Not by Might, nor by Power, But by My Spirit, Says the Lord Almighty (Zechariah 4:6 NIV)

He leads me …

After the Jewish people finished their exile in Babylon in 538 BCE (538 BC), the Persian conqueror of Babylonia, Cyrus the Great, gave the Jews permission to return to Palestine. 50,000 of them were alowed to return to Jerusalem and to rebuild the temple under Zerubbabel, governor of Jerusalem.

At this time, Zechariah, a prophet and priest of Israel, received several visions from the Lord. In one of those visions, God delivered this key message: ‘This is the word of the LORD to Zerubbabel: Not by might, nor by power, but by my Spirit, says the LORD of hosts’ (Zechariah 4:6, ESV).

In this period of Israel’s history, the prophets Zechariah and Haggai were both ministering. While Haggai encouraged the returned Jewish exiles in their work of rebuilding the temple, Zechariah urged them to repent of sin and renew their covenant with God. Spiritual renewal would be essential to their survival and worship of God once the temple was rebuilt.

The Yalkut Me’am Lo’ez Bible commentary was written in about 1730, (aimimg at popularizing Jewish lore by means of extracts from all the branches of rabbinical literature) lists factors that made it clear to the people that the Messiah had not arrived (Zechariah 7), including the fact that the gathering of all the exiles had not taken place. As well as this much of the Holy Land was occupied by Samaritans and other non-Jews. The people also were aware that Zerubbabel was not a King of Israel but was instead a governor who had some powers while  the true rulers of the country were the Persians. There was also an awareness that the Divine Presence had not manifest itself. The Holy of Holies was an empty chamber without an ark.[1]

Construction on the temple, which had been stopped by opposition from neighboring countries (Assyria, Egypt, Babylon, and Medo-Persia), resumed under the exhortation of Zechariah and Haggai. Zechariah experienced a series of night visions; in the fifth one, he saw a solid gold lampstand. Two olive trees provided the lampstand with its oil supply, which flowed through two golden pipes (Zechariah 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.’ The work of rebuilding the temple would only be accomplished by God’s Spirit and not by human might or power.

In several places in the Old Testament, the Lord’s Spirit is represented by oil (Isaiah 61:1–3; 1 Samuel 16:13). The abundant supply of oil in Zechariah’s vision is the Holy Spirit’s power, which would help Zerubbabel finish rebuilding the temple (symbolized by the large lampstand). The lampstand’s light signified that Israel, God’s covenant people, were to shine forth light and glorify God in the earth.

Both in the Old and New Testament, God’s people are called to shine the light of God’s glory into all the world (Isaiah 60:1–3; Matthew 5:14–16). It is the great commission of every believer (Matthew 28:19–20). Just as Zerubbabel would need to depend on the Spirit of the Lord to accomplish the work, so do Christians today. God’s people have no ability in themselves to shine the light of God’s truth to those walking in darkness.

The word for might in Zechariah 4:6 is often translated as “army,” “force,” “ability,” or “efficiency” and is associated with human resources. It also relates to financial means and can be connected with wealth. The term power implies purposeful force, firm resolve, dynamic strength, and resoluteness. Not by might nor by power—not by their own abilities, plentiful resources, or fierce determination—would God’s people build the temple and send God’s light into the world. Only by the Spirit of the Lord would their work and worship become a light broadcasting into all the earth (Acts 1:8; John 16:7–15).

As the physical labor of rebuilding the temple was being done, a spiritual renewal was also taking place. Joshua, the high priest, and Zerubbabel were not to trust in financial resources or military prowess, but in the mighty power of God’s Spirit working through them – ‘It is not by force nor by strength, but by my Spirit, says the LORD of Heaven’s Armies’. Nothing, not even a mighty mountain, will stand in Zerubbabel’s way; it will become a level plain before him! And when Zerubbabel sets the final stone of the Temple in place, the people will shout: ‘May God bless it! May God bless it!’ (Zechariah 4:4–7, NLT).

God had made a similar promise to those who remained faithful to Him in Hosea’s day: ‘But I will show love to the people of Judah. I will free them from their enemies—not with weapons and armies or horses and charioteers, but by my power as the LORD their God’ (Hosea 1:7, NLT).

Zerubbabel need not be discouraged by human limitations or afraid of earthly obstacles, and neither should present-day Christians (Romans 8:31; cf. Haggai 2:5; Isaiah 41:10). When God calls us to a purpose, His Spirit fills and enables us to finish it (Acts 2:17–18; John 3:34; Ephesians 1:18–20). As the apostle Paul learned, human weakness is no obstacle because God’s power is perfected in it. What he said was -  ‘That is why, for Christ’s sake, I delight in weaknesses, in insults, in hardships, in persecutions, in difficulties. For when I am weak, then I am strong’ (2 Corinthians 12:10 NIV; see also Hebrews 11:34).

Some people reading this may be thinking that these scriptures refer to the biblical times and are not for today. However, church history shows that in fact these gifts did not cease when the last disciple died at the end of rthe Apostolic Age.  It is accepted by the majority of christians that throughout the church age, from Christ’s ascension until His return they have continued and will keep being part of the church life.

Our God-given work is guaranteed to be successful, not by human might or power, but by the guidance and empowering of God’s Holy Spirit poured into us like the oil of Zechariah’s lampstand (Zechariah 4:1-14).[2]

‘The fact of the matter is that obedience to the Lord’s command is the most sane and reasonable life and the one that yields the greatest joy. The witness of Scripture and of experience testifies that no one who lives sacrificially for Christ will ever suffer want. When a man obeys God, the Lord takes care of him.’

― William MacDonald, True Discipleship ENGLISH with Study Guide[3] (January 7, 1917 – December 25, 2007) was President of Emmaus Bible College, teacher, Plymouth Brethren theologian and a prolific author of over 84 published books.

Three Ways to Fully Rely on God’s Strength and Greatness

·      Start with humility: ‘God, I can do nothing apart from you. I need your help.’

·      Act out of trust: ‘God, I trust in Your strength and ability. I acknowledge that my efforts are only able to succeed if You are fighting for me.’

·      Give God the credit: ‘God, I am thankful for Your faithfulness to me’- Any recognition or praise I receive belongs to You.’

o   Is there an area of your life that you take wrongful pride in?

o   How would your life change if you fully relied on God’s strength and greatness instead of your own?

o   What is one thing you need to start doing or stop doing to trust in God instead of your own strength in that area?[4]

Dear Reader – If you have found some value in this blog, please feel free to send a copy on to your family and friends. Kind regards, John

[1] Friedman, Hershey H. and Herskovitz, Paul J. (2019’: Leadership Lessons from Zerubbabel, Ezra, and Nehemiah," The Journal of Values-Based Leadership: Vol. 12 : Iss. 2 , Article 6

[3] https://www.goodreads.com/author/quotes/179032.William_MacDonald

[4] How to Fight With God’s Strength, Newspring Church, Anderson, South Carolina;

https://newspring.cc/devotionals/2-samuel-a-5-week-devotional/how-to-fight-with-gods-strength