EVERYDAY IN THE WORD!
THURSDAY MARCH 11, 2021.
SUBJECT: UNDERSTANDING THE POWER OF GRACE!
Memory verse: "So He answered and 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.” (Zechariah 4 vs 6.)
READ: Ezra 4 vs 1 - 5:
4:1: "Now when the adversaries of Judah and Benjamin heard that the descendants of the captivity were building the temple of the LORD God of Israel,
4:2: they came to Zerubbabel and to the heads of the fathers' houses and said to them, Let us build with you, for we seek your God as you do; and we have sacrificed to Him since the days of Esarhaddon king of Assyria, who brought us here.
4:3: But Zerubbabel and Jeshua and the rest of the heads of fathers' houses of Israel said to them, “You may do nothing with us to build a house for our God; but we alone will build to the LORD God of Israel, as King Cyrus, the king of Persia, has commanded us.”
4:4: Then the people of the land tried to discourage the people of Judah. They troubled them in building,
4:5: and hired counselors against them to frustrate their purpose all the days of Cyrus king of Persia, even until the reign of Darius king of Persia.
INTIMATION:
The passage we read today clearly brings to the fore the import of the power of grace. Correlating them with some other passages in the Bible will give us a clear understanding of the grace of God—the power of God. The adversaries of the two tribes of Judah and Benjamin were people who had been relocated in the northern kingdom when Assyria conquered Israel. These were mixed group of foreigners whose ancestors had been conquered by the Assyrians, and were forced to resettle in the northern kingdom of Israel after Israel was defeated and her people taken captive.
The Israelite captives from the two tribes of Judah and Benjamin who returned to Jerusalem after the proclamation of freedom to the twelve tribes of Israel, started rebuilding the temple of God. In an attempt to infiltrate and disrupt the project these adversaries offered to help in the rebuilding project. Their real motive was to disrupt the temple project because they don't want Jerusalem to be strong again on their return from exile. Although, it is true they were worshipping the God of Israel, but they also worshipped many other gods. To these foreigners God was just another 'idol' to be added to their collection. In God's eyes, this was not worship—it was sin and rebellion. True worship involves devotion to God alone. The Jews however, knew this—they saw through their ploy and refused their assistance.
Since the Israelites (Jews) were well aware of this fact, they told the people—their adversaries—that they had no part in building a temple to the LORD. When they heard this, it made them so angry that they began to do everything in their power to harass and cause trouble for the Israelites, to frustrate their purpose and plans.
Now, what should be the reaction of the godly to that kind of opposition and persecution? I believe the answer to that question is a key to enjoying the life of grace that God wills for his people. Let us look at passage in Zechariah 4 vs 1 - 3: "Now the angel who talked with me came back and awakened me, as a man who is awakened out of his sleep. And said to me, “What do you see?” So I said, “I am looking, and there is a lampstand of solid gold with its bowl on top of it, and on the stand seven lamps with seven pipes to the seven lamps. Two olive trees are by it, one at the right of the bowl and the other at its left.”
Zechariah had a vision in which an angel spoke to him. In this vision he saw a lampstand made of gold with seven lamps upon it. There were seven pipes to the lamps and two olive trees, one on either side, to feed the lamps continuously with oil. Students of the Word of God know that oil represents the Holy Spirit, and the Holy Spirit is the power of Almighty God. We have earlier learnt that the grace of God is the power of the Holy Spirit to meet our needs and solve our problems, although, the Scripture doesn't say it in so many words.
The seven lamps on the lampstand can only give light and glow if they have oil supplied to it. The pipes connect the lamps to the bowl containing the oil. The bowl is then connected to the olive trees that are constantly supplying the bowl with oil for the lamps to give light continually.
Now, let's look at what the Word of God says in Zechariah 4 vs 4 - 6; "So I answered and spoke to the angel who talked with me, saying, “What are these, my lord?” Then the angel who talked with me answered and said to me, “Do you not know what these are?” And I said, “No, my lord.” So he answered and 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." Here the Lord is speaking to the same people who were trying to build the temple with Zerubbabel. He is telling them how they should react to their frustrating situation. He is saying to them that their response to trouble should be to depend not upon their own abilities or efforts, but upon the limitless power of the Holy Spirit to meet the issues and resolve the crises they face.
The vision given to Zechariah, shows the limitless power of God's grace in meeting our needs being made manifest. Remember, it is not by your power or might but by the Spirit (the grace) of God that we overcome all our lives' challenges. Many people believe that to survive in this world a person must be tough, strong, unbending and harsh. But God says, "Not by our might nor by our power, but by His Spirit—the power of God." It is only through God's Spirit (God's grace) that anything of lasting value is accomplished by us.
Prayer: Abba Father, outside of You I can do nothing! Thank You for the gift of the Holy Spirit my Helper and His power available to me to always meet my needs and solve my problems, in Jesus’ Name I have prayed, Amen.
PRAISE THE LORD!
