The declaration of the Lord, “I will be a wall of fire around it (Jerusalem), and I will be the glory within it,” Zechariah 2:5 (Holman).
“And I – I am to her – an affirmation of Jehovah, A wall of fire round about, And for honour I am in her midst,” Zechariah 2:5 (Young’s Literal Translation).
The Lord is speaking of his treasured people & place, Jerusalem. But as an adopted child of God, I am also a part of that treasured people.
The declaration of the Lord, “I will be a wall of fire around it Bonny, and I will be the glory within it Bonny.”
Now, insert YOUR name.
The declaration of the Lord, “I will be a wall of fire around it (Jerusalem), and I will be the glory within it,” Zechariah 2:5 (Holman).
He declares/affirms….
The Lord God publicly, solemnly, emphatically, offers emotional support and encouragement as he states:
I….
I = The Lord God, Jehovah,
the inexplicable, ‘I am who I am,’
the creator of the universe,
The divine ever-living God.
…will be a wall….around me
He will be a wall to protect, to provide boundary.
This wall serves two purposes; 1. to keep us safe inside and 2. to keep outside people or situations from harming us.
I have felt his protection all of my life. From the time he sent angels to thwart my dabbling in illegal drugs (the folly of youth wanting to experiment), to protecting my toddlers when they learned how to open the door to the apartment and I found them unscathed in the parking lot, to opening my eyes regarding the importance of sexual intimacy in marriage.
What a humbling thought that he will protect all of his adopted children even though individually we are grains of sand on the beach of this earth. There are billions of us and He knows my infinitesimal heart.
He will protect our souls from evil. He will protect those we love. He will protect our covenant relationships. He will protect, but we have to always be returning to him for this protection. Daily returning to him, recommitting our lives to him.
As I keep remaining in him, he will protect me from stepping outside into the ways of evil. He will keep me safe. Even if my decisions are bad, he will work to make them good.
“And we know that in all things God works for the good of those who love him, who have been called according to his purpose,” Romans 8:28.
The declaration of the Lord, “I will be a wall of fire around it (Jerusalem), and I will be the glory within it,” Zechariah 2:5 (Holman).
…of fire…
He will protect through fire. This isn’t a passive shield. This is an aggressive shield. This is a dangerous obstacle for those who would try to hurt a child of God. Fire burns. Fire consumes. Fire destroys our enemies when they try to penetrate.
…and I will be…within
The all-knowing, all-present, and all-powerful will be within me.
Jesus’ words confirms this in John 14:20, “On that day, you will realize that I am in my Father, and you are in me, and I am in you.”
…the glory…
The word used in the original Hebrew for ‘glory’, according to Strong’s, is ‘kabod.’ Kabod means abundance, honor and glory.
Within, God will be your abundance. In wonder I contemplate this truth as I see him fill me with spiritual abundance and meets my earthly needs in abundance.
Within, God will be your honor. You are filled with honor in being chosen by him to fulfill a specific purpose.
Within, God will be your glory. Aren’t we filled with godly satisfaction and glory as we share the Lord’s comfort we received so that others may find ways to heal?
The root word for kabod is kabad. It is interesting to note that kabad includes honor but also heavy, weighty and burdensome.
That’s the pivotal thought.
It’s NOT EASY. We are called to glorious, honoring, and abundant ministries, but it is weighty, heavy and can be burdensome.
My sons surf. We live 15 minutes from some good east coast surfing beaches. When ‘surf’s up,’ waves are beautiful and clean. You see their definition. They roll and have lots of power to allow a surfer to ride them.
Unfortunately, not all the surfers are goodwilled. There is competition for the good waves. A surfer is said to be ‘snaked’ when a competing surfer aggressively cuts you off and ‘takes’ the wave. It’s similar to being cut off in traffic.
When answering #yestoGod we can be riding a wonderful, beautiful and powerful wave. But, occasionally we get snaked. The ride becomes not so fun. We may be hurt by another’s surfboard dinging our leg. We may get thrown off the board and take in a lot of water into our lungs.
That’s why we rely on God’s wall of fire and God’s glorious spirit which is within us.
Serving is weighty. It can be burdensome. We carry a lot of responsibility to not misrepresent or mislead, always speaking God’s truth. It can be burdensome because sometimes there are some who are not-so-goodwilled who snake us.
It’s hard to focus on the next wave when I get snaked. But, I have to remember snaking only happens once in a while. You and I, we gotta keep looking forward! God’s wall of fire and God’s glorious spirit within us keep the snakes at bay.
Getting snaked once in awhile improves wave riding skills. You become a better swimmer, you can anticipate others’ actions and you can react with confidence, poise and discernment. The challenges that revolve around our purpose is where burden becomes beauty.
What greater glory, honor and abundance than allowing God to give us the weighty, burdensome, and heavy delight of purpose?
The declaration of the Lord, “I will be a wall of fire around it (Jerusalem), and I will be the glory within it,” Zechariah 2:5 (Holman).
