Greatness often leads to or comes from might and power. Often military might define the great Empires of the World. As empires spread through the world, conquering peoples and nations, they did it through the strength of their armies and intimidated the nations that dared to stand up to them. This past week we celebrated the American founding leaders standing up to the world power of the day and declaring independence. While this may not have been the first time a smaller nation decided to stand up to one with a much larger military, it began a war that would ultimately lead to our nation’s founding. The colonists fought unconventionally but still used weapons, and ultimately with the help of early allies providing military support, were able to win independence from the British. 

However, the greatness that comes through our obedience to God needs no weapons or military might. Our voices of praise will ultimately show the power of the Holy Spirit over the forces of darkness in the world. God’s Power upends the world in an unprecedented fashion. As the people of Israel left Egypt, they did so without raising a fist, but God’s force eventually persuaded Pharaoh to send them away. As the armies of mighty Egypt pursued them, God allowed them to be saved not through fighting but through God’s Power. 

During the prophets’ time, Israel had to fight against armies invading from the outside. However, mighty armies would ultimately rise and defeat Israel, and Zechariah wrote to the people after their return to Jerusalem from exile in Babylon. The people had previously relied on their might to save them but now return after their humiliation. Below you will find Zechariah’s words reminding the people of Jerusalem that they will not rely on force but on praise, hope, and peace.

9  Rejoice greatly, O daughter of Zion! Shout aloud, O daughter of Jerusalem! Behold, your king is coming to you; righteous and having salvation is he, humble and mounted on a donkey, on a colt, the foal of a donkey. 10  I will cut off the chariot from Ephraim and the war horse from Jerusalem; and the battle bow shall be cut off, and he shall speak peace to the nations; his rule shall be from sea to sea, and from the River to the ends of the earth. 11  As for you also, because of the blood of my covenant with you, I will set your prisoners free from the waterless pit. 12  Return to your stronghold, O prisoners of hope; today I declare that I will restore to you double.

The Holy Bible: English Standard Version (Wheaton, IL: Crossway Bibles, 2016), Zec 9:9–12.

Looking through history, we create heroes and idols of prior greatness. When we don’t give God total praise for our blessings, we are in danger of humiliation or, rather, forced humility. The people of Jerusalem were defeated and sent into exile because they did not grant their whole worship to God. However, God heard the cries for mercy, and they returned to rebuild the city and the temple. The neighbors surrounded them, mocked them, and even tried to stop their work, but when they worshipped and relied on God to lead, the work could be completed. The prophet also reminds us that any work we do for God must begin with worship and praise. 

From worship, God grants the people hope. The assurance that the work will be completed comes from the knowledge that God completed the work of salvation by bringing the people back to Jerusalem and granted them the mission to rebuild the temple so that they could fulfill the call to be a light to the nations. So too, God gives us the call to be a light to our neighborhood and world, and we have the assurance that God will guide us toward success because God completed the work of our salvation in an unprecedented manner by humbly dying on the cross. No matter what tries to hold us back, God frees us to carry out the Gospel and share hope with the world.

When many of the people faced opposition, they might have felt more comfortable if the armies had surrounded and protected them. However, God instructs them that their defense will not come from instruments of war but rather through humility and peace; true power will come from God. Jerusalem would become a place where God would show unprecedented glory to the world. To the people of Zechariah’s day, God was setting down all weapons and instead would change the world through peace. The temple’s purpose was to be a place of prayer and to bring all humanity to peace with the Almighty God. Jesus embodies the temple with His body. Christians see the foretelling of how Jesus would enter Jerusalem in humility and by bringing peace through sacrifice instead of instruments of war as many expected. God reminds us that peace transforms the community and reconciles the world to Himself through peace. 

Zechariah reminds the people that through unprecedented means, God brought the people back to Jerusalem, and through more unprecedented means, God will help them complete their mission. God calls them to worship, hope, and peace to bring God’s glory to the world. God calls the church to set aside the ways the world would use for influence and return to bring God glory through our unprecedented worship.

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Published by JRMITCH85

I am often asked what describes you, which is a hard answer because sometimes I move in a thousand different directions. Some call me an engineer, others call me pastor, a few call me captain, some call me friend, others call me dad, and one calls me sweetheart. All of these things are descriptors and are accurate, but they don't fully capture me. My favorite place is in the mountains, enjoying the beauty of nature and God's creation, running and hiking around with my family and friends, and taking photos to cement the memories. However, the people that know me the best know that my favorite thing to do is come up with crazy adventures that push the limits of what our minds and bodies can do. My faith in God is important to me and drives me to look at creation the way I do. Because of my faith, I look at these adventures and running races from Half Marathons all the way to 24 hour races, as well as several Obstacle Course Races, as an opportunity to push the body God gave me as an act of worship. Hopefully, someday soon, I look toward running longer races and bigger adventures. My hope is that humanity can understand that the wild is a gift, and we need to care for it and quit destroying it by the way we live.

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