Zec 5:3 | KingComments | STEP | It is a book of curses for “the whole land”, because the whole land is full of sin. The curse particularly affects the members of God’s people who are thieves and who swear falsely. Not all sins are enumerated. They are summarized in stealing, that is sin against one’s neighbor, and swearing a false oath, that is sin against God. We see this division also in the ten commandments on the two stone tables of the law ( ). He who is guilty of one commandment is guilty of all ( ). Stealing is the violation of the eighth commandment ( ). It is a sin against one’s neighbor, but also against God, because with every sin is stolen from Him what He is entitled to. Every little Christian confession that is not the work of God is stolen. For example, we steal from Him when we use time due to Him for ourselves and when we spend money due to Him for ourselves. In this way we have to apply to ourselves what is written on the scroll. False swearing is the violation of the third commandment ( ). It is a sin against God in which His Name is wrongfully used and connected to our own affairs. This sin occurs when a wrong thing is approved by attaching the Name of God to it. Thus, God’s Name is connected to many things in Christianity that He hates and about which He will bring judgment, the curse. Abuse of the Lord’s Name can also be related to coming together in the Lord’s Name or expressing prophecies in His Name, like ‘so says the Lord’ in charismatic circles. If we profess to come together in the Name of the Lord, but we do so on a sectarian basis, it means that we abuse His Name, swearing false.

‏ Zechariah 5:3

The Twofold, General Curse

It is a book of curses for “the whole land”, because the whole land is full of sin. The curse particularly affects the members of God’s people who are thieves and who swear falsely. Not all sins are enumerated. They are summarized in stealing, that is sin against one’s neighbor, and swearing a false oath, that is sin against God. We see this division also in the ten commandments on the two stone tables of the law (Lk 10:27). He who is guilty of one commandment is guilty of all (Jam 2:10).

Stealing is the violation of the eighth commandment (Exo 20:15). It is a sin against one’s neighbor, but also against God, because with every sin is stolen from Him what He is entitled to. Every little Christian confession that is not the work of God is stolen. For example, we steal from Him when we use time due to Him for ourselves and when we spend money due to Him for ourselves. In this way we have to apply to ourselves what is written on the scroll.

False swearing is the violation of the third commandment (Exo 20:7). It is a sin against God in which His Name is wrongfully used and connected to our own affairs. This sin occurs when a wrong thing is approved by attaching the Name of God to it. Thus, God’s Name is connected to many things in Christianity that He hates and about which He will bring judgment, the curse.

Abuse of the Lord’s Name can also be related to coming together in the Lord’s Name or expressing prophecies in His Name, like ‘so says the Lord’ in charismatic circles. If we profess to come together in the Name of the Lord, but we do so on a sectarian basis, it means that we abuse His Name, swearing false.