For those who may wish to ‘study’ this chapter, the following simple resources are provided for you. Each passage has a four-Part approach to help you take in and think further about what you have read.

Zech 9:1-8

1 A prophecy:

The word of the Lord is against the land of Hadrak
    and will come to rest on Damascus—
for the eyes of all people and all the tribes of Israel
    are on the Lord—
2 and on Hamath too, which borders on it,
    and on Tyre and Sidon, though they are very skillful.
3 Tyre has built herself a stronghold;
    she has heaped up silver like dust,
    and gold like the dirt of the streets.
4 But the Lord will take away her possessions
    and destroy her power on the sea,
    and she will be consumed by fire.
5 Ashkelon will see it and fear;
    Gaza will writhe in agony,
    and Ekron too, for her hope will wither.
Gaza will lose her king
    and Ashkelon will be deserted.
6 A mongrel people will occupy Ashdod,
    and I will put an end to the pride of the Philistines.
7 I will take the blood from their mouths,
    the forbidden food from between their teeth.
Those who are left will belong to our God
    and become a clan in Judah,
    and Ekron will be like the Jebusites.
8 But I will encamp at my temple
    to guard it against marauding forces.
Never again will an oppressor overrun my people,
    for now I am keeping watch.

A. Find Out

1. What five places are named? v.1,2
2. What had Tyre done? v.3
3. But what will the Lord do to them? v.4
4. What will happen to the Philistines? v.5,6
5. How will the Lord transform them? v.7
6. What will happen in Jerusalem? v.8

B. Think:

1. Why do you think the Lord focuses on these particular places?
2. What is He clearly going to do with them?
3. How might this reassure the returned exiles?

C. Comment:

The passage presents us with a number of places that the Lord is going to deal with, and although there is no reason given for His activities, one cannot but help remember that all of the places mentioned had, at some time or other been in opposition to Israel, a thorn in their side.

First the prophet names a land in the far north, Hadrak (not named elsewhere in scripture), perhaps part of or bordering Syria, whose capital Damascus is mentioned (v.1). As Israel look to the Lord, they see Hs eyes are focused on this area, (v.1c) presumably getting ready to act against it.

But it seems His eyes scan the north, passing over Hamath and settling on Tyre and Sidon on the coast in the north (v.2). Tyre had made herself prosperous (v.3) and thought herself strong (implied) but she will find the Lord will strip her of her riches and trading power (v.4).

Then His eyes turn south to the land of the Philistines, some of whose cities are mentioned (v.5) but she will be taken over and inhabited by ‘a mongrel’ people, a people of mixed origins (v.6). They had been a violent and idolatrous people (v.7a) but after they have been ravaged, those who are left will be more allied or part of Judah (v.7b). When all this happens, the temple in Jerusalem will be secure, guarded by the Lord (v.8).

The thrust of this passage must be that the Lord will come and deal with those neighbors of Israel who had given them so much trouble in the past, with the end product being peace for the returned remnant and security for the temple that was being rebuilt.

D. Application:

1. When God restores His people that includes bringing them security.
2. God will deal with those who oppose His people. Be secure.

Zech 9:9-13

9 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.
10 I will take away the chariots from Ephraim
    and the warhorses from Jerusalem,
    and the battle bow will be broken.
He will proclaim peace to the nations.
    His rule will extend from sea to sea
    and from the River to the ends of the earth.
11 As for you, because of the blood of my covenant with you,
    I will free your prisoners from the waterless pit.
12 Return to your fortress, you prisoners of hope;
    even now I announce that I will restore twice as much to you.
13 I will bend Judah as I bend my bow
    and fill it with Ephraim.
I will rouse your sons, Zion,
    against your sons, Greece,
    and make you like a warrior’s sword.

A. Find Out

1. Who is coming and how, to Jerusalem? v.9
2. What will he bring? v.10a
3. How extensively? v.10b
4. What will the Lord do and why? v.11
5. What can they do, feeling reassured? v.12
6. What will He do for this people? v.13

B. Think:

1. Read Mt 21:5 & Jn 12:15.  Who is this prophecy clearly about?
2. What is his obvious goal?
3. How should this prophecy reassure the people?

C. Comment:

If the words of v.9 appear familiar, it is because they are taken and applied as being fulfilled by Jesus in the Gospels. A king will come but come in complete humility (v.9), not on a war horse, and in his coming he will bring peace, not only to this land but to the whole earth (v.10). Such is the work of the Gospel of the crucified and risen Christ.

For this people in the land, the foundation of their security lay in the covenant established on Mount Sinai (Ex 19:5,6, 24:8) which still stood and is being applied here (v.11), so those who had returned to (the fortress that will again be) Jerusalem with hope (v.12) can be assured that God will bring a double blessing (? a) being restored and b) being recipients of the work of the coming Messiah).

Some have suggested that the invader who would come and purge those lands would be the Greek, Alexander the Great, and in the coming years of Greek dominance in culture and thinking, those things might be seen as a threat to the spiritual culture of Israel, yet the present word is that Israel would defeat those things (v.13). From far on in history we can see that the coming of the Gospel poured through all cultures in lands to take ‘captives’ in the kingdom of God.

From their present vantage point the exiles would not know all this, but yet these words of this chapter again and again must bring them reassurance that they are STILL very much part of God’s plans,  plans for good and their blessing. 

D. Application:

1. God often speaks of the distant future. He is in sovereign control.
2. However chaotic the world, know we are still key parts of His plans.

Zech 9:14-17

14 Then the Lord will appear over them;
    his arrow will flash like lightning.
The Sovereign Lord will sound the trumpet;
    he will march in the storms of the south,
15     and the Lord Almighty will shield them.
They will destroy
    and overcome with slingstones.
They will drink and roar as with wine;
    they will be full like a bowl
    used for sprinkling the corners of the altar.
16 The Lord their God will save his people on that day
    as a shepherd saves his flock.
They will sparkle in his land
    like jewels in a crown.
17 How attractive and beautiful they will be!
    Grain will make the young men thrive,
    and new wine the young women.

A. Find Out

1. How will the Lord appear? v.14
2. What will He do for Israel? v.15
3. What analogy is used of Him? v.16a
4. How will Israel seem? v.16b
5. Again, how will they appear? v.17a
6. What will be their state? v.17b

B. Think:

1. How does v.14 continue on from v.13?
2. What picture is being conveyed of Israel in what is to come?
3. How is that conveyed?

C. Comment:

Previously the Lord had called to the returning remnant to come to Jerusalem in hope (v.12) where He will bless them. Indeed He conveyed that He would turn them into a weapon against Greece (v.13). Now continuing on from that picture He shows that He himself will appear over them as a warrior (fighting for them – implied v.14a), acting as a shield for them (v.15a).

As He continues to expound on how that will be, He focuses on Israel themselves, what they will do with Him being there for them: they will have victory in battle (v.15b) and they will feel drunk with triumph (v.15c).

Then He moves back into summary mode, declaring that He will save them, even as a shepherd would save his sheep from attackers (v.16a) and it will be as if they shine as they live in the land again, sparkling like the jewels in the Lord’s crown (v.16b).

The transformation will be great for now they will appear attractive and beautiful (? To the onlooking world) through what the Lord is doing (implied v.17a) for they will flourish in the land , a restored land of plenty, where the restored youth are blessed (v.17b).

Every part of this prophecy is designed to encourage and reassure the returned remnant so that (implied) the curse of the past is utterly removed and now they will live under the blessing of God, with His protection and His provision. The days ahead will be good!  

D. Application:

1. Our God is a God of redemption and restoration. Rejoice in that.
2. He purposes good for His children (see Rom 8:28). Hallelujah!