The flock of His people

Zechariah 9:16

And the LORD their God shall save them in that day as the flock of his people: for they shall be as the stones of a crown, lifted up as an ensign upon his land.

My heart is greatly grieved and sorrowed to hear about many instances these days of malignant behavior and crimes against the people of God. And when I say the people of God, by that I do not mean Christians, although the Christians are the people of God in this age. But I specifically mean the flock of His people that have been His people since the days of Abraham. “In thee,” the Lord says, “shall all families of the earth be blessed.” From the days of Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob, there has been one group of people, one particular nation, which has been the object of God’s fondest love and favor. That nation, although grievously backslidden, has continued to be the recipient of the grandest and greatest and most goodly promises of God. They shall one day dwell all in their own land! They shall all come back to the holy land! God shall save them as the flock of His people! All Israel shall be saved, so says Paul. God will give them a new heart to obey His laws. Christ shall reign from Jerusalem! These are all promises set forth to the people of God, the nation of Israel. And we would do good to recognize them and pray for the people of God.

For you see! One day, all attention, all focus, and all emphasis will be centered on Israel once again. As Christ comes down from Heaven and rules on this earth, the seat of His power shall be Jerusalem itself. And we, whether Jew or Gentile, shall also be there. The heathen whom He has called out for His name shall be there. You and I, the people of the living God, who once were no people, shall join in and share in these most wonderful promises. All families, says the Lord, shall be blessed! All nations! All people! All races, tongues, and kindreds, who have entered into the faith of Abraham!

But let us look at this one phrase—the flock of His people. Although this speaks immediately and directly of Israel, can we not rejoice that we have become beneficiaries of God’s beneficence to Israel? We, the Gentiles, have become partakes, as He has broken down the middle wall of partition between us.He has abolished in His flesh the enmity! And this has all been accomplished through the cross. Let us thank God today that we have all become one body and one family in Christ. And we shall be forever together with Him. But until then, may we seek to get His message out, even to the ends of the earth, so that the flock of His people may include many more who heretofore have not entered into that flock.

“Father, as we come to You this day, we praise You that we all, whether Jew or Gentile, bond or free, male or female, may, by the grace of God, partake of the glories of the gospel. I do not need to be a Jew to enjoy the privileges of your people. But we pause, Lord, and we pray for Your chosen people Israel, who have been often and recently the brunt and the object of senseless and baselessly evil violence and bloodshed. Oh, how our hearts grieve for them! May You come and save them soon! But, in the meantime, may many enter the spiritual flock of faith, so that they may also be Your people. Come quickly, we pray, and save the flock of Your people! In the name of Jesus Christ our Savior we pray, Amen.”