Zechariah 5:1-11

Zechariah has two more visions in this passage.  One of a flying scroll the other of a woman in a basket being flown away to Babylon.  Both the scroll and the basket represent particular sins and the vision is to warn the reader of God’s judgment on sin.  We must never think that sin is benign.  Sin is always damaging and will always bring about disastrous results in our lives and the lives of those who are enslaved to it.  Sin will bring down individuals, families and entire nations if left unchecked.  God calls His people to be holy as He is holy and He makes a provision for us to be holy through the cross of Christ.  Those who trust Him are purified of their sins and set free from the power of sin in their lives.

THE RESULTS OF SIN: The flying scroll represents two very prominent sins.  The first is stealing that which does not belong to you and the second is swearing or taking oaths that are not fulfilled.  When we steal we take that which belongs to another for our own gain.  When we swear falsely we use the name of God in a vain way and attach His holiness to our sinfulness in a way that is very displeasing to Him.  God is not pleased by either of these things.  He calls us to be honest in all of our actions and our words.  We are to work hard to produce the things that we need and we are to use our words in all honesty without swearing.  When these sins against God and against our fellow man come in and take residence in our homes and lives they will always bring judgment.  God calls us to obey His Word which requires that we speak truthfully without making oaths or swearing by His holy name and that we respect others.


THE REMOVAL OF SIN: The woman in the basket most likely represents the sin of idolatry.  Harlotry is often used in Scripture to describe Israel’s idolatry.  Here this woman in a basket is called wickedness.  The basket is gathered by two winged beings and flow off to the land of Babylon.  Israel’s idolatry in the past is what led her to be judged when the nation was taken captive and hauled off to Babylon.  The nation of Babylon was also an idolatrous nation that in turn was judged by God.  God’s priority in this world is to remove every form of idolatry so that He alone will be worshiped.  The events that take place on this planet are all designed by God and used by Him to remove idolatry from the midst of the earth.  This has always been God’s goal and will continue to be until we enter an eternity in which God alone is worshiped. 

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