Page:Visions and Prophecies of Zechariah (Baron, David).djvu/165



The 4th verse is one of the most solemn in the whole Bible, as showing what an awful thing it is to come under God's curse against sin. "And I will cause it to go forth " that is, the curse, with its doom of judgment, which God keeps, so to say, in His storehouse, against the day of vengeance " and it shall enter into the house of the thief, and into the house of him that sweareth falsely by My Name"

(a) " I will bring it forth, and it shall enter T

Here we see the certainty with which God's judgments shall finally overtake the wicked. Man may avoid detec tion of his sins and punishment at the hands of his fellowman, but he cannot escape God. " Be sure your sin will find you out "; and so will its inevitable punishment.

"It shall enter into the house" the place where the transgressor may think that he can hide himself, where he may think himself most secure; but he shall find that God's avenging justice cannot be kept out, even by strong walls or iron gates.

" And it shall abide in the midst of his house." Here we see the continuance, or permanency of God's judg ment against the wicked. The word for " abide," or " remain," as in the A.V., is na^ laneh, from f^, lun, " to lodge," " to spend the night in "; the idea being that the curse will not only pay him a passing visit, but shall " lodge " there that is, abide by night as well as by day, until it accomplish that for which it was sent, its utter destruction.