Zechariah 5
COMMENTARY:
: 3 Then said he unto me, This is the curse that goeth forth over the face of the whole earth: for every one that stealeth shall be cut off as on this side according to it; and every one that sweareth shall be cut off as on that side according to it. (7650 “sweareth” [shaba] means adjure, take an oath, or to curse.)
DEVOTION: Zechariah had two visions in this chapter.
The first one was of a flying roll that was about 15x 30 feet. It was written on both sides. It held the accusations against Israel. The two sins that are representative of the Ten Commandments are producing a curse over the land of Israel. The one is stealing which is on the second tablet of the Law which deals with sins against fellow man. The swearing was taking the name of the LORD in vain which was on the first tablet of the Law which deals with sins against God.
The rolling scroll that was flying was open for all to see why the land was cursed. The children of Israel had broken all the laws of the LORD. It was time for them to pay the price. The price was captivity. The place of captivity was Babylon.
The second vision was of a basket that contained a woman called Wickedness. The ephah was the largest container in that day. The ephah was covered with a lead lid and taken to the land of Babylon. It represented all the sins in the Israel. It showed that the sins were under a cover. The LORD only permits sin to go so far. HE is in control of what is allowed on the earth. The two women who carried the basket with the woman to Babylon were thought to be Assyria and Babylon.
The prophet had to realize that the LORD was revealing to him a future judgment because of sin in the land of Israel. Babylon was the nation that is mentioned in the book of Revelation as the seat of false religion.
We know that Babylon is judged in the book of Revelation. Our responsibility until then is to show the world what the LORD wants HIS people to look like.
Christians are individuals who realize that the Ten Commandments show them that they are sinners in need of a Savior. Christians are forgiven sinners. We need to confess our sins on a daily basis. It is only on the basis of the LORD’S mercy that we can enter eternity with HIM. Share the message!!!
CHALLENGE: Our language can give away where we stand with the LORD. Using HIS name in vain is still against the Ten Commandments. Christians need to watch their tongue.
: 4 I will bring it forth, says the LORD of hosts, and it shall enter into the house of the thief, and into the house of him that swears falsely by MY name: and it shall remain in the midst of his house, and shall consume it with the timber thereof and the stones thereof. (8267 “swears falsely” [sheqer] means wrongfully, deceitful, liar, breach of faith, causing someone to believe an untruth, or fraudulently.)
DEVOTION: The LORD gave Moses the Ten Commandment in the desert before they were cursed to wander for forty years. They were given for them to understand what the LORD expected of those who followed HIM.
Here we have two commandments mentioned which represent the rest of the commandments.
The first commandment mentioned was on the second tablet that Moses received. It dealt with stealing from others. We can steal little things or big things. In God’s sight it is all stealing. Sometimes we can steal a person’s reputation by gossiping about him/her. God calls all stealing sin.
The second commandment mentioned is using the LORD’S name in vain. We are hearing this more and more on television. If we go to a movie they think nothing of using HIS name in vain. Sometimes even Christians listen to this type of language and start using it to appear to be “cool” in the minds of their friends. This is always wrong. Using the LORD’S name in vain is always a sin.
CHALLENGE: Watch what you say with your mouth. You have to answer to the LORD for every word that comes out of your mouth. Don’t say anything that is a lie regarding your relationship to the LORD or HIS relationship to you.
: 5 Then the angel that talked with me went forth, and said to me, Lift up now your eyes, and see what is that that goes forth. (5869 “Lift up” [‘ayin’] means sight, appearance, understanding, outward appearance, or in one’s view or opinion.)
DEVOTION: What are we doing with our eyes? We have physical eyes and spiritual eyes. Our physical eyes see what is going on around us every day. Our spiritual eyes need to be trained to see what is going on around us spiritually each day.
The angel is asking the prophet what message the LORD is trying to give him to share with the children of Israel. The LORD wants us to use our spiritual eyes to see what is going on around us to share God’s truth with those we minister to on a regular basis.
We can watch something on television and see what is behind the plot of the program. Most of them are teaching something the director is trying to get across to us behind the scenes and language. If we ask the LORD for discernment regarding the message of the program we are watching HE will give it to us. Every program has an agenda besides entertainment.
CHALLENGE: We are being de-sensitized to sin on a regular basis by what we watch and hear. Our spiritual eyes need to be constantly watching for the message of evil or good.
: 8 And he said, This is wickedness, and he cast it into the midst of the ephah; and he cast the weight of lead upon the mouth thereof. (7564 “wickedness” [rish‘ah] means unrighteousness, fraud, falsehood, or guilt.)
DEVOTION: The Hebrew word for wickedness is feminine. That is way evil is personified as a woman.
There is an example of a woman in a basket who is wicked. This woman is carried in a basket by two women with wings to the land of Shinar.
This woman who is wicked is carried to Babylon where evil is going to come from in the future. The angel is instructing Zechariah of what is going to happen in the future. There is going to be a carrying away of the children of Israel to Babylon. This will also carry all the iniquity of Israel into Babylon.
With the removal of evil from the land of Israel the stage is set for the return of the LORD Jesus Christ. Babylon is going to be defeated by the LORD before HE establishes the Millennial Kingdom.
Idolatry will be around throughout the history of mankind. All humans have a desire to worship something or someone. Each nation had their own false gods in the Old Testament. They thought that their false gods gave them blessings. This was wrong.
God is the one and only true God that blesses both the just and the unjust with rain for their crops and with good weather. HE allows those who reject HIM to see HIS good works, so that, they can understand their false gods really don’t give them anything.
We have false gods even here in America. Our false gods can be money, sports, possession and even religious activity. One day these false gods will be removed and only the one true God will reign supreme.
CHALLENGE: We need to understand that evil is all around us on a daily basis. With the LORD’S help we can resist evil and do well in the name of the LORD. Our good bring glory to the LORD.
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