Audio Sermons

Not By Might, Nor by Power (II)

Sunday, 10 March 2024

Building Up the Church of Christ:

Not By Might, Nor by Power

Life B-P Church Worship Service, 10^th March 2024

Text: Zechariah 4:1-7

Zechariah 4:6-7 speaks of how we are weak and inadequate, in and of ourselves, but it is God who does great things through us.

The 70 years in which Judah was taken captive and exiled in Babylon is over. The remnant who had returned to Jerusalem laid the foundation of the Temple but the work was stopped due to opposition. The people became discouraged, got busy with their personal lives, and left God’s house in ruins (Matthew 6:33).
God spoke through the prophets Haggai and Zechariah to stir the hearts of the Jews to resume the work of rebuilding the Temple. The 2 prophets were different in their approach and temperament, but both played essential roles in urging the people to complete the task.
God also called Joshua, the high priest, and Zerubbabel, the governor of Judah, to spearhead the reconstruction work. They faced a lot of challenges and obstacles but under their leadership, the Temple was finally rebuilt (Philippians 2:13).

Zechariah saw a golden candlestick (or, a lampstand or menorah) with 7 lamps. This lampstand had a bowl at the top which served as a receptacle for oil. Out of the bowl came 7 pipes and the oil flowed from the bowl continuously through the pipes to the 7 lamps to keep it lit. Zechariah also saw 2 olive trees, one on each side of the lampstand, which supplied the bowl above the lampstand with oil.
The lampstand resembles the lampstand that stood in the Holy Place of the Tabernacle (Exodus 25:31-40). The function of the lampstand was to “give light” in the Tabernacle (Exodus 25:37). It pictures Christ as the Light - and, the place of Israel as a light - to the world (John 8:12; 1:9; Isaiah 42:6). Where Israel was to be a light to the world, bringing forth the light of God’s truth, as represented by the golden lampstand, so the responsibility has been placed on the Church today (Revelation 1:12,20; Matthew 5:14-16).
Oil in the Bible refers to the ministry of the Holy Spirit working powerfully through God’s people. The continuous flow of olive oil from the olive trees, going to the bowl which had these pipes going down to the 7 lamps to keep the lamps burning continuously, is designed to show that God’s work must be done in the power of the Holy Spirit (John 15:5). It is not about what we can do for the Lord, but what the Lord does and accomplish through us.

The purpose of the vision is to encourage Zerubbabel in the work of the Lord. God is going to build the Temple. The reconstruction of the Temple will not come through human resources but through the divine enabling of the Spirit of the Lord. The gospel work is to be accomplished by the Church through the power of the Holy Spirit (Acts 1:8; Genesis 11:4,7; Psalm 127:1-2). On a personal level, our body is the “temple” of the Holy Spirit (1 Corinthians 6:19-20). We build this “temple” by being obedient to His Word (Luke 6:47-49).
God promised Zerubbabel that he will complete rebuilding the Temple despite the obstacles. Zerubbabel would have the joy of bringing forth the headstone or capstone. The Temple was finally completed about 4 years later. God’s work done in God’s way will never lack God’s provision and power.
Sometimes God calls us to tasks greater than anything we could ever accomplish by our own power. God’s purpose is to exercise our faith, so that we can experience His mighty power reducing all those “mountains” to a plain. God is able to move those mountains when we put our trust in Him (Matthew 17:20; Galatians 6:9).

Questions for Discussion

What are some learning points and applications as you apply the promise of Zechariah 4:6-7?
How abundant do you consider God’s resources to you for the task at hand? How has God levelled out your mountains and overcome your obstacles?