Zechariah 4.1-5.11, Romans 15.14-33 - Lectionary for 1/27/10

Today's readings are Zechariah 4.1-5.11 and Romans 15.14-33.

Our Old Testament reading today makes me think it was a difficult bit of self-discipline to plan on writing about the Old Testament readings.  This passage in Zechariah seems difficult.  It is full of highly symbolic language.  Yet I think once we get beyond some of the symbolic language we will see a prophecy full of power and encouragement.

First, notice the lamps and the oil.  Oil and lamps are frequently signs of God's presence and provision.  They bring light, warmth, and all manner of blessing.  Notice the number seven associated with the lamps and recall that things presented in sevens often indicate completeness.  So we open with a sign of complete provision.  In the midst of that sign we see the human king completing the building project he has going on.

After the sign of God's provision and human prosperity and peace we see another scene.  A scroll with curses on evildoers will go through the land.  There is a verbal aspect to God's judgment.  With his word, our Lord will judge and defeat all evil, even as he provides his blessing on his faithful king and the king's subjects.

We then see the sign of the evil woman in the basket.  She is sealed up so she cannot get out and spread her evil.  She is deported to a land far away - the land of Shinar, Babylon, where all manner of evil is kept.

What does this have to do with us?  We see that our Lord has promised to provide for his people and to build a kingdom.  Through the death of Jesus on our behalf he has provided for eternal rescue.  He has built his kingdom, a kingdom without borders, through the Church.  He shines all the light the world needs, providing for everyone.  His curse has fallen upon evil, which he purges and deports.  One day he will put a final end to evil through his coming in judgment.  And we cannot but think of the narrative in Revelation where Babylon is depicted as an evil lady.  She is judged and defeated.

Christ has defeated sin and death.  We can trust in his provision.  Yet at the same time we can look for his final judgment on sin and death.  How do we stand in the day of judgment?  Only by trust that our Lord has in fact accomplished what he has said.  Let us then look to him in faith and rejoice in his victory.