Zechariah 9:9-10 Rejoice greatly, O daughter of Zion; shout, O daughter of Jerusalem: behold, your King comes to you: he is just… I. ROYAL DIGNITY. "Thy king cometh unto thee." The designation is emphatic. "Thy king," as if they had never had another. That royalty was to pertain to the coming Messiah might be shown from many predictions. He was to "sit" on the throne of David forever. His being a king was anything but an objection to the Jews. But the kind of royalty was not at all to their minds. His kingdom was not to be "of this world." Its throne was not to be in this world. He was born of royal lineage — born a King; though, strictly speaking, His mediatorial reign did not commence till, having finished His work on earth, the Father said to Him, "Sit Thou at My right hand, until I make Thy foes Thy footstool." II. THE RIGHTEOUSNESS OF HIS CHARACTER AND ADMINISTRATION. "He is just." The designation is to be understood as at once personal and official: for, indeed, were there not the former, there could be little reason to count upon the latter. This attribute is frequently ascribed to Him, as characterising Himself and His government. Jehovah calls Him "My righteous servant." His throne is founded in the very charter of righteous ness. And His whole administration is conducted on the principles of the purest and most unbending righteousness. III. HIS SAVING GRACE AND POWER. "Having salvation." Salvation was the very object of His coming. "The Son of Man is come to save that which was lost." The very design of His atonement was to render salvation consistent with the claims of righteousness: so that Jehovah might be "a just God and a Saviour." When He had completed His work, He was to "have salvation," not only as being Himself delivered from death, but as possessing for bestowal on mankind all the blessings of "salvation" — beginning in pardon and ending in" life eternal." IV. THE HUMILITY AND MEEKNESS OF HIS CHARACTER. "Lowly, and riding upon an ass, and upon a colt the foal of an ass." This attribute of character distinguished His entire course; all His intercourse with men — with His friends, and with His enemies. Even His triumphs were lowly — "riding upon an ass"; and not one that had been trained for the use of royalty, but, as would appear, a rough unbroken colt. Although the ass was not the very mean and despised animal there that it is with us, yet comparatively it was so. The horse was the animal used in war; and consequently, in the triumphal processions of kings and conquerors; and on such occasions, arrayed in costly and elegant caparisons. V. THE MODE AND MEANS OF THE EXTENSION OF THE KINGDOM CORRESPOND WITH ITS SPIRITUAL NATURE. "I will cut off," etc. This, at the coming of the Messiah, was literally true respecting the civil and military power of the Jewish people. At the very time when they were looking for a Messiah who was to break the yoke from off their neck, establish their temporal freedom and power, and lead them on to universal conquest, their power was finally overthrown and destroyed, their temple and city laid in ashes, and them selves scattered abroad among all nations. Yet the kingdom of the Messiah grew and prospered. This itself showed its true nature. It was not, as the Jews anticipated, to be a Jewish kingdom. It was to have subjects among all peoples. And these subjects were not to be gained for Him with the sword of steel, but by the "Sword of the Spirit," which is the Word of God. His kingdom consisted of all, wherever His truth spread, whom that truth made free — spiritually free. All thus made free come under willing and happy subjection to His gracious sceptre. Force never made one subject of the King of Zion. VI. ANOTHER CHARACTERISTIC OF HIS REIGN — "PEACE." "And He shall speak peace to the heathen." This is a feature of His reign frequently celebrated. By His gospel He speaks peace to sinners of mankind. There is no exception. VII. THE EXTENT OF HIS REIGN. The language employed here was universally understood by the Jews as embracing the whole world. In due time, "the kingdom, of this world shall become the kingdom of our God and of His Christ." (Ralph Wardlaw, D. D.) Parallel Verses KJV: Rejoice greatly, O daughter of Zion; shout, O daughter of Jerusalem: behold, thy King cometh unto thee: he is just, and having salvation; lowly, and riding upon an ass, and upon a colt the foal of an ass. |
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