Not by Might, Nor by Power, but by my Spirit

(Zechariah 4:1-14)

Introduction

Introduce self

Huge OSU fan. Part of what it means to be Ohio State is to beat Michigan. We’ve lost to Michigan four years in a row. No matter how good the year goes, even though we won the national championship last year, something still isn’t right. Same for Florida-FSU, Alabama vs. Auburn etc.

God’s people are discouraged. They had returned from exile with the hope of rebuilding the city and the temple but faced significant opposition. The foundation of the temple was laid and the wall was rebuilt. However, 20 years later, the temple remained unfinished.

The central distinguishing feature of what it meant to be an Israelite was missing

What made the Israelites unique from every other people on the earth was God dwelling among them, so long as the temple remained incomplete, God did not dwell among them

In the midst of discouragement, God reassures His people of His presence, plan, and promises through a series of 8 visions. Zechariah is the Revelation of the OT because of its content. Filled with symbolic imagery.

God makes some incredible promises leading up to our passage: He will restore the land, He will once again dwell in the midst of His people, and He will cleanse them from their sin in a single day.

Transition: In Zechariah four, we are shown a fifth vision. The LORD will once again dwell amongst His people. In this passage we are shown the LORD’s Work, The LORD’s Way, and the LORD’s power.

The LORD’s Work

Explanation (V1-7)

V2 Zechariah is shown a golden lampstand with a bowl on top of it with seven lampstands and seven lips on each of it , flanked by two olive trees

Similar lampstands, called menorahs are seen in the tabernacle as well as Solomon’s temple. Their candles kept burning through the pouring of oil in a bowl at the top of the menorah by priests continually as a representation of God’s presence in the temple

V4 What Zechariah sees puzzles him, this menorah was different than any he had seen before

Rather than seven candles, this has 49, and is self-supplied by the olive trees flanking it

- McComiskey “Out of the darkness of the night, Zechariah beheld a blazing lampstand. Its image conveyed majesty, beauty, priceless value, all in the form of light shining into darkness.”

He asks “What are these, my Lord?”

The angel doesn’t explicitly answer him, but instead addresses Zerubbabel the governor of Judah. The man tasked with rebuilding the temple, telling him what this image means

V6 “Not by might, nor by power, but by my Spirit says the LORD of hosts.”

The image of the self-sustaining super menorah is a picture of God Himself. God is majestic, beautiful, and priceless. God is Light. The LORD is the I AM.

He always has, always is, and always will be God. As governor, Zerubbabel is a capable man. However, God is not dependent on anyone or anything. He has no need of human hands.

“Who are you, O great mountain?” Who will stop the LORD? The rebuilding of the temple was a Herculean task. They had insufficient manpower, finances, and support. Will political pressure, marauding enemies, or even the sinfulness of the people thwart God’s purposes?

“You shall become a plain” Every obstacle stopping Zerubbabel from completing this God-ordained task will be removed by the LORD

Notice: The LORD of hosts says this. Why would God identify Himself as the LORD of hosts now?

The God who who has legions of angels at His disposal to do all that He pleases, who holds the oceans in the palm of his hand, is choosing to work in an unseen way.

Why?

God is going to complete this work in such a way that only He can receive glory for His grace

God’s Spirit began this work, and by His Spirit it will be completed.

Illustration

Recently, one of my friends, Micah, was telling me about how hard yard work has become. I asked him what was making it difficult. He has a pretty good sized yard, with some large oaks that drop tons of leaves and pollen twice a year. When things get difficult, his son Andrew is always there to help. In fact, anytime he sees his dad outside working on the yard he gets his little lawnmower out and “helps”. When Micah says that Andrew “helps”, what he really means is that Andrew tries his best to get run over by the lawn mower, makes messes, and generally slow things down. Andrew is three and a half.

Does Micah really benefit from the help of his three year old son? What if Bri, Micah’s wife, told Andrew thanks for working so hard on the yard and said “Thanks for helping, Micah”? There would probably be a fight. Micah’s willingness to include his son in his work displays Micah’s glory through the way he graciously loves his son.

In a similar way, God could have rebuilt the temple in a moment, speaking it into completion. Instead, He is choosing to work through Zerubbabel and sinful, broken people to accomplish His work to put His power, glory, and grace on display.

Application

What work has God called you to?

Real estate, teaching, nursing, raising your children, sharing the gospel with your friends and family, leading your spouse, personal holiness

What mountains are you facing?

Work relationship seems unrepairable, you can’t get your child (or spouse) to make their bed, you can’t get your child to be spiritually interested, you’re facing a financial crises

Do you believe you can fix it yourself?

Our faith in our own abilities is our biggest problem. When try to fix problems in our own strength, we get frustrated, anxious, and overwhelmed. Eventually we start to despair.

The problem isn’t our circumstances but our sin

We either think we can fix it on our own (pride) or we don’t believe that God is who He says He is (unbelief). God loves us and cares about our problems, no matter how big or small they seem

Not by might, nor by power, but by my Spirit, says the LORD of hosts

1 Peter 5:6–7 “Humble yourselves, therefore, under the mighty hand of God so that at the proper time he may exalt you, casting all your anxieties on him, because he cares for you”

Watch and wait for the God who made the mountains to turn them into plains

God works in hidden ways so that all we can do is praise Him for His grace

Transition: God gives Zerubbabel a task that he couldn’t complete on his own to put His power on display. The LORD works discreetly through broken people like us to magnify His grace. This brings us to our second point, the LORD’s way.

The LORD’s Way

Explanation (8-10)

Then the word of the Lord came to me, saying, 9 “The hands of Zerubbabel have laid the foundation of this house; his hands shall also complete it. Then you will know that the Lord of hosts has sent me to you. 10 For whoever has despised the day of small things shall rejoice, and shall see the plumb line in the hand of Zerubbabel.“These seven are the eyes of the Lord, which range through the whole earth.”

V9 As proof of Zechariah’s word to the Israelites, God promises that as Zerubbabel laid the foundation of the house that he will also complete it- This promise will become reality- soon

V10 In that day, those who despised the day of small beginnings shall rejoice.

When the foundation of the second temple was laid there was a mixed response

Ezra 3:12 ESV

But many of the priests and Levites and heads of fathers’ houses, old men who had seen the first house, wept with a loud voice when they saw the foundation of this house being laid, though many shouted aloud for joy,

Men who had seen the first temple wept when they saw the foundation of the second temple being laid because it wasn’t as grand as what they had hoped for

In the discouragement of the moment they had forgotten how miraculous it was that they were there to witness the laying of the foundation at all

God had been faithful to His promise and delivered them from exile in a foreign land

How could they not be celebrating?

We do the same thing when we’re discontent with where God has us, how quickly do we forget God’s faithfulness and the goodness of our salvation?

These twenty years of waiting for God to fulfill His promise by completing the temple weren’t an accident, God hadn’t forgotten them

The 20 years were given to grow a longing in the hearts of God’s people for Him

When the work is finished a plumb line will be seen in the hand of Zerubbabel

What is the significance of a plumb line?

Plumb lines measures the vertical trueness of a structure

If the temple was rebuilt flawlessly but the top stone was placed imperfectly it would eventually collapse

God Himself is going to place this last stone, a living stone with seven eyes

In chapter 3 we see this living stone, placed by God, at the perfect place, at the perfect time

It will “remove the iniquity of the land in a single day”

This stone is Christ

If God had brought the Israelites back to Jerusalem and immediately changed their circumstances by rebuilding the city and the temple what would have happened?

They would’ve rejoiced in their nice things and forgotten the point of the temple to begin with

Being in the presence of God!

God was waiting to fulfill His promise to grow their desire for Him

Illustration

When has waiting shaped your desires? I have always wanted to be a husband. Even when I was a little kid, I asked girls to marry me and I had many wives. As I got older this desire became an idol and I was consumed with the pursuit of girls. When God saved me my junior summer of college, the first thing I started praying for was a wife. I went to all of the Campus Outreach retreats looking for my special someone, and thought several times that it was God’s will for me to marry a certain girl, even if that girl didn’t agree. I hated waiting, and for the longest time I wasn’t happy with where God had me.

Initially prayed that God would send me a wife and change my circumstances. Over time, my prayers shifted. I started to ask God to change my heart and make me content as I waited for His timing. To grow my heart for Hg, and to shape my heart for the woman He had for me. In the midst of COVID, the girl I had liked for three years left our staff team and eventually the state, and I was left empty handed. Had God failed? No, but for the first time in three years I was content in Him. For the first time, I felt like I could trust God with the longings of my heart.

Not long after, I walked into the cafeteria at Florida Southern and my friend Andrew called me over to his table. He asked me if I would be interested in going on a blind date, to which I replied, “I have nothing to lose.” He showed me a picture of the girl, and it was Kaylin. We went on a date, and she was everything I had wanted. She was honest, confident, open, she came from a good family, and she loved me. 9 months later we got engaged, and seven months after that we were married. Two and a half years later here we are with a boy on the way.

In the midst of waiting God was growing my heart for Him and preparing me for who He had for me. His provision was perfect.

God places us in seasons of waiting to grow our hearts for Him.

Application

Where are you waiting?

Struggling with persistent sin, financial uncertainty, bad work situation, the healing of a marriage, God to save your wayward child

What are you longing for in the midst of it?

MY CIRCUMSTANCES TO CHANGE

Do not despise the day of small beginnings

Remember the story of God’s faithfulness to give you an awareness of your sin, your marriage, your children

What are you longing for?

Struggling with persistent sin- Holiness

Financial uncertainty- Stability

Bad work situation- Purpose

Healing of a marriage- Love

God to save a wayward child- Wholeness

Behind every longing is a desire that this world cannot satisfy

Only God can make you whole

The LORD of hosts sees you in your present circumstances and loves you, He has the ability to change your circumstances right now. What if He doesn’t?

Wait for the LORD

God takes us through storylines of suffering and waiting to purify our desires, grow our hearts for Him and put His resurrection power on display

When God acts to make us whole, whether it’s today, tomorrow, a year from now, or on His return

His solution will be perfect

Transition: To be a Christian is to live in a day of small beginnings. We live in a broken world with the promise of wholeness in heaven, and only when we are in God’s presence will we truly be satisfied. This leads us to our third and final point: The LORD’s power.

The LORD’s Power

Explanation (V11-14)

 11 Then I said to him, “What are these two olive trees on the right and the left of the lampstand?” 12 And a second time I answered and said to him, “What are these two branches of the olive trees, which are beside the two golden pipes from which the golden oil is poured out?” 13 He said to me, “Do you not know what these are?” I said, “No, my lord.” 14 Then he said, “These are the two anointed ones who stand by the Lord of the whole earth.”

V11 One aspect of the vision is still unexplained, What are the two olive trees to the right and left of the lampstand?

V12 These olive trees supply the oil to the menorah, keeping its flame burning

V14 They are identified as two anointed ones of God, who stand by the Lord of the whole earth.

These anointed ones are Zerubbabel, the governor, and Joshua, the High Priest.

Zerubbabel is the legal heir to the throne of David, representing the King

Joshua mediates on behalf of the people as High Priest

It is through these two anointed men that the light of God is sustained amongst His people

This vision is pointing to an anointed One to come

A day is coming soon when God’s presence will no longer be confined to the temple

The temple will be a person, Jesus Christ

In Matthew’s genealogy we see that from Zerubbabel’s lineage a King will be born in a manger who will mediate on behalf of His people, cleansing them of their sin in a single day on the cross. He will conquer the grave, be seated at the right hand of the Father in heaven. He will send His Spirit into the hearts of His people.

God’s people will be a blazing lampstand, majestic, beautiful, of priceless value, a light shining in the darkness, fueled infinitely by the Spirit

Matthew 5:14 “You are the light of the world. A city set on a hill cannot be hidden.”

It is by the power of the Spirit that God enables His people to wait for Him

Just how powerful is He?

Illustration

A TV takes about 50-200 watts

A fridge takes 3-800 watts

A hair dryer takes about 1,200-1,800 watts

Did you know that your body generates power? The human body generates about 100 watts of power while resting. During exercise like running or cycling you generate about 3-400 watts. When sprinting, we can produce almost 2,000 watts of energy. So on our own, we can run a hair dryer for a couple seconds.

A small coal power plant can produce 500,000,000 watts of energy per hour

A nuclear reactor can produce a billion an hour

The sun produces 3.828 x 10^26 power per second

Do any of these have the power to overcome the grave?

Application

In our waiting, we are quick to look to other sources

When we try to fix our problems apart from God, it’s like choosing to run a hair dryer by running sprints when we have access to the sun

Romans 8:11 “If the Spirit of him who raised Jesus from the dead dwells in you, he who raised Christ Jesus from the dead will also give life to your mortal bodies through his Spirit who dwells in you.”

The same power that raised Jesus from the dead dwells within us!

God’s Spirit saves us, sanctifies us, and sustains us

What were you sourced by this past week?

Netflix? Dreaming about your next vacation? Sex?

Or the LORD, by His Spirit, through His Word, prayer, and His people

Do not despise the day of small beginnings

To the original audience, this passage would have seemed as obscure to them as Revelation is to us today. There will come a day that we will see it with clarity.

The people who mourned when they saw the foundation of the temple being laid would have wept for joy if they had seen what it was pointing to.

God is writing a story of His grace in your life

The very places where we are begging for God to move mountains will one day be stories of His transformative grace

Not by our might, nor by our power, but by God’s Spirit

Pray

Reflection Questions

1. What mountains are you facing?

2. When have you seen God work in mighty ways through "small beginnings"?

3. How does the Spirit's power give you hope as you wait for Him to act?