Saturday, December 19
Read Zechariah 4-5
Think About It:
Chapter 4
The candlesticks that Zechariah saw was totally unlike the one Moses put in the tabernacle. Along with the seven branches and lamps, this candlestick had a bowl at the top into which olive oil dripped from two trees, which symbolized Joshua and Zerubbabel. The candlestick also had seven pipes going from the bowl to each lamp, making a total of 49 pipes. No priest had to provide oil because it was always coming from the trees. Seven pipes to each lamp assured an ample supply of fuel to keep the light burning.
The lamp stand in the tabernacle was symbolic of the Messiah, the Light of the world (John 8:12), who one day would come and give the “Light of life” to all who would trust Him. The light from the golden lamp stand would shine on the table in the holy place and reveal the loaves of bread, Christ the bread of life (Exodus 25:30; John 3:66, 35, 48, 50-51).
Solomon was a monarch of a powerful kingdom that ruled over many gentile nations and took tribute from them, but the Jews of Zechariah’s day had no such authority. That is why God said to them through His prophet, “Not by might nor by power, but by My Spirit” (4:6). The word “might” refers to military might, what people can do together, but the remnant had no army. “Power” refers to the strength of the individual, but Zerubbabel’s strength was no doubt waning. “Don’t be discouraged!” was the prophet’s message. “The Spirit of God will enable us to do what an army could never do!” They had forgotten what Haggai had said to them. “My spirit remains among you. “Do not fear” (Haggai 2:5).
God assured Zerubbabel that he would complete the rebuilding of the temple and the people would rejoice at what God had done for them. Zerubbabel would bring out the Capstone with shouts of “God bless it! God bless it!” Another possible translation is “Beauty! Perfection!”
The vision climaxes with God calling Joshua and Zerubbabel “the two anointed ones, that stand by the LORD of the whole earth.” What a noble title for His service! As the two olive trees, Joshua and Zerubbabel receive the empowering Spirit of God and kept the light of Israel’s work and the witness burning. Let’s remember Joshua and Zerubbabel who are an encouragement to seek to serve the LORD in any way.
Chapter 5
The vision of the flying scroll in the vision of the ephah focus primarily on the land of Israel. In both of them, God performs a cleansing operation and deals with the sins of the nation. God removes lawlessness (1-4). The profits at a large open scroll, 15 feet by 30 feet, floating through the air, with writing of both sides. One side he read the third commandment, against taking God’s name in vain (Exodus 20:7). And on the other side he reads the eighth commandment against stealing (verse 15).
This scroll represented the law of God that brings a curse on all who disobey it, and that includes all of us (Deuteronomy 27:26; Galatians 3:10-12); because nobody can fully obey God’s law. For that matter, the law was never given to save the people (Galatians 2:16, 21; 3:21) but to reveal that people need to be saved; “For by the law is the knowledge of sin” (Romans 3:20).
God announced that the scroll of His law would visit the individual homes in the land in judge those who were deliberately disobeying God. Whether cut off means killed or expelled from the covenant community, isn’t made clear. Like a thief or plague, the curse would enter the house unannounced and bring destruction.
The Jewish remnant was certainly familiar with the “blessings and curses” of the covenant recorded by Moses. They also knew that after Joshua had brought the people into the promised land, they gathered at Mt. Ebal and Mt. Gerizim and read the blessings and curses and promised to obey the LORD.
Lawlessness abounds today and the only commandment many people worry about is, “Thou shall not get caught.” Ultimately, God will judge all sinners who have rebelled against His law; but He will start with Israel, the nation that gave us God’s law. Its divine principle that judgment begins with God’s people. This judgment will occur before the LORD establishes His Kingdom on earth, then the holy land will truly become holy. God will remove the iniquity of the land in one day.
In the second part of the vision, wickedness is personified by a woman, because the Hebrew word for wickedness is feminine. The ephah was a common measure in Israel, but no ephah would be large enough to house a person, so, like the huge scroll, this was a special ephah. The woman attempted to get out of the ephah, so the lead cover was put on the ephah to keep her in. A talent of lead would weigh from 75 to 100 pounds.
The prophet then saw two other women, but they had wings! With the help of the wind, the lifted at the basket and its contents, plus the heavy lead cover, and carried it in the air to Babylon. Although angels are actually sexless (Matthew 22:30), in scripture they’re generally depicted as male, so these two women were special agents of the LORD created just for this particular task. They took the ephah and the woman to Shinar (Babylon) and put the ephah on a base in a special house.
In order to understand this vision, we must ask ourselves what did the Jews bring to their land from Babylon when they returned after their captivity? They left as farmers and returned as merchants. Both believers and nonbelievers, Jews or Gentiles, can be manufacturers and merchants and faithfully do their work. But if a worldly commercial spirit infects a child of God, it will result in twisted values, confused priorities, and a craving for wealth and position that grieves the LORD. The best antidote is Matthew 6:33, “But seek first the kingdom of God and His righteousness, and all these things shall be added to you.”
Family Time:
- Many people believe that to survive in the world a person must be rough, strong, unbending and harsh. But God says, “Not by might or by power, but by My Spirit.” As you live for God, determine not to trust in your own strength or abilities, instead depend on God and work in the power of His Spirit.
- How big was the scroll in chapter 5?
- What does the women in the basket represent in chapter 5?
