My friend’s parents were in a pretty bad car accident today. Some dude in a pickup ran a red light and nailed their car. They’re ok, but I can imagine they were pretty shaken up.
While my day was free of vehicular catastrophe, I had a moment today where I felt like I got hit by a truck, and I never saw it coming. It happened at our diningroom table, and I’m pretty sure that Jesus was at fault.
I’m using the LifeJournal Bible reading plan as a guide for my daily Bible reading. Today found me in the Old Testament book of Zechariah. Here’s what I read, and what jumped out at me:
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.
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.
As for you also, because of the blood of my covenant with you,
I will set your prisoners free from the waterless pit.
Return to your stronghold, O prisoners of hope;
today I declare that I will restore to you double. Zechariah 9:9-12 (emphasis mine)
500 years before the birth of Jesus, God was speaking through a prophet to his people–a people living in exile, living in captivity, living as prisoners in a foreign land. He promises to honor the blood covenant, to bring freedom and deliverance to “prisoners of hope.” 2500 years later that promise is still vital, still speaking life into those of us who are yearning for freedom, living into hope. It was the custom of the Israelites to shed blood of animals to solemnify a covenant. God did the same in his covenant with Abraham. But it was the blood of Jesus that opened the way to restoration of relationship and reconciliation. This prophecy is a promise to Israel, and a prediction of the coming Christ, the Savior.
That crushed me today.
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