 Key Verse
7 And behold, the leaden cover was lifted, and there was a woman sitting in the basket! 8 And he said, “This is Wickedness.” And he thrust her back into the basket, and thrust down the leaden weight on its opening. Meditation God’s covenant faithfulness guarantees that wickedness in the world will not win. God is faithful until the end, protecting His people as He removes wickedness from our midst. Zechariah’s apocalyptic visions in today’s reading calls God’s people to covenant faithfulness by revealing what will come through God’s covenant faithfulness to us. Zechariah’s sixth vision (vv. 1-4) concerns keeping the law despite the lack of a finished temple, an invitation for returned exiles to repent and return to relationship. The seventh vision (vv. 5-8) concerns God’s sovereignty over wickedness in the world. Grace invites people to return to the Lord. God’s absolute authority invites us to trust Him. Zechariah explains that the woman in the basket “is wickedness” (v. 7). The Apostle John’s apocalyptic vision in Revelation 17:1-6 sees a woman drunk with blood, the Babylonian mother of earth’s abominations. In both, the visions personify evil and iniquity. Here wickedness is “thrust back into the basket” with a “leaden weight” shoved onto the opening to symbolize God’s sovereign rule containing wickedness in the world- one day completely removing it from our midst. God’s sovereignty is greater than wickedness in the world. Joseph experienced wickedness from the hands of his brothers and later proclaimed: “What the enemy intended for evil God intended for good” (Genesis 50:20). Ultimately this points to the cross of Christ where Jesus was “put to death by wicked men” (Acts 2:23) in order to conquer wickedness through His resurrection. In Jesus, believers have a well of hope in hard times knowing wickedness won’t win! God is faithful to the end. Today’s Reading Again I lifted my eyes and saw, and behold, a flying scroll!2 And he said to me, “What do you see?” I answered, “I see a flying scroll. Its length is twenty cubits, and its width ten cubits.” 3 Then he said to me, “This is the curse that goes out over the face of the whole land. For everyone who steals shall be cleaned out according to what is on one side, and everyone who swears falsely shall be cleaned out according to what is on the other side. 4 I will send it out, declares the Lord of hosts, and it shall enter the house of the thief, and the house of him who swears falsely by my name. And it shall remain in his house and consume it, both timber and stones.” A Vision of a Woman in a Basket 5 Then the angel who talked with me came forward and said to me, “Lift your eyes and see what this is that is going out.”6 And I said, “What is it?” He said, “This is the basket that is going out.” And he said, “This is their iniquity in all the land.” 7 And behold, the leaden cover was lifted, and there was a woman sitting in the basket! 8 And he said, “This is Wickedness.” And he thrust her back into the basket, and thrust down the leaden weight on its opening. 9 Then I lifted my eyes and saw, and behold, two women coming forward! The wind was in their wings. They had wings like the wings of a stork, and they lifted up the basket between earth and heaven. 10 Then I said to the angel who talked with me, “Where are they taking the basket?” 11 He said to me, “To the land of Shinar, to build a house for it. And when this is prepared, they will set the basket down there on its base.” Richly Dwelling -Where do you feel the weight of wickedness in the world? How do you handle it? -Why is it empowering to see how God will with wickedness, thrusting it into the basket and removing it from His people? How does this promise point to the new heavens in the future while giving strength for today? -Jesus experienced and overcame wickedness so that you can be sure of His love and be secure in Him. Where do you need to more fully trust Jesus and His work, knowing He will redeem what He allows? Be specific, and ask Him to give you eyes to see. Key Verse 7 And behold, the leaden cover was lifted, and there was a woman sitting in the basket! 8 And he said, “This is Wickedness.” And he thrust her back into the basket, and thrust down the leaden weight on its opening.
0 Comments
Leave a Reply. |