“Some trust in chariots, and some in horses…” and humanly speaking, why wouldn’t you? This would be especially true for the ancient nation of Israel, who was often threatened by chariot-equipped armies. God’s children were pursued by “Pharaoh…his host, upon his chariots, and upon his horsemen,” as the Hebrews embarked on their journey toward the Promised Land. Decades later, Israel would cry “unto the LORD;” for the king of Canaan had come against them “with nine hundred chariots of iron.” During the days of Elisha, the Israeli city of Dotham would be encompassed about with “a great host…with horses and chariots.” But perhaps the greatest threat would come from the Assyrians, a fierce enemy known as great warriors due to their iron weapons and their deadly chariots. Those swift horse-driven chariots could strike fear into anyone in their path.
Horses were indeed powerful creatures, symbols of human strength, pride, and dominance. But it was a donkey that would portray the noble motif in Scripture. Donkeys were considered royal mounts in the ancient Near East, the respected rabbis rode donkeys, and although symbols of humility, donkeys were also a symbol of regal authority. It is with this backdrop that we can fully understand the joyous outburst of Zechariah when he foresees the triumphant approach of the coming Messiah and declares: “The king cometh unto thee: he is just, and having salvation, lowly, and riding upon an ass, and upon a colt the foal of an ass.”
This coming King that Zechariah predicted would not be a vicious, war-like overlord mounted on a mighty horse, but a “Prince of Peace” riding upon a donkey, signaling that His ultimate purpose was to inaugurate a worldwide kingdom of peace. Christ would fulfill Zechariah’s prophecy when He entered Jerusalem on Palm Sunday, a few days prior to His death on Calvary. That triumphal entry would be short-lived, for this King was destined to be the perfect Lamb sacrificed for sin.
Dating back to the prophecies given to Jacob’s sons, we find that “The scepter shall not depart from Judah, nor a lawgiver from between his feet, until Shiloh come…Binding his foal unto the vine, and his ass’s colt unto the choice vine.” Shiloh, he whose it is, would be the King of kings, that royal descendant of Judah, establishing peace between the sinner and the God of creation through His shed blood, entering Jerusalem that blessed day on that lowly donkey. And in that paid sacrifice, we find our eternal confidence and blissful peace.
Psalm 20:7 Some trust in chariots, and some in horses: but we will remember the name of the LORD our God.
Lord, thank You for the fulfillment of that blessed prophecy centuries ago, as You entered Jerusalem on that lowly donkey. Thank You that we don’t have to rely on any power other than Your all-encompassing strength, Your holy name.