God’s Word for You
Zechariah 14:20-21 Bells, pots, and the life of faith.
by Pastor Timothy Smith on Thursday, September 22, 2022
20 And on that day “Holy to the LORD” will be inscribed on the bells of the horses. And the cooking pots in the house of the LORD shall be like the sacrificial bowls used before the altar.
The bells of the horses were just like our jingle bells; a similar word is used for cymbals in an orchestra (Ezra 3:10; Nehemiah 12:27). A pot (sir) could be used for cooking or washing; it was the most ordinary thing in a kitchen. So the prophet tells us that everyday pots and pans, and even the harnesses and bells on animals will be holy and just like the sacrificial bowls set aside (sanctified) for use at God’s altar.
21 And every pot in Jerusalem and Judah shall be holy to the LORD of hosts, so that all who sacrifice will come and take some of the cooking pots and cook in them. And on that day there will no longer be a Canaanite in the house of the LORD of hosts.
Zechariah is using the language of the Old Testament worship to describe the doctrine of sanctification. Here he means that whatever a Christian does, is done under the cross. By this he doesn’t mean that every single act, impulse and phrase will be perfectly holy, because on account of our corrupted sinful nature we are still sinners and remain sinners until we die. Instead, it means that we are holy for Christ’s sake, and the things we do are counted as holy because of his merits, not on account of anything in us. On the other hand, it also doesn’t mean that we can or should simply follow in the ways of sin, as if it doesn’t matter because we have forgiveness. For if a person abides in sin, continues in sin, or lives his whole life according to sin or a certain sin (such as adultery, theft, or teaching false doctrine) without contrition or repentance, then he has rejected Christ in order to live however he feels.
When we don’t fight against original sin and its cravings that cling to our flesh, but secretly indulge in its desires, it becomes a ruling and dominating sin. “Everyone who commits a sin is a slave of sin” (1 John 3:6). John goes on to say: “He who does what is right is righteous, just as Christ is righteous. He who does what is sinful is of the devil, because the devil has been sinning from the beginning” (1 John 3:7-8). So it is one thing to commit a sin, that is, to carry out the deeds of the corrupt nature and the desires of the sinful flesh, but it is another thing to have sin, that is, to feel the impulses of the sinful nature, to struggle against them, and not to carry them out to their conclusion. Gerhard adds a doxology about this point: “O blessed soul which feels sin but does not consent to sin!” (On Actual Sins §103 ). Luther was fond of quoting one of the ancient fathers who said, “‘I cannot keep a bird from flying over my head. But I can certainly keep it from nesting in my hair or from biting my nose off!’” To which he added: “So it is not in our power to prevent this or some other temptation and to keep the thoughts from occurring to us. Just be sure that you let it go at that and do not let them in, even though they knock on the door” (LW 21:88-89).
On account of Christ, our sins are not counted against us, but God the Father sees Christ’s righteousness and not our sinfulness in us. This is done because we have faith in Christ. Those who do not have faith—Zechariah calls them “Canaanites” in the final sentence of the book—are not part of the true or invisible church, and remain outside God’s grace. They remain “outside with the dogs and those who practice magical arts, the sexually immoral, the murderers, the idolaters, and everyone who loves and practices falsehood” (Revelation 22:15). There in the darkness there will be weeping and gnashing of teeth (Matthew 25:30), and their suffering will never end.
But we have forgiveness, life, the resurrection of the dead, and the assurance of God’s eternal blessing. We have this through faith in Christ. “As we strive to become in life what we already are by faith (that is, holy and righteous)” Professor Deutschlander explains, “we trust in the grace of God and the merits of Christ for our forgiveness and salvation. Our Christian good works are the result of that forgiveness, not the cause of it” (Grace Abounds, p. 208).
Zechariah foresaw the coming of Christ in lowliness, his Divine and human natures joined in one person, his arrival in Jerusalem from the Mount of Olives riding on a donkey, his betrayal with thirty pieces of silver, his crucifixion, his atoning sacrifice for our sins, and the glory of the Holy Christian Church. Praise God for this prophet and all of the ancient authors of the Holy Scriptures. They have shown us Jesus, and there is no better task in the world than this. May all parents, children, teachers, and friends strive to do this, whether for one person or ten thousand. This treasure, sharing the true mina (Luke 19:16,18), is the act our Lord asks of us. Be faithful, and have courage. Your Lord is with you always.
As Luther prayed about his lectures on this chapter, so we also pray today: “May Christ help and protect us in the singleness of his mind.”
Amen.
In Christ,
Pastor Timothy Smith
Pastor Smith serves St. Paul’s Lutheran Church in New Ulm, Minnesota. To receive God’s Word for You via e-mail, please visit the St. Paul’s Lutheran Church website.