2023_11_20 Insight Post- Kim Feld

I love how specific this week’s reading in Zechariah is. Let’s take a look:

Rejoice greatly, Daughter Zion!
Shout, Daughter Jerusalem!
See, your king comes to you,
righteous and victorious,
lowly and riding on a donkey,
on a colt, the foal of a donkey. (Zechariah 9:9, NIV)  

It’s incredible to see this fulfillment in Matthew 21:1-11 as Jesus rides into Jerusalem on the donkey’s colt. Although this didn’t look like the victorious entry of a King, victory was announced as Jesus made His way into Jerusalem, very soon to be crucified and die for you and me.

The rest of Zechariah 9 has imagery of war with the Sovereign Lord having the ultimate victory. The phrase “prisoners of hope” stood out to me as I read. Let’s take a look: 

¹¹As for you, because of the blood of my covenant with you,
I will free your prisoners from the waterless pit.
¹² Return to your fortress, you prisoners of hope;
even now I announce that I will restore twice as much to you. (Zechariah 9:11-12, NIV)

Zechariah is likely speaking to those still in exile in these verses. Still, the words resonated with me on a personal level. In a very real sense, I am a prisoner of hope, an exile in a land that is not my home. One of the definitions of the Hebrew word for hope is expectation. I am bound to the expectation of what will come for me as a follower of Jesus – eternal life with Him.

One of my favorite passages is found in Hebrews 6:19-20. It says:

 ¹⁹ We have this hope as an anchor for the soul, firm and secure. It enters the inner sanctuary behind the curtain, ²⁰ where our forerunner, Jesus, has entered on our behalf. He has become a high priest forever, in the order of Melchizedek. 

This verse tells me that my hope or expectation is an anchor for my soul, keeping me firm and secure even when the storms of life feel like they will take me over. My safety and security are found in Jesus, not my circumstances. Because of His sacrifice for me, I have won, no matter what my circumstances may tell me.

Maybe I’m just preaching to myself today, but I needed this reminder. I am a prisoner of hope, and that hope is firm and secure.

Kim Feld
Executive Director of Education and Outreach