Chapter 5 records the sixth and seventh visions Zechariah receives on a single night—the twenty-fourth day of the eleventh month in the second year of King Darius’s reign. At this moment, the Jews are several months into the restart of the Temple rebuild. Zechariah’s visions come to strengthen their resolve to build in the face of mountain-sized challenges and to call them to a deeper level of holiness before the Lord. The later emphasis (holiness) moves to the forefront in the sixth and seventh visions (5:1-11).
Zechariah looks and sees a large, flying scroll, thirty feet long and fifteen feet wide (5:1-2). The scroll, which has writing on both sides, is flying over “the whole land” (5:3), indicating its message applies to all the people of Israel. The words of the scroll spell out the judgment (“curse”) that will come to all who break God’s command not to “steal” (5:3) or “swear falsely” in the Lord’s name (5:3-4). Stealing and giving false testimony are two of the ten commandments given in the Mosaic Covenant (Ex 20:15-16). As such, they may represent the entire list of God’s commandments to Israel. When Israel first entered the Promised Land, they gathered at the base of Mt. Ebal and Mt. Gerizim to proclaim God’s promised blessings for obeying His laws and His promised curses for disobedience (Deut 27-28).
The Lord’s message to Zechariah is that the flying scroll “shall enter the house of the thief, and the house of him who swears falsely by my name” (5:4). Those who have disregarded and disobeyed God’s commandments will be “cleaned out” (5:3), their houses destroyed down to the “timber and stones” (5:4). God wants a holy people inhabiting the land He has chosen as the place for His holy Temple.
The seventh vision also speaks of removing wickedness from God’s presence, but in a different way (5:5-11). The angel speaking with Zechariah draws his attention to another object: “Lift your eyes and see what this is that is going out” (5:5). Zechariah sees a basket the size of a half-bushel (an ephah, which is 3/5 of a bushel). The bushel’s top was covered with a heavy (“leadened”) lid and it contained a small woman. The angel explains that the woman symbolizes “their iniquity” (or “their eye”) and their “wickedness” (5:6-7). The woman evidently wants to escape; when the lid is lifted, she has to be “thrust down” into the basket (5:8).
While Zechariah watches, two women come forward. Both have “wings of a stork” which allow them to lift the basket “between earth and heaven” (5:9). Zechariah asks the angel where they are taking the basket (5:10). He’s told “To the land of Shinar (Babylon), to build a house for it” (5:11). The women transporting the basket fly with the “wind . . .in their wings”; the Spirit of the Lord is empowering them for their task.
Knowing God: Understanding His Person and Ways
The comforting truth that God forgives sin does not imply He tolerates it. The previous two visions (new priestly garments and golden lampstand) emphasized God’s grace in cleansing Joshua (chapter 3) and empowering Zerubbabel (chapter 4). These visions comforted leaders (and the rest of the Jews) who were unclean and felt overwhelmed. Then come two visions that remind us of God’s intolerance of sin among His people (flying scroll; basket of wickedness). These visions sober us with the truth that God’s grace to sinners and strugglers must not be construed as indifference to sin. God is both loving and holy.
The Lord deals with wickedness through elimination and exile. In the flying scroll vision, the Word of the Lord eliminates evil by judging (cursing) individuals who violate his commandments. They and their homes are destroyed down to the “timbers” and “stones” (5:4). In the flying basket vision, the Lord removes wickedness by exiling it to Babylon, a place where evil finds a home (5:11). The picture of flight in both visions (a flying scroll and a flying basket) show God’s swiftness when He takes action to remove wickedness. He is slow to anger but swift in bringing judgment when His patience runs out (Ex 34:6-7). This truth should instill a holy fear of God in all of us.
Joining God: Moving with God on Mission
Our deception will be detected and dealt with by the Lord. The two sins recorded on the flying scroll (stealing, swearing falsely) involve an element of deception. Those who steal and those who give false testimony want to avoid being discovered. But the Lord is not fooled. He sends His judgement to the homes of those who break His commandments. Our deception is fully detected and severely dealt with by our holy God.
The presence of our holy God demands holiness from God’s people. As the Temple is rebuilt, evil must be demolished. His holy presence calls for a holy people. As a result, the Lord takes rapid action to remove wickedness from among His people. Here is a vivid reminder that having the Lord dwell among (and in) us, calls for true holiness in our lives. Holiness begins in our hearts but shows itself in our obedience to God’s commands.
Rick and Linda Reed 