I already said during this sermon series that one of the chief needs of the people of God today is to be encouraged. We've seen that a couple of times already in this sermon series, that if we are going to live for Christ in a city like London, if we are going to serve the Lord Jesus Christ in a church like ours, there is need, isn't there, for the Holy Spirit to lift us up and stir us up and to spur us on. To be honest, part of the reason that we are studying this book, the Book of Zechariah, is that that there is one of its primary themes. Okay, that God appears and shows Zechariah these visions. Why? To invigorate and enthuse and encourage all these people that have returned from Babylon to the Promised Land. Now, what we've got In these two visions, there's two visions that we're looking at tonight. What we see here is that God encourages these people by unveiling how he is going to deal with their sin. Do you see that? Like in these chapters, God is not just sort of showing them a little bit more of his holiness. He is also sort of revealing to them, showing how he is going to ultimately tackle the people's iniquity. And I tell you, that is, that is fantastic, isn't it? Isn't it? Because isn't it true that our chief means of encouragement is what? It is to be reminded of what Jesus Christ has done for us. Isn't that our chief means of encouragement? It's the people of God. And isn't it true that as Christians we are never ever more encouraged than when in the Holy Spirit, corporately, We meditate upon what exactly Christ has done. We meditate together upon the victory, you know, the reconciliation, the redemption that has been won, purchased for us at Calvary. So I say to you friends, let's look at this and for our encouragement and for his glory, let's consider here what we learn about how God deals with And we've got three things to consider tonight, okay? Three things that we see in this portion of scripture. Firstly, consider that God curses sin. Very clear in this portion of scripture, God curses sin. That's the first thing. Thus far in this book, We've really seen incredible outpourings of God's grace upon these people that returned from Babylon. Isn't that true? Isn't it? God's promised a lot of things to these people. I mean, he has promised he is going to build up Jerusalem again. And he's promised that he's going to seek justice for his people against their enemies. What else has he promised? He's promised that he himself is going to dwell amongst them. But the reality, of course, is that God did not just want to restore a community in Jerusalem. Do you see that God's plan is greater than that? God wanted to restore a community that was seeking holiness and godliness. And so, see in this first of the two visions that we're dealing with this evening, What's it entitled in the NIV? The Flying Scroll. We'll see in the first vision, what we see is God pressed that point home very hard on his people. He's saying, I'm after a community. I'm after a community that is really seeking purity, holiness, godliness. So what is it we've got here? What does Zechariah see? Have a look. What does Zechariah see? And the prophet looks up. What does he see? But a massive scroll in the sky. And we're scratching our heads, as usual, and we're saying, okay, what is that? Massive scroll in the sky. In the Old Testament, a scroll was symbolic of the coming judgment of God. We see that a few times throughout the Old Testament. Ezekiel chapter 2, if you're familiar with that, you've got that. The prophet sees a scroll approach, and it is symbolic of a word of lament, or a word of woe, a word of judgment, a scroll judgment. That fits exactly with what you and I are dealing with here. Because in much in the same way as passages like Deuteronomy 29, we've got two ideas going on in this scroll here tonight, okay? So you've got on this scroll covenant laws, covenant requirements, but you've also got on this scroll the idea of curses and judgment should those laws be broken. So do you see, it's really quite serious what we're dealing with. You know, we think, oh it's a big scroll, what's this? We're talking about the judgment of God. So we've really got to work out what are these laws that mustn't be broken. I was thinking about this during the week. I was reflecting back on the church that I went to as a child. And I was trying to remember anything that I learned in Sunday school as a kid, and maybe it's gone in, but I can really only remember one thing that we were taught in Sunday school. And that was that we were to memorize the Ten Commandments. You had to do it. You didn't want to get that wrong. So you had to learn by heart the Ten Commandments. I don't know if you were privileged enough to go to Sunday school. as kids, and if you were, were you made to learn the Ten Commandments in Sunday School? If so, hopefully, hopefully you recognise the two laws that have been spoken of in the scroll. Look at verse 3. There are repercussions and there are curses for those who break the Eighth Commandment, aren't there? Do not steal. And then look in the next verse, there's repercussions, there's curses for those who break the Third Commandment. Do not take the Lord's name in vain. Do not swear. Do not swear against the Lord. Is that a bit odd? See what I mean? Is that a bit random? Like, 8th commandment, 3rd commandment. Is God sort of saying to his people here, you know, you're never going to keep all 10. But if you get, let's go for that one and that one. If you keep those, I'm happy. Is that what God's saying here? Of course it's not. You see what those commandments are, the 8th and the 3rd? The representative commandments, aren't they? Do not steal. It represents how we must behave towards our neighbour. Do not take the Lord's name in vain. It represents how we must behave before God. Do you see the representative commandments? So wait a minute, do you see what we've got in the scroll now? I mean, God here is calling for an all-encompassing, a holistic, a widespread godliness. He's calling for real holiness, a holiness that if is not made, then there's what? There's judgment. And there is curse. Now this is big, isn't it? This is a huge call from the Lord. We have to ask, what about us, London City Presbyterian Church? Here's the question, are we as concerned with purity, holiness, godliness, as wickedness as clearly God expects his community to be? Are we concerned with godliness? What did we see last week? Were you here last Sunday night? Zechariah chapter four, what did we see the church was? It was a lamp, a light to the world. My question to you, Do you see the role that God has played in our illumination? Do you see it? Robert Murray MacShane, who was, I'm sure you've probably heard the name, he was 19th century free church minister in Dundee. He said this, what about this as a quote? He said, there is no better argument for the world for the gospel. There is no better argument than our holiness. No better argument than our holiness. And that's right, isn't it? I mean, yes, we've got to speak. We have to testify to Jesus Christ. Acts 27, you know, Paul, every opportunity. Yes, but don't you see? That has to be, for it to be effective, for it to be powerful, it has to be accompanied by what? By our own godliness? By our own holiness? And I ask you, can that be said of us? Can it be said of you? Is there in your heart, is there this absolute hunger to rid yourself of lies? Rid yourself of exaggeration. Rid yourselves of moral, ethical compromise. Have we got that absolute, in-built, humble desire? This desire to show holiness towards God is there for us? But let me flick it on its head. Let me speak to you. You're not a Christian. If you're not someone who's born again, Jesus Christ, someone who's maybe in here tonight and maybe not sure why, and maybe not sure what it means to be born again. Can I say to you this evening, don't you see, as we read Zechariah 5 and dig into this, don't you see the standard that God requires for acceptance? Do you see that standard of godliness? Can I say this to you? It is only in Jesus Christ that that standard can be met. It is only if we align ourselves by faith to Christ's perfect obedience can we become holy. Only in Him can we avoid the curses, the judgment that we read of here. God curses sin. that he's provided holiness for us in Christ Jesus. So God curses sin. Secondly, consider that God covers sin. He covers sin. If you were here last Sunday night, you remember that we noticed there was a lot of interplay between these visions. Remember I was saying that? They're working in pairs, these visions. First one and the eighth one, second one. Remember that second vision works with the seventh vision? Nobody's nodding their heads, so... Believe me, they work in pair, okay? And there's a bit of interplay. Well, if we move into the second vision that you've got in chapter five, it shares a lot of common ground with an earlier vision. Do you remember Joshua, the high priest? Standing in the heavenly courts. Remember him the dirty robes come off and he's and he's dressed again. You remember that there's both that vision and the second vision tonight They really seem to speak of the inadequacy of the Old Testament sacrificial system seeing both of those visions God seems to be pointing to a time where he is going to deal much more fully with his people's So what have we got? What have we got in the second vision? Would you look at it? What does Zechariah see in verse 5? You've seen a scroll already. What does he see now? He sees a measuring basket. Okay? Now the word for a measuring basket was an ifa. So it's quite a small measuring basket. But I think just like the scroll earlier on, we've really got to be envisaging an oversized thing here. You know, a massive measuring basket. Do you see why it has to be like that? What's inside the measuring basket in verse 7? There's a woman. There's a woman inside the basket. And I am wary of this. I am wary of this. I know, as soon as we begin to tackle that and think about this, you know, all of our sort of famous tendencies rise to the fore. There is a woman being kept in a box. in Zechariah chapter 5. Don't think for a moment that this is an evidence of misogyny in scripture. There is no misogyny in scripture. There's a woman still in the box, you see. But what happens in the second part of this vision? Who's the hero of the story? Who are the heroes of the story? It is women who come in, who fly in, and they carry this basket, they carry this iniquity away. There is no misogyny here. And I think, honestly, instead of us looking for what is not in scripture, I think we have to consider why there is this picture before us. The woman represents the sins of the people. Do you see that? Iniquity is being personified in this picture. And what does that teach us? Well, I hear, as a minister, I hear a phrase a lot, okay, especially with my friends, my non-Christian friends, and we're talking about faith, and they're trying to get their head around the gospel, and they're not having any of it, and I hear this from my friends all the time, and you will have heard this phrase, I'm sure, you can correct me if I'm wrong. You know the phrase, God hates the sin, but God loves the sinner. He probably maybe even used that expression before. Is that right? God hates the sin. He loves the sinner. Look at the basket. I mean, to God, sin and iniquity, it isn't some sort of abstract idea, is it? I mean, sin isn't just this weird, abstract element to a holy God. What's in the basket? There is a person, there is a woman in the basket. Do you see it is not sin, but it is the sinner who stands guilty before a holy God. There is a woman, there is a person in the basket. So sin's personified, but there's a much more fundamental question here, isn't there? I mean, why is she in a basket? Why is there a woman in a box here? Really? To do this, to answer this, what I want you to do is come with me. into the Old Testament temple for a moment. I know it sounds strange, maybe it is a congregational outing next, but let's go into the, imagine it, we go into the Old Testament temple. Now, we go into the temple proper, and we go in. What do we see? We've got the altar there, and there is the veil ahead of us. Let's move aside the veil. What do you see? We are into the most holy place. What's in front of us? You've got the Ark of the Covenant containing the law that condemns us. What else do you see? We're in the most holy place. What else is here? You have got the mercy seat. There is this cover, this big, heavy cover that sits atop of the Ark of the Covenant. When you turn your mind back to Zechariah chapter 5, Do you not see some of the shadows? Do you not see some of the pictures of that here? Do you not? Look what we've got. We have got that which condemns is in this container, this basket. How is it contained? Through a struggle, that is key. What happens? A cover. Do you see it? A lead, heavy cover is placed upon this. Friends, do you see what Zechariah chapter 5 Do you see what it anticipates? Do you see what it points to? Do you remember what Paul says in Romans chapter 3? He says, at the cross of Christ, God presented his son as what? As a propitiation, or if it's a noun, at the cross, what happened? God presented Jesus Christ as a mercy seat. He presented his son as a covering, as a cover for sin. Do you see it? That at the cross of Jesus Christ, what happened? This happened. Zechariah chapter Five happened that through a struggle, that through his own blood, that through his death, what has Christ done for you and for me? He has contained and pushed down our sin by himself, by his own body, by his blood. He has covered our sin. In fact, he has become that blood-soaked cover over iniquity. Do you see it, Christ? At the cross, He covered your sin. And I think when we realise that, when we see what Zechariah chapter 5 is about, isn't it absolutely marvellous? Because do you see what God is saying? In the first vision, He is saying, there is a curse. And in the second vision, He is saying, I have become, I have become that curse for you. I have dealt with this curse. I have covered your sin. Praise God that Jesus Christ covered our iniquity. So, God curses sin. God covered our sin. Last thing tonight, God also carries our sin. I hope you see that though we're in Zechariah, you know, though we are in really what are the depths of the Old Testament, that in many ways tonight we are also trying to dig into the depths by the Holy Spirit, into the depths of the atonement, you know, digging into what it is that Christ has achieved for us. And do you know what, see when we go into the second part of this vision, From verse 9, another element of what Christ has achieved for us, another element of that victory is illuminated and it comes into view. Because we see that not only was this basket covered, what else happened to it? Carried away, you know? The basket containing iniquity is carried out of sight. Now, note with me, if you've got your Bible open, note with me in verse 11 to where it is carried. And this is where we have sort of translation wars at this point. Because I think the church Bible, the NIV says that it was carried to Babylon. And then our ESV and our King James people will be saying, well, that's not quite precise enough. Because the original language says that this basket was carried away to the land of Shinar. Ring any bells? The land of Shinar? Do we remember what happened there? Land of Shinar? In Genesis, in our studies in Genesis? Do you remember that this was the place where the people chose to build the Tower of Babel? A place that, for God Almighty, represents Do you see what's happening? This basket of inequity is being carried outside. It's being carried out of the community, out of salvation, and it is being contained, notice, and it's being contained in a land of sin. More than where, I think we've got to notice who it is that carries the sin. I want to ask you this. Have you ever gone to an art gallery or a museum and seen a work of art up close and it's had a real effect on you? And it's really moved you? Has that ever happened to you? I'm a Scottish Highlander, so if you had said that to me a few years ago, I'd have been, yeah, anyone who says that's either a bit suspect or a little bit soft or maybe just lying. That was until I went to Paris and I went to the Louvre. And I saw with my own eyes for the first time the winged victory of Samothrace. The winged victory. Do you know it? Can you picture what it is? At the top of this magnificent Daru staircase in the Louvre, you have got this eight foot tall, headless, winged female statue just standing there. And it is the most amazing sight. And it is that, that's the sort of thing that we have to be thinking about here in Zechariah 5. Look who carries away the sin. You have got two winged females. who sweep in and they carry this basket of iniquity. Now, what is it or who is it that these winged creatures represent? Listen to this, two details that you've got in scripture. Listen to this. We are told, look at verse nine. We are told that these women's wings here were like the wings of storks. Now that is the same root that is used throughout scripture of God's steadfast love. Do you see what is being said here? This iniquity is carried off by God's wings of grace. And then on top of that, the women had what in their wings? Verse nine again, the women had wind in their wings. The same word used in the previous chapter of the Holy Spirit of God. Do you see the message that God is bringing through Zechariah to his people? He is saying, I'll do it. I, by my own wings, the wings of my spirit, the wings of my grace, I will carry away your iniquity. I will carry it all away and this evening you're a christian in here aren't you and you see to when and to whom this is pointing don't you at calvary what would christ do for us yes he would cover our sin what else would he do he would take your iniquity and carry off by his winds of grace and he would carry it out of sight out of the community he would carry it out of sight for evermore. You know that Old Testament scapegoat, don't you? Just as it had the sins of the people laid upon its head and then it was dragged out of the community for mile and mile and mile. That's what Christ has done for you. He has borne your sin and then he has carried it out of sight forever. Your sins are forgiven. What was it that John the Baptist said when he saw his Lord? He said, behold the Lamb of God who does what? Behold the Lamb of God who takes away, takes away the sin. It's gone. Christ takes it. He takes it away for everyone. What is it? It's just as East is from the West so far. His love is born away. Our many sins and trespasses and all the guilt that on His leg Christ took. Your sin as a Christian, He took it all and He led it all away. He took it all the way. Friends, I think when we see what it is again that we're seeing in Zechariah 5, it's amazing, isn't it? It's amazing what God teaches us here. He says there is a curse on the unholy. But what I will do for you, my people, I will provide that holiness. I will cover your sin and I will carry it away. So I've got one question. One question, and I'll end with this. Tonight is your sin covered. Is it? Has your sin, by Jesus Christ, has it been carried out of the sight of a holy God? If so, do you not see it? What joy, what peace, what encouragement, for the people of God. Our sin is