Why would a king ride a donkey instead of a warhorse?
Zechariah 9:9 - 10
ESV - 9 Rejoice greatly, O daughter of Zion! Shout aloud, O daughter of Jerusalem! Behold, your king is coming to you; righteous and having salvation is he, humble and mounted on a donkey, on a colt, the foal of a donkey. 10 I will cut off the chariot from Ephraim and the war horse from Jerusalem; and the battle bow shall be cut off, and he shall speak peace to the nations; his rule shall be from sea to sea, and from the River to the ends of the earth.
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Asked July 01 2013
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Anonymous (via GotQuestions)
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S. Michael Houdmann
Supporter
Many have wondered why the king mentioned in Zechariah 9:9-10 would ride a donkey into Jerusalem rather than a warhorse. It seems an odd choice for royalty. Kings ride chargers, don't they? In the...
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DEAN R. DONAHUE
Supporter
You have to hand it to Jesus for having prophecy foretell all that happened the triumphant day entering Jerusalem. Even after all of the particulars of the prophetic sign of the Messiah, the fact it was done in a humble manor has to be a statement about His character. The character of Our Lord is never outside the confines of His Law, but in converse, His love can never be confined. Not even death could confine Him......So how could He enter so humble and demure? The answer is character. The character of God and Jesus are One in the Same. The character of Our God is all that Love pronounces to be. His humble nature beckoned to Israel that day, yet, even with all the prophetic issues answered, Jerusalem will crucify the Light that was unseen in the darkness shortly after He arrives. We see how the people turned against Him and we know the outcome. This begs a question.....Do we as Christians praise Jesus and sing Hosanna only to turn and deny Him when the grandeur is over......We can easily praise a Lord in His humble state when asking for nothing, but what of our feelings when that humble donkey rider asks for commitment. Will we sing Hosanna when asked to repent and be obedient to God? I'm speaking to the choir. We all know it's tough to stay attentive to the spiritual aspects of our lives. I am just pleased that even with the turn around the people of Jerusalem did after His triumphant entry, that He still showed His love longing to put them under His wings like a mother hen would her chicks. This is character...... A character worthy of worship......Dean Donahue, Show Low, AZ.
Larry Ecton
Supporter
In ancient times, when a king entered a city as a conqueror in warfare, he rode a large (usually white) war horse. We see this in Revelation 19, when our Lord will return in conquest. But when a king entered a city in peace, he would ride on a donkey, and that is what our Lord did on that first Palm Sunday. He even mourned for Jerusalem because they missed that special day when their Messiah King came to them in peace. Luke 19:41-42
Brian Ansell
Supporter
Kings go on war horses when they go to war to kill those they go to war against. If you travel in peace to help others you never go in a threatening manner, hence the local means of transport, the donkey and a borrowed donkey. Jesus, 2000 years later is still not at war with anyone but his main message all those years ago of love yourself for who you are and love your neighbor for who they are still works to cause Peace to break out today. Wherever people love their neighbor.
Kenneth Heck
Supporter
Kings are known for the high taxation they may extort from their subjects. Maintaining a large stable of horses is one indication of the burden the subjects must bear in supporting their king (Deut 17:16). Christ riding a donkey implies that his kingship will not impose economic difficulties upon the kingdom, and economy, even frugality, rather than luxury, will always be important. I believe there may be a misunderstanding about the donkey and the colt. (KJV) Matt 21:7 "And brought the ass, and the colt, and put on them their clothes, and they set him thereon." A colt is too young to be ridden, except awkwardly. Christ would have ridden the donkey with the colt trailing behind. The donkey represents the first coming of Christ and the colt the second coming. After some two thousand years the colt will have grown enough to be more easily ridden. The colt and donkey are found in Gen 49:22 for some translations, such as the NAB and the Jewish Tanakh, concerning the destiny of Joseph in the last days. The implication seems to be that Joseph, especially Ephraim, may be instrumental in Christ's second coming, since Ephraim is mentioned in the next verse. The same is true for the tribe of Judah in the next verse, already mentioned by Michael, as noted in Gen 49:11, Jewish symbolism doesn't require that Christ will literally ride an animal at his second coming. It is sufficient that he is carried by a device noticeably smaller than normal conveyances. This may actually be something similar today to a jeep or sub-compact auto; the auto industry is well known for naming its models after animals.
Jay Saunders
Supporter
Because our King Jesus came as a humble servant to the poor, meek, and a humbled people and to fulfill prophsey written about him doing so. But when our Lord returns on a white stallon he will be a righteous King that will rule and reign with a rod of iron. Every knee will bow and every tongue will confess him Lord and King willingly and faithfully because all the proud and all the lawless will have surrendered or been subdued for their own good. There will be a different environment where the tempter, Satan, and his minions will have no more right or place to tempt, deceive or have an ability to control mankind. There will be no desire to lie, steal, cheat, lust or be greedy. No one will lack any good thing and all will be treated equally. Love, joy, peace, goodness, kindness, meekness, gentleness, patience with self-control will be the personality trait of all who inhabit planet earth. Everyone will think on those things that are pure, lovely, of a good report, if there be anything praiseworthy, they will think and speak on these things. Actually, we are to start practicing these traits now so that they can become a habit in our lives now. This should be a goal of every Christian under conviction and desiring to be motivated by love. Selah!
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