God's Sovereignty Over Nations and History

I. God's Judgment on Israel's Enemies 9:1-17

A.  He is Lord of all the Earth -- 1

    The eyes of men are upon the Lord in verse 1.
    In verse 8 – the eyes of the Lord are upon Israel.

B.  Upheaval among the nations -- 2-7
    Tyre was the most powerful of the various city-states in the region.
    Shalmaneser of Assyria besieged the city for 5 years, but could not conquer it.
    Nebuchadnezer tried for 13 years and failed
    Around 333 B.C. almost 200 years after Zechariah's prophecy – Alexander the Great 			attacked the city and captured it in 7 months.

Alexander the Great in the Scriptures – Daniel 7:6; 8:5-8; 8:20-22; 11:3-4

C.  God's protection of Israel -- 8

II. The King is Coming 9:9-10

See Matthew 21:1-5  and Micah 4:2-4

III. God is the Defender of His People 9:11-17

v. 11-13 -- The covenant was sealed with blood – Exodus 24:5-8

v. 13 – Greece – This time Antiochus Epiphanes around 165 B.C.	
    
    The history of the Jewish revolt is found in the Apocraphyl book of 1 Maccabees.
    Although it is not inspired – it is considered reliable history.
    2 Maccabees covers the same time period, but from a more theological perspective.

v. 14-17 – Best understood in the light of  Messiah's second coming.
    The lost will be destroyed   2 Peter 3:10
    His people will be his “jewels”  Malachi 3:17