Today we study the short vision of the flying scroll which has its roots in the renewal of the covenant that Moses mediated between God and the people after the release from captivity in Egypt.
Zechariah tells us, "I looked again and there before me was a flying scroll." (Zechariah 5:1) This is a vision Zechariah is having, and although it may seem to us to be quite an odd one, he sees a very large scroll hanging in midair. This is not a spaceship. This is not a visitation by aliens. This is a vision with very vivid imagery that symbolizes God's law.
The angel asks Zechariah about the vision, "He asked me, 'What do you see?' I answered, 'I see a flying scroll, twenty cubits long and ten cubits wide.'" (Zechariah 5:2) The dimensions of this scroll match those of the Most Holy Place and also the dimensions of Solomon's porch. The reason for this is not clear, which is why so many commentators disagree on its significance. All of Zechariah's visions have regarded the rebuilding of the temple, so naturally this vision would be connected with the temple in some way. Perhaps the dimensions of the scroll match the dimensions of the Most Holy Place because the presence of God is going to fill the Most Holy Place in the restored temple. Or perhaps the dimensions of the scroll match the dimensions of Solomon's porch because this is where the word of God made flesh will be standing centuries later when He clearly identifies Himself as the Messiah by saying, "I and the Father are one." (John 10:30)
The angel explains the meaning of the scroll. "And he said to me, 'This is the curse that is going out over the whole land; for according to what it says on one side, every thief will be banished, and according to what it says on the other, everyone who swears falsely will be banished.'" (Zechariah 5:3) The scroll is covered in writing on both sides like the tablets of the Ten Commandments. These commandments contain warnings against two sins mentioned in verse 3: stealing and taking the Lord's name in vain. (The English translation of verse 3 could lead us to believe it's speaking of bearing false witness, but when we get to verse 4 we will find that it concerns swearing in the Lord's name.)
Why are the words of God on the scroll referred to as a "curse"? Because the people will be judged by them. The word of God is a fountain of life to those who love Him and keep His commandments, but the word of God is a curse to those who transgress His laws. Bible scholar James Coffman points out that the same word rendered "curse" in verse 3 is the same word used in connection with "covenant" in Genesis and Deuteronomy. It would appear that God is reminding the returned captives to remember the covenant He made with them. They have been given a fresh start. The temple is going to be rebuilt. Life is going to resume a semblance of normalcy. They must not slide back into sin. Sin is what led to the downfall of the nation in the first place, and not keeping the laws of God's covenant is what sent them into captivity in a foreign land.
The angel tells Zechariah how the Lord intends to use the flying scroll and the words written on it, "The Lord Almighty declares, 'I will send it out, and it will enter the house of the thief and the house of anyone who swears falsely by My name. It will remain in that house and destroy it completely, both its timbers and its stones.'" (Zechariah 5:4) This destruction may refer to the cutting off of the evildoer from the tribe of Israel, as specified in Deuteronomy 29:20-21, "The Lord will never be willing to forgive them; His wrath and zeal will burn against them. All the curses written in this book will fall on them, and the Lord will blot out their names from under heaven. The Lord will single them out from all the tribes of Israel for disaster, according to all the curses of the covenant written in this Book of the Law." Moses warned the people that the one who persists in going his own way even though he knows better will suffer the curses written in the law. But he also promised if they carefully follow the terms of the covenant, "You will prosper in everything you do." (Deuteronomy 29:9)
Just as God renewed His covenant with the people after they came out of captivity in Egypt, in Zechariah 5 we find Him renewing His covenant with the people after they came out of captivity in Babylon. The Lord told the people in Deuteronomy 30 that even if they sinfully fell away from Him and ended up in captivity in a foreign land, He would return them to their homeland and restore their fortunes if they repented, "Even if you have been banished to the most distant land under the heavens, from there the Lord you God will gather you and bring you back." (Deuteronomy 30:4) He has kept His word. He has done His part. Now it's their turn to do their part.
I believe when Zechariah related the vision of the flying scroll to the people, they couldn't help thinking about the day when Moses stood before Israel and related to the nation the words of the living God, "See, I set before you today life and prosperity, death and destruction. For I command you today to love the Lord your God, to walk in obedience to Him, and to keep His commands, decrees and laws; then you will live and increase, and the Lord your God will bless you in the land you are entering to possess. But if your heart turns away and you are not obedient, and if you are drawn away to bow down to other gods and worship them, I declare to you this day that you will certainly be destroyed. You will not live long in the land you are crossing the Jordan to enter and possess. This day I call the heavens and the earth as witnesses against you that I have set before you life and death, blessings and curses. Now choose life, so that you and your children may live and that you may love the Lord your God, listen to His voice, and hold fast to Him. For the Lord is your life, and He will give you many years in the land He swore to give your fathers, Abraham, Isaac and Jacob." (Deuteronomy 30:15-20)
Zechariah reminds the people, just as Moses did, "The Lord is your life! Cling to Him and all will be well with you. The Lord is your protection in this land. The Lord is your strength. The Lord is your source of power. Never let Him go!"
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