In the book of Zechariah we see an amazing example of this as God worked among a dispirited group of people that had returned from the Babylonian Captivity to, once again, occupy the Land of Promise. After 70 years spent in Captivity, God had graciously fulfilled His promise to bring them back to their homeland through the Persian King Cyrus’ decree that they return to rebuild the temple that Nebuchadnezzar had destroyed.
Over 42,000 Jews returned. Many, I’m sure, were full of joy at the prospects and expected good things since God had fulfilled His promise to bring them back. But that turned out not to be true initially. Soon after their return their leader, Zerubbabel, laid the foundation stone for the Temple. But opposition arose immediately from the local inhabitants, who ridiculed their efforts and publicly opposed them, even questioning whether they had the authority to rebuild the temple or the city of Jerusalem. These people even wrote a letter to the new king, Darius, and warned him that these people were rebellious and that if he allowed them to do this, they would rebel against him, just as they had done under Nebuchadnezzar. Because of this Darius put a stop to their building.
A few years went by and I’m sure the people wondered if God was truly with them anymore. But God raised up two prophets, Haggai and Zechariah. Through them, God commanded the people to get back to the job at hand and promised that He was with them to complete the task. They had laid the foundation stone almost two decades earlier, and that now seemed to be almost insignificant. But God, through Zechariah told them, “For who has despised the day of small things? For they shall rejoice, and shall see the plummet (plumb line) in the hand of Zerubbabel…” (Zechariah 4:10)
Through the prophets, God was encouraging the people, promising He was with them and that they should now resume their work. They should not be discouraged with what little they had done, but know that God was with them to remove all obstacles in their way, saying “Who art thou, O great mountain? Before Zerubbabel you shall become a plain! … and his hands have laid the foundation of the temple; his hands shall also finish it….” (Zech. 4:7-9).
Despite all the discouragements and obstacles, they obeyed God and within 4 years the temple was completed. They trusted God who, once they obeyed Him and began to build, fulfilled His promise to removed everything out of the way that was threatening to stop them. And what was the promise? ”Not by might, nor by power, but by My Spirit, saith the Lord of Host”. That’s the way we must do it also, work and trust God to provide the results.
Jesus said in Matthew 17:20, “If ye have faith as a grain of mustard seed, ye shall say to this mountain, ‘remove hence to yonder place;’ and it shall remove, and nothing will be impossible for you.’” Christian brothers and sisters, it’s time for us to trust God and go to work, and as we do, watch Him flatten the mountains before us.
For God’s glory and His alone,
Pastor Terry.