"'Not by might nor by power, but by my Spirit,' says the Lord Almighty (v4:6)." And, "Do not despise the day of small beginnings. The people will rejoice when they see the plumb line in the hand of Zerubbabel (v4:10)."The Word of the Lord.
The task of rebuilding the temple was at best - daunting, and at worst - completely unrealistic. It is difficult enough to rebuild when everyone is cheering along the process but to do so with resistance and limited resources made the effort humanly impossible. Can you imagine the people returning to their home land and seeing, for the first time, a pile of rubble that used to be their central place of worship? Can you imagine them climbing over the mounds of broken stones and picking up shattered pieces of sacred ornaments scattered in the dust? Can you imagine their thoughts those first few nights as they lay down to sleep knowing that they must face the brokenness, once again, in the morning? Rebuilding anything begins with courage and hope - not in oneself but in the One who delights in creating masterpieces out of messes. And God's best work of rebuilding is done in us not buildings.
Romantic notions of rebuilding are only felt by those who have never done it. For those in it or having done so in the past, a rebuilding season challenges one's body, mind, and spirit in an unprecedented way. It requires us to be in a place of total dependence on God which, initially, is misinterpreted as being weak and vulnerable - feelings we instinctively despise. But later, we come to discover that our total dependence on God actually brings us strength and accomplishment that is only achievable in Him. And it is not only for seasons of rebuilding but all our days. To reach for any other facsimile or cheap imitation than the sustaining power of God's presence is to assure failure. Rebuilding demands a level of trust and faith that, by very nature of its intensity, changes one forever. It is permanently defining.
So in the midst of this God speaks to us. First, He tells us what NOT to rely upon. God says, "Not by might." The hebrew word is chayil which is used 224 times in Scripture. It means might in regard to physical strength, ability, wealth, and/or military force. In addition, God says it is "not by power." Here, the hebrew word is koach - used 125 times. It is somewhat synonymous with chayil as it points us once again to physical human strength, ability, or even political strength. So why the repetition? In essence, God is overly emphasizing something important for us. He is ensuring that we really get it - that we really hear it - that we really embrace it - and that we really believe it! All else He will speak is contingent on this starting point. Miss or downplay it, and all that follows becomes watered-down expressions of faith.
Secondly, God tells us to rely fully rely on His Spirit. The challenging part of spiritual application is that God continually stretches us to see the "unseeable." How do we rely on something mystical like "the breath of God?" Sounds more poetical than practical - more flighty than forceful. Sounds like a place of denial or excuse for people not smart enough to navigate the challenges of life. And all this sentiment is complicated by the actions of well-meaning people who have poorly modeled for us spirit-filled living. And so some of us respond with great hesitancy to a life fully immersed and led-by the Spirit of God. And yet it is essential not optional.
We will not in this short blog address all the nuances of a spirit-filled life. But let me suggest the following. In the context of rebuilding or remodeling our lives, God's Spirit will bring illumination and discernment. As we daily renew our minds in Him God's Spirit brings us insight and awareness we never had prior. We begin to see things differently and comprehend Scripture in a whole new way. Clarity replaces cloudiness. Focus replaces scattered thinking. Restfulness replaces restlessness. Patience replaces impetuousness. Small victories trump big obstacles. The way of wisdom guides rather than the way of this world. And people begin to say things like, "You seem different now." This, not hysteria, is the sustaining work of God's Spirit in us. And we must embrace it.
And finally, God says, "Do not despise the day of small beginnings." The people in Zechariah's day had to find celebration in each stone they lifted and placed. God rebuilds one stone at a time. Can He speak and all the stones comply instantly and simultaneously into formation as people merely watch? Absolutely. But God's nature is more inclined to process than unilateral intrusion. He delights more in our outcomes and growth from the process than frivolously displaying His other-world powers. God sees fundamental benefit for us when we learn to rejoice not only at completion but when the right tools are in hand to get the job done. So He says, "The people will rejoice when they see the plumb line in the hand of Zerubbabel." Can you imagine Zerubbabel, the governor of Judah, standing on a pile of rubble victoriously holding up the plumb line? What courage and commitment to the process of God! Many a person has missed the completion of a masterpiece because they were too critical of the small beginning and lacked imagination to envision its completion.
So rebuild.
Ex nihilo,
R.J. Rhoden
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