Zechariah 5:1-4

FBC Baxley

January 28, 2024

Pm service

Zechariah 5:1-4

Title: Unveiling the Flying Scroll: God's Message for Today

Last Week:

Last week, we looked at the fourth chapter here in Zechariah…Where we were reminded that it’s

“Not by might, nor by power, but by My Spirit” says the Lord.

But beyond that I would remind you of exactly what Zechariah saw.

• If you’ll remember he saw a sort of gravity fed candelabra which was tapped in directly to the olive trees that supplied the oil.

Now of course we learned about how God works through His people and accomplishes His purposes even when they seem impossible.

But it is also important that you remember

That it was a lampstand that Zechariah saw.

We are reminded by this that there is a purpose in all of what God is doing through His people and that is that they are a light to the world. (Even the small things…remember!)

DON’T MISS THAT POINT.

God was rebuilding His temple

And promising to once again dwell in their midst

Mainly so that they would be a light that shines in the darkness.

It is important that you grasp this to understand these next two visions.

Because these visions also address the issue of

Making God’s people a light to the world.

Introduction:

Tonight we turn our hearts to the book of Zechariah 5, a prophet who shared divine visions that carry profound meaning for us even in our modern lives.

In Zechariah 5:1-4, we encounter a vivid vision—a flying scroll—unveiling God's message for His people.

I. The Unfurling Scroll (Zechariah 5:1):

Verse 1, “Again I lifted my eyes and saw, and behold, a flying scroll!”

In this passage, the prophet Zechariah witnesses a flying scroll, representing the written Word of God.

This scroll is not stationary but in motion, signifying the omnipresence of God's Word and the swiftness of it.

Just as the scroll moves, God's Word is not bound by time or space; it transcends all barriers, reaching every corner of the earth.

The unfurling scroll reminds us of the unchanging and eternal nature of God's truth.

II. The Dimensions of Divine Judgment (Zechariah 5:2-3):

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.”

The dimensions of the flying scroll are significant, measuring twenty cubits in length and ten cubits in width.

These measurements are not random but carry symbolic meaning.

The twenty cubits suggest completeness, and the ten cubits signify divine order and law.

The flying scroll represents God's judgment, encompassing the entirety of human existence.

It is a reminder that God's justice is comprehensive, and His standards are unyielding.

As we think about this, let us examine our lives in the light of God's Word, seeking alignment with His righteous standards.

Facebook video clip featuring R.C. Sproul.

He sat on a Q&A panel where the question was asked

The question: “Since God is slow to anger and patient then why, when man first sinned, was His wrath and punishment so severe and long lasting?

R.C. answered “Time out, didn’t we just have that question a second ago…That God’s punishment for Adam was so severe? This creature from the dirt defied the everlasting Holy God, after that God had said “The day that you shall eat of it, you shall surely die.” And instead of dying (Thanatos) that day, he lived another day, and was clothed in his nakedness, by pure grace, and had the consequences of a curse applied for quite some time, but the worst curse would come upon the one who seduced him, whose head would be crushed by the seed of the woman.

And the punishment was too severe? What’s wrong with you people!?! I’m serious, I mean this is what’s wrong with the Christian church today. We don’t know who God is and we don’t know who we are.

The question is, “Why wasn’t it infinitely more severe?” If we have any understanding of our sin and any understanding of who God is, that’s the question isn’t it?

The implication there is that we have forgotten that

We are nothing but dirt formed out of the ground

And how dare we defy the living God.

• How dare we think that our feelings are more important than His glory?

• How dare we make ourselves equal with the Creator?

• How dare we make this all about man instead of about God?

III. The Curse on the Unrighteous (Zechariah 5:4):

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.”

The content of the flying scroll contains a curse, a judgment that falls upon the unrighteous.

This curse is not random either but is based on the violation of God's commandments.

As we look deeper into this divine pronouncement, we need to be reminded that God's justice is not passive.

It actively addresses sin and disobedience.

However, God's mercy is available for those who repent and turn to Him.

May we heed this warning and seek His forgiveness and grace.

Life Application Points:

1. Embrace the Power of God's Word:

Just as the flying scroll moved without restraint, let us embrace the omnipresence of God's Word in our lives.

Allow His truth to permeate every aspect of your existence, guiding your thoughts, words, and actions.

2. Align Your Life with God’s Standards:

Reflect on the dimensions of the flying scroll—completeness and divine order.

Align your life with God's standards, recognizing that His righteousness is unchanging.

Seek transformation through obedience and surrender to His will.

3. Turn to God's Mercy and Grace:

Acknowledge the reality of divine judgment, but also embrace the promise of God's mercy.

The curse on the unrighteous serves as a call to repentance.

Turn to God, seek His forgiveness, and experience the transformative power of His grace.

Conclusion:

The flying scroll in Zechariah's vision is a powerful reminder of God's omnipresence, unyielding standards, and the consequences of disobedience.

As we navigate our journey of faith, may we embrace God's Word, align our lives with His righteousness, and find refuge in His boundless mercy.

PRAY

INVITATION