On that day the Lord their God will save them,
as the flock of his people;
for like the jewels of a crown
they shall shine on his hand.Zechariah 9:16
This passage in Zechariah highlights something beautiful of our salvation: that God saving us is not just predicated on His love, but our great worth.
There’s a stream of Christianity that really likes to hammer the fact that we are “wretched”, “dirty sinners,” or “depraved”. I think an unhealthy focus on that aspect takes away from this underlying thought that God has towards his people. It is the thought that he delights in us, he loves us, he thinks we were worth going to the cross for, and that he enjoys our company.
This passage highlights how we are like a “jewel on a crown” which shine on his hand. It is a picture of our worth that God sees from his perspective. He’s so proud of his people that he places them on his hand as a trophy to display to others. It was as if he was saying: These are the ones I saved, these are the ones I love, these are the work of my hands.
It is awesome thing when we realize the aspect of our worthiness in God’s plan for salvation. And no, it doesn’t make us into mini-gods, it merely aligns our hearts with the intentions of God’s will for humanity in a healthy way.
