Zechariah 2:5 For I, said the LORD, will be to her a wall of fire round about, and will be the glory in the middle of her. I. THE PEOPLE THAT SHALL BE THUS DEFENDED. It is Jerusalem that is to be defended; and that will include three things: the temple, the habitations of the people, and the people themselves. The people of God are spoken of as the temple of God. Do we belong to the temple of the Lord? If we belong to the temple of the Lord, the Lord Jesus Christ will be our only foundation. There are two things that make the Lord Jesus the foundation — 1. As being the end of the law for righteousness. He brings in everlasting righteousness. 2. As being the end of sin. He is spiritually, legally, properly, and entirely the end of sin; His blood cleanseth from all sin. As is the foundation in character, so the building must accord in character with the foundation. The foundation is one of free grace. Therefore we are not only justified by grace, but saved by grace. The first feature given to this building is mercy. Then it is a free-grace building. The third feature is certainty. We may be upon the right foundation, and yet not rightly built. God's people are spoken of as a city; they have habitations which require to be defended. Take these habitations as the truths of the Gospel, wherein God's people dwell. Electing grace; predestination; Christ's righteousness; the atonement; God's promises may all be spoken of as habitations. II. THE DEFENCE. Notice the forms under which the Lord represents Himself as round about His people: all indicative of two things, destruction to the adversary, safety to the friend. The Lord is round His people as a hedge; and as mountains; and as a guard of fire, such as men use to protect from wild beasts. III. THE GLORY IN THE MIDST. He is in the midst, the living God, the life-giving God. He is the glory in the midst by being the temple in the midst. (James Wells.) Parallel Verses KJV: For I, saith the LORD, will be unto her a wall of fire round about, and will be the glory in the midst of her. |
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