RESOURCES — SHORT ARTICLES

 

SHORT ARTICLES BY TOM ELSEROAD
	2021-01-25	What Does “Not By Might Nor Power, But By My Spirit” Mean? (Zc.4:6)
		Zec 4:6 So he answered and said to me: "This is the word of the LORD to Zerubbabel: 'Not by might nor by power, but by My Spirit,' Says the LORD of hosts. The Jewish people experienced 70 years of exile in Babylon. The Persian king Cyrus allowed 50,000 to return to Jerusalem to rebuild the Temple under leadership of Zerubbabel. Two prophets, Zechariah and Haggai, both ministered to those people. The time was 520BC when they began to rebuild the temple. The construction had been stopped by opposition from neighbors of the city. Haggai encouraged the returned Jewish exiles in their work of rebuilding the Temple. Zechariah encouraged the people to repent of sin and restore their spirit with the Lord. Spiritual renewal was an essential ingredient to their survival after the Temple was built. Zechariah experienced a series of night visions. His fifth vision of a gold lampstand concerns our passage (Zc.4:6). Two olive trees provide the lampstand with its oil supply. The olive oil flowed through two golden pipes (Zc.4:1-3). The key message of the vision is contained in the words of verse 6. “Not by might nor by power, but by My Spirit” (Zc.4:6). In many places in the Old Testament, the Lord's Spirit is represented by oil (Is.61:1-3; 1Sm.16:13). The abundant supply of oil in Zechariah's vision is the Holy Spirit's power. It is through this power that Zerubbabel finished rebuilding the Temple. The work was finished in 5 years (515BC). In the vision the large lampstand represented the Temple itself. The light of the lampstand represented Israel shining forth light and glory to the earth. It is significant to point out that the theme of Zechariah is Christ's first and second coming. God's people Israel are called to shine the light (truth) of God's glory to all the world (Is.60:1-3; Mt.5:14-16). Of course, the Great Commission is the charge of all believers (Mt.28:19-20). Just as Zerubbabel would need to depend on the Spirit of the Lord to accomplish the work, so Christians today. God's people have no ability in themselves to shine the light of God's truth to those walking in darkness. When God calls us to a purpose, His Spirit fills and equips us to complete it (Ac.2:17-18; Jn.3:34; Ep.1:18-20). The apostle learned human weakness is no obstacle because God's power is perfected through it (2Co.12:10). 2Co 12:10 Therefore I take pleasure in infirmities, in reproaches, in needs, in persecutions, in distresses, for Christ's sake. For when I am weak, then I am strong. Our God-given work is guaranteed to be successful. But it is not by human might. It is by the empowering guidance of God's Spirit. God's Spirit poured into our lives is like the oil that fueled Zechariah's lampstand. Pastor Tom Elseroad

 

An Evangelical Free Church of America

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