Safety and Glory

“ ‘And I myself will be a wall of fire around it,’ declares the Lord, ‘and I will be its glory within.’ ” – Zechariah 2:5 After the Lord made the bold declaration that Jerusalem would be a city without walls, He went on to state that He would be a wall of fire around it and a source of glory within it. Since they were rebuilding and in a vulnerable position, living without the protection of a barrier would have put the Israelites at great risk, and it was natural for them to want to construct a physical boundary.  Nevertheless, God Himself promised to be their shelter; the challenge they faced was to believe Him. Would they trust His provision to shield and defend them or would they take matters into their own hands? No doubt, the latter was tempting since the obstacles that laid before them were great.

“‘And I myself will be a wall of fire around it,’ declares the Lord, ‘and I will be its glory within.’” – Zechariah 2:5 After the Lord made the bold declaration that Jerusalem would be a city without walls, He went on to state that He would be a wall of fire around it and a source of glory within it. Since they were rebuilding and in a vulnerable position, living without the protection of a barrier would put the Isrealites at great risk, and it was natural for them to want to construct a physical boundary. Nevertheless, God Himself promised to be their shelter; the challenge they faced was to believe Him. Would they trust His provision to shield and defend them or would they take matters into their own hands? No doubt, the latter was tempting since the obstacles that laid before them were great. In fact, in