Zechariah 4 reminds me of football Sunday.
To some people that is their passion. It consumes them, and their
entire week revolves around the big game. I have no doubt that there
are others that dread game day because it is their job to clean, or
serve, or fix. Passion will drive people with boundless energy,
while mundane obligation can drain excitement even from the
spectacular things. Today’s chapter helps us see that there are no
small things in God’s plan. The chapter begins, “the
angel… returned and woke me up…
He
asked me, ‘What
do you see?’” I wonder if
this is more of a spiritual awakening. “I
see a solid gold lampstand with a bowl at the top and seven lamps on
it“. Exodus chapter 25
provides detailed descriptions of this lampstand as part of the
Temple design. Remember, each Temple item was symbolic, “a
copy and shadow of the heavenly things”
(Hebrews 8:5). Leviticus 24 requires the Temple lamps be “kept
burning continually… before
the Lord from evening till morning, continually“.
This meant constant maintenance by the Temple priests. I bet this
monotonous routine was viewed as a lowly chore. Do you view your
work, or service as unimportant?
Zechariah
continues, with something new, this lampstand has “two
olive trees by it“. God’s
explanation should fan the flames of your exuberance. This lampstand
is self-filling, fed directly from two olive trees. Tell this to the
guys doing half-hearted work on rebuilding the Temple, “Not
by might nor by power, but by My Spirit,’ says the Lord Almighty“.
You do not have to try harder to generate more joy yourself; you
need to tap into the Holy Spirit of God in whatever you are doing!
The
chapter continues with minor tasks viewed from man’s perspective,
and from God’s perspective. “What
are you, mighty mountain?”
The challenges and obstacles in work can seem impossible. Friend, it
is often from the heights that God’s work in you is visible to
many. “Before Zerubbabel you
will become level ground. Then he will bring out the capstone to
shouts of ‘God bless it! God bless it!’”
Next there is an exhortation to see things completed to the end.
The foundation you create today is just the start. Zerubbabel has
“laid the foundation of this
temple; his hands will also complete it“.
He asks those of us trudging along, “Who
dares despise the day of small things?”
You may be laying a foundation when you answer that phone today, or
notice someone standing alone. Your attitude may open the door to
someone to “rejoice when they
see the chosen capstone“. The
chapter ends with a series of questions. Who is it that serves as
branches to bring the oil from the tree to the two bowls of the lamp?
“These are the two who are
anointed to serve
the Lord of all the earth“.
They are unnamed for a reason. Hey, is it your turn? “Let
us not become weary in doing good, for at the proper time we will
reap a harvest if we do not give up”
(Galatians 6:9). Let’s get this thing started, it is Game Day!