THE BASKET OF INIQUITY

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In Christ, Mark

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The scriptures. May God bless the reading of His holy word.

Then the angel who was speaking to me came forward and said to me, “Look up and see what is appearing.”

I asked, “What is it?”

He replied, “It is a basket.” And he added, “This is the iniquity of the people throughout the land.”

Then the cover of lead was raised, and there in the basket sat a woman! He said, “This is wickedness,” and he pushed her back into the basket and pushed its lead cover down on it.

Then I looked up—and there before me were two women, with the wind in their wings! They had wings like those of a stork, and they lifted up the basket between heaven and earth.

“Where are they taking the basket?” I asked the angel who was speaking to me.

He replied, “To the country of Babylonia to build a house for it. When the house is ready, the basket will be set there in its place.”

Zechariah 5:5-11

This ends today’s reading from God's holy word. Thanks be to God.

As we continue our study of Zechariah, we find yet another vision at the end of chapter 5, the next to last documented vision of the prophet. And in continuing in the tradition of the prior visions, we find bizarre imagery used to convey God’s message. Look again at these verses here:

Then the angel who was speaking to me came forward and said to me, “Look up and see what is appearing.”

I asked, “What is it?”

He replied, “It is a basket.” And he added, “This is the iniquity of the people throughout the land.”

Then the cover of lead was raised, and there in the basket sat a woman! He said, “This is wickedness,” and he pushed her back into the basket and pushed its lead cover down on it.

Then I looked up—and there before me were two women, with the wind in their wings! They had wings like those of a stork, and they lifted up the basket between heaven and earth.

“Where are they taking the basket?” I asked the angel who was speaking to me.

He replied, “To the country of Babylonia to build a house for it. When the house is ready, the basket will be set there in its place.”  Zechariah 5:5-11

Fresh off seeing a flying scroll, unfurled and displaying a commandment from God with an associated condemnation for His people’s disobedience in keep in the command, we find Zechariah looking at a basket which the angel of the Lord describes as representing the “iniquity of the people throughout the land.” We then are told the basket had a lead cover, symbolic of the heavy nature of sin and how it serves as a weight shackled to the sinner.

As Zechariah watched the basket, the lead cover was lifted to reveal a woman sitting inside, a woman who was wickedness personified. We get a sense that the sin within the basket couldn’t wait to escape because the “woman” was quickly pushed back into the basket and the lead cover closed on “her”.

It didn’t take long for another amazing sight to come before Zechariah because we see him see two other women appear with “wind in their wings”, wings that were described as being “like those of a stork”, wings that the women used to lift up the basket “between heaven and earth.” It was fitting that God’s agents (the two women) would carry away wickedness from the Israelites, especially since they had already paid the price for their wickedness. God wished for the prior wickedness of His people to be carried away so His people could start fresh in rebuilding their nation, their homes, and their relationships with God which would start by reconstructing God’s temple.

So where was wickedness heading? Where were the two women with wind in their wings taking it?

That’s what Zechariah wanted to know and the angel gladly explains, telling the prophet that the basket of iniquity was heading to “the country of Babylonia” where a house would be built for it. The contrast and comparison here is striking.

God’s temple was being rebuilt by the restored Israelites and once done, God’s presence and glory would once again dwell within. There was no place for sin anymore and so it was taken to a nation of irreverence toward God, a nation where idolatry and the worshiping of false gods reigned supreme. If wickedness wanted to establish a home, it could be in Babylonia for there was no longer a place for it in Israel.

So how does this relate to our world today?

Well, I think it’s obvious that sin has not been obliterated yet. Wickedness is still alive and well in our world today, having spread well away from its home in Babylonia to infect and infest the entire world. Thank goodness it’s not going to last forever for a day is coming when wickedness within the basket of iniquity will once again be carried away, this time for good on the day when Jesus returns. Indeed, sin will be destroyed and never return. Ever.  

It’s what will make that glorious day so much more satisfying for all who placed their hope and trust in Jesus because not only will they be going to live with their Savior and the Father who sent Him forever but they will be doing so minus all the things of this world that afflict them, things like affliction, hardship, hurt, and, of course, sin.

I don’t know about you but I can’t wait for that magnificent day to come.

Amen.

In Christ,

Mark
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