The King Who Comes Close

Some passages of Scripture feel like thunder in the distance; you hear them before you understand them. Zechariah is one of those books. To my absolute delight, it is full, I mean FULL of the word, “behold.” It is also full of visions and symbols — crowns and horses, lampstands and scrolls — but woven through the imagery is a heartbeat. The heartbeat of:

• A Person.

• A King.

  • A King who does not stay distant.

  • A King who draws near.

Zechariah writes to a weary people: a people who returned home from exile with hope in their hands and disappointment in their eyes. The temple was only a shadow of what it once was. Their joy was thin. Their faith was tired.

And into that moment of joyless and faith fatigue, God speaks:

“Behold!”