Robin Hardy Online
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(Or, How Does He Work?)
"This is the word of the Lord to Zerubbabel: 'Not by might nor by power, but by my Spirit,' says the Lord Almighty." (Zech. 4:6, NIV)
This verse is the punchline of a great Old Testament narrative: After seventy years of captivity in Babylon, a band of Jewish exiles returns to Jerusalem under Zerubbabel (an ancestor of Jesus! see Matt. 1:12) and begins to rebuild the temple of the Lord in the face of intense opposition from the local squatters. Rebuilding the temple isn't their idea—they are obeying the Lord's instructions. So, of course, Satan attempts to interfere: with lies and insinuations, the Jews' enemies persuade King Artaxerxes to ban the work out of fear of rebellion. With that, it languishes for years.
Despite the king's edict, the Spirit of the Lord moves Haggai and Zechariah to encourage the people of Judah to resume work on the temple. In so doing, God does not remove the opposition, but strengthens His people to work around it. The Lord gives Zechariah this promise: "The hands of Zerubbabel have laid the foundation of this temple; his hands will also complete it." (v. 9) When God's Spirit moves, not even kings can stand in the way.
The Holy Spirit is the impetus for any true work of God. He is the deep, quiet conviction that will not go away. He infuses words written thousands of years ago with life and relevance for us today. His power is sufficient to raise the dead, but He works quietly, often invisibly, until the task is complete, even over a period of many years. He doesn't require money (might) or connections (power)—only obedience from the faithful. The Holy Spirit gives gifts as He will, and it is not up to us to demand any particular gift or manifestation. But if we truly have His presence in our lives, there are certain attributes that should become visible as we mature: "love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness and self-control." (Gal. 5:22-23, NIV). And since only the Holy Spirit can bring conviction of sin, someone who consistently and repeatedly refuses to listen to Him shuts himself off from redemption (committing the "unpardonable sin"; see Matt. 12:31 and 1 John 5:16-17).
So what happened with the exiles' work on the temple? When the local governor questions the renewed construction, the Jews keep right on working because "the eye of their God was watching over them" (Ezra 5:5, NIV). In an attempt to be fair, the governor asks the new king, Darius, about the work. Darius then has the royal archives searched until he finds the original decree from King Cyrus commanding that the exiles return to Jerusalem and do just what they are doing. So not only does King Darius refuse to stop the work, but he orders the local governor to pay for it, and for the sacrifices that will be offered when the temple is complete! Ezra duly records: "The temple was completed on the third day of the month Adar, in the sixth year of the reign of King Darius" (6:15, NIV). And that is a perfect example of how completely the Spirit accomplishes His work.
copyright 2004 Robin Hardy
