Zechariah 2:5-“For, I saith the Lord, will be unto her a wall of fire round about, and will be the glory in the midst of her.”
Zechariah 2 speaks of Israel’s restoration and the coming of a messianic King. The setting – God’s people were discouraged. The temple foundation was laid shortly after their return from the Babylonian exile, but, due to powerful opposition, the temple wasn’t rebuilt yet. There was negligible spiritual renewal and moral reformation didn’t occur. Jerusalem had no significance among its surrounding, its sovereignty had not been restored. In these circumstances, many people concluded that God was absent from His people and viewed faithful obedience as useless. They decided to forget God and to pursue the best life possible.
Does this situation seem familiar to you? When you pick up the newspaper, you read about articles of insecurity, hatred, cruelty, vindictiveness, etc. And then you see that the most spiteful, or person with least integrity, wins or progresses in leaps and bounds. Does it make you doubt that God is with you? There is a need to turn to the Lord in repentance and to serve Him with sincerity. The Lord cares for His people’s difficulties. God’s people will have future expansion and blessing.
In Zechariah’s time, Jerusalem had too few people to worry about the city being big enough. But Jerusalem was being measured (by an angel) to ensure it was large enough for prosperity, the multitudes God would bring to it. God promised to bring crowds of people and livestock to overflow the walls of the city. In prosperity, one would worry about the protection and about the operations.
Listen to what God promised them and remember it is the same for you – His child: The Lord himself would be a wall of fire for protection round about Jerusalem (and you). There are three reasons: God wants anyone who wants to enter Jerusalem. God will protect them like a wall of fire and be in their midst. There will be too many people to get inside the wall! Today Jerusalem is without walls because the Prince of Peace will reign from Jerusalem and He will be her protection. To top this, Lord will be the glory in the midst of her (and you) for provision and blessing! What more can we ask for, and what more will we ever need, if this is God’s promise?
