Zechariah: Eyes on You

Zechariah 9 opens with “the burden of the word of the Lord,” a weighty oracle of judgment that reaches from Hadrach and Damascus down through Tyre, Sidon, and Philistia. The burden marks a shift in the book, looking toward the events surrounding Christ’s first coming and the rejection of the Shepherd-King, while also pointing beyond them to His return and Israel’s final deliverance. The Lord’s judgment rests on proud nations that had opposed His people, yet His eyes remain fixed on all mankind and especially on the tribes of Israel.

Tyre pictures the pride of worldly power. Tyre had heaped up silver like dust and gold like mud in the streets, built massive defenses, and trusted its wisdom, wealth, and supposed strength. The Lord, however, declares that He will strip away her possessions, strike down her power on the sea, and devour her by fire. Alexander the Great’s conquest of Tyre, after others had failed to take it for years, shows that even the strongest city is no match for the Lord’s purposes. Alexander may have been the visible conqueror, but God raised him up as an instrument of judgment.

Philistia likewise trembles as Ashkelon, Gaza, Ekron, and Ashdod come under judgment. Gaza’s king perishes, its people suffer terribly, and Philistine pride is cut off. Yet God’s judgment is not merely destructive. The remnant of Philistia becomes “a remnant for our God,” like a clan in Judah. The Lord takes blood and abominations from their mouths, turning former idolaters and enemies into people joined to His people. Grace reaches farther than expected.

The Lord then promises to encamp at His house as a guard. Alexander’s march toward Jerusalem was turned aside, according to Josephus, when the high priest went out to meet him and Alexander recognized the name of Yahweh. The Lord protected His city, temple, and people in a supreme crisis. The promise also rises beyond Alexander’s day, because oppressors continued to march over Israel through later empires.

Christ’s second coming brings the ultimate fulfillment. The Lord Jesus will return, defeat every enemy, guard His people, and establish His millennial reign from Jerusalem. God sees with His own eyes. God never sleeps, never loses control, and never forgets the affliction of His people. The same God who judges enemies also saves enemies through the death of His Son. Christ reconciles rebels to God, takes away the abominations of sin, and makes former enemies beloved children through faith.

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Key Takeaways

• 1. God sees every proud stronghold Tyre trusted walls, wealth, trade, and wisdom, but none of it could keep the Lord from bringing her down. Pride makes a heart act as though it were god, especially when success starts to feel permanent. God sees the strongholds that look untouchable, whether they stand in nations, institutions, or individual hearts. [46:15]
• 2. God’s word proves completely true Zechariah named regions and described judgments long before Alexander’s conquest moved through those lands. Biblical prophecy is not vague religious optimism but the word of the God who knows the end from the beginning. Every fulfilled word gives solid reason to trust every promise that remains. [67:14]
• 3. God guards His people in crisis The Lord promised to encamp at His house as a guard when Jerusalem stood in danger. Human watchmen, plans, and defenses have their place, but protection finally rests in the Lord’s hands. His care may not always look like immediate escape, but His eyes never turn away from His people. [57:42]
• 4. God will finally end oppression Alexander’s day brought a real deliverance, but later oppressors proved that the promise looked farther ahead. Christ’s return will bring the final end of every cruel power that marches over God’s people. The future is not controlled by tyrants, wars, or fearful headlines, but by the returning King. [60:46]
• 5. God saves former enemies through Christ Philistine idolaters could become a remnant for God, joined to His people by grace. Romans declares that sinners were reconciled to God while still His enemies, through the death of His Son. Christ does not merely improve hostile hearts; He removes their abominations and gives them life as God’s beloved children.
  
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Youtube Chapters

• [00:00] - Welcome
• [28:34] - A New Burden in Zechariah 9
• [35:04] - The Meaning of the Oracle
• [37:36] - Judgment on Hadrach and Damascus
• [40:24] - Alexander the Great as God’s Instrument
• [44:15] - Tyre’s Wealth, Pride, and Fall
• [50:14] - Judgment on Philistia and Gaza
• [52:52] - A Remnant Saved from God’s Enemies
• [55:09] - The Lord Guards Jerusalem
• [58:30] - Near Fulfillment and Future Fulfillment
• [60:04] - Christ’s Return Ends All Oppression
• [66:26] - God’s Sovereignty and True Word
• [70:41] - God Delivers and Saves Enemies
• [75:21] - Reconciled Through the Death of Christ

Bible Reading

Zechariah 9:1-8
“The oracle of the word of the Lord is against the land of Hadrach, and Damascus is its resting place. For the Lord has an eye on mankind and on all the tribes of Israel, and on Hamath also, which borders on it. Tyre and Sidon, though they are very wise. Tyre has built herself a rampart and heaped up silver like dust, and fine gold like the mud of the streets. But behold, the Lord will strip her of her possessions and strike down her power on the sea, and she shall be devoured by fire. Ashkelon shall see it and be afraid; Gaza too, and shall writhe in anguish; Ekron also, because its hopes are confounded. The king shall perish from Gaza; Ashkelon shall be uninhabited; a mixed people shall dwell in Ashdod, and I will cut off the pride of Philistia. I will take away its blood from its mouth, and its abominations from between its teeth; it too shall be a remnant for our God; it shall be like a clan in Judah, and Ekron shall be like the Jebusites. Then I will encamp at my house as a guard, so that none shall march to and fro; no oppressor shall again march over them, for now I see with my own eyes.” [31:32]

Ezekiel 28:2-8
“Son of man, say to the prince of Tyre, Thus says the Lord God: Because your heart is proud, and you have said, ‘I am a god, I sit in the seat of the gods, in the heart of the seas,’ yet you are but a man, and no god, though you make your heart like the heart of a god— you are indeed wiser than Daniel; no secret is hidden from you; by your wisdom and your understanding you have made wealth for yourself, and have gathered gold and silver into your treasuries; by your great wisdom in your trade you have increased your wealth, and your heart has become proud in your wealth— therefore thus says the Lord God: Because you make your heart like the heart of a god, therefore, behold, I will bring foreigners upon you, the most ruthless of the nations; and they shall draw their swords against the beauty of your wisdom and defile your splendor. They shall thrust you down into the pit, and you shall die the death of the slain in the heart of the seas.” [45:20]

Romans 5:10
“For if while we were enemies we were reconciled to God by the death of his Son, much more, now that we are reconciled, shall we be saved by his life.” [01:14:30]

Isaiah 17:1-3
“An oracle concerning Damascus. Behold, Damascus will cease to be a city and will become a heap of ruins. The cities of Aroer are deserted; they will be for flocks, which will lie down, and none will make them afraid. The fortress will disappear from Ephraim, and the kingdom from Damascus; and the remnant of Syria will be like the glory of the children of Israel, declares the Lord of hosts.” [01:05:48]

Observation questions

1. What details in Zechariah 9:3-4 show what Tyre trusted in, and what does the Lord specifically promise to do to that wealth and power? [46:49]
2. What happens to the Philistine cities in Zechariah 9:5-6, and what different outcome is promised for a remnant in verse 7? [52:52]
3. In Zechariah 9:8, what images describe the Lord’s protection of His house and His people during a time of danger? [57:42]
4. According to Romans 5:10, what was humanity’s relationship to God before reconciliation, and what brought that reconciliation about? [01:14:41]

Interpretation questions

1. Why is Tyre’s pride especially serious in Ezekiel 28:2-8? How can wealth, success, wisdom, or security lead a person to act as though he or she does not need God? [46:19]
2. Zechariah 9 brings both judgment and grace upon Philistia. What does the promise of a “remnant for our God” show about God’s purposes toward people who had formerly opposed Him and His people? [54:29]
3. Zechariah 9:8 was connected to a real deliverance in Alexander’s day, yet later oppressors still came over Israel. Why does that make Christ’s return necessary for the complete fulfillment of “no oppressor shall again march over them”? [01:00:38]
4. Romans 5:10 says that reconciliation came “while we were enemies.” How does this truth reshape the way a Christian understands both personal sin and the hope offered to someone far from God? [01:15:05]

Application questions

1. Tyre trusted its wealth, trade, walls, and reputation. What are the “strongholds” that are most tempting for you to trust—financial security, health, plans, relationships, ability, reputation, or something else? How can you recognize when a good gift has become a substitute for trust in God? [46:44]
2. God’s word proved true in the judgment of nations long before those events unfolded. Where are you presently tempted to be more shaped by fearful headlines, uncertain circumstances, or your own predictions than by God’s promises? What specific promise from Scripture can help steady your heart this week? [01:08:23]
3. The Lord says, “I see with my own eyes.” Is there an affliction, injustice, or burden in your life that can feel unseen or forgotten? What would it look like to bring that matter honestly before the God who sees? [01:01:45]
4. God’s protection does not always mean immediate escape from hardship, but He remains sovereign over every day of His people’s lives. How does this help someone face a situation that has not changed as quickly as they hoped? [01:11:28]
5. Christ will finally end oppression and establish His righteous reign. How can confidence in Christ’s return change the way you respond to fear about the future, anger over evil, or discouragement in the present? [01:01:29]
6. God saves former enemies through Christ, and Christians are called to pray for and love their enemies. Who is difficult for you to pray for right now—personally, socially, or publicly? What would it sound like to pray for that person’s repentance, good, and salvation? [01:13:42]
7. Romans 5:10 reminds believers that they were reconciled to God through the death of His Son while they were still enemies. How does remembering God’s grace toward you change the way you speak to, serve, or show patience with people who seem far from God? [01:15:21]