Scripture Reading : Zechariah 5
Theme : Purging of Sin
Flying Scroll (1-4). The flying scroll represents the Ten Commandments, which in term represent the whole Mosaic Law. No stealing is the eighth commandment (Ex. 20:15), no swearing falsely by His name is the third commandment (Ex. 20:7, taking His name in vain). These two sins are highlighted because people were greedy and were willing to pollute the land for riches. God warns those who persist in these sins will be destroyed by Him, just He destroyed their fathers for their sins. Israel will be blessed when God purges all unrepentant people from Israel (13:2-3).
Woman in a Basket (5-11). The woman in the basket represents wickedness in the land of Israel. For God to purify Israel, He must remove this wickedness from the land of Israel. Zechariah sees the woman is carried away from Israel and placed in Babylon (land of Shinar, v. 11). Since the Babylonian empire no longer exists when Zechariah saw this vision, most likely, this is referring to the end time Babylon which represents the evil system of the world that is idolatrous and anti-Christ (2:6-7; Rev. 18:2-4). God will destroy this Babylon in the end and be victorious over evil.
Praying the Scripture
- Even though the church is not Israel, Jesus has commanded the church to purge itself of anyone who commits serious sins that denigrates the name of God and His church (Matt. 18:15-20). If a church does not purge gross sins from the church, it will not be blessed by God but will be corrupted (1 Cor. 5:5-6). The goal of church discipline is not to embarrass people but to restore their soul and to preserve the purity of the church, the bride of Christ. Church discipline is to be done with prayers, grieve and firmness.
- Christians are sojourners in this evil world that is still controlled by Satan. We are called to escape this evil system that seeks to destroy our souls (2:6-7). From birth, the world programs people to worship themselves and to pursue greatness (cf. Gen. 11:4) through money, sex, power or pleasure. Such thinking is the foundation of the world. It is anti-God and anti-Christ. God calls us to get out of this Babylon. Revelation 18:4, “Come out of her, my people, so that you do not take part in her sins, and so that you do not share in her plagues.” We are not of this world (John 17:16), but we are in the world to save people of this world.
经文：撒迦利亚书5
主题：洗清罪孽
分行的书卷（1-4）。飞行的书卷代表的是十诫，也进而代表了整个摩西律法。不可偷窃是第八个诫命（出20:15），不以神的名起假誓是第三个诫命（出20:7；不可妄称耶和华你神的名）。神在这里突显这两条罪是因为人心贪婪，愿为财富玷污全地。神警告：执意犯罪的会被祂消灭，如同祂因他们列祖的罪消灭他们一样。当神从以色列清除所有不肯悔改的人之后，以色列将蒙福（13:2-3）。
量器中之妇（5-11）。量器中的妇女代表了以色列地的罪恶。神若要洁净以色列，就得从这地清除这个罪恶。撒迦利亚见到妇女从以色列被抬到巴比伦（示拿地，11节）。既然撒迦利亚见到这个异象时，巴比伦已不复存在，所以这大有可能指的是末日的巴比伦，即拜偶像、敌基督的世界邪恶体系（2:6-7；启18:2-4）。神最终会消灭这个巴比伦，胜过罪恶。
用经文祷告
- 虽然教会不是以色列，但耶稣也吩咐教会要洁净自己，清除凡犯重罪，从而诋毁神之名与祂教会的（太18:15-20）。教会若不从内清除严重的罪行，她不会得到神的祝福，乃会败坏（林前5:5-6）。教会纪律的目的不是要使人羞愧，乃要把人的灵魂挽回，并保守教会，即基督的新妇之纯洁。教会纪律是当以祷告、哀痛和坚定之心执行的。
- 基督徒在这仍由撒旦掌控的邪恶世界当客旅。我们被召要脱离这个试着要消灭我们灵魂的邪恶体系（2:6-7）。从出生开始，世界便教导人要崇拜自己，并借着钱财、性交、势力或享乐追求名义（参创11:4）。这是敌神与敌基督的。神召我们要离开这个巴比伦。启示录18:4说：“我的民哪，你们要从那城出来，免得与她一同有罪，受她所受的灾殃。”我们不属这世界（约17:16），但我们在这世界里要救人脱离这个世界。
