you a bare rock, and you will become a place to spread fishnets.  You will never be rebuilt' (Ezekiel 26:12, 14).  Tyre has not been rebuilt to this day, and the causeway of Alexander remains, a monument to the truth of prophecy and the folly of human pride" (Boice 193).

 

Philistia vv. 5-7

 

Uh oh!  This spelled bad news for the lands of the Philistines south of Tyre.  Note the reference to their practice of eating raw or semi-raw sacrificial meat and drinking blood is eliminated.  Yet in God's kindness, He would leave a remnant for Himself (v. 7; Acts 8:40, 9:32-43).   

 

2. Jerusalem spared  v. 8

 

Quote J. M. Boice pp. 193-194, explanation of dreams.

"The remarkable thing about the first section of this rehearsal of judgment against the gentile world powers is that it accurately foretells the conquest of the eastern Mediterranean coastlands by Greek armies under the command of Alexander the Great.  Alexander, the young commander of the Macedonian forces, crossed the Hellespont into Turkey shortly after the death of his father Philip in 336 BC.  He defeated the armies of the frontier governors of King Darius at Granicus and later overwhelmed the armies of Darius himself at the decisive battle of Issus in 333 BC.  After that he marched south against Damascus, Tyre, and Sidon, and the cities of Philistia, precisely as Zechariah foretells in 9:1-8" (Boice 193).  


II. Messiah Comes  v. 9

 

1. Cause for rejoicing

 

Consider the scene of context.

 

2. The Messiah described

 

(1) Just

Reference to the righteousness characterizing His rule.  It is only by just rule that people know true peace.

 

(2) Dispenses salvation

"endowed" points to His ownership with the right to save whom He will; "He can grant salvation to an undeserving people because he is just.  He places himself under the law and takes upon himself the sin of man and its penalty" (Michael Bentley 173).

 

(3) Humility

In contrast to Nebuchadnezzar and Alexander, He is humble.  His humility visualized in the scene of the triumphal entry.  What other king in history answers the description of this verse? 

 

(4) Conquers  v. 10

Thus bringing peace where there had only been war and extending the borders of His kingdom from sea to sea.  Global reign of Christ pictured - 6:12-15, 8:20-23.

 

III. Back to Israel's Immediate Future  vv. 11-13

 

Prophecy deals with the Maccabean rule.  Alexander died and his kingdom divided into three parts: Greece with a variety of rulers, Easter lands including Judah with the Seleucid rulers, and Egypt with the Ptolemy rulers.

 

The Seleucids were ruthless, climaxed by the reign of Antiochus Epiphanies (175-163 BC).  He abolished sacrifices, abolished Sabbath, destroyed Torah scrolls, forbade circumcision, erected pagan altars, proclaimed Zeus as god to be worshiped in temple (December 167), offered swine's flesh on altar - the abomination of desolation (Daniel 11:31. 12:11).

 

Verse 13, Judah, though vastly outnumbered, struck back through Mattathias, who in Modein in the hill country, killed both a Syrian officer and a Jew involved in offering sacrifice to false gods.  Revolt began!  His five sons joined him with Judas Maccabees (the Hammer) being the leader at Mattathias' death.  The revolt succeeded, lasting as a dynasty for another century until ended by Pompey in 63 AD. 

 

IV. Shepherd Prophecy   9:14-10:12

 

1. The shepherd as Savior   9:14-17

 

Verse 16 points to a greater deliverance, apparently taking a prophetic leap to that time of Christ's second coming.  Biblical prophecy is not covered with tight chronology as a historical record, rather it focuses upon key events and their effects in God's kingdoms and His people.  Ultimately, this prophecy is for the whole church.

 

2. The shepherd as provider   10:1-2

 

This passage gives contrast:  The diviners are liars that leave the sheep wandering; the shepherd gives richly, not so that His flocks will have lives of ease, but so they'll be enabled in their labors to know divine provision. 

 

3. The shepherd as leader   10:3-5

 

(1)   Purifies false leaders  v. 3

 

(2)   Identifies His heritage in Judah

 

       a. Cornerstone (Isaiah 28:16; Psalm 118:22-23; Acts 4:11, I Peter 2: 4-5; Ephesians 2: 19-22)

       b. Tent peg - two uses showing two images:

              i. Holds the people together

             ii. One upon whom all the value hangs

         c. Bow of battle - conqueror, Revelation 19:11-16

 

4. The shepherd as gatherer  10: 6-12

 

The remnant will be multiplied so that the people of God, though very few at that time, will enlarge to innumerable proportions.  The imagery depicts scenes of wondrous enlargement of the church - Jew and Gentile alike. 

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