Friday, November 11, 2022  

Today’s Scripture Reading  |  Zechariah 9:9–16

Rejoice greatly, O daughter Zion! Shout aloud, O daughter Jerusalem! Lo, your king comes to you; triumphant and victorious is he, humble and riding on a donkey, on a colt, the foal of a donkey. He will cut off the chariot from Ephraim and the war horse from Jerusalem; and the battle bow shall be cut off, and he shall command peace to the nations; his dominion shall be from sea to sea, and from the River to the ends of the earth. As for you also, because of the blood of my covenant with you, I will set your prisoners free from the waterless pit.

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. I will arouse your sons, O Zion, against your sons, O Greece, and wield you like a warrior’s sword. Then the Lord will appear over them, and his arrow go forth like lightning; the Lord God will sound the trumpet and march forth in the whirlwinds of the south. The Lord of hosts will protect them, and they shall devour and tread down the slingers; they shall drink their blood like wine, and be full like a bowl, drenched like the corners of the altar. On that day the Lord their God will save them for they are the flock of his people; for like the jewels of a crown they shall shine on his land. (NRSV)

Reflection

Growing up on Chicago’s West Side, I was gifted with parents who kept their promises. If my father said he would do something, he did it. For example, he always remembered my birthday with a card until his last illness and subsequent death. On the other hand, my mother didn’t give me birthday cards. She remembered me differently. Her powerful promise of love was fulfilled by always being home when I returned from school. Her welcoming presence was a haven of comfort, safety, and peace. Zechariah was a priest, prophet, and likely the author of the book of Zechariah. The name Zechariah, in Hebrew, means “the Lord remembers.”

Zechariah’s prophecy, God’s remembrance, and promises to the people of Israel are revealed in Zechariah (9:9-16). In the Old Testament, Zechariah, the oracle of hope, prophesied of the coming of Jesus, which occurred more than 500 years later in the New Testament.

“Rejoice greatly, Daughter Zion!
Shout, Daughter Jerusalem!
See, your king comes to you,
righteous and victorious,
lowly and riding on a donkey,
on a colt, the foal of a donkey.”
(NIV)

With the arrival of Jesus into Jerusalem on a lowly donkey, symbolizing peace, that prophecy was fulfilled. In his lifetime on earth, Jesus reflected the vision of God. We must never forget the call of God on our lives to be light in the world and rays of hope by thought, word, and deed through our individual and collective actions. Thereby we receive the blessings of the fulfillment of God’s promises in our daily lives.

Prayer

Dear God, may we be your ambassadors of love in the world, shining “like jewels, in a crown.” Amen.

Written by Mary F. Lenox, Deacon, Fourth Presbyterian Church

Reflection and prayer © Fourth Presbyterian Church

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