Daughters and Donkeys
Zechariah 9:9-12
April 13, 2025 anno Domini
Achsah. I doubt you know her. I’ve never read an Arch book about her or seen her featured in a Sunday School lesson. Achsah is the daughter of Caleb, one of the good spies who along with Joshua survived the 40 years in the wilderness and set foot and lived in the promised land.
When the Israelites were conquering the land, specifically when they are taking the land of Judah, Caleb promised his daughter in marriage to whoever would capture the city of Kiriath-sepher. Othniel, Caleb’s brother captured the city and Achsah became his wife.
Achsah rides a donkey to see her father and she asks for a blessing. Normally only sons receive blessings, as they were the only ones to inherit property, but Caleb blesses her daughter by giving her two springs of water on the land that she and her husband possess in the Negeb.
What does Achsah have to do with Palm Sunday and our Lord riding into Jerusalem? Well, she’s riding a donkey, but more importantly Achsah helps us understand why Zechariah calls the people, “Daughter.” Rejoice greatly, O daughter of Zion. Shout aloud, O daughter of Jerusalem!
A daughter without a man is in trouble. That’s a Biblical truth that teaches us about our place. It’s also proven by a lot of sociological studies – a daughter with an absent or abusive father is prone to all sorts of trouble. In the Old Testament a woman could not inherit or own property. She could not work to earn a living, so if her husband died and she didn’t have a son or she wasn’t married, she would have to beg or like Ruth, walked behind the harvesters in the field and pick up the gleanings they left behind. You can get all uppity about that. You can also give thanks for the rights women have today (as long as you remember that Christians accomplished those rights.)
However, the Lord did not call us daughters to rile up the feminists. The Lord calls us daughters to teach us this truth about faith – a daughter without a father or husband is in trouble. Caleb loved his daughter Achsah. He wanted her to have a brave and strong husband and a nice ranch in the promised land, and springs of water for their herds and flocks. In that Caleb is a picture of our heavenly Father. He wants us to have a brave and strong husband so that we can live in the eternal promised land and have life to the full.
So, Zechariah, about 500 years before Jesus of Nazareth was born, called for God’s daughter, the daughter of Zion, the daughter of Jerusalem, to rejoice, because a man was coming, and not any man, but a King. And not any King, but a righteous King, having salvation and a humble King, riding on a donkey.
When you read the Old Testament, you will see that Israel was the Lord’s rebellious daughter. She partied at Mount Sinai. She complained about how awful her dad was and how much better her friends had it. She was promiscuous and brought home the worst collection of losers you could ever imagine. The Daughter of Zion is no different than you. You rebel against authority. You look at people who have it better than you and you covet or complain. You run after this possession or that pleasure or that person because it promises to be that which makes all your dreams come true, but the moment you lay hold of it you’re disappointed, dissatisfied, and depressed. And then for your sinful rebellion the Devil batters you. Look at what you have done? How could your father ever love you again?
When that happens, and it happens far too often, hear the Words of Zechariah the prophet, “Rejoice greatly, O daughter of Zion. Shout aloud, O daughter of Jerusalem, behold Your King is coming to you.
Palm Sunday is a wedding ceremony and it’s not about the bride. It’s about the groom and before you get uppity about that, don’t forget Who this groom is and why He came. This is the Son of God and He comes like Othniel came for Achsah. He’s going to take out your enemies and secure a home for you, His bride. Jesus does not need to die for sin. He has no sin of His own, but He takes the daughter of Zion’s sins, and the daughter of Jerusalem’s sins, and your rebellious daughter sins.
Behold your King is coming to you, righteous and having salvation. As we heard last week, He is right, and you are wrong. He is obedient to His Father and you have disobeyed. Jesus never sins and you have. He doesn’t swallow the Devil’s temptations or give into His belly or to power. He does not let the crowds make Him a bread King to feed their passions or His ego. He will not resist the authorities when they arrest Him. He will not come down off the cross to prove to the crowd He is God. Instead, He drinks the cup His Father gives Him, the cup of wrath and hell for our sins. In that obedience He undoes the Devil’s disobedience. He beats wrong with right. Where the Devil rebelled, lied, and killed, Christ obeys, speaks the truth, and brings life. He is righteous to save you for in Your baptism He clothes you with the costly robe of His righteousness.
Behold your King is coming to you, humble and mounted on a donkey. Your King never considered Himself too good for you, but every good He did for you. A few years ago, I read a book on Biblical masculinity by Pr. Jeff Hemmer. I read the back cover of the book and noted that Pr. Hemmer had a killer beard and drives a big truck. Right away, I knew this book was for me and it was, because in the book Pr. Hemmer says if you want to know what a real man looks like, look at Jesus on the cross. There’s the perfect man – all He does, all He is, all He gives, is for His bride. It is one of the paradoxes of Scripture that the Bible clearly says the husband is the head of the wife, and then God commands men to love their wives as Christ loved the church, to die.
Behold your King, O daughter of Zion. There is nothing Jesus will not give up for you. He sets aside His glory in heaven, the praise of the angels, His right to be honored, His rule of the world. For you He doesn’t defend Himself at His trial. For you He takes the lies and mockery of the Jews and their leaders. For you He withholds His almighty power as the soldiers beat Him, spit on Him, mock Him, and stake Him to the cross. He takes all your sins as His own and says to His Father – take out Your anger on me, not her.
He is the greater Othniel and you are the greater Achsah. You do not receive a piece of land with a few springs of water, you receive forgiveness of your sins and a place in the news heavens and new earth. He takes away the rags of your rebellion and clothes you with the gown of His righteousness. O daughter of Zion, you could not find a better man. Take His hand. Love Him with all your heart. Live like a daughter of Your Father and the Bride of Christ, and you will enjoy the royal wedding feast for all eternity. In the name of Jesus. Amen.