ZECHARIAH LESSON 9

     We will begin this lesson in Zechariah 9:1 "The burden of the
word of the LORD in the land of Hadrach, and Damascus [shall be] the
rest thereof: when the eyes of man, as of all the tribes of Israel,
[shall be] toward the LORD."

     There is no other mention, in the Bible of Hadrach, but Assyrian
inscriptions tell us there was just such a city near Damascus. This is
speaking of the wrath of God coming on  Hadrach and Damascus. It seems
at the time it comes, the believing world have their eyes on the LORD.

     Zechariah 9:2 "And Hamath also shall border thereby; Tyrus, and
Zidon, though it be very wise."

     This Hamath was very near Damascus. It would be punished along
with Damascus and Hadrach. Tyre was under siege 7 months by Alexander
the Great. It really never was rebuilt. There were tens of thousands
killed in the siege, and the women and children were carried into
slavery. Zidon was destroyed, too. They were known as being very wise.

     Zechariah 9:3 "And Tyrus did build herself a strong hold, and
heaped up silver as the dust, and fine gold as the mire of the
streets."

     Tyre was extended out into the water from the mainland. They
built a land bridge to the mainland and it grew to be a half mile in
width, by debris and sand sticking to it. They had built a
fortification wall 150 feet high. All of this did not save them. They
were eventually taken. They had been very wealthy from their trade,
and they even hired soldiers to fight for them.

     Zechariah 9:4 "Behold, the Lord will cast her out, and he will
smite her power in the sea; and she shall be devoured with fire."

     There is no fortification strong enough, when the judgement of
God is upon you. She had a vast fleet that were trade vessels. These
are destroyed, as well as the city being destroyed. Alexander burned
the city to the ground. She would never be the great city of trade
again. We dealt more fully with this in the book of Ezekiel.

     Zechariah 9:5 "Ashkelon shall see [it], and fear; Gaza also
[shall see it], and be very sorrowful, and Ekron; for her expectation
shall be ashamed; and the king shall perish from Gaza, and Ashkelon
shall not be inhabited."

     Tyre was such a great city, it was hard for the neighboring
people to believe it had been destroyed. The fact that so great a city
could not withstand the forces against it, struck fear in the hearts
of the neighbors. They knew they were not anything like as strong as
Tyre. They knew they would be totally destroyed, and they were.
Alexander did not leave one of the natives to serve as king under him
in this region.  They were destroyed along with their people. In fact,
one of the governors, Batis, was drug to death behind a chariot.

     Zechariah 9:6 "And a bastard shall dwell in Ashdod, and I will
cut off the pride of the Philistines."

     A "bastard" is a person who is a product of sex outside marriage.
Sometimes in the Scriptures, it can mean a stranger. In the particular
use above, it possibly means a race of people with no morals. The
Philistines were always against Israel. They were a people who were
very proud, but God removed that pride.

     Zechariah 9:7 "And I will take away his blood out of his mouth,
and his abominations from between his teeth: but he that remaineth,
even he, [shall be] for our God, and he shall be as a governor in
Judah, and Ekron as a Jebusite."

     They drank blood as part of their heathen worship. The
"abominations between his teeth" means that they had been eating
things sacrificed to false gods. This speaks of a time, when they will
leave this idolatrous lifestyle, and will seek God. Those who do not
die in battle, turn to God. They join in with the Israelites, instead
of being at odds with them. A governor, in those days, was a ruler
over a small group, perhaps, around a thousand. The Jebusites had been
the possessors of Zion. Actually, they will become part of Judah, and
they will accept the God of Judah. When the apostles went into this
area to bring the message of Jesus, many were converted to
Christianity.

     Zechariah 9:8 "And I will encamp about mine house because of the
army, because of him that passeth by, and because of him that
returneth: and no oppressor shall pass through them any more: for now
have I seen with mine eyes."

     Psalms 34:7 "The angel of the LORD encampeth round about them
that fear him, and delivereth them." Psalms 46:1 "God [is] our refuge
and strength, a very present help in trouble."  Isaiah 4:5 "And the
LORD will create upon every dwelling place of mount Zion, and upon her
assemblies, a cloud and smoke by day, and the shining of a flaming
fire by night: for upon all the glory [shall be] a defence."  God will
protect those who are living for Him. It matters not, if the army
comes through. God is our protection. Psalms 91:7 "A thousand shall
fall at thy side, and ten thousand at thy right hand; [but] it shall
not come nigh thee."

     Zechariah 9:9  "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."

     This is speaking of the triumphant entry of Jesus into Jerusalem
on Palm Sunday. At this time, Jesus did not come as conquering King,
but as King of Peace. This is their Messiah. Not only should the
natural Jew shout at this, but the coming church as well. The fact He
was riding on a donkey, spoke of His humbleness. The fact the donkey
was a colt which had never been sat upon, spoke of His holiness. He
was, and is, King of the Jews, as well as Saviour of the lost. His
name, Jesus, means Saviour.

     Zechariah 9:10 "And I will cut off the chariot from Ephraim, and
the horse from Jerusalem, and the battle bow shall be cut off: and he
shall speak peace unto the heathen: and his dominion [shall be] from
sea [even] to sea, and from the river [even] to the ends of the
earth."

     "Cutting off of the chariot" speaks of no more war. Ephraim, in
this particular instance, speaks of the ten tribes of Israel. Jesus is
not just King of the Jews but of the entire world. Romans 15:12 "And
again, Esaias saith, There shall be a root of Jesse, and he that shall
rise to reign over the Gentiles; in him shall the Gentiles trust."
Ephesians 2:13 "But now in Christ Jesus ye who sometimes were far off
are made nigh by the blood of Christ." Ephesians 2:14 "For he is our
peace, who hath made both one, and hath broken down the middle wall of
partition [between us];"  Ephesians 2:15 "Having abolished in his
flesh the enmity, [even] the law of commandments [contained] in
ordinances; for to make in himself of twain one new man, [so] making
peace;"

     Zechariah 9:11 "As for thee also, by the blood of thy covenant I
have sent forth thy prisoners out of the pit wherein [is] no water."

     This is spoken to the natural house of Israel, and is speaking of
a blessing in addition to the promise of Messiah. In the 24th chapter
of Isaiah, their captivity was spoken of as a pit. This, probably, has
to do with them being freed from captivity. It, also, speaks of a time
when they are gathered home to Israel. They have the seal of the
everlasting covenant, sealed with the blood of Jesus.

     Zechariah 9:12  "Turn you to the strong hold, ye prisoners of
hope: even to day do I declare [that] I will render double unto thee;"

     This is very much like what happened to Job. After his great
trial was over, God poured out a blessing that was twice what he had
before the trial. Job 42:10 "And the LORD turned the captivity of Job,
when he prayed for his friends: also the LORD gave Job twice as much
as he had before."  This is saying their blessings from God will be a
double portion, as Job's were.

     Zechariah 9:13 "When I have bent Judah for me, filled the bow
with Ephraim, and raised up thy sons, O Zion, against thy sons, O
Greece, and made thee as the sword of a mighty man."

     This is showing that Jesus Christ is victorious over Satan, sin,
and death. The world is defeated by the King of Peace, Jesus Christ.
They are a powerful nation, because they have God on their side.
Psalms 18:32 "[It is] God that girdeth me with strength, and maketh my
way perfect."  Psalms 18:35 "Thou hast also given me the shield of thy
salvation: and thy right hand hath holden me up, and thy gentleness
hath made me great."
     Zechariah 9:14 "And the LORD shall be seen over them, and his
arrow shall go forth as the lightning: and the Lord GOD shall blow the
trumpet, and shall go with whirlwinds of the south."

     "The LORD being seen over them" is His presence that is with
them. The "lightning that goes forth" speaks of God's swift judgement.
The trumpet is blown of the Lord to gather His people. Matthew 24:27
"For as the lightning cometh out of the east, and shineth even unto
the west; so shall also the coming of the Son of man be." I
Thessalonians 4:16 "For the Lord himself shall descend from heaven
with a shout, with the voice of the archangel, and with the trump of
God: and the dead in Christ shall rise first:"  The "whirlwinds of the
south" is speaking of the wrath of God coming against those who have
refused His salvation.

     Zechariah 9:15 "The LORD of hosts shall defend them; and they
shall devour, and subdue with sling stones; and they shall drink,
[and] make a noise as through wine; and they shall be filled like
bowls, [and] as the corners of the altar."

     God's people will be protected by the LORD. The sling stones seem
to be the helpless weapons of the enemy. They will be like drunk men.
This is almost as if they are a sacrifice to God.

     Zechariah 9:16 "And the LORD their God shall save them in that
day as the flock of his people: for they [shall be as] the stones of a
crown, lifted up as an ensign upon his land."

     The believers in Christ are spoken of as His sheep. Luke 12:32
"Fear not, little flock; for it is your Father's good pleasure to give
you the kingdom."  John 17:2 "As thou hast given him power over all
flesh, that he should give eternal life to as many as thou hast given
him." The stones on the garment of the high priest represented that
the high priest had them on his heart. Malachi 3:17 "And they shall be
mine, saith the LORD of hosts, in that day when I make up my jewels;
and I will spare them, as a man spareth his own son that serveth him."
Christians are like a flag {ensign} for Christ.  We represent Him here
on the earth.

     Zechariah 9:17 "For how great [is] his goodness, and how great
[is] his beauty! corn shall make the young men cheerful, and new wine
the maids."

     Psalms 31:19 "[Oh] how great [is] thy goodness, which thou hast
laid up for them that fear thee; [which] thou hast wrought for them
that trust in thee before the sons of men!" Romans 2:4 "Or despisest
thou the riches of his goodness and forbearance and longsuffering; not
knowing that the goodness of God leadeth thee to repentance?" Psalms
96:9 "O worship the LORD in the beauty of holiness: fear before him,
all the earth."  "Corn and wine" symbolize plenty. The new Wine can,
also, symbolize the Holy Spirit. Joel 2:28  "And it shall come to pass
afterward, [that] I will pour out my spirit upon all flesh; and your
sons and your daughters shall prophesy, your old men shall dream
dreams, your young men shall see visions:" Jesus reconciled Man to
God.
                       Zechariah 9 Questions


1.  Where was Hadrach located?
2.  What happens to them and Damascus?
3.  At this time, the believing world have their eyes on __________.
4.  Tyre was under siege ____ months by Alexander the Great.
5.  What happened to the women and children of Tyre?
6.  How was Tyre connected to the mainland?
7.  How tall was the wall fortification they had built?
8.  Where had they gotten their wealth from?
9.  They had a vast fleet of ________ _________.
10. How did Alexander destroy Tyre?
11. What did the fall of Tyre do to her neighbors?
12. How did Alexander treat the governors of this land?
13. What is a "bastard"?
14. What is meant, in this particular Scripture, by this statement?
15. As part of their heathen worship, they _________ _____.
16. What did the "abominations between his teeth" mean?
17. Verse 7 speaks of what time?
18. How many did a governor rule over?
19. Where had the Jebusites possessed?
20. Quote Psalms chapter 46 verse 1.
21. Quote Isaiah chapter 4 verse 5.
22. What Scripture shows supernatural protection in the midst of war?
23. Who is verse 9 speaking of?
24. What did Him riding on a donkey tell us?
25. What did the fact that the donkey was a colt tell us of?
26. "Cutting off the chariot" means what?
27. Quote Romans chapter 15 verse 12.
28. In Christ Jesus ye who sometimes were afar off are made nigh by
    the ________ of ________.
29. Quote Ephesians chapter 2 verses 13 through 15.
30. Where, in Isaiah, was their captivity spoken of as a pit?
31. Quote Job chapter 42 verse 10.
32. What and whom was Jesus victorious over?
33. Quote Psalms chapter 18 verse 35.
34. What does the "lightning that goes forth" speak of?
35. Quote 1 Thessalonians chapter 4 verse 16.
36. Who defends God's people?
37. Who are the flock of His people?
38. Quote Malachi chapter 3 verse 17.
39. What is the "ensign" of verse 16?
40. Quote Psalms chapter 96 verse 9.