What's in Your Basket?

O. T. #2292"What's in Your Basket?"

Oct. 4, 2022

Zechariah 5-Part 2

LET IT GLOW

If you are as old as I am, you will recall when Alan Shepard Jr. was the first American to travel into space, and in 1971, he walked on the Moon. Objects flying in space has not been an unusual sight for this generation, has it? Even with the early invention of the airplane as early as 1903, man has maneuvered objects in the air for quite some time. I said all of this to say, back in Zechariah's day, any flying object would have been a very, very unusual scene to behold. 

In the prophet's sixth vision, he saw a flying scroll. Now in the seventh vision, Zechariah saw a woman flying in a ephah (ay-faw'), which is a measure for grain for the Hebrews. Here it is larger than a bushel basket, flying. The prophet did not even know what the object was so he asked Jesus (angel).

New Living Translation says it like this: He replied, "It is a basket for measuring grain, and it's filled with the sins of everyone throughout the land. Then the heavy lead cover was lifted off the basket, and there was a woman sitting inside it.

Here was the first woman in space, and Zechariah wanted an explanation. The ephah was a little more than a bushel of dry measure, such as flour and barley. It symbolized trade or commerce. When Israel returned home from Babylon, they had an insatiable love for money and desire for material things. Nehemiah dealt with the high rates of interest charged when lending Jewish brothers. In Malicah 3:8, the prophet asks if a man robs God. It had been so through their guilt of covetousness. They did not tithe and hurt their brothers in order to do it.

The woman symbolized wickedness, wrong, especially morally; fault. 

Webster's Dictionary says it is morally very bad, fierce, vicious. 

To make sure the woman did not escape from the flying basket, Jesus put a lead lid upon it. It was talent in weight, the heaviest used by the Hebrews. She was not going to escape.

Are we weighed down with sin? Is impatience getting us down? I find getting another car or the smashed one fixed is not a speedily process. Oh well, I can't drive yet anyway. I get tired of seeing it parked in my driveway. Someone needs to get the process going, like yesterday. And then there is the painful injuries. I have only had one restful night sleep and I am worn to a frazzle. I will get off my soapbox. Just wanted you to see that we all have things weighing us down, right?

The thing is, Jesus can help us carry that heavy load. His yoke is light. We need to ask His help to get through whatever it is in each of our lives with flying colors.

LET IT GROW

So was does this woman flying in a basket with a lead lid on it symbolize?

• It is a reference to the man of sin. Although the outward idolatry was cured, the inward sin by the Babylonian captivity was not. 
• The wicked woman was not able to escape, although she tried and didn't want to be removed with the ephah.. Women represented Assyria and Babylon who were used of God to remove wickedness from His people.
• Commercialism was a way of obtaining the money and material things the Hebrews experienced, saw, and learned from Gentiles while in Babylon. The Hebrews became good businessmen with an insatiable love for riches.
• God was revealing His intent to remove that spirit of covetousness from the land of Israel. 

Then what happened? Two angels with huge wings like storks lifted the basket above the earth. (Storks were considered unclean birds.) The children of Israel were originally a people of agriculture, using the land for livestock, grain, and vineyards. The basket was taken to Babylon and put on a base in their temple of false gods. During the Millennial reign of Christ, Babylon and its wickedness will be destroyed. The land of Israel and the earth will be rid of evil. Only God the Father, Christ the son, and the Holy Spirit will be on the throne.

For the love of money is the root of all kinds of evil. (1 Tim. 6:10, NKJV)

LET IT GO

Help us love You, Jesus, more than money, houses, cars, things, jobs, and everything.

You alone are Savior, Jesus, sustainer, Redeemer, Provider.

And we love You!  Fill us with a basketful of love overflowing today to others.