The Narrow Path Ministries

Steve, I am currently wrapping up your new lecture on Zechariah chapter 5.

You say that the two sins in the scroll vision (theft & swearing falsely) could be representative of all the lesser sins, or the two tablets. I have another idea I wanted to run by you.

Stealing and falsely giving your word are subversive and indirect actions which undermine communal trust.

Having dealt with Israel's relationship with God relative to their idolatry, God is now dealing with the two greatest sins which prevent a group of people from resting easy together.

Certainly other sins disrupt community, but they are direct confrontation sins (Assault, murder, disrespect, etc.). Theft and swearing falsely are different since they create an undercurrent of distrust.

It takes guts to come against someone directly, and less people are willing to commit those actions than are willing to snatch up a tool laying around when nobody is looking or swear falsely when it suits their needs.

I have seen this in the military. Theft and swearing falsely were the two most destructive issues I saw ruin unit cohesion beyond, say, getting into a fight or disrespecting a superior.

So perhaps God did intend to only pick out only two sins as the absolute ones he would not allow, the two that most undermine community.

Possibly. There is no explanation in the passage as to why those two sins are named alone. Your explanation may be correct. My comments, in this cae, follow the opinions of many (most?) commentators—but they may all be following each other—as is often the case. It would be impossible to prove one theory wrong and another right, given the sparsity of explanatory detail provided.

Thanks Steve. It is certainly just a thought that cannot be proven.

Can I run another consideration from Zechariah by you? I think it differs from your understanding, but I believe it holds water. The following consideration is taken from my personal thoughts on Zechariah. Input from you or anybody else would be great.

Zechariah 10-11

1. This section mirrors the flow of Ezekiel 34
   • The shepherds were corrupt - Ezekiel 34:1-4
     • So the people went around without a shepherd - Ezekiel 34:5-6, 8 & Zechariah 10:2
2. So God is not happy with the shepherds - Ezekiel 34:2, 10 & Zechariah 10:3a
   1. He is going to comes and judge between the sheep and the male goats - Ezekiel 34:17 & Zechariah 10:3a
3. And God is going to come take care of his flocks personally - Ezekiel 34:10 & Zechariah 10:3b
   1. Gathering them from everywhere they are scattered in the countries - Ezekiel 34:11-13 & Zechariah 10:8-10
      • And cause the beasts who hunted them to cease - Ezekiel 34:25 & Zechariah 10:11
   2. God will strengthen his flock - Ezekiel 34:16 & Zechariah 10:4-7, 12
      • And will have David (Christ) become their shepherd - Ezekiel 34:23-24 & Zechariah 11:4-13
4. Unity between Judah (Christ) & Israel is broken - Zechariah 11:14
   1. And God will bring judgment upon the fat and strong sheep - Ezekiel 34:16, 20 & Zechariah 11:15-16
      1. While he brings the rain in season to his own sheep - Ezekiel 34:26ff & Zechariah 10:1

Zechariah 11:1-3 combines the sad sounds of the shepherds and lions (Jewish leaders and gentile oppressors) as they both come under judgment - the shepherds judgment would be the 70 AD destruction, the gentiles would be the falls of each successive empire

Or the gentiles (lions) are seen in this imagery as upset because what they've been seen feeding off of is being removed from them - this is seen in more detail in Ezekiel 34. Their easy prey has been removed.

Bump for Steve in case he missed my previous request for input. Only time I'll bump this thread before I let it die if it needs to.

Hi Jay,

I had not seen that second post of yours, so I'm glad you bumped it. I think it is a very helpful analysis. I think you are correct in the parallels you have seen between these chapters in Zechariah and Ezekiel 34. Thanks for posting it! I am going to copy and paste your points into my notes.

Cool, I wanted to make sure I was on track with my thoughts, or if somebody could see a problem with my ideas.

Thanks Steve!

i thought it was really interesting and made me think thanks jay