The vision in Zechariah 2 is short in length but provides another insight into God. So read on and I give my biblical thoughts at the end.
Zechariah 2: Then I looked up, and there before me was a man with a measuring line in his hand.
2 I asked, “Where are you going?” He answered me, “To measure Jerusalem, to find out how wide and how long it is.”
3 While the angel who was speaking to me was leaving, another angel came to meet him
4 and said to him: “Run, tell that young man, ‘Jerusalem will be a city without walls because of the great number of people and animals in it.
5 And I myself will be a wall of fire around it,’ declares the Lord, ‘and I will be its glory within.’
When I first read these verses I thought it was about measuring the size of Jerusalem. So that they knew the measurements for the number of people to live in Jerusalem.
But the angel goes on to say “Jerusalem will be a city without walls”. So in essence Jerusalem could expand way beyond what the Israelites ever imagined. It shows that God is an inclusive God. Whereas man tends to be exclusive and can’t think beyond the boundaries of human effort.
That probably explains why the Israelites built a wall around the city. They did so to set up a defence against the enemy, including those that were not liked by them. By doing that they demonstrated two things:
1. They would restrict the number of people who could live in Jerusalem which is direct opposition to what God wanted. It actually reminds of the time Jesus walked on this earth. The Jews were very exclusive (keep it to themselves eg Gospel) when it came to the Jewish religion. Gentiles were not liked and certainly not included. Jesus came to bring the Gospel to all people including the Gentiles
2. They put their faith in the wall that they were building to protect them and make them feel safe and secure. Whereas they should have put their faith in the promises of God. In verse 5 the Lord said “And I myself will be a wall of fire around it”. They couldn’t bring themselves to rely totally on God. Interestingly God was with them in the sanctuary/Temple but not in their hearts because of the walls they built.
In essence these verses remind to put our complete trust in what God says, because we know He will do it. We are not to make our own defence or put up walls through our own effort. We don’t realise that when we put up a wall to defend ourselves we not only prevent God showing His love for us but we prevent others knowing God because we leave them outside the walls we build.
These verses show God’s love and mercy through His inclusiveness. He wants all people to come to Him. He wants us to turn away from the wells we have built which have become dry and wants us now to turn to the source of everlasting water.
God’s love and mercy is such that it will cover all who come to Him (and beyond) and that there is no wall to prevent you coming to Him. Unfortunately religions put up walls therefore we must always look to God not man.
As they say “look to God and you will never look back”
My Biblical Thoughts 