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zechariah 4
Haystack bible commentary"Stacks and stacks of commentary...."
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==zechariah 4:1-5:
And the angel that talked with me came again, and waked me, as a man that is wakened out of his sleep.
2 And said unto me, What seest thou? And I said, I have looked, and behold a candlestick all of gold, with a bowl upon the top of it, and his seven lamps thereon, and seven pipes to the seven lamps, which are upon the top thereof:
3 And two olive trees by it, one upon the right side of the bowl, and the other upon the left side thereof.
4 So I answered and spake to the angel that talked with me, saying, What are these, my lord?
5 Then the angel that talked with me answered and said unto me, Knowest thou not what these be? And I said, No, my lord.
2 And said unto me, What seest thou? And I said, I have looked, and behold a candlestick all of gold, with a bowl upon the top of it, and his seven lamps thereon, and seven pipes to the seven lamps, which are upon the top thereof:
3 And two olive trees by it, one upon the right side of the bowl, and the other upon the left side thereof.
4 So I answered and spake to the angel that talked with me, saying, What are these, my lord?
5 Then the angel that talked with me answered and said unto me, Knowest thou not what these be? And I said, No, my lord.
==zechariah 4:6:
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Zechariah 4:6: 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.
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Zechariah was prophesying during a very dark time for Judah. The nation had been destroyed. Although the exile was technically over and people were coming back, the situation was not good. Many people looked to Zerubbabel, a descendant of David but not a king. How could one man make a difference? The word that was given to Zerubbabel through Zechariah was that it would not be by human strength but only by God’s Spirit that Zerubbabel would fulfil his role.
It is important to note that this was a word specifically to Zerubbabel and not a general promise to everyone. At the same time, this message is the general theme of Scripture. Everyone from Abraham to the apostles tried to do it on their own. This is not an excuse to stop putting effort into ministry. However, it is a reminder that our confidence is not based on what we do but on what God does. --Stephen Bedard |
William Carey
“One of the first, and most important of those duties which are incumbent upon us, is fervent and united prayer. However the influence of the Holy Spirit may be set at nought, and run down by many, it will be found upon trial, that all means which we can use, without it, will be ineffectual. If a temple is raised for God in the heathen world, it will not be by might, nor by power, nor by the authority of the magistrate, or the eloquence of the orator; but by my Spirit, saith the Lord of Hosts.”
― William Carey, An Enquiry into the Obligations of Christians to Use Means for the Conversion of the Heathens In Which the Religious State of the Different Nations of ... of Further Undertakings, Are Considered
― William Carey, An Enquiry into the Obligations of Christians to Use Means for the Conversion of the Heathens In Which the Religious State of the Different Nations of ... of Further Undertakings, Are Considered
==zechariah 4:7-9:
Who art thou, O great mountain? before Zerubbabel thou shalt become a plain: and he shall bring forth the headstone thereof with shoutings, crying, Grace, grace unto it.
8 Moreover the word of the Lord came unto me, saying,
9 The hands of Zerubbabel have laid the foundation of this house; his hands shall also finish it; and thou shalt know that the Lord of hosts hath sent me unto you.
8 Moreover the word of the Lord came unto me, saying,
9 The hands of Zerubbabel have laid the foundation of this house; his hands shall also finish it; and thou shalt know that the Lord of hosts hath sent me unto you.
==zechariah 4:10:
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For who has despised the time of insignificant things? They will rejoice to see the plumb line in the hand of Zerubbabel. These seven lights represent the eyes of the LORD, which are looking throughout all of the earth."
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I know of a man who started a church with a few people and lost hope at the end of the first year with an attendance of twelve. Now that church has over 10,000 members. Another person I know started as a dishwasher in a popular food chain and now owns 850 of those franchises.
Everything starts small. The desire to gain wealth or success overnight is a foolish dream which usually ends up in a loss. But, when God is involved in our projects, small beginnings can grow and bring forth much fruit and success. I encourage you today to be patient and to persevere in small things, so that God may show Himself to be faithful. Let's trust in Him! --Connie Bryson |
January 26, 2024: At Bold Journey Rachael Adams said: Each day I have a choice. Will I begin again regardless of how small my work seems in the grand scheme of things, trusting God is growing me and using it all? Or, will I grow discouraged and be lulled to sleep by the monotony, believing it is all unimpactful and pointless? This is your choice too. While your to-do list may look different from mine, I have a feeling our hearts are similar. We want our lives to count, but we feel minuscule, like our ordinary everyday moments will never amount to anything. We take stock of the families we were born into, the towns we grew up in, and the positions we serve in, then determine they are of little value. If we aren’t careful, we can start to believe that who we are, where we are, and what we are doing doesn’t really matter. A remnant of Jews who had returned to Judah to rebuild the temple and their nation had similar thoughts. Many of the older Jews were disheartened when they realized this new temple would not match the size and splendor of the previous temple built during King Solomon’s reign. But a minor prophet (not a major prophet, ironically) named Zechariah gave the people encouragement from God by saying, “Do not despise these small beginnings, for the Lord rejoices to see the work begin” (4:10 NLT). The NIV translation says, “Who dares despise the day of small things.” Zechariah was trying to communicate to them that bigger and more beautiful isn’t always better. The presence of God on the inside of the temple was what made it significant. Zechariah’s fellow minor prophet Haggai says it this way, “How does it look to you now? Does it seem to you like nothing” (2:3)? So often, who we are and what we are doing feels like nothing. But friend, because God is on the inside of us, we too are significant. |
==zechariah 4:11-13:
Then answered I, and said unto him, What are these two olive trees upon the right side of the candlestick and upon the left side thereof?
12 And I answered again, and said unto him, What be these two olive branches which through the two golden pipes empty the golden oil out of themselves?
13 And he answered me and said, Knowest thou not what these be? And I said, No, my lord.
14 Then said he, These are the two anointed ones, that stand by the Lord of the whole earth.
12 And I answered again, and said unto him, What be these two olive branches which through the two golden pipes empty the golden oil out of themselves?
13 And he answered me and said, Knowest thou not what these be? And I said, No, my lord.
14 Then said he, These are the two anointed ones, that stand by the Lord of the whole earth.