‘Not by might nor by power, but by My Spirit,’ Says the Lord of hosts.” – Zechariah 4:6
The prophet Zechariah was a prophet chosen and sent by God to encourage His people when they had returned from captivity. They needed encouragement because what they found when they returned to Jerusalem was a mound of rubble. The Temple, a national symbol of God’s presence among them, and the walls of the City were laying in a heap of stone and dirt. When they looked at the rubble, it reminded them of the persistent sin and superficiality toward God that had led to their downfall. Now, as they returned, there had been obstacles to overcome in their rebuilding project. Now, they needed encouragement and guidance to get this building project up and running.
Have you ever stood before, sat before, or kneeled before an obstacle in life that was overwhelming? How are you going to work through that? Is there someone around you with a mountain sized obstacle in their lives that is overwhelming them? Who is the person God would use to help such a person? Is your church facing a mountain of some kind, a rebuilding project? Who are the people God uses? The book of Zechariah answers the question, “Who are the people God uses?”
Zechariah 1:1 – “In the eighth month of the second year of Darius, the word of the Lord came to Zechariah the son of Berechiah, the son of Iddo the prophet, saying,”
It’s interesting that the name Zechariah means, “the LORD remembers.” It’s also interesting that “Berechiah” means, “the LORD blesses,” and Iddo means, “the appointed time.” There are no coincidences in the LORD’s ways, and the Spirit seems to have inspired this opening verse to convey the message that says, “I have not forgotten you; I will bless you, in the appointed time.”
Before we answer the question of who God uses, we need to consider how God enables those he chooses and uses to do what He calls them to do. Later in chapter four of Zechariah the prophet is inspired to write to one of the leaders called to oversee the rebuilding project:
Zechariah 4:6 – “So he answered and said to me: 1 “This is the word of the Lord to Zerubbabel: ‘Not by might nor by power, but by My Spirit,’ Says the Lord of hosts.”
Zerubbabel was the governor of the people and the message to him and all the people he was leading was that they should not rely on their own strength and resources to accomplish this great work, but rather, they needed to depend on God for the work to be done. Therefore, God sent a prophet whose name means, the LORD remembers, to convey the message, be encouraged, you are not forgotten, I have a plan for your life and that plan will be gloriously accomplished if you rely on the power of My Spirit and not your own limited strength and resources. That is the major message of this Minor Prophet. That is an essential truth in anything and everything we do with the LORD.
There are five characteristics God is looking for in the people He uses. As we look at these pray first that God would give you a desire to be used by Him in some way. And then pray for each of these characteristics to be a part of who you are.
FIRST, THOSE WHO ARE TRULY REPENTANT
Zechariah 1:2-4a – “The Lord has been very angry with your fathers.3 “Therefore say to them, ‘Thus says the Lord of hosts: “Return to Me,” says the Lord of hosts, “and I will return to you,” says the Lord of hosts.4 “Do not be like your fathers, to whom the former prophets preached, saying, ‘Thus says the Lord of hosts: “Turn now from your evil ways and your evil deeds.” ’ . . .
The workers God uses are first and foremost those who have turned from the evil ways, broken with the past sins of their fathers, and who are ready to submit to God and His plan. Those Zechariah addressed needed to consider their ways (cf., Haggai) and turn from the patterns of sin their fathers had followed. In other words, the people God uses are humble servants submissive to Him.
The LORD has a tender heart toward those who turn to Him in repentance. Repentance is not just saying you are sorry but is a deep heartfelt remorse over one’s sin and waywardness from God. We see God call His people to repent throughout the Minor Prophets (Hosea 6:1; 14:1; Joel 2:12; Malachi 3:7). John the Baptist, the last of the Old Testament prophetic figures voiced well the true nature of repentance when he said, “Therefore bear fruits worthy of repentance” (cf., Matthew 3:5-12). Repentance is not true or real unless fruit or change in one’s life follows.
Sometimes we have to learn repentance the hard way. You remember the story of the Prodigal Son who squandered his inheritance and found himself envying pig slop. He came to the end of himself and found true repentance as the scripture states:
Luke 15:18-20 – “‘I will arise and go to my father, and will say to him, “Father, I have sinned against heaven and before you,19 “and I am no longer worthy to be called your son. Make me like one of your hired servants.” ’20 “And he arose and came to his father. But when he was still a great way off, his father saw him and had compassion, and ran and fell on his neck and kissed him.” [1]
Notice the attitude of his heart, “Father I have sinned against heaven [i.e., God] and before you, and I am no longer worthy to be called your son. Make me one of your hired servants.” True repentance breeds a servant’s heart in people. When you truly repent you come to God on His terms ready to do whatever He wants you to do. Jesus described this fruit of repentance in this way:
Luke 17:7-10 – “And which of you, having a servant plowing or tending sheep, will say to him when he has come in from the field, ‘Come at once and sit down to eat’?8 “But will he not rather say to him, ‘Prepare something for my supper, and gird yourself and serve me till I have eaten and drunk, and afterward you will eat and drink’?9 “Does he thank that servant because he did the things that were commanded him? I think not.10 “So likewise you, when you have done all those things which you are commanded, say, ‘We are unprofitable servants. We have done what was our duty to do.’”
The fruit of repentance is a servant’s heart toward God. But what else characterizes the workers God uses?
SECOND, THOSE RESTING IN THE LORD
Zechariah 1:12-14 – Then the Angel of the Lord answered and said, “O Lord of hosts, how long will You not have mercy on Jerusalem and on the cities of Judah, against which You were angry these seventy years?”13 And the Lord answered the angel who talked to me, with good and comforting words.14 So the angel who spoke with me said to me, “Proclaim, saying, ‘Thus says the Lord of hosts: “I am zealous for Jerusalem And for Zion with great zeal.
This is the first of eight visions received by Zechariah from the LORD. We could go into great detail about these visions, but for this study our focus in on the characteristics of those God uses. “The Angel of the LORD,” is a Christophany figure, or preincarnate appearance of Jesus Christ, the Second Person of the Trinity. [2]
The Angel of the LORD intercedes on behalf of God’s people and so we have a beautiful picture of the interaction between the Members of the Triune Godhead (1:12). One reason for the rest and quietness in the land is therefore the intercession of the LORD on our behalf. The New Testament further conveys this truth when it states:
Hebrews 7:25 – “Therefore He is also able to save to the uttermost those who come to God through Him, since He always lives to make intercession for them.”
1 John 2:1 – “My little children, these things I write to you, so that you may not sin. And if anyone sins, we have an Advocate with the Father, Jesus Christ the righteous.”
Notice also that the Father speaks, “good and comforting words” to the Son 1:13). The Son Jesus, or Angel of the LORD, then turns to Zechariah and instructs him to proclaim that God is zealous for Jerusalem (1:14), God is angry with the “evil intent” of the nations that ushered His people into captivity (1:15), and that God is “returning . . . with mercy” to finish the rebuilding work (1:16-17).
The Bible speaks of a “rest” or trust in the LORD that comes when we put our faith in Him through His Son Jesus Christ. The writer of Hebrews states:
Hebrews 4:9-10 – “There remains therefore a rest for the people of God.10 For he who has entered His rest has himself also ceased from his works as God did from His.”
This is critically important to have if God’s work is to be done in God’s way. We don’t have to work for God to make ourselves righteous in His sight, we don’t have to earn His favor. God is for us (Romans 8:31-32). We need only trust in the finished work of Jesus Christ. Therefore, when we serve, we rest in the completed redemptive work of Jesus and serve God out of love not out of guilt or fear (2 Corinthians 5:14-15).
To rest in God doesn’t mean we do nothing, it simply means we have the right motive for the work we do. Our righteousness is complete in Christ, now our work is an offering of love and appreciation to God for the sacrifice of His Son.
That we are complete in Christ and need not add by way of work to our righteousness is stated in the following verses:
2 Corinthians 5:21 – “For He made Him who knew no sin to be sin for us, that we might become the righteousness of God in Him.”
Colossians 2:9-10 – “For in Him dwells all the fullness of the Godhead bodily;10 and you are complete in Him, who is the head of all principality and power.”
The one who works for God needs to have come into that rest in Him. Are you resting in Him? Hebrews also states:
Hebrews 4:1-3 – “Therefore, since a promise remains of entering His rest, let us fear lest any of you seem to have come short of it.2 For indeed the gospel was preached to us as well as to them; but the word which they heard did not profit them, not being mixed with faith in those who heard it.3 For we who have believed do enter that rest, as He has said: 1 “So I swore in My wrath, ‘They shall not enter My rest,’ ” although the works were finished from the foundation of the world.”
To work for Him, you must first rest in Him. If we sweat in our service for the LORD, it isn’t to impress Him, it’s to bless and glorify Him. Realizing that is the difference between labor and loving service.
THIRD, THOSE WHO RAISE THEIR EYES TO GOD
Zechariah 1:18a – “Then I raised my eyes and looked, . . .
Zechariah “raised my eyes and looked,” which is good advice for the one seeking to be used by God. Look up to Him and not down on your circumstances. If the people looked at the heap of ruins around them, they would get discouraged. Instead they were to raise their eyes and focus on God. The look of faith is raised eyes toward God. The psalmist said, “Unto You I lift up my eyes. O You who dwell in the heavens. Behold, as the eyes of servants look to the hand of their masters, as the eyes of a maid to the hand of her mistress, so our eyes look to the LORD our God, until He has mercy on us (cf. Psalm 123:1-2; also Psalm 121:1-8).
The person God uses is one who is looking humbly, with a servant’s heart to God. The person God uses looks to God fully surrendered to serve at His beck and call. If we are going to serve the LORD, we need to keep our eyes on Him and jump to service when and where he directs us to serve. We are to, “fix our eyes on Jesus, the author and perfector of our faith, who for the throne of God (Hebrews 12:1-2). The person useable to God is the one whose eyes are fixed on Jesus and joyfully follows in His steps of service.
FOURTH, THOSE READY TO “RUN” WITH GOD’S PLAN
Zechariah 2:1-5 – “Then I raised my eyes and looked, and behold, a man with a measuring line in his hand.2 So I said, “Where are you going?” And he said to me, “To measure Jerusalem, to see what is its width and what is its length.”3 And there was the angel who talked with me, going out; and another angel was coming out to meet him,4 who said to him, “Run, speak to this young man, saying: ‘Jerusalem shall be inhabited as towns without walls, because of the multitude of men and livestock in it.5 ‘For I,’ says the Lord, ‘will be a wall of fire all around her, and I will be the glory in her midst.’
The third vision of Zechariah involves a man with a measuring line, which points to preparation to build (2:1-2). God is telling the people He is ready to start the work. Then the LORD directs another angel to go with a message (note: “angel” means literally, “messenger”) that Jerusalem will again be inhabited and won’t need walls because God’s presence will be like a “wall of fire” (2:3-5). These were very encouraging words from the LORD since the work at that time was mountainous and the enemies were many.
Those God uses must heed God’s call to run and endure. How can we run and endure? We run in the strength of the LORD as the following verses state:
Psalm 18:29 – “For by You I can run against a troop, By my God I can leap over a wall.”
Proverbs 18:10 – “The name of the Lord is a strong tower; The righteous run to it and are safe.”
If we try to run in our own strength, we won’t be able to finish the race. We may have good intentions when we start, but we will exhaust ourselves and not finish. We must run in the power of the Holy Spirit and in the power of the LORD.
And we don’t just run in any direction; we run according to the course laid out in His word as the following verses state:
Psalm 119:32 – “I will run the course of Your commandments, For You shall enlarge my heart.”
We run circumspectly, or pay attention to the course so that we do not get sidetracked as the following inspired words of Paul state:
1 Corinthians 9:24-27 – “Do you not know that those who run in a race all run, but one receives the prize? Run in such a way that you may obtain it.25 And everyone who competes for the prize is temperate in all things. Now they do it to obtain a perishable crown, but we for an imperishable crown.26 Therefore I run thus: not with uncertainty. Thus I fight: not as one who beats the air.27 But I discipline my body and bring it into subjection, lest, when I have preached to others, I myself should become disqualified.”
Why will God again use Israel in His plan? Hasn’t He given up on His people? No! God has a never dying love for His people who are the “apple of His eye” (2:8; Deuteronomy 32:10; Psalm 17:8). The Apostle Paul reiterates this in Romans 9-11. God has His eye on all believers and loves them so dearly. He says, “’I will plant them in their land, and no longer shall they be pulled up from the land I have given them,’ says the LORD your God” (Amos 9:15).
The passage also says, For thus says the LORD of hosts: ‘He sent Me after glory, to the nations which plunder you; for he who touches you touches the apple of His eye” (Zechariah 2:8). This is a little off our subject, but it bears mentioning that, in this time when antisemitism is popular, Israel remains the “apple of His eye.” What does it mean to be “the apple of His eye”? It means to be selected as choice and precious. It’s like when you go grocery shopping and are looking for fruit, your eye looks for the freshest juiciest fruit. Therefore, Israel as the apple of God’s eye means that when you look to see what is reflected in the eye of God, you see, “the apple of His eye” Israel. Those serving the LORD need to remember that, especially when some, both in and outside the Church are clamoring to forsake Israel.
FIFTH, THOSE MADE RIGHTEOUS BY THE “BRANCH,” GOD’S SON
Zechariah 3:1-10 – “Then he showed me Joshua the high priest standing before the Angel of the Lord, and Satan standing at his right hand to oppose him.2 And the Lord said to Satan, “The Lord rebuke you, Satan! The Lord who has chosen Jerusalem rebuke you! Is this not a brand plucked from the fire?”3 Now Joshua was clothed with filthy garments, and was standing before the Angel.4 Then He answered and spoke to those who stood before Him, saying, “Take away the filthy garments from him.” And to him He said, “See, I have removed your iniquity from you, and I will clothe you with rich robes.”5 And I said, “Let them put a clean turban on his head.” So they put a clean turban on his head, and they put the clothes on him. And the Angel of the Lord stood by.6 Then the Angel of the Lord admonished Joshua, saying,7 “Thus says the Lord of hosts: 1 ‘If you will walk in My ways, And if you will keep My command, Then you shall also judge My house, And likewise have charge of My courts; I will give you places to walk Among these who stand here.8 ‘Hear, O Joshua, the high priest, You and your companions who sit before you, For they are a wondrous sign; For behold, I am bringing forth My Servant the BRANCH.9 For behold, the stone That I have laid before Joshua: Upon the stone are seven eyes. Behold, I will engrave its inscription,’ Says the Lord of hosts, ‘And I will remove the iniquity of that land in one day.10 In that day,’ says the Lord of hosts, ‘Everyone will invite his neighbor Under his vine and under his fig tree.’ ”
Zechariah’s forth vision is of Joshua the high priest standing before “the angel of the LORD” with “Satan standing at his right side to accuse him” (3:1). A vision is a picture into the spiritual realm of reality. Evidently the LORD knew the high priest Joshua was in need of encouragement. Perhaps Joshua felt accused or at fault for the delay in the work of God. Perhaps he thought, “If I would have just prayed more, none of these problems would have happened.” Maybe Joshua was hearing some accusations from Satan such as, “You see, if you were any kind of a priest that Temple would be built by now and the services would be overflowing.” Or perhaps Satan said, “Some spiritual leader you are, this people doesn’t even care about God’s work!” But in Zechariah’s vision Satan cannot bring an accusation against Joshua. Why?
THE ANGEL OF THE LORD IS JESUS
“The Angel of the LORD” is mentioned so frequently in Zechariah (1:11,12; 3:1,5,6; 12:8). “The Angel of the LORD” or “the Angel of God” is distinguished from all other angels in the Bible and is frequently referred to (Genesis 16:9; 22:11; 48:16; Exodus 3:2; 14:19; Numbers 22:22; Judges 2:4; 6:11; 13:3; 2 Kings 19:35; Isaiah 63:9; see also Joshua 5:13-15; and in Zechariah). That the Angel of the LORD is associated with God Himself (Genesis 31:11-13; Exodus 3:2-6).
The Angel of the LORD is associated with Divine attributes such as redemption (Genesis 16:10-13), being worshipped (Exodus 3 above), being the keeper of Israel (Exodus 23:20-23). The Angel of the LORD is a Christophany, or preincarnate appearance of Jesus Christ (e.g., Isaiah 9:6).
Malachi links “the Lord” with “the Messenger of the covenant.” The Hebrew term “Angel” (MALAK) literally means, “messenger.” See what Malachi says:
Malachi 3:1 – “Behold, I send My messenger, 1 And he will prepare the way before Me. And the Lord, whom you seek, Will suddenly come to His temple, Even the Messenger of the covenant, In whom you delight. Behold, He is coming,” Says the Lord of hosts.”
Who is the messenger of the covenant? Jesus is the One who ushered in the New Covenant as He stated at the Last Supper and is stipulated elsewhere in the New Testament:
Matthew 26:28 – “For this is My blood of the new covenant, which is shed for many for the remission of sins.”
Hebrews 12:22-24 – “But you have come to Mount Zion and to the city of the living God, the heavenly Jerusalem, to an innumerable company of angels,23 to the general assembly and church of the firstborn who are registered in heaven, to God the Judge of all, to the spirits of just men made perfect,24 to Jesus the Mediator of the new covenant, and to the blood of sprinkling that speaks better things than that of Abel.”
It’s important to note that in the New Testament, the “Angel of the LORD” is no longer mentioned. If the Angel of the LORD were not Jesus, would He just drop off the scene? It isn’t likely that He would. But since the Angel of the LORD is Jesus, and Jesus has incarnated (John 1:1-3,14,18), He is referred to by His incarnate reality, Jesus Christ.
SATAN THE ACCUSER
It is Satan who accuses the brethren before the LORD (3:2). In the book of Job we see this accusative tone of Satan very clearly as he states before God:
Job 1:9 – “So Satan answered the Lord and said, “Does Job fear God for nothing?”
Job 2:5 – “But stretch out Your hand now, and touch his bone and his flesh, and he will surely curse You to Your face!”
The New Testament also depicts Satan as an enemy and “accuser of the brethren” “(Luke 22:31-32; 1 Peter 5:8-9; Revelation 12:10). Fortunately, in Christ we have the means to resist Satan and thwart his efforts as the following verses show:
Romans 16:20 – “And the God of peace will crush Satan under your feet shortly. The grace of our Lord Jesus Christ be with you. Amen.”
James 4:7 – “Therefore submit to God. Resist the devil and he will flee from you.”
1 John 4:4 – “You are of God, little children, and have overcome them, because He who is in you is greater than he who is in the world.”
We are able to withstand the onslaught of Satan because of Jesus and what He has done on the cross. Paul refers to this in his letter to the Colossians, which states:
Colossians 2:13-15 – “And you, being dead in your trespasses and the uncircumcision of your flesh, He has made alive together with Him, having forgiven you all trespasses,14 having wiped out the handwriting of requirements that was against us, which was contrary to us. And He has taken it out of the way, having nailed it to the cross.15 Having disarmed principalities and powers, He made a public spectacle of them, triumphing over them in it.”
Therefore, when we are attacked by Satan, we need to rely on Jesus to protect us and be our Advocate. Satan can’t touch us. Satan can’t touch us unless God permits him to (see the book of Job). Someone has said, “When Satan comes to your door, ask Jesus to answer it.” That’s a wise principle to follow.
JESUS OUR ADVOCATE
Jesus is our Advocate, our Protector against Satan. When Satan brings an accusation against such as, “You’re not qualified to work for the LORD,” or “You’re a sinner unworthy to work for the LORD,” we need only direct Him I the name of Jesus, to the cross. Because of this work of Jesus on the cross, Satan is powerless to bring any accusation against us. As Paul wrote to the Romans:
Romans 8:1 – “There is therefore now no condemnation to those who are in Christ Jesus, who do not walk according to the flesh, but according to the Spirit.”
Just like Joshua the high priest, in Christ, we are like a “brand plucked from the fire” (3:2). Like Joshua, we have been retrieved from the fire to do God’s work. God has a plan and purpose for our lives.
Through Christ, our filthy rags of sin are removed and replaced with a “rich robes” (3:3-5). Isaiah wrote something similar when it is stated:
Isaiah 64:6 – “But we are all like an unclean thing, And all our righteousnesses are like filthy rags; We all fade as a leaf, And our iniquities, like the wind, Have taken us away.”
But Isaiah also wrote:
Isaiah 61:10 – “I will greatly rejoice in the Lord, My soul shall be joyful in my God; For He has clothed me with the garments of salvation, He has covered me with the robe of righteousness, As a bridegroom decks himself with ornaments, And as a bride adorns herself with her jewels.”
In the New Testament Paul wrote:
Romans 13:13-14 – “Let us walk properly, as in the day, not in revelry and drunkenness, not in lewdness and lust, not in strife and envy.14 But put on the Lord Jesus Christ, and make no provision for the flesh, to fulfill its lusts.”
Zechariah’s vision concerning Joshua was a precursor to this deeper truth.
Joshua is called to obedience and encouraged by the LORD that God will indeed work through him as He has worked in him (3:7). But how is this right standing achieved? Through, “My Servant the BRANCH,” the one who is strong and omniscient, (“the stone . . . seven eyes”) (3:8-9). A time of great prosperity is in the future when Messiah the BRANCH sets up His rule (3:10).
These words must have encouraged those returning to do the rebuilding work of God. How could they fail if God was on their side?! How can we fail, in whatever God calls us to do, if He is on our side?! Are you one who is useable to God to do His work? Do you have a servant’s heart that flows from a sincere repentance? Are you resting in the finished work of Christ? Are your eyes ever on the Master looking to see when and where He would have you serve? Are you ready to run when the Master beckons? Do you realize serving the Lord places you on the front lines of a spiritual war where Satan seeks to accuse and condemn you? Are you assured of your righteousness by Christ our Advocate? If you answer yes to these questions then you need one more thing, the power of God! Remember, in all of this remember, its’s not by our might or our power, it’s in the power of the Holy Spirit that we will accomplish the work God calls us to do. Oh LORD, we come to You in Jesus’ name. Please work these characteristics into our heart and being. We want to serve You. We want to bring glory to Your name. Please make us what we need to be, to do what you call us to do, for Your glory, until Jesus returns. In Jesus’ name. Amen.
[1]The Holy Bible, New King James Version, (Nashville, Tennessee: Thomas Nelson, Inc.) 1982.
[2]Jerry Falwell, executive editor; Edward E. Hinson and Michael Kroll Woodrow, general editors, KJV Bible commentary [computer file], electronic ed., Logos Library System, (Nashville: Thomas Nelson) 1997, c1994.