Daily Devotional Sunday 10th September 2023
by William Moody
Zechariah 2
A Vision of a Man with a Measuring Line
2:1 1 And I lifted my eyes and saw, and behold, a man with a measuring line in his hand! 2 Then I said, “Where are you going?” And he said to me, “To measure Jerusalem, to see what is its width and what is its length.” 3 And behold, the angel who talked with me came forward, and another angel came forward to meet him 4 and said to him, “Run, say to that young man, ‘Jerusalem shall be inhabited as villages without walls, because of the multitude of people and livestock in it. 5 And I will be to her a wall of fire all around, declares the LORD, and I will be the glory in her midst.’”
6 Up! Up! Flee from the land of the north, declares the LORD. For I have spread you abroad as the four winds of the heavens, declares the LORD. 7 Up! Escape to Zion, you who dwell with the daughter of Babylon. 8 For thus said the LORD of hosts, after his glory sent me2 to the nations who plundered you, for he who touches you touches the apple of his eye: 9 “Behold, I will shake my hand over them, and they shall become plunder for those who served them. Then you will know that the LORD of hosts has sent me. 10 Sing and rejoice, O daughter of Zion, for behold, I come and I will dwell in your midst, declares the LORD. 11 And many nations shall join themselves to the LORD in that day, and shall be my people. And I will dwell in your midst, and you shall know that the LORD of hosts has sent me to you. 12 And the LORD will inherit Judah as his portion in the holy land, and will again choose Jerusalem.”
13 Be silent, all flesh, before the LORD, for he has roused himself from his holy dwelling.
(ESV)
When the Jews returned to Jerusalem it was only a very small proportion of the great multitude taken into captivity. Most people were happy to remain in Babylon. In this chapter the people are being encouraged to return to the Promised Land.
Initially the encouragement is the future prosperity of the city as it would once more grow (v1-4). This would happen as the Lord would be a wall to His people, bringing them protection and being the glory in their midst (v5).
Being at the place of God’s presence and protection was a very good motivation to return to Zion. It is also our motivation to flee to Christ.
The other major motivation to return from Babylon to Zion was the fact that Zechariah speaks of judgment on Babylon for all of its sin.
The message here is very clear, either we’re in the security and presence of God in Zion, among His people, or we are separated from God, united with and among the godless, and will receive the judgment that they will face. The big question is, in which of these two places are you?
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