Old Testament Anticipates the Church as God’s Flock

The LORD their God will save them on that day as the flock of his people. They will sparkle in his land like jewels in a crown. Zechariah 9:16

One of the best tools to give a young child is a magnifying glass. Yes, he may spend some time tormenting ants, but he will spend hours looking at things close up. He will see the ridgelines of his own fingerprints and let others know how deep their pores really are. While he is on the road of discovery, he is only seeing things that have existed all along. The same is true for the Old Testament when it comes to Jesus. When we look at the OT through NT magnifying glasses, we see what has always been there. Others may call this 20-20 hindsight.

The book of Zechariah is about giving comfort to Israel. They were just coming back from exile. As one of the most “messianic” Old Testament books, it’s a great one to break out the New Testament magnifying glass. Zechariah 9:16 says, “The LORD their God will save them on that day as the flock of his people. They will sparkle in his land like jewels in a crown.” The promises about Jesus in this book come in two forms: those about Jesus’ first coming or those about his second coming. Zechariah 9:16 tells of his second coming. Obviously, we are waiting for this coming. We can then draw some parallels for ourselves.

Israel limped along trying to recover from the exile. They had just been under the heavy hand of God. People would be trying to take advantage of them. Their government would be in disarray. In short, they need help like the coming of a shepherd. So, how do we feel in times of despair? We need some guidance and instruction. When things seem confusing especially when it comes to the future, we need shepherding. We need to know that God is there with his shepherd’s staff guiding us to the place we not only need to be but where he wants us to be. The shepherd has it in control. Just wait…he’s coming. So, those wolves attacking you or the flock had better watch out! The shepherd is on his way!

Read Zechariah 9:1-10:12.