peterGreetings beloved nation in the name of Jesus Christ.
In the Bible we read about Zerubbabel being given a task to build the temple of God at the time when the temple had been destroyed by Nebuchadnezzar. It was during the season when Israel was returning back from captivity of Babylon. It was at a time when Israel was surrounded by poverty and people were in despair and were discouraged.
During that time Zerubbabel was facing opposition from within and from the people who were coming from captivity. This was because there were no resources for building the temple. Remember this temple was destroyed by King Nebuchadnezzar.
In spite of resistance from his own people Zerubbabel had to go ahead and build. We see that Zerubbabel was facing a great mountain, circumstances and stagnation. So, we see Zerubbabel by the prophecy that was given by Zechariah had to go ahead and build.
Zechariah 4:6-9 says: 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.7 ‘Who are you, O great mountain? Before Zerubbabel you shall become a plain! And he shall bring forth the capstone with shouts of Grace, grace to it! 8 Moreover the word of the Lord came to me, saying: 9 The hands of Zerubbabel Have laid the foundation of this temple; His hands shall also finish it. Then you will know That the Lord of hosts has sent Me to you.”
There may be projects, assignments in your life, your ministry or your business that you are doing that have come to stagnation. May the Holy Spirit push it forward. When Nebuchadnezzar attacked Judah, he destroyed the temple and took away all the sacred things in the temple. But Zerubbabel and his people decided to go ahead and build the temple and the city of Jerusalem.
These were people who were coming from captivity, they were very poor and they did not have anything and the land had nothing because for years the land was wasted and lied fallow. So, they were trying to build something that was difficult. Zerubbabel was being assisted by the high priest Joshua and God raised prophets from Israel and one of them was Zechariah and the other was Haggai.
So, we see that there were two prophets, Haggai and Zechariah who were speaking into the project. Then there was Zerubbabel and Joshua who were building the temple.
You see every project in our lives and in all spheres of our lives, needs a prophetic declaration. This is very important. What the prophetic does is it cracks or breaks barriers in the realm of the spirit, then in the physical there is the building that we should be doing. So, there is a spiritual declaration at the top and there is a physical action by Zerubbabel on the ground. The project at this time had come to a halt because they did not have money and people were opposing them because they did not want the temple built.
Even some of their own people were against the temple being built. There may be people who are against what you are doing. Maybe you are building your marriage, ministry, business, life. You will push through. So it is at this point that the word of the Lord came to Zerubbabel. God spoke to Zerubbabel three things;
The first thing he spoke in verse 6 he says, “Not by might nor by power, but by My Spirit,’ Says the Lord of hosts.” It’s not going to take your effort, your physical action, your mental ability or how you are connected, but this is the work of the spirit of God. So, allow the Holy Ghost to take the driving seat and stop focusing on the economy or on people.
The second word he spoke in verse 7 says, “Who are you, O great mountain? Before Zerubbabel you shall become a plain! And he shall bring forth the capstone with shouts of “Grace, grace to it!” We understand that the problems we are facing we can call them mountains because they are big obstacles or obstructions.
It is a mountain that is standing before you. Remember the mountain has ears, it can hear. One time when Jesus was teaching about faith, he said ‘you shall say unto this mountain be cast into the sea and it shall be casted’.
So, you are going to ask that mountain a question of defiance; who are you, you mountain? Who are you, you poverty? Who are you, you sickness? Who are you, you problem? Who do you think you are? When God speaks, who are you? This mountain shall become plain and he said Zerubbabel shall bring the capstone who shouts of grace, grace to it.
The capstone is the final stone you place on a project to declare that the project is completed. A capstone is the stone that everyone will see that the project has been finished and the people will shout grace, grace to it. So, favour will bring the capstone. In other ways God was saying to Zerubbabel that in spite of the opposition and having no money for the project, you will finish it by the hand of the spirit.
The third word God spoke was in verse 8, “The hands of Zerubbabel Have laid the foundation of this temple; His hands shall also finish it. Then you will know that the Lord of hosts has sent Me to you.” So, the God of Zerubbabel is the same God that we worship, the God who spoke to Zechariah is your God and my God. You may not be Zerubbabel but his God is your God.
He is the same today, yesterday and forever. What he does today, he will do it tomorrow. So let us connect to the God who spoke to Zerubbabel, ‘It’s not by might nor by power.”
God bless you all. For feedback get in touch on [email protected].
Online Reporter