Zechariah 4
COMMENTARY:
: 1 And the angel that talked with me came again, and waked me, as a man that is wakened out of his sleep. (5782 “waked” [‘uwr] means raise, arise, incite, to rouse oneself, stir up, to act in an aroused manner or awake.)
DEVOTION: Sometimes we can hear a message and all that happens is that our head spins. That means that we didn’t fully understand what was being taught or what was taught was beyond our present pay grade.
It seems that Zechariah was overwhelmed with all that was being taught and went into a type of sleep to try to understand what was happening. He wanted to understand but seemed to be given more information than his brain could comprehend.
The angel didn’t want him to be overwhelmed but also wanted to give the full message that the LORD was trying to tell him. So he woke him up and answered more questions.
Sometimes we have to go home and study the Bible to find out what was taught. Our mind needs to process for us to grow in the LORD. God wants our mind to be engaged in our understanding of HIS Word.
The fact is that sometimes the LORD even speaks to us in our sleep to help us understand HIS Word. I have gone to bed thinking about a sermon I was going to preach and during the night the LORD seems to bring it all together. I have kept a notebook close for those occasions. Reason: If I don’t write it down right away I forget what HE is teaching me to preach.
For someone who is preparing a lesson or a sermon the material is never completely complete. Even teachers continue to learn if they are open to the teaching of the Word of God. None of us have arrived.
CHALLENGE: Never think that you have arrived!!
: 4 So I answered and spoke to the angel that talked with me, saying, What are these, my lord? (113 “lord” [’adown] means master, owner, theophanic angel, or general recognistion of superiority.)
DEVOTION: Never, never, never be afraid to ask question about something you don’t understand. The LORD always accepts honest questions from HIS children. HE wants us to learn what the Bible is trying to teach us. The only way we learn is by asking questions and then listening to the answers.
Zechariah was given many visions by the LORD. The LORD used HIS angels to give Zechariah the answers to the questions. This was usual for prophets in the Old Testament.
Sometime we would like to have an angel come to our side and answer a question we have regarding some of the things the LORD wants to teach us. This doesn’t happen now. The book of Hebrews tells us that God spoke in the Old Testament one way and now in the age after the death of Christ HE speaks through Christ.
Christ taught HIS disciples and they wrote letters called epistles under the direction of the Holy Spirit for our instructions today.
The LORD also calls pastor/teachers to give instruction. They usually go to college and seminary to learn how to interpret the Bible and then teach it from the pulpit or classroom of our churches to those who want to learn more about the Bible.
One of the things that the Christians did in the book of Acts was that they went home after Paul gave them instructions and checked out what was taught with the Bible. We need to do the same.
God wants us to use discernment when reading or hearing someone preach the Word of God. This can only come through our checking out what was taught with the Word of God regularly.
CHALLENGE: Again, never, never, never be afraid to ask questions.
: 6 Then he answered and spake unto me, saying, This is the word of the LORD unto Zerubbabel, saying, Not by might, nor by power, but by my spirit, saith the LORD of hosts (1697 “word” [dabar] means speech, speaking, thing, saying, utterance, matter, chronicles.)
DEVOTION: Throughout the word of God we find the phrase “the word of the LORD.” God speaks to HIS people on a regular basis. The words are recorded for our benefit. The Bible is God’s instruction to us regarding life. We are commanded to learn from the Old Testament.
In the Old Testament HE spoke directly to the people on many occasions. In the New Testament HE speaks through the Bible after the first century. HE does speak to our spirit but HIS spirit. When we study the word of God the Holy Spirit illumines us to the meaning and application of the word of God. So HE is speaking to us today.
HE uses the Holy Spirit to lead us through the open doors HE wants us to go through to serve HIM.
We sometimes are deceived by the devil into thinking that we are doing it in our own power. We sometimes are deceived into believing that we have enough might to get things accomplished for the LORD. Our thinking is controlled many times by our flesh. The LORD wanted to get across to Zerubbabel that he wasn’t building the temple under his own power but by the LORD’S Spirit.
We need to realize that we are building the church under the power of the Holy Spirit. There are some churches that are being built under human power. These churches will not last. Please pray for the local church that you attend is only build under the power of the LORD.
The Holy Spirit is working today. HE gives guidance to Bible preaching pastors to share what HE has laid on their hearts. HE is the one who should be giving vision for the church. HE is the one who will give power to each Christian as they witness in their neighborhood.
We are building the kingdom one person at a time. Zerubbabel was building a physical Temple we are building a spiritual one. The spiritual temple which is our body will only be built properly if we are doing it under the direction and filling of the Holy Spirit.
Watch out for those who teach possibility thinking or positive thinking. They are teaching a false doctrine. They are teaching that we can do things with our own power alone. The Bible never teaches this.
CHALLENGE: Ask for wisdom from above for all the projects you are working on for the glory of the LORD. Dependence on the LORD should always be our first step in any project.
: 10 For who hath despised the day of small things? For they shall rejoice, and shall see the plummet in the hand of Zerubbabel with those seven; they are the eyes of the LORD, which run to and fro through the whole earth. (913 “plummet” [badiyl] means plumb line, alloy, tin, a stone of tin. OR 68 “plumbline” [’eben] means stone, slingstone, gem, building stone, plumb line.)
DEVOTION: There is some confusion regarding the meaning of this word. Zerubbabel was a builder. He was the political leader of the returning Israelites. He was the one commanded to rebuild the Temple. The work had stopped because of the indifference of the people. They were busy building their own homes. There were people from other nations that didn’t want to see the Temple rebuild. There was just a general attitude of disobedience.
Some think this verse is calling the new Temple a small thing compared to what Solomon did with his Temple. They didn’t have the expense account that Solomon had. They were working with material that was not as good and there were fewer people to build.
Remember that small things in the hands of the LORD can produce great things. We are told that this Temple is greater than Solomon’s temple because Jesus Christ was going to enter and preach in it. HE was much greater than Solomon.
God is watching our actions and attitudes. HE knows what we are thinking every moment of every day. HE wants us to realize that there are no small projects. All the projects or ministries HE gives us are big ministries in HIS eyes.
We are being watched by the LORD regarding our giftedness. Zerubbabel was a political leader who answered to the LORD. The LORD promised him that he would finish the Temple. The true is that he did!!!
CHALLENGE: Each assignment the LORD puts in our hands is important to HIM. If our attitude is wrong because we think it is too small than we need to straighten out our attitude. Serve the LORD with GLADNESS!!
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