“Be silent, all flesh, before the LORD, for He is aroused from His holy habitation!”
Zechariah 2:13

What is your impression of God when you read this verse: a passive lofty God, folding His arms while looking down at us, unconcerned? Or a proactive God who is sensitive to our needs and passionately cares for us?

As what God says in the earlier chapter of Zechariah:

“I am zealous for Jerusalem and for Zion with great zeal.”
Zechariah 1:14b

Towards His people, God is anything but unconcerned.

God’s zeal for us shows in His possessiveness and His protectiveness.

Possessive, because He wants to dwell in our midst (Zech 2:10, 11) and to possess us as His people (Zech 2:12) and His inheritance (Zech 2:12).

Protective, as He wants to be our wall of fire (v5), protecting us like the apple of His eye from enemies that threaten to harm us (Zech 2:8).

Why, then, does God want to measure us (Zech 2:1-2)?

To gauge if we are fit for His dwelling; and if we are not (yet), to start spiritual ‘renovations’ so that we can be a people and a possession pleasing to Him.

God’s zeal means He will not easily give up on us, but fight to keep us in His grace.

How about us: do we reciprocate God’s zeal with a passion?

God earnestly wants us to be as zealous as He is for our personal salvation. As He says in verses 6-7:

“Up, up! Flee from the land of the north […]
Up, Zion! Escape, you who dwell with the daughter of Babylon.”
Zechariah 2:6-7

Our zeal for God will show in our readiness to flee from the land of sin (Revelation 18:4) and into God’s kingdom.

May we zealously rely on God to possess and protect our salvation!