The Pulpit Commentary — Zechariah — Section 27

Vers. 6--9.-.A promise of triumph. "Ho, ho! come forth, and flee from the land of the north, saith the Lord," etc. Soon after the time of the deliverance of this prophecy, Babylon suffered greatly at the hands of Darius. The primary reference of the verses before us is to this fact, in the judgment of some-ver's. 6, 7 being an urgent call to flee from that eity and land, and vers. 8, 9 a solemn prediction of the calamities about to come upon it, uttered in support of that call. It will, perhaps, be safer for us to use the passage in a general way, and as showing to us (1) Zion's perpetual duty towards God; and (2) Gorl's co'll,Stant devotion to Zion. I. Zrm.'s DUTY TOWARDS GoD. God's people called here by that name because the prophet has been speaking specially of Jerusalem, and because the "time to favour Zion," as the life-centre of their whole community, had now come. Being so named, observe: 1. To what they are called; viz. to be separated from Babylon, and her doings, and, to a certain extent, from her people ( comp. Rev. xviii. 4; Isa. xlviii. 20; 2 Cor. vi. 17; 2 Chron. xix. 2, etc.). 2. How they are called to this; viz. (1) with a very loud call (" Ho, ho l "), as though overcome with slumber, and not aware of the danger arising, as with persons sleeping through cold, from the peculiar insidiousness of the things of thiB world (Matt. xiii. 28; 1 Tim. vi. 9); also (2) with a very urgent call, as though to "flee" for their lives (Gen. xix. 17); and, once more, (3) with a peculiarly imperative call, "Thlll! saith the Lord." •3. Why they are called to it. (1) Partly on account of their experience in the past. Beca.uHe of their previous lack of separation from God's enemies (see Hos. vii. 8; iv.17), God had spread them abroad, or completely scattered them, as by the four winds of heaven, leaving no corner untouched (compare the similar effect produced by the different figure of 2 Kings x.xi.. 13). (2) Partly on account of their then present condition. The people specially addressed seem to have been those belonging to Zion, who were dwelling in Babylon (ver. 7) at that time, where the name of Jehovah was ~corned and despised (Pa. cx:x:xvii. 3, 4; 2 King8 xviii. 35), and where they were ~pec1a.lly exposed, therefore, to the temptations here referred to (Dan. i. 5, B; iii., passim). .A.void her snares; avoid her fate (see Jer. 1. 8, 9; Ii. 6, 45). II. GoD's DEVOTION TO Z10N. If God thus calls upon his people to be peculiarly his (1 Pet. ii. 9), Le is ready and willing, on his part, to be peculiarly theirs, ".After the glory" just previously spoken of-i.e. (perhaps) besides being the invisible glory and defence, as there described, of his Zion-there were two further things he would do. 1. Be would openly identify himself with their cause. He would let it be .seen; he would" send" the Messenger-Jehovah himself to proclaim it, that they were pa.rt of bUD.lielf, 1111 it were-nothing more intimately BO, in real truth (eee eod of ver, 8; and on. u, 1-11:t] THE BOOK OF ZECHAl:IAH. 21