God’s Powerful Work Through Ordinary Means | Zechariah 4:1-14

Scripture

• Zechariah 4:1–14

About this sermon

Something now — something in the future. Encouragement for the moment — encouragement for forever. God’s present working — God’s promised working. This is the combination on display throughout the book of Zechariah, but especially on display in each of the eight visions being related by the prophet in this section. The encouragement that God gave in the opening message of the book, God has now illustrated visually through this series of visions. Vision 1 — The rider on the red horse in the midst of the myrtle trees. Vision 2 — The four horns and the four craftsmen Vision 3 — A man with a measuring cord. Vision 4 — Joshua the high priest pointing forward to the servant of Yahweh, the Branch. In each case we have present and future encouragement — and in each case the ultimate hope and explanation for that encouragement is the Messiah. And now, we come to the 5th vision, and the message is the same. Encouragement for the present, hope for the future, all of it ultimately depending on and pointing forward to the Christ. In addition, we see God’s activity and we see human instruments. We are reminded that God is present, and God is powerfully working, but in a way that often looks ordinary. We are reminded of God’s powerful work through ordinary means. I. THE VISION RELATED (vs.1-3) Zechariah gives us a sense of the state God put the prophet in as He communicated these visions to him. The interpreting angel returns. Zechariah is roused like you would wake someone up. And a new vision begins. “What do you see?” The angel goes on to describe a lampstand with 7 lamps (7 branches like we have all seen depicted, the kind of lampstand that was used in the tabernacle), but this lampstand is being fed oil out of a bowl that is above it all, and the bowl is being fed oil out of two olive trees, on its right side and one on its left side. The oil was moving from the bowl to the laps by the spouts belonging to each of the lamps. II. THE VISION EXPLAINED (vs.4-7) Zechariah doesn’t understand what he sees. He asks the angel for an explanation, and the angel seems surprised that he doesn’t understand. “Do you not know what these are? A. A PICTURE REGARDING POWER The symbolism continues to be explained by the angel throughout the vision, but three things become clear at this point. The vision Zechariah is seeing says something about the POWER necessary for the things God is promising to come to pass. What God is going to do does not find its explanation in the instruments God uses to accomplish them. GOD USES INSTRUMENTS. WE WILL SEE THAT AGAIN IN JUST A MOMENT. BUT THE POWER AT WORK THROUGH THE INSTRUMENTS IS NOTHING LESS THAN THE POWER OF GOD’S SPIRIT. How will the present work on the temple be completed? And how will the PROMISED WORK in the kingdom finally arrive? The explanation will be the Spirit of God. QUESTION: WHY IS IT IMPORTANT FOR ZECHARIAH, AND ZERUBBABEL (the governor) TO HEAR THIS? Two reasons: 1. FOR ENCOURAGEMENT AND FAITH This is the ongoing battle every child of God has, and every generation serving the Lord has. We look at our own resources — which are often CLEARLY meager — and comparing those with what we have been called to do, and we lack faith in the ability for it to be accomplished. Well, good news, we are not left to our own resources. In fact, all we are called to do is trust the Lord and obey Him, and HE PROMISES the resources necessary for His work to be done.