On that day, the Lord will protect the inhabitants of Jerusalem,
so that the feeblest among them on that day shall be like David,
and the house of David shall be like God,
like the angel of the Lord, going before them.
Zechariah 12:8
Sometimes, the book of Isaiah baffles me. Even with Tim’s illuminating sermon series this past year, I can’t wrap my head around the sheer number of prophesies and promises it contains. When the major prophet overwhelm me – and that happens frequently – I retreat to Zechariah. I’ve nicknamed the fella Little Isaiah. Or the Reader’s Digest condensed version of Isaiah. Or Isaiah Cliff Notes.
As in Isaiah, the most well-known Zechariah verses are Messiah prophecies. In chapters 2 and 9, God promises to come and dwell in the midst of Jerusalem. A future ruler, both priest and king, is described in chapter 6. His future restoration of Jerusalem and rule of peace are described in chapter 8, along with some funky details about his second coming – something else I can’t easily wrap my head around.
But my favorite verse in Zechariah is not a Messiah prophecy. My favorite is Zechariah 12:8. a verse of such great promise and comfort, I can’t quite picture its fulfillment. When I read the words, my mind whirs with questions. How in the world will the feeblest of God’s people – people like my dad who spent 14 years in a hospital bed, or tiny, little babies in neonatal intensive care units – be as strong as David, the richest, most powerful king in Israel’s history?
This verse also promises the house of David will be like God. (Notice it says they’ll be like God, not that they will be God. Kind of like those really good Elvis impersonators. They can’t match the king, but their presence makes onlookers appreciate how good he was.) How will the house of David become enough like God to make people appreciate Christ’s goodness?
My ponderings always lead to the same conclusion. David was a man after God’s own heart. His faith was strengthened by the experience of God at work in his life rather than by the strength of his army or great wealth.
The same can be true for us. As we submit to God’s will rather than championing our own, God fulfills his prophecies and promises within us, and our feeble faith is transformed. We become men and women after God’s own heart. We become more and more like God. Our lives and actions become a glimmer of his glory, a fragrant aroma of Christ drawing the lost to into the kingdom of God.
That’s a vision I can wrap my head around, a vision I am eager to witness, a vision where God works in and through me. It’s the vision of Isaiah. It’s the vision of Zechariah. It’s the vision of all who desire to be men and women after God’s own heart.
