Zechariah 5
GOD would not be God if He slighted sin, and in this chapter evil in His earthly people is exposed, and its judgment pronounced, together with the promise of the removal of sin from the land of Israel.
What is sin? What gives offense to God? His written word answers these questions, for Israel the book of the law. This it is which the prophet now sees; flying, that all in the land may observe; and great in size that its importance may be realized by everyone. It carries a curse, for “the soul that sinneth, it shall die” (Ezekiel 18:44Behold, all souls are mine; as the soul of the father, so also the soul of the son is mine: the soul that sinneth, it shall die. (Ezekiel 18:4)).
Only two offenses are mentioned, but they are evidently chosen as examples of the two classes dealt with in the law—against man, and against God; the thief denies the rights of his fellow man, and the swearer denies God His place. Mercy is not in question, but judgment, which will be unsparing, in the day of judgment.
Not only, however, were there such sins as these practiced among the earthly people of God; there was idolatry, to which the prophet’s attention is next directed (verses 5-11). It is an ephah that he sees, the ordinary measure, roughly corresponding to a bushel, used by the Israelites; but not here serving for the measurement of an article of trade, such as flour or grain. Was idolatry then to this people closely linked with their everyday life? It is evident that it had been, though when the remnant returned from Babylon, the lesson had by that generation been learned; they were wearied front idols.
Idolatry will, however, return after the “many days” of Hosea 3:4,4For the children of Israel shall abide many days without a king, and without a prince, and without a sacrifice, and without an image, and without an ephod, and without teraphim: (Hosea 3:4) which are no yet entirely past. This is set forth in Matthew 12:43-4543When the unclean spirit is gone out of a man, he walketh through dry places, seeking rest, and findeth none. 44Then he saith, I will return into my house from whence I came out; and when he is come, he findeth it empty, swept, and garnished. 45Then goeth he, and taketh with himself seven other spirits more wicked than himself, and they enter in and dwell there: and the last state of that man is worse than the first. Even so shall it be also unto this wicked generation. (Matthew 12:43‑45); Daniel 9:2727And he shall confirm the covenant with many for one week: and in the midst of the week he shall cause the sacrifice and the oblation to cease, and for the overspreading of abominations he shall make it desolate, even until the consummation, and that determined shall be poured upon the desolate. (Daniel 9:27); Matthew 24:1515When ye therefore shall see the abomination of desolation, spoken of by Daniel the prophet, stand in the holy place, (whoso readeth, let him understand:) (Matthew 24:15); Daniel 11:3838But in his estate shall he honor the God of forces: and a god whom his fathers knew not shall he honor with gold, and silver, and with precious stones, and pleasant things. (Daniel 11:38); Revelation 13:14, 1514And deceiveth them that dwell on the earth by the means of those miracles which he had power to do in the sight of the beast; saying to them that dwell on the earth, that they should make an image to the beast, which had the wound by a sword, and did live. 15And he had power to give life unto the image of the beast, that the image of the beast should both speak, and cause that as many as would not worship the image of the beast should be killed. (Revelation 13:14‑15).
The weight of lead cast on the mouth of the ephah seems to refer to the present suppression of idolatry among the Jews. The worship of idols had its great center, if not also its beginning, in the land of Shinar (Babylonia), and it will meet its destruction in the judgment of the future Babylon, the last days’ oppressor of the Jews. This form of iniquity will be taken entirely away from Israel’s land at the Lord’s appearing.
ML 08/15/1937