And I myself will be a wall of fire around it,' declares the LORD, 'and I will be its glory within.' – Zechariah 2:5

 Today's Scripture Reading (August 23, 2020): Zechariah 2

In 2016, President Trump ran a campaign that centered around the idea of building a "big, beautiful wall" along the border that separated the United States and Mexico, and maybe sometimes to a lesser extent between the United States and Canada. The problem was that people from poorer countries, mainly in Central America, were making use of the Southern border of the United States, to enter into the country to live illegally in the United States. President Trump decried the purpose, largely placing the blame for many of the ills of the nation on these illegals. Drugs were also coming across the southern border. And there is no doubt that a country has both the right and the responsibility to control its borders.

And Donald Trump was right. In ancient times, it was hard to imagine a city without a wall. Walls were essential to protect a city from the attack of the enemy and to maintain some control over those who were allowed to enter into the city. When an enemy gathered to attack an area, the people living in the countryside would move into the walled city, residing behind the protection that the wall offered until the time of the crisis had passed. But President Trump's critics sought to remind the President that this was not ancient times. Once airships were invented, the value of a wall decreased. Walls ceased to be of as much value when the enemy could simply fly over the top of the wall. And it would be impossible to build a wall high enough to stop those wanted to enter the country that way. It was already the reality of the situation. More illegals entered the nation by flying or boating into the United States, than by choosing to come over a land border that could be protected by a wall.

Zechariah imagines Jerusalem as a city without walls. On that day, God would become the wall that protects the city. He would be a wall of fire that could not be flown over or tunneled under. God would be the protection that the city needs. And as the angel measures the city, there is an idea that the walls of the city provided by God could be expandable. There would be no limit to the number of people who could find their protection inside of the City of God. God would be the wall of security, but also the glory or excitement inside of the city. The people would rally around their God and want to be present in the city because God is there.

The prophecy had a short-term application for the returning exiles. Jerusalem, as Zechariah writes these words, had no walls. It needed protection, and new walls for the city would take time. The enemies of the city were everywhere; the countryside was filled with people who wanted nothing more than for the exiles to fail. And Zechariah's promise to these people is that God would protect them as they rebuilt Jerusalem. But the main emphasis of the prophecy is that this is something that would come true in the time of the Messiah. When the Messiah comes in all of his glory, we will be living in a world that has no further need for earthly walls.  

Tomorrow's Scripture Reading: Zechariah 3