Zechariah 5:5-11 This is Wickedness
The angel of the Lord shows Zechariah a basket containing a woman. This woman represented wickedness. She was removed from the land.
This is a strange vision; at least to me. But it isn’t completely mind blowing like Ezekiel’s were. It actually reminds me of fairy tales. I can almost picture it in my mind. The opening of the basket, the sealing the woman in, and the stork-like ladies carrying the basket away with her in it.
My bible helps gave me a bit of insight on the woman in the basket. They shared the bible scholars’ interpretation that the woman. They have her as either a female deity that Israel worshiped or as foreign women. The foreign women were famous for leading Israel into idolatry. They didn’t have any special insight on the women with the stork wings carrying her away.
What is interesting to me is that the stork-like women were going to construct a temple for this wickedness. The temple would be FAR away from the land of God’s people. It would actually be in the land that they had been carried off to during their captivity.
The angel of the Lord made certain the woman “Wickedness” couldn’t escape on her journey to her place of exile. But after she is placed in “her” house, what will happen? My bible helps say that she won’t bother Israel again, but I don’t see that here. I wonder if she is part of the beast that rises up in Revelation. God will protect His people from the worst of the beast during that time, but only those who turn to Jesus will actually be saved.
I don’t know for certain, but I don’t think Israel will turn to idolatry during that time. But then again, the Beast will sit down in the Temple and defile it. This will be the Temple that he allows to be rebuilt during that time. I think it will be a conquest act instead of an act of worship by Israel.
I also find it interesting that Wickedness’ house will be in the place where the Beast will call his home. The place where he will ultimately rule from. One final note from my bible helps is that it looks at the fact that the angel of the Lord sealed wickedness in; he didn’t destroy it completely. God is stronger than it, can remove it from His people, and uses it for His purposes.
Someday God will remove ALL wickedness from the whole earth. Until then, it is our job to keep if from our hearts. He can help ‘put the lid’ on what we surrender to Him. We will struggle with some form of it until the day we leave this earth, but when we ask for His help in that struggle He WILL.
Father God, I’m looking forward to the day when evil no longer plagues this earth. I know it won’t be for a LONG time. I believe it won’t even be on THIS earth but the new one You have promised to make. Until that time Father God, help me to ‘keep a lid’ on it in my life. More than that, take it FAR away from me. Forgive me for the times I ‘open the lid and take a peek’. Help me push it back down again.
