Sermon Notes - Zechariah 5:1-6:8 Judgment - Rising Sun Baptist Church - October 4, 2026

1.        Zechariah chapter 5 is where we are picking up this morning.

a.        If you have your Bibles, please open them to Zechariah 5 verse 1.

2.        As most of you know we have had some remodel work going on at our home.

a.        Part of that was having a wall torn out.

b.       Followed by some drywall repair and painting.

c.        If you have ever had that type of work done while living in the house.

d.       You know it is messy.

e.        Dust gets everywhere, even when you hang plastic to try to minimize it.

f.          It was so bad, we were cleaning the floors every evening to keep us and the dogs from tracking the gunk around.

3.        A couple of weeks ago the work was done.

a.        The contractor had packed up his gear, swept the floors, and headed home.

b.       The space was ours again.

c.        We could move back in.

d.       But there was still dust everywhere.

e.        Some work needed to be done.

f.          Sweeping, washing, and washing again.

g.        The area needed to be cleaned.

h.        Or things would continue to be a mess.

4.        In Zechariah the first 5-night visions have pointed towards God being at work in the nation of Israel.

a.        He was working to bring them back home.

b.       To restore them as previously been prophesied.

c.        God restored the high priest, Joshua.

d.       Showed how the governor Zerubbabel will lead the people to complete the temple.

e.        And how a lot of this pointed to the coming Messiah.

f.          But there is more that needs to be done.

5.        Which we will see in night visions 6, 7, and 8.

a.        God was preparing the way.

b.       He was restoring His people.

c.        But Jerusalem was still a mess.

d.       The floors needed to be swept and mopped.

e.        Cleaning was needed.

6.        Let’s take a look at how God was speaking through Zechariah.

7.        Zechariah 5:1-2

a.        In Scripture, a scroll normally represents a Word from God.

b.       This particular scroll is not neatly rolled up like we might picture.

c.        It is unrolled.

d.       Like a giant banner.

e.        Floating through the air.

8.        Zechariah 5:3

a.        Joshua 23:6-8

b.       The Law that came through Moses that Joshua was talking about had blessings and curses.

c.        Moses gives us a solid summary in Deuteronomy 28.

d.       If you want the details, you can read them there.

e.        Essentially, follow God and be blessed.

f.          Turn your back on God and deal with the curses.

g.        Love God with all that you are and His hand will be upon you.

h.        Sin and pay the price.

i.          The people in Zechariah’s day had been sinning.

j.          You might recall a couple of weeks back we talked about how they were not following the best role models.

k.        They were following those who had rejected God and embraced the world.

l.          Those who had been exiled.

m.     Instead of following those like Joshua, who led the people into the promised land.

9.        This 6^th night vision is saying that those who had sinned.

a.        Using the examples of those who have stolen and given false testimony.

b.       They had been acquitted.

c.        Kind of like being released without bail and then never going to trial.

d.       The priests and other leaders had not carried out the justice they had been charged with carrying out.

e.        They swept the sin under the rug instead of dealing with it.

f.          They to were sinning.

10.   Remember, this is the Old Testament and the Law and the punishment were to be followed.

a.        But it was not being enforced.

11.   God sent the scroll to bring justice.

a.        To put things right.

b.       To clean out the sin.

12.   Zechariah 5:4

a.        Deuteronomy 30:15-18

b.       Those who have sinned will be judged.

c.        God will be true to His Word.

d.       He will fulfill the curses in the OT on those who have turned their back on Him.

13.   Is anyone here thankful that we don’t live under the law?

a.        We have all sinned.

b.       We deserve judgement.

c.        But God.

d.       Galatians 3:13

e.        Jesus became the curse for us.

f.          If you are a follower of Jesus, He took your sin.

g.        He paid the price for you.

h.        You are no longer under judgement.

14.   The large flying scroll was God saying He was going to bring judgement.

a.        To sweep up the mess.

15.   The cleaning continues in the seventh vision.

16.   Zechariah 5:5

a.        We have another something floating through the air.

17.   Zechariah 5:6

a.        The angel explains what Zechriah is seeing.

b.       It is a measuring basket.

c.        Something that would be used to measure grain or flour.

d.       In this case it would be roughly a six-gallon sized measuring cup.

e.        Which contains the iniquity in all the land.

f.          The evil of the land.

g.        The sin of the people.

h.        The acceptance of those who turned their back on God.

i.          The sin of putting other things between them and God.

j.          Including the worship of fake gods.

18.   Zechariah 5:7-8

a.        This woman represented wickedness.

b.       Likely was a representation of Asherah.

c.        A fake god that the Israelites worshipped before the exile.

d.       Thought to represent fertility, power, and immortality.

e.        Historical texts will tell us that many thought it was ok to worship her and the One True God.

f.          But the Bible tells us otherwise.

g.        There are over 40 references to Asherah in the Bible.

h.        None of them are favorable.

i.          They talk about how worshipping her was against God.

19.   The lead weight was in place to contain the wickedness.

a.        In the last vision we saw that the sinners in the land needed to be punished.

b.       Here we are seeing the wickedness itself was to be removed from the land.

20.   Zechariah 5:9-11

a.        This wickedness is taken up and carried off to Shinar.

b.       Which we would know as Babylon.

c.        Where a shrine will be built for it.

d.       And it will be placed on that shrine.

21.   Wickedness is taken away from God’s people.

a.        Sadly, we see here that it will still be worshipped.

b.       God’s people will be cleansed or redeemed.

c.        But the wickedness is still out there.

d.       This points to:

e.        Revelation 17:5-6

f.          Babylon is seductive.

g.        The promise of power, influence, and just about anything else draws people to it.

h.        Which is why we need Jesus.

22.   The idols of this world.

a.        Careers.

b.       Money.

c.        Prestige.

d.       Influence.

e.        Toys.

f.          They are not bad in themselves.

g.        But each of them can turn into an idol if they become what we chase.

23.   When I think about some of the challenges we see today…

a.        Do we think we are good enough?

b.       That our work is all that matters.

c.        Or maybe believing that not all of the Bible is relevant today?

d.       Parts of it are good, but some of it is just outdated.

e.        Or that there are many ways to a peaceful forever?

f.          Maybe lots of roads to God.

24.   People believe these things.

a.        They become distractions or idols.

b.       They become gods.

25.   Which is why we need to be careful.

a.        We may not literally bow down to an idol.

b.       We may not worship Asherah or Baal.

c.        But we have things in our lives that can easily be just as bad.

d.       Things that get between us and our Savior.

26.   Which is why we need to seek God fully.

a.        Drawing near to Him.

b.       Pray for God to grant us His knowledge and wisdom.

c.        So that we can stand on His truth and resist the devil.

27.   In these last two visions, God has been cleaning house.

a.        Judgement is coming to those who have sinned.

b.       Wickedness is being carried away.

28.   Let’s wrap up with the final night vision.

29.   Zechariah 6:1-3

a.        The important things to notice in this final vision are:

b.       The 4 chariots and that they came from between two bronze mountains.

c.        But what does that mean?

d.       Zechariah had the same question.

30.   Zechariah 6:4

a.        He sees it.

b.       But he does not understand.

31.   Zechariah 6:5

a.        These chariots, these spirits, presented themselves to the Lord of the whole earth.

b.       And our coming from between two bronze mountains.

c.        They are coming from the presence of God.

d.       Leaving God’s throne room.

e.        They have been given a mission and are on their way to carry it out.

32.   Zechariah 6:6

a.        Two chariots are heading towards the north.

b.       They are heading to Babylon.

c.        One chariot is heading to the south.

d.       Believed to be heading to Egypt.

e.        All places that persecuted God’s people.

33.   Zechariah 6:7

a.        Patrol the earth might sound like they went on a nice afternoon ride.

b.       To check things out.

c.        These were horses and chariots.

d.       When God told them to patrol the earth, it was a military operation.

e.        They were bringing the prophesied judgement to those who persecuted God’s people.

f.          The nations that God’s people were told to flee from in chapter 2.

g.        Were now being judged by God.

34.   Zechariah 6:8

a.        Those who brought judgement to the people of the north, to Babylon.

b.       They had pacified, sated, or appeased God’s divine wrath.

35.   God had swept and mopped the floor.

a.        The sinners were being judged.

b.       He had cleaned out all the wickedness.

c.        Those who persecuted His people were judged.

d.       The work was done.

e.        And God’s Spirit was at peace.

36.   These 8-night visions have showed us that God’s will, will be done.

a.        The exile and the return were prophesied.

b.       And God was faithful.

c.        He made them happen.

37.    It is a reminder to us.

a.        That our God is in control.

b.       Things may look like a mess around us.

c.        We may question what is going on.

d.       We may be looking for God to work and wondering if we have gotten in the way.

e.        But our God is a faithful God.

38.   Our job is not to figure it all out.

a.        We are not to muscle through it.

b.       Doing what we think is best.

c.        We need to trust in our God.

d.       Repent of our sins.

e.        Follow His lead.

f.          And do what He has called us to do.

g.        Loving Him with all that we are.

h.        Loving others as we love ourselves.

i.          Being witnesses wherever we go.

39.   Thoughts for the road:

a.        God was sweeping out the sin in Jerusalem and Judah. Ask the God to show you the sin you need to walk away from, the repent and ask for His strength to do it.

b.       Ask the Holy Spirit to point out the idols in your life. Ask Him to help you teardown those idols so that nothing is between you and God.

c.        Knowing judgement will fall on those who choose the world over Jesus. What can you do this week to point someone to the saving grace He offers?

40.   If you do not know Jesus this morning.

a.        We have seen through the night visions given to Zechariah that judgement is coming.

b.       It will fall on those who embrace the world.

c.        It will fall on those that live sinful lives.

d.       Truth is, that is all of us.

e.        We are all sinners.

f.          But with Jesus as our Lord and Savior.

g.        Our sins are wiped away.

h.        If you are ready to put your trust in Jesus, the Son of God.

i.          The perfect sacrifice that died on the cross for us.

j.          Who rose again giving us new life.

k.        The one who did all of that so that you can spend forever with Him.

l.          If you are ready to give your life to Jesus.

m.     I invite you up during our closing song.

n.        I would love to pray with you.

41.   If you are ready to take the next step of faith in baptism or by joining RSBC, please talk to me.