ZECHARIAH 4:6-10
BY MY SPIRIT SAITH THE LORD
[Ezra 4:1-5, 24]
God has designed His born again people so that they may be empowered for glory and service. The lampstand for us today symbolizes the Church of God as it will shine in splendor when it is filled with the Spirit of God. For the church's glory will not be acquired by human might and power but only by the Spirit of the Lord (CIT).
The previous verses beautifully illustrated this spiritual principle by the imagery of the lampstand, symbolizing the Church, the bowl and the two olive trees showing the automatic and spontaneous supply of oil which came totally apart from human agency, foreshadow the fullness of the Spirit's outpouring.
The promise of the outpoured spiritual empowerment had direct application to Zerubbabel who was attempting the seemingly impossible task of rebuilding the Temple of God. Though enemies of God's plan were many and mighty and its friends and furthers few and feeble, God, because of His divine grace, by His divine Spirit, would see it accomplished.
In like manner the Church today needs to seek and find again the empowering of God & go forward in Him even if it means it must only do small things because of the tremendous opposition of the world forces to its purpose of giving light to a dark and hostile world.
I. THIS IS THE WORD, 6.
II. THE HANDS THAT FINISH, 7-9.
III. THE DAY OF SMALL THINGS, 10.
(MacClaren, Exposition of Holy Scripture. p.269f)
I. THIS IS THE WORD, 6.
The application of the vision of the lampstand and the two olives that constantly supply it oil is given next beginning in verse 6. Then he answered and said to me, "This is the Word of the LORD to Zerubbabel saying 'not by might, nor by power, but by My Spirit,' says the LORD of Hosts."
Zerubbabel was of the lineage of David, the grandson of King Jehoiachin (Ezra 3:2) thus he was a king or heir to the throne (Jesus was his descendent Mt. 1:12). He had led the remnant back from captivity to the land of Israel (537 BC), and shortly thereafter laid the foundation of the temple. He was the chief political (civil) ruler over Israel in that day (Hag. 2:4-5; Ezra 2:2). Like the high priest, Joshua, in the previous vision, Zerubbabel the king is representative of Jesus Christ the priest-king (Zech. 6:13) who will one day rule over and minister to His people. The Word of the LORD to Zerubbabel was also a word to Christ and to us.
The Word of the Lord began with not by. The negation or negative emphasizing the total insufficiency of human strength and resources is striking. Nor by again highlights the negative. Until we comprehend the negative we will not seek the positive. (That is why we must confess sins before we receive grace-forgiveness).
Once we realize what will not accomplish God's will, we can learn what is His will. But by indicates the instrument or means of agency, or how His will can be accomplished.
First, God's will is not accomplished by might. Might (hayil-hul) normally means be strong, or firm (Job 20:21, Ps. 10:5). It can also be rendered human resources, which includes wealth, physical strength, force, ability or efficiency. Often it is translated army - showing the might of numbers. It can mean force, be it of men or means, or men and means.
Power means force just as might means force. But not in a collective or numerical sense such as army. Power is the ability to persist purposefully, a resoluteness, resolve and consistency.
‘Might' refers then to material wealth & military capability, while ‘power' refers to the resolve of it. Together they represent the full extent of human resources which could be deployed to deal with a task, be it by an individual or the combined life effort of a multitude. Yet all man can do in and of himself is unable to accomplish God's task. Not by anything man can do, can man do anything for God (Jn. 15:5). A greater agency must be secured. God ends the hope that true success, success of eternal value, can be achieved by anything other than God. How is God's work to be accomplished then? It takes the supernatural or the divine factor to accomplish the work of God.
God's work must be by God's Spirit (ruach). It is by the supernatural enabling of God alone that men can accomplish the work of the Lord in the world. God's Spirit is the only absolutely necessary resource on which we must depend. [Read 2 Cor. 10:3-5.] From first to last God's work is a spiritual work. It is only through God's Spirit that anything of eternal value is accomplished. The power needed for spiritual victory is of God and not of man. God's work is accomplished by the invisible, intangible, unchangeable, but present, potent, and personal Spirit of God.
There are three ways we can attempt to do the work of God. We can trust our own strength and wisdom; we can use the same resources the world uses; or we can depend on the power of God. The first two approaches may appear to succeed, but they'll fail in the end. Only work done through the power of the Spirit will glorify God and endure the fires of His judgment (1 Cor. 3:12-15).
The secret to shining forth the light of God is that all power and sufficiency are of the Holy Spirit. Notice that the Holy Spirit is illustrated as the oil which flows through the lampstand and the lampstand is representative of the Church. The oil flowed through appointed conduits into the bowl and through fixed channels connected to the main stem to the individual flames. (Eg. fixed channels outlined in the word of God - repentance, life of obedient faith, etc). It is through fixed channels that the Spirit of God will flow to light up the church of God and its individual members.
What is being said "not by might nor by power but by My Spirit" is that the strength and power of the church or of individual believers is found solely in the Holy Spirit. Where lies the power of the church, in numbers? God would rather have Gideon's Army of 300 consecrated souls than 20,000 who are living according to the course of this world. Where lies the power of the church, in human wealth or political strength? Sometimes these are curses instead of blessings. The power of any church is the Holy Spirit. If He is flowing so that Christ shines forth in a pastor and in a congregation of disciples, then there is power to do an eternal work for God!
What does the church supremely need to remember? The truth embodied in this text. "Not by might, nor by power but by My Spirit says the Lord." God's work is not done by our resources, of intellect, of wealth, of enthusiasm, nor by resoluteness of effort or by cleverness. Though all these are necessary, none of them, not all of them together, nor any human endeavoring can do God's eternal work.
As Jesus was born of the Spirit, baptized of the Spirit, led by the Spirit, and proclaimed the Kingdom of God in the power of the Spirit, as He offered Himself through the Eternal Spirit to God, so should we!
For the Spirit of God calls, gifts, equips and works through the people of God. God's Spirit is paramount, if God's people are to do God's eternal work.
These words, not by might, nor by power but by My Spirit says the Lord brought the needed empowering to the feeble handful of discouraged people surrounded by the enemy. And we too should feel the sweetness of the promise that told them not to despair nor to be despondent because they had little of what the world calls might and power. We here today need to hear this messageand have faith in God's resource which is available to us through His established channels outlined in His Word.
(See G. Campbell Morgan, The Westminister Pulpit, Vol. VI. p.54ff)
By My Spirit needs to be a motto to guide all our endeavors and enterprises. If success is to be gained through the work done by God's people it will not be achieved by what they can do but by what the Spirit can do directly through them.
What produces light through the churches, through the lamps? God's Spirit. God supplies His power. This power is the Spirit. A lamp can only fulfill its function when it shines forth by the power of the fuel or oil that it has. The church fulfills her function not by man's striving but by letting the Spirit shine through her to make her the light of the world!
II. THE HANDS THAT FINISH, 7-9.
Verse 7 issues a challenge to whatever opposes God's purposes, even thought they seem insurmountable. 'What are you, O great mountain? Before Zerubbabel (you will become) a plain; and he will bring forth the top-stone with shouts of grace, grace to it!'
"When Solomon built the temple which the Babylonians destroyed, he had almost unlimited resources at his disposal. His father David had fought many battles and collected spoil over His lifetime to be used in building the temple (1 Chron. 26:20, 27-28), but the remnant didn't have an army or a prosperous nation to enlist. Solomon was monarch of a powerful kingdom that ruled over many Gentile nations and took tribute from them, but the Jews in Zechariah's day had no such" might or power. [Wiersbe, Bible Exposition Com., 455]
The trials of Israel were so numerous, binding, and difficult that they seemed insurmountable and threatened the very future of the nation. The Angel of the LORD directly addresses and personifies the mountain emphasizing the greatness of difficulty or impediment. With their limited resources, completing the temple must have looked to those Jews as impossible as moving a mountain, but God told Zerubbabel that he would, by the Spirit's power, level the mountain and make it a plain! [The mountain could represent two things: world powers and opposition (Ps. 68:16-17; 76:4-5; Jer. 51:25), or difficulties and obstacles (Mt. 17:20; Isa. 40:4).] Mountains represent obstacles that stand in the way of God's purposes being realized.
All that the world powers devise and raise against His people will vanish when God's people trust in and become filled with the power of His Spirit. The oppression will vanish as completely as if a towering mountain had been leveled to a plain! Though all the obstacles that towered before Zerubbabel were like a mountain yet will become as nothing when God's Spirit is the agency of power and they will be dealt with until they become like a plain.
Christ is our King, our Zerubbabel if you will, who unburdened us and took away our obstacles when He initiated His great work during His first coming. He laid the foundation of His eternal temple by His life, death, and resurrection.
And who are you, O great mountain of evil that shall stand in God's way and stop the progress of His great work? In every age a mass of worldly opposition is encountered by God's servants barring all advance. But those who go onward by God's Spirit find that an unseen hand crushes evil opposition down and flattens it out level so progress can occur. If our strength and power is not in our self then with expectancy realize that every mountain which confronts us in our duty is one with which God will deal. Men of faith will find every mountain shall be either made into a plain or be cast into the sea. Providence levels the lofty to raise up the lowly.
The top-stone (ru'sh) is the head or beginning stone. This stone signifies the completion of a structure, it is the last one fitted, the crowning stone (often a decorative stone). Zerubbabel will bring forth the top-stone. It is described as coming from a place previously prepared for it as it waited for the other stones to be put in place. When Christ returns He will place the cap stone on His eternal living temple.
Now that the top-stone is in place and the holy temple is completed, let peace be within and the beauty of our Lord be upon it. With shouts of grace, grace to it. This cry is for divine favor to rest upon the completed structure and upon what it stands for. Shouts of grace because the people realized that it was not something they completed but that God's grace had completed it.
When our work is finished it must be thankfully acknowledged that it was not by might nor by power of our own that brought it and us into completion - perfection but it was grace that did it. Anything not done by the grace of the Spirit is wood, hay and stubble and will burn up. "Tis grace hath bro't me safe thus far, and grace will lead me home," must be our anthem. Grace is God's good will toward us and His good work in us. Magnify God's grace and give Him the glory! "Not unto us, O Lord, but unto Thee be glory!"
We have here a divine guarantee of success before God in the endeavors of God's people in building God's temple, if these endeavors are carried out ‘not by might nor by power but by My Spirit.' And God's Temple (of living stones) He is building by His grace will stand forever and ever and will never be destroyed!
The Messenger of the LORD addresses those in verses 8 & 9 who were thinking that not simply the rebuilding of the House but also the renewing of the faithful remnant of God would never happen in their life time. "Also the Word of the LORD came to me saying, 'The hands of Zerubbabel have laid the foundation of this house and his hands will finish it. Then you will know that the LORD of Hosts has sent me to you."
Another word came to Zechariah; the promise of the completion of the temple by the one who had laid the foundation. Zerubbabel had laid the foundation about 15 years earlier (Ezra 3:8,13) and great forces had raised themselves against its completion. Though the progress was incredibly slow and the structure seemingly insignificant, it was prophesied that Zerubbabel will finish it. Amazingly, four years after this prophecy, through super-human effort, he did finish the temple (Ezra 6:14-15).
The rebuilding of the temple was to be the visible proof and symbolize the restored fellowship between YHWH and His people who were to shine forth His light to the nations by the power of the Spirit.
King Zerubbabel, the beginner and finisher of the earthly temple, is a type of Christ who is the Author and Finisher of our faith (Heb.12:2). He is the Alpha and Omega, the beginning and the ending (Rev. 1). What He begins, He can and will finish. It was Jesus who cried it is finished when He laid the eternal foundation on the cross (1 Cor. 3:11,16,17). For He is absolutely certain that He is coming again to be the head stone and finish His eternal temple.
Once you have followed God's will and gone onward in faith in spite of satanic back opposition then you will know the LORD says. From the completion of the visible temple and the renewal of God's people, then we'll know that the Angel of the Lord has been sent by God and has been engaged on His people's behalf for how else could they have completed this impossible task. And in that day when His temple, the church of God, is finished, we will know, for no longer will we see by faith, but when He comes we will know. When the perfect comes the imperfect will be done away with (1 Cor. 13:10).
III. THE DAY OF SMALL THINGS, 10.
In verse 9 we read that Zerubbabel had built the temple's foundation. Building foundations requires hard work and forward-looking faith. Yet some considered Zerubbabel's work insignificant, so God challenged His people in verse 10 to think differently concerning things done for His glory. "For who has despised the day of small things? But these seven will be glad when they see the plumbline in the hand of Zerubbabel. These are the eyes of the Lord which range to and fro throughout the earth."
The day of small things is a period of time when only small things occur (Num. 22:18). To the unenlightened, the small things which prepare the way for God's great work of making and completing seem trivial, unworthy of their involvement. These mockers see something occurring and because it is small, they despise it. Though the people and their plans seem unlikely and weak, God often chooses such to bring about great things (See Dan. 2:35c).
God wanted them to go on laying brick upon brick, following Zerubbabel's example. They were to fulfill the task through the enablement of God's Spirit, not in their own power (v.6).
The initial stages of temple rebuilding looked insignificant, unimpressive (Ezra 3:12), and some treated it contemptuously. But not only was this small start going to be a great temple but Zerubbabel's rebuilding foreshadows the great messianic rebuilding of God's dwelling place, His living Temple.
Who would despise is a challenge to any who would look down upon anything small in which God is glorified. Little is much if God is in it. God rejoices in what is right not necessarily in what is big.
If we realize that working by God's Spirit is the guarantee for the success of work done for God we will escape the odious error of measuring the importance of things by their size. No one will be of any real help in the day of great things who did not help in the day of small things. If you are building by God your work will outlast all mockers. Be faithful in the small opportunities. Begin where you are planted and do what you can, and leave the results to God.
Big things come out of small things. They say the seeds of the great redwoods of California are the smallest of all conifers. He that is not willing to labor at small things will never accomplish great things. Jesus says to us in Matthew 25:21, "His master said to him, ‘Well done, good and faithful slave. You were faithful with a few things, I will put you in charge of many things; enter into the joy of your master" (NAS). Don't despise starting small, despise not starting! The day of small things done by the Spirit is the day of precious things and will be the day of great things in that great day!
The attitude that our work is insignificant is common to homemakers, labors, students and countless others who serve quietly. When our efforts go unnoticed, we may feel like little people, filling little places, performing little deeds.
In his book, No Little People, theologian Francis Schaeffer wrote: "In God's sight there are no little people and no little places. . . ." The world loves the sensational and stunning, but God loves to work through the ordinary and insignificant. In His Kingdom, bigger isn't always better.
God sometimes uses little things and seemingly insignificant people to display His power and grace. Zechariah 4 is a clear example of this. God encouraged Zerrubbabel, the civic leader, to finish the temple. Although it would not have the grandeur of the one Solomon built, it would be completed by the direction and power of the Spirit. A small group of people with limited resources, led by two men, Joshua and Zerubbabel, were going to see the almighty hand of Jehovah working on their behalf. As a result, this little group did great things for God. .
Here are some other biblical illustrations of the principle that little is much if God is in it. Judges 4 records the effectiveness of a tent pin struck by a hammer in the hands of a woman. It was God's way of using a seemingly trivial item to give Israel the victory over her enemies. Three chapters later, the story is told of 300 men with pitchers and trumpets who routed the alien armies. Some weapons! And in chapter 15, the author tells us that the jawbone of a donkey wielded by God's man slew a thousand invading Philistines.
Jesus could have chosen any number of followers, but He handpicked 12 to reach the world with the Gospel. On a mountain He fed 5,000 people with 5 rolls and 2 fish from a child's lunch box. He compared God's Kingdom to a mustard seed, the smallest there is, yet it grows into a massive tree. He also likened it to yeast that's barely discernable, yet it can raise an entire batch of dough. Jesus said, "Whoever...gives to one of these humble ones even a cup of cold water to drink, truly I say to you, he shall not lose his reward" (Mt. 10:42 NASB; Mk 9:41).
Jesus said, "Whoever can be trusted with very little can also be trusted with much (Lk 16:10 NIV). So let's stop excusing our part in God's plan by thinking it is too small or by saying our talents are too insignificant. Our limited ability and God's unlimited power make an unstoppable pair. Little things can become great things when done in God's power.
Notice Zerubbabel used a plumb line on the temple. For God is not concerned that things be small but He is concerned with the straightness or righteousness of the work done. A plumb line was used to test whether the wall being constructed was true, creating a right angle at the corners or making it perpendicular to the foundation.
The plumb line is in the hand of Zerubbabel which indicates he is super-intending the work of the builder. Again Zerubbabel is the type of the future king who will direct the building of the true temple of God. Jesus, the true King of the House of David, is the One supervising and preparing the building of His eternal temple.
The seven eyes are God's perfect vision which eagerly searches to and fro for devoted hearts. "For the eyes of the LORD move to and fro throughout the earth that He may strongly support those whose heart is completely His" (2 Chron. 16:9). The continuous activity of those seven eyes, that symbolize the all seeing, and always present, and all knowing of God depict His continuous active search to seek out even the smallest of things done for His glory.
Are you doing "small things?" Be encouraged! God's eyes scan "the whole earth." He notices the little things done for Him, and He will use them mightily in His way and time. Remember the dewdrop does God's work as much as the thunderstorm.
Does the place you're called to labor seem so small and little known?
It is great if God is in it, And He'll not forget His own. -Suffield
Men might look with contempt on the humble work of God through His humble people, but there are other eyes, God's eyes, that gaze upon their work with joy. Even our minor activities are under the observation and examination by God. He is not so concerned as to its initial size as to see if it was done to give Him glory.
If God will be made glad by it, what does it matter if the scoffers or mockers disapprove? Those that scorn what brings God joy are fools.
There is lasting comfort in the knowledge that small tasks faithfully performed in the church, experience God's watch care and are a source of joy to the Almighty. There are no small things done in truth to build God's kingdom that will not become great things; be it in God's earthly kingdom or His eternal one, according to His sovereign design.
CONCLUSION
What seem small to you might be huge to someone else. Ask Bohn Fawkes. During World War II he piloted a B-l7. On one mission he sustained flak from Nazi anti-aircraft guns. Even though his fuel tanks were hit the plane did not explode, and Fawkes was able to land it. On the morning follow the raid Fawkes asked his crew chief for the German shell to keep as a souvenir of his good fortune. The chief explained that not just one, but eleven shells had been found in the gas tank, none of which had exploded. Technicians opened the shells and found then empty of explosive. They were harmless. Where the explosives charges should have been one of the shell contained a carefully rolled piece of paper. On it a message had been scrawled in the Czech language: "This is all we can, do for you now." A courageous assembly line worker was disarming bombs and scribbling notes. He couldn't end the war, but he could save one plane. He couldn't do everything, but he could do something, and he did it.
So, send that e-mail. Make that phone call. Write that check. David had a sling. Rahab had a string. Dorcas had a needle. All were used by God What do you have? John Wesley said, "Do all the good you can by all the means you can, too all the people you can, as long as you can." With God, small deeds count.
The small things like making posters, public prayers before meals, letting persons into traffic in front of you, mowing someone's lawn, unclogging another's drains, driving the van for the youth, having company for dinners, giving encouraging words, taking youth fishing or shopping, giving tomatoes to a lost neighbor, reading Bible stories for a child or children, etc.
A seemingly small thing when done over and over or when many different things are done, can expand and become a great thing. If you continue to do these small things with the intention of bringing God glory and not praise for yourself, and if you do them by the power and might of God's Spirit and not in your own natural man, do not let it be despised by those who refuse to join in and help!
When you do things not by your own fleshly, nature, your old man, but when you do things by the Spirit of God in the new man, God takes notice. You could do some great deed but if done in the flesh it would not be considered by God as anything. But those seemingly insignificant things when done in the Spirit become significant things to God. Seek vital union with the branch, with Jesus, and let the Holy Spirit flow through you and your testimony will shine to a world in darkness.
Yes, it is easier to do things in the flesh, and yes, spiritual things are harder. You meet more resistance and tire more because you have battled the flesh and Satan to do something in the Spirit, be it even coming to church in the Spirit versus coming to church in the flesh. But as you develop spiritual strength and perseverance (power) you can experience God removing the obstacles, the mountains to your doing great things for Him.
Twenty one centuries ago, the Messiah, by His life of suffering, atoning death, and glorious resurrection, laid the foundation of the eternal temple. Upon this sure foundation, in line with the chief cornerstone, other living stones are being gathered by His Spirit and being fitly crafted together and His temple is growing toward completion. One day Jesus will return as the Capstone and Christ will be forever joined with His church. Then when covered and crowned with the beauty of her Lord, and made perfect in the beauty which He shall put upon her, there shall be shouting not only by men but by the Host of Heaven--Hen Hen lah! Grace, grace to it.
