Bible Commentaries

The Man with the Measuring Line

Zechariah 2:1-2

The vision.—This vision is really the protest of the Prophet against the attempt the Jews were making to narrow down the Divine purposes to the limit of their own paltry plans. In his vision the Prophet sees a young Zechariah 2:1-2

It was a difficult time in Jewish history. People were coming back from the captivity. They had to rebuild Jerusalem, to restore the Temple, to make a new nation, as it were, out of the old fragments that were left. No wonder that hearts failed on all sides. Zechariah rises to meet these evils, vision after vision passes before his eyes, and among these visions there is this man of the measuring line, the cautious Zechariah 2:5

This prophecy, as you read it Today, might seem to have been enthusiastic and sanguine and doomed to disappointment. The young man's vision was not fulfilled in the literal sense which he probably expected. That great city, Jerusalem, the city of his dreams, was never built. But remember, if we bring to the interpretation of it that which grew out of Jerusalem—the Christian religion—this prophecy of Zechariah becomes singularly beautiful and accurate. How could the Christian religion be better described than by saying that it is a wall of fire round about, and the glory in the midst? And as that new faith came out of the old, the nations of the earth wen; gathered to it as Zechariah saw.

I. Let us take this vision for a moment as it applies to every country, and especially to our own, Measure not the walls. Forbid that reed by which you estimate a city's strength or a nation's pride. A nation's greatness does not consist in its size, nor in the multitude of its people, nor in the strength of its battlements or its defences. There is no security in great armies, no defence in warships. A nation that depends upon them cannot prosper. There is but one security for a nation—it is God. There is but one defence to our life, whether personal or family or national—it is the wall of fire round about, and the glory in the midst.

II. Apply these words to yourselves, to your personal life. The wall of fire round about represents the transcendence, and the glory in the midst represents the immanence of God. The belief in Jesus Christ is nothing if it does not bring an experience with it. And it is not true unless the experience it brings is precisely this: An inward life which is the glory in the midst resulting in an outward protection which is the wall of fire round about. The inward life is of this character: that by the faith of Christ your inward being becomes filled with God. The Spirit of God dwells there. Harmony, purity, and love are within you. And that inward light becomes a guidance and a power in every action of the day. That glory in the midst is the secret of the Christian life. And from that glory in the midst of you, that is to say, from the rightness with God within, and only from that, comes the wall of fire round about you.

III. The wall of fire round about you means that there is warmth within and light shining out around. All the piercing cold of unbelief and the chilly fogs of doubt have been dissipated by that wall of fire round about you. The man who has religion and the one who has not is largely represented by warmth. The one who is aglow, the love of God is shed abroad in his heart and it is a sacred warmth of fire. And as the wall of fire is warmth for you within, it is light shed far and wide upon the world around. For such a soul is as a city set upon a hill, and as a light of the world.

—R. F. Horton, Christian World Pulpit, vol. lxxiii1908 , p24.

References.—II:5.—H. Rose Rae, Christian World Pulpit, vol. xlv1894 , p170. II:8.—Spurgeon, Sermons, vol. viii. No452. B. Wilberforce, Following on to Know the Lord, p85. II:12.—C. Leach, Christian World Pulpit, vol. xxxviii1891 , p310.

From Darkness to Light

Zechariah 2:13; Zechariah 3:1-4

These verses illustrate the steps through which God brings a soul out of darkness into His marvellous light, and from the power of Satan unto God. We have here the simile of a Court of Justice. The prisoner is Joshua the high priest, standing as the typical man. And what position does he take up in that dock? He takes up the position of the guilty one. He is described as standing arrayed in filthy garments. The Bible never makes light of sin; the Bible never speaks of sin as an accident or a peccadillo; the Bible always speaks of sin in plain unmistakable language; and the sinner here is represented as standing clothed with filthy garments. I. The First Step must be Conviction.—You must take your place by the side of Joshua in the dock, you must acknowledge the justice of God's sentence against you; you must make the words in the Epistle to the Romans your own: "All have sinned and come short of the glory of God". This verse, then, shows us that the first step in salvation is conviction.

II. The Second Step is Cleansing.—When a man takes the place of the guilty one, when a man acknowledges his own sins, what does he hear proceeding from the Master's lips? He hears the language of the fourth verse," Take away the filthy garments from him. Behold, I have caused thine iniquity to pass from thee, and I will clothe thee with change of raiment". The question may arise in the minds of many, How can God, Who is a righteous God and Who only can act righteously, how can He say to a soul, "I have caused thine iniquities to pass from thee". I will tell you in a moment; I say it with the deepest reverence, God can only utter those words because of the finished work of Jesus Christ on the Cross of Calvary. If you and I will come to the foot of that cross, taking the place of the guilty one, we shall hear the voice from the glory saying to us, "I have caused thine iniquities to pass from thee".

If any of you have ever been in America you may possibly have witnessed that very remarkable, never-to-be-forgotten sight of a prairie fire. I dare say you know that, when the prairie catches fire, if the wind is blowing very strongly, the prairie fire will travel faster than a horse can gallop. Those who have settled on the prairies see the devouring flames come, and they know they cannot run away from them. What do they do? They burn a large space in the vicinity of their home; in a short time a very large piece of ground is absolutely cleared and blackened. What do they do then? For purposes of safety they go and stand on the ground where the fire has been already. When the great devouring prairie fire comes up it stops there—it can go no farther—there is nothing to bum.

May I use that simile? There is but one place where the fire has already been, and that is the Cross of Calvary, the Cross of the Lord Jesus Christ.

III. The Third Step is Clothing.—"I will clothe thee with change of raiment" Joshua is first represented as clothed with filthy garments, standing in the dock. Filthy garments were not at all inappropriate to his position there; but now his position is changed. He is no longer the prodigal, the suppliant, seeking for salvation; he has taken his right place before God; he has heard the words of pardon and rejoiced in them, and now the filthy rags are no longer suitable to his changed condition; and he hears that same voice that spoke pardon to him saying, "I will clothe thee with change of raiment". With what raiment are you and I clothed when we come as suppliants to the foot of the Cross?

IV. The Fourth Step is Crowning.—In the fifth verse we read, "Let them set the fair mitre upon his head". Whenever in Old Testament Scripture you find the mitre used it is always in connexion with the office of the priesthood. The high priest had the mitre placed upon his forehead, and in that mitre there was a plate with the words "Holiness to the Lord".

V. There is one Step More.—Joshua needs counsel. Although his position is about as changed as it is possible to be, from being a convicted felon in the dock to a crowned priest unto God, he is still in the world, subject to the same difficulties and temptations; he still wanted daily and hourly guidance. We find guidance and counsel are given to him in the ninth verse: "Behold the stone that I have laid before Zechariah 2:4

It is an angel who speaks. And he addresses the charge to another angel.

I. The Divine Message to young men is an Individual Message. The angel is bidden speak "to this young man". God's heart has always gone out towards the individual.

1. This young man was interested in the Church. He has "a measuring line in his hand,"and his avowed purpose was "to measure Jerusalem, to see what is the breadth thereof, and what is the length thereof. It is not often you meet a reflective young man who has not" a measuring line in his hand". Young men will take the measure of everything, and as of everything so of the Church of God. The danger is lest a young man forget to measure himself. Do not neglect to use your "measuring line," your reason, your judgment, your conscience. The more you apply your measuring line to the Bible, the more you will be satisfied of its intrinsic Divinity. The Christian Religion is not in fear of your measuring line. As to all these things measure the spiritual city with your "measuring line". We do not fear the decision you will arrive at if you measure with a steady hand and a true heart.

2. There are some who use the "measuring line" in a wrong spirit Your measurement will be wrong if your motive be wrong. There is much contemptible measuring of the holy city. Some apply their "measuring line" to the creeds and institutions of the Church in a fault-finding spirit. Reverence is a wise interpreter. Love measures truly.

3. This young man was religiously candid. When the Prophet interrogated him he avowed his deliberate intention "to measure Jerusalem, to see what is the breadth thereof, and what is the length thereof". He had not already made up his mind as to its dimensions. Many have decided as to Jerusalem's dimensions without having themselves ascertained them. Some are infidels on trust. They are sceptics by hearsay. He measures Christianity best who endeavours to live it.

II. This young man was taught of God. The angel declared to him the future which awaited Jerusalem. And God will teach every young man who sincerely desires to be taught by Him.

III. The Divine message to young men is imperatively urgent The angel is bidden "Run, speak to this young man". No time is to be lost. With urgency, too, we bring the word of exhortation to every Christian young man. It is ours, in God's name, to delegate you with the solemn yet gladsome duty of seeking for Christ every young man who is not yet His.

—Dinsdale T. Young, Messages for Home and Life, p3.