Not by might nor by power, but by my Spirit, saith the Lord of
hosts.--_Zech. 4, 6._
We shall first explain, and then seek to apply the words read.
The Lord, through the Prophet Zechariah, addresses this message to
Zerubbabel under remarkably instructive circumstances. Zerubbabel
was the prince and leader of the Jews, under whom the first company
of the exiles, numbering about 50,000, returned from the seventy
years' captivity in Babylon. On reaching Jerusalem, he with his
fellow-exiles promptly set about the work of building the second
temple. They laid the foundations with great rejoicing, in high
hope of speedily and successfully completing the work. But seeing
the smallness of their resources and the vastness of the work, the
large numbers who opposed, and the fewness of those who helped,
also hearing the old men, who remembered the glory of the former,
_i. e._, Solomon's Temple, say, as they looked with tears on the
crude beginning before them, "It is as nothing in comparison,"
Zerubbabel and his people became discouraged and ceased from the
work. For fully fifteen years nothing was done. To arouse the leader
and stir up the people, to resume and press forward the work, the
Lord by Zechariah now addresses them. Though they are poor and
weak in comparison with the builders of the first temple, yet the
Lord will have them know that this work is not wholly theirs, but
is emphatically His, and must therefore be accomplished. By way of
teaching them how this would be done, He sent them an impressive
symbolic vision recorded in the verses immediately preceding the
line of the text.
The prophet sees a candlestick all of gold, having seven branches,
and on the top of each branch nine lamps. On the right side of the
candlestick is a living olive tree, and on the left side a similar
olive tree. These trees pour from themselves a plentiful and
unfailing supply of oil into the central bowl of the candlestick.
Then the prophet asks what the vision means. The reply given are the
words of the text: "Not by might, nor by power, but by my Spirit,
saith the Lord of hosts." The meaning evidently is this: As the
candlestick--which stands for the Church--is furnished without cost
or labor, with an unfailing and abundant supply of oil--oil being
the symbol of the Holy Ghost--from the living olive trees, so will
the Spirit of the Lord furnish abundant power and resources in ways
within His power, to enable His servants to successfully complete
the building of His house.
Thus, instructed and encouraged, leader and people promptly resume
the work laid aside fifteen years before. There was no lack of
materials. The building advanced rapidly to completion. In the
sixth year afterwards the house was dedicated to God. As the people
looked upon the great structure in its completeness, every stone and
timber, from the lowest foundation to the highest pinnacle, seemed
to reecho the language of the text. It is done, not by might nor by
power, but by the Spirit of the Lord of hosts.
Such is the original meaning and application, but it by no means
exhausts the lesson,--rather suggests a much wider and universal
use. In the New Testament and the Church of Christ it is also most
emphatically true that all depends upon the light-giving, life
giving, power-giving of the Spirit of God. It was so on the first
Pentecost, which we commemorate to-day; it is just so now. The
source of the Church's life, and its success, is the energy of God's
Spirit. That is the one prominent thought and truth that we would
meditate and impress upon our minds in these moments of instruction.
Men are accustomed to look on the outward appearance. They are
disposed to trust to material resources. Thus, quite naturally,
they are inclined to fall into the error that God's cause, the
preservation and extension of Christ's Church, are dependent upon
the same things, that these same things are necessary to the success
of the Gospel truth. Thus, to be more explicit, they have a notion
that wealth and worldly influence are such necessary helps. We see
money exercising a nearly unlimited sway for external comfort and
enjoyment. We behold how those who possess it secure respect and
homage, thousands standing ready to do with hireling eagerness their
slightest wish. To the success of every scheme, whether material
or intellectual, money in our day would appear to be the one thing
needful. It is called the _nervus rerum_, the nerve of things. And
is the Church exempt? How is it to be supported at home, how the
heathen brought within its fold, unless the ear of the rich and the
powerful be first gained and their purse-strings opened to supply
the financial aid? Has it not come to this, that, when inquiring
as to the prosperity of a particular congregation, wealth suggests
itself as the most prominent, and piety and high moral worth as only
subordinate ideas, if, indeed, these occur to people at all? Now
it would be foolish to contend that money and wealth may not be,
and actually are, a means in God's providence to further His cause.
We need money, but, let it be noted, not as a necessary, but as
only a very accidental means. To take any other view of the matter
is to put it in the place of God, whence alone it can derive its
efficiency.
Any one who has given calm and careful attention to the history of
the Church, from the first publication of our holy faith by Christ
Himself down to the present day, will have found that the favor
of the rich and the powerful is not essential to its advancement.
In the period of its rise and apparently greatest weakness, when
it had only a few poor fishermen for its adherents and advocates,
its growth was most rapid. After wealth began to make itself felt,
its progress was retarded, and internal decay set in. By that we do
not say that such has been, and naturally is, the result of every
influence of this sort, but simply that the cause of divine truth
is independent of all such agencies for its vitality and effective
power. Riches and civil power cannot in themselves, and irrespective
of the divine blessing, promote the cause of Christ in the world.
That, I know, every one professing himself a Christian is ready at
once to allow, and yet in view of the undue prominence that is made
over the matter, it is proper to call heed to the warning contained
in the text. Let us not overestimate and exaggerate the value of
money in spiritual matters.
Again, it is well to remark that the cause of Christ is not
dependent for its advancement on personal talents and high
intellectual endowments. How much is not made of that these days!
Correct enough, as the supernatural gifts of the Spirit ceased with
the early Christian age, the Christian Church, guided by common
prudence, as well as by the express statements of the Bible, has
ever since required that those who occupy the sacred office should
possess such an amount of mental culture as might fit them to
interpret, expound, and apply the truths of Scripture, but that
there is danger of overestimating and idolizing the intellectual
ability of these office-holders to the practical neglect of the
truth they present, is only too lamentably apparent. Since the day
that Paul, Apollos, and Cephas divided the favor of the Church of
Corinth, the one being for Paul, the other for Apollos, and the
third for Peter, this partiality, or favoritism, has been very
common and yet is. Add to this the growing intelligence of the age,
its high and general standard of education, and the loud cry for men
of talents and superior scholarship is strong and pronounced.
These things, accordingly, are not to be despised or neglected; on
the contrary, cultivated. But let us not for one moment believe that
Gospel truth is dependent on learning and genius to keep it awake.
Learning and genius and oratory are nothing except when they are
blessed; nay, without the blessing they are likely to be productive
of injury, just in proportion as they are great. Let us beware of
regarding them in any higher or different way. Unless an energy or
agency superior to that of man pave the way for truth to enter, the
finest scholarship and the most persuasive eloquence will not force
a passage. What that energy and agency is the text tells us.
One other agency and resource upon which too much stress is
laid is this: We have fallen upon a generation of fuss, bustle,
trumpet-blowing, and advertising. It would almost seem as if
many of us believed that we were to take the world by storm. We
see it in every department, and the Church is falling in line.
We have all sorts of noisy demonstrations and manifestations;
ministers advertise themselves and their sermons under ridiculous
announcements, as if to draw the crowd, and not rather regenerating
their heart, were the only and sole purpose. Let us beware of
placing too much significance on this matter of advertising. We must
not be forgetful of the Master's direction: "Let your light shine
before men." "A city that is set on a hill cannot be hid. Neither do
men light a candle and put it under a bushel, but on a candlestick."
And yet, it is well to remember that vision of Elijah, when he stood
upon Mount Horeb, and the Lord wished to speak to His servant. First
there was a terrific earthquake that shook the ground; "but," it
says, "the Lord was not in the earthquake." That was followed by
a terrific whirlwind rending the trees and causing havoc around;
"but," it says, "the Lord was not in the whirlwind." Then, following
it, came a fire; "but," it says, "the Lord was not in the fire."
Then, when tranquillity reigned again, and earth and skies lay in
silence, "came a still, small voice." The Lord was in that. He is
still in the still, small voice of Gospel grace.
Let the ministers preach this Gospel grace in all its purity and
in all faithfulness, and it will do the work. It is the only
instrument the Spirit employs in changing a man's nature. Let him
and his members live that Gospel, let them show in their characters
and behavior that they have been born again and are sustained by
the agency of the Holy Spirit; that they are temples of God, and
the Spirit dwelleth in them, and thus by a godlike life commend
the religion they profess; let them both, minister and members, be
found where they were all with one accord on the first Pentecost,
in one place, that one place the place of worship; and let them
both be doing what the first disciples were doing,--praying for
the outpouring of the Spirit, upon themselves and their cause,
and, verily, as God's promise is true, they shall not fail of a
pentecostal outpouring, success, and blessing upon their undertaking.
Summon all your forces, mention all your resources. "Not by might
nor by power, but by my Spirit, saith the Lord of hosts." God, Holy
Spirit, we invoke Thee, Come into our hearts, take possession of
them, come into our homes, rule there. Come into our churches and
our church. Come, and Thy people bless, and give Thy Word success,
for Thou, and Thou only, canst and must do so. Amen.