Scripture

He replied,” It is a basket for measuring grain, and it is filled with the sins of everyone throughout the land.”

Observation

Zechariah sees a flying scroll which contains a curse that goes out over every part of the land. One side of the scroll says that everyone who steals will be banished from the land, while the other side says that everyone who swears falsely will be banished from the land. The house of every thief and every liar will be cursed by the Lord.

Next, Zechariah sees a basket that is used to measure grain, but it is filled with the sins of everyone in the land. The lid of the basket is removed to reveal a woman who is named Wickedness. Two women then fly towards the basket and take it to Babylon. There, a temple will be built for the basket, where it will be placed on a pedestal, presumably to be worshipped.

Application

Our nation is filled with every kind of evil – pornography, greed, theft, lies, violence, murder, and every kind of sexual immorality. The sins are in a measuring basket, which means that God can see them, weigh them, and judge them

In Zechariah’s vision, the basket of sins is sent to Babylon, where a temple is built to worship it. We are living in Babylon, where what God declares good is trashed but, every sin is elevated and worshipped .

The solution is not merely to condemn the sins of the world. Nor is it to hide in our holy huddle, isolated from the world and waiting for Jesus to take us home .

The solution is for the church to preach the gospel widely and fearlessly. As people turn away from their sin, its ability to captivate the nation is reduced.

Prayer

Lord Jesus, I pray for my friends who do not know you. Bring them to the place of repentance and salvation. Amen

Scripture

“It is not by force nor by strength, but by my Spirit”, says the Lord of Heaven’s Armies.

Observation

The Lord brings another vision to Zechariah. He sees a lamp-stand with seven lamps, each with seven wicks. Olive trees stand on either side of the lamp.

The Lord says to Zechariah it is not might nor power but the Spirit of the Lord that will remove the mountain.

Just as Zerubbabel laid the foundation of the temple, he will be the one to complete it. They must not despise the small beginnings because the Lord rejoices in what he is doing.

Application

The way forward in our life is not by human strength nor by wisdom, but by the power of the Holy Spirit. The Spirit of God will remove the greatest mountain, if only we will submit ourselves to Him.

The problem is that often we see a problem and we think we have to fix it. We assume that whatever is in our way, we can overcome it by our own efforts.

Nearly every problem in life has a spiritual root– whether it is outright demonic attacks or generational curses we have done nothing to deserve.

We need the Holy Spirit in order to flourish in life and in our walk with the Lord.

If we can gain the victory in the spirit realm, we will find every battle becomes easier to win.

God has given us every good weapon for the warfare, but it is up to us to use them, depending on Him and His strength.

Prayer

It is not by might nor strength but by your Spirit alone that my mountains are removed. Help me, Lord, to remember this in the midst of the battle. Amen

Scripture

And the Lord said to satan, ” I, the Lord, reject your accusation, satan.”

Observation

Zechariah has a vision of Jeshua the high priest. Satan, the accuser, makes accusations against Jeshua, but the Lord reject them.

Jeshua’s clothing is filthy, but the angels take these clothes off him, and give him clean clothes. The angel says,” I have taken away your sins.”

The angel of the Lord tells Jeshua that if he stays faithful to the Lord, he will have great authority in the temple. Jeshua is a symbol of the coming Messiah.

Application

This is a lovely picture of the ways of the Lord in bringing us to salvation.

The devil is constantly making accusations against us. The Lord is constantly rejecting those accusations.

When we come to Christ, He takes away our filthy clothes, which represent our sinful nature. Instead He clothes us in the righteousness of Christ. Now, no accusation that is made against us can stand.

Now that satan is unable to bring accusations against us to the Lord, he brings accusations to us. He whispers lies that say we are not good enough, that we won’t be forgiven this time, or that we have committed the unforgivable sin.

We must reject these accusations and declare that in Christ we are clothed with righteousness. When it comes to accusation, we need to listen to the Lord’s judgement, not the claims of satan.

Prayer

Thank you Lord for the assurance of forgiveness. I am clothed in Christ, and satan’s accusations are false. Amen

Scripture

“Then I myself will be a protective wall of fire around Jerusalem,” says the Lord. “And I will be the glory inside the city.”

Observation

Zechariah sees a man who is measuring Jerusalem. He goes to meet another angel who declares that Jerusalem is going to be so full of people and livestock that there won’t be enough room for everyone. Many will llive outside the city walls. The Lord will be a wall of fire around Jerusalem and He will be the glory inside the city.

The Lord calls His people to return home. He says,” Rejoice, Jerusalem, for I am coming to live among you.”Many nations will join themselves to the Lord, and they will be the Lord’s people.

Application

The Lord is promising prosperity to Jerusalem, which will have so many people that they will not fit inside the city walls.

This chapter is looking forward, beyond the rebuilding of Jerusalem,to the church age, when many people from all nations join themselves to the Lord.

The Lord is our protective wall of fire. tTrough two millennia of persecution and many challenges, the church continues to grow and prosper. The devil has not been able to destroy it. In terms of the prophecy, there are so many christians that they do not all fit inside the walls of the established institutions. It truly is a huge crowd that nobody can number.

God is our protective wall. He is also the glory inside the city. Lives are being transformed by Christ, the gospel is being preached, whole nations are changed. We see miracles, answered prayer, the power of the Holy Spirit.

God is at work all around the world. Praise the name of Jesus!

Prayer

Thank you, Holy Spirit for what you are doing in your church. From the local gathering to the international church, you are our glory. Amen