Not By Might

I had a few new worship tunes that I feel like the Lord gifted me during the many long months of Covid isolation. One of the songs was based on a cool passage from the book of Zechariah. Here’s the scripture and a bit of commentary on it (and I preached a sermon from this text last Christmas if you’re interested in hearing more):

6 Then he 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. 7 Who are you, O great mountain? Before Zerubbabel you shall become a plain. And he shall bring forward the top stone amid shouts of ‘Grace, grace to it!’”

8 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. – Zechariah 4:6-10 (ESV)

Zechariah is a pretty weird book to our Western ears, but here is a bit of context. It helps to also look at Haggai, a contemporary book. This is the beginning of what’s known as the “Second Temple” period in the history of God’s people. As this new temple was taking shape, there were some of the older folks who had seen the glory of Solomon’s temple in their youth and thought this new one just didn’t measure up (Haggai 2:3). But God’s message to them was “do not fear, I am with you, my Spirit is with you” (2:4). It wasn’t about the amount of gold or silver or even all the riches of the world —God has all that already (2:8) it is HE that will fill the temple with glory even greater than the former temple (2:9). So that helps us understand the Zechariah passage. It’s not about human might or power, it’s about what GOD’S SPIRIT can do and where HE dwells (Zech 4:6). Even a mountain can become a plain with God’s power (4:7, cf Matt 17:20).

I love the NLT translation for verse 10: “Do not despise these small beginnings, for the Lord rejoices to see the work begin, to see the plumb line in Zerubbabel’s hand.” God was rejoicing just to see the work begin even with just the tape measure in the leader’s hand. Don’t make light of small victories – that’s often how God works! Little by little. Or with “little” people. There is a theme throughout scripture: God delights in the little. He chooses the weak and unknown. He lifts up the lowly. It’s easy for us to be down on ourselves, or to dwell on how we wish things would be, especially during times like this. But God rejoices in small beginnings. Let us take time to celebrate special moments like the first block in a new temple, or a newborn king in a humble manger. As we’re coming out of Covid hiding, let’s rejoice in every spiritual victory God gives us in his church. There’s a lot of big changes that need to happen in our world. God’s going to make a difference not by might, nor by power but by his Spirit (and perhaps by using our “small beginnings”).

NOT BY MIGHT (Zech 4:6-10)

Not by might
Nor by power
But by the Spirit
Of Almighty God

What are you?
Oh mighty mountain
Before us you
Become a plain
Only God
Can bring a blessing
In his Spirit
We proclaim

In His hands
A firm foundation
Jesus is
Our cornerstone
Joining hands
We build his temple
By his Spirit
In his name

In your hands
Our small beginnings
Through us you can
Bring change to earth
Use us now
To serve your mission
By your Spirit
Heal the world

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