Zechariah Chapter 5
Showing all 11 verses for Zechariah Chapter 5.
The People's Bible is written by people, for the people. Each verse below shows:
"Then I turned, and lifted up mine eyes, and looked, and behold a flying roll. "
"Zechariah looks up again and sees a giant scroll flying through the air."
I use pictures because words alone don't always land. Notice how this vision grabs your attention before it teaches you anything - sometimes you need to stop and really look at your life before you can understand what needs to change in it.
"And he said unto me, What seest thou? And I answered, I see a flying roll; the length thereof is twenty cubits, and the breadth thereof ten cubits. "
"The angel asks what he sees, and Zechariah describes a scroll roughly nine metres long and four-and-a-half metres wide."
I ask questions and let you describe what you're seeing before I explain anything, because naming what's in front of you is the first step to understanding it. Pay attention to the specifics of your own life rather than rushing past them.
"Then said he unto me, This is the curse that goeth forth over the face of the whole earth: for every one that stealeth shall be cut off as on this side according to it; and every one that sweareth shall be cut off as on that side according to it. "
"The angel explains that the scroll represents a curse spreading across the whole land, removing every thief on one side and everyone who swears falsely on the other."
I care about the small dishonesties as much as the big ones - the lie in the contract, the item taken that wasn't yours. Living with integrity in your everyday dealings with people is not a minor issue to me; it's central to loving your neighbour.
"I will bring it forth, saith the LORD of hosts, and it shall enter into the house of the thief, and into the house of him that sweareth falsely by my name: and it shall remain in the midst of his house, and shall consume it with the timber thereof and the stones thereof. "
"God declares he will send this curse right into the homes of the thief and the false-swearer, where it will settle and destroy the house completely, wood and stone."
What you do in secret doesn't stay separate from the rest of your life - dishonesty undermines the very foundations you're trying to build on. I want better for you than a life built on cutting corners, because it never holds up.
"Then the angel that talked with me went forth, and said unto me, Lift up now thine eyes, and see what is this that goeth forth. "
"The guiding angel steps forward and tells Zechariah to look up again at something new that is now appearing."
I keep drawing your eyes forward, one lesson at a time, because growth happens in stages, not all at once. Stay open to what's next rather than assuming you've already seen everything you need to see.
"And I said, What is it? And he said, This is an ephah that goeth forth. He said moreover, This is their resemblance through all the earth. "
"Zechariah asks what it is, and the angel says it's a large measuring basket, representing the people's guilt across the whole land."
I don't only deal with dramatic, headline sins - the ordinary compromises of daily life matter to me too. Take an honest look at the 'ordinary' things you measure your life by; are they fair and true?
"And, behold, there was lifted up a talent of lead: and this is a woman that sitteth in the midst of the ephah. "
"A heavy lead cover is lifted, revealing a woman sitting inside the basket."
Some patterns in life need real weight and effort to keep them contained - a passing wish isn't enough; you sometimes need firm boundaries to hold back what would otherwise spread. Don't be afraid to apply real weight to protect what matters.
"And he said, This is wickedness. And he cast it into the midst of the ephah; and he cast the weight of lead upon the mouth thereof. "
"The angel names the woman 'Wickedness,' pushes her down into the basket, and seals the opening with the heavy lead weight."
Some things in your life you don't negotiate with - you shut the lid firmly and don't leave the door open a crack 'just in case'. Real freedom sometimes means being decisive about what you will no longer allow room for.
"Then lifted I up mine eyes, and looked, and, behold, there came out two women, and the wind was in their wings; for they had wings like the wings of a stork: and they lifted up the ephah between the earth and the heaven. "
"Zechariah looks up again and sees two winged women, their wings full of wind like a stork's, lifting the sealed basket up into the sky."
Sometimes the healthiest thing isn't fighting a battle forever, but letting something be carried right out of your life for good. I want to be part of that lifting for you - freeing you from what weighs you down, not leaving you to wrestle with it alone.
"Then said I to the angel that talked with me, Whither do these bear the ephah? "
"Zechariah asks the angel where they are taking the basket."
It's good to ask 'where is this going?' about the things being removed from your life or the things you're carrying. Understanding the direction of change helps you trust the process.
"And he said unto me, To build it an house in the land of Shinar: and it shall be established, and set there upon her own base. "
"The angel answers that they are taking it to build it a house in the land of Shinar (Babylon), where it will be permanently set on its own foundation."
There is a place I want to send what harms you - somewhere it belongs, far from your daily life, permanently. Let go of what needs to go; don't keep carrying home a burden that was never meant to live with you.