By the Spirit

Scripture Reading: Zechariah 4:6

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.

This message to Zerubbabel was not a truth uniquely applicable to him alone. Yes, he needed to hear it directly and forcefully as he began to task of rebuilding the temple. What he faced looked overwhelmingly impossible. It would be a very human thing for him to immediately calculate the resources available for the job.

Many commentators believe that “might” here refers to the collective resources of the returned exiles. Their combined skill, wisdom, and money would not be enough to get the job done. “Power” is pointing more towards Zerubbabel himself. His personal attributes, as high quality as they might have been, would not be able to pull off the temple’s rebuilding.

There was one thing that would make the effort successful: the Spirit of the Lord.

In this “You can do it,” “believe in yourself” age this is a message we need to hear. Our collective powers, whether as a church body, a society, or a political party will not get it done. Neither will our personal skills or wisdom. The work that is before us, no matter what it is, is too big for that. And if it isn’t, we probably aren’t doing the work we need to be doing.

We need work too big for us so that we can be involved in a work led and empowered by the Spirit of the Living God. Then, we can say, “Not by might, nor by power, but by the Spirit of the Lord of hosts.”