Shout!

"Not by might, not by power, but by my Spirit, says the Lord." -Zechariah 4:6-

Most take this to mean that we do not accomplish the things of this life through force or authority, but only because the Holy Spirit brings them to pass. In one form or another, that is how this verse is often applied. You are not going to accomplish things in this life through your ability or your position. The Holy Spirit will bring it to pass.

I presented this argument to the Lord the other day. He told me I was mis-applying the scripture. And, so I was. Below is the passage:

Zechariah 4:
1. And the angel that talked with me came again, and waked me, as a man that is wakened out of his sleep.
2. And said unto me, What seest thou? And I said, I have looked, And behold a candlestick all of gold, with a bowl upon the top of it, and his seven lamps thereon, and seven pipes to the seven lamps, which are upon the top thereof:
3. And two olive trees by it, one upon the right side of the bowl, and the other upon the left side thereof.
4. So I answered and spake to the angel that talked with me, saying, What are these, my lord?
5. Then the angel that talked with me answered and said unto me, Knowest thou not what these be? And I said, No, my lord.
6. Then he answered and spake unto me, saying, This is the word of the Lord unto Zerubbabel, saying, Not by might, nor by power, but by my spirit, saith the Lord of hosts.
7. Who art thou, O great mountain? before Zerubbabel thou shalt become a plain: and he shall bring forth the headstone thereof with shoutings, crying, Grace, grace unto it.

Here's where the error occurs: People just wait on the Holy Spirit to do it. That is how this scripture is mis-applied.

The candlestick Zechariah saw is an image/symbol of the Holy Spirit. What is this candlestick, you ask? Why, it's God's word to Zerubbabel saying, "It's not by an army, it's not by the King's authority, but by my Spirit that you shall build this temple."

Zerubbabel was trying to rebuild the temple. (Read all about it in the book of Ezra.) Military and political machines were activated against him, to stop him. So the word was sent to him.

Zerubbabel already had the written word of the Lord telling him to rebuild the temple. (Isaiah 44:21 thru Isaiah 45:21, ) King Cyrus was spoken to in God's written word by name. So why did Zerubbabel need a second word of the Lord? It was to tell him how to do it.

Zerubbabel did not lack the will of the Spirit to do it. It wasn't a matter of, "does God want to?" The verses in Isaiah told him exactly what God wanted to do. It wasn't a matter of, "It's in the Lord's hands: if he wants me to build it, I'll build it." If that were the case, there would have been no need to send Zerubbabel a word at all. What Zerubbabel did or didn't do would have been irrelevant.

So why DID God send Zerubbabel a second word? It was to tell him how to do it. To show him where he was doing it wrong.

He wasn't shouting "Grace, grace!" to it.

Why a shout? Shouts are emphatic commands. You don't generally beg with a shout. When Zerubbabel shouted, "Grace!" he was commanding grace to be.

What is this a description of? Faith. God was telling Zerubbabel how to walk by faith.

Why shout "Grace!"? The word "grace" simply means having the greater bow in favor to the lesser. Zerubbabel was certainly the lesser. The forces around him were certainly the greater. Grace was what he needed to win in his situation.

Grace might not be what you need to win in your situation. So you wouldn't shout that. What would you shout? I'm guessing the name of Jesus and whatever it is that you need. If it's healing, you would shout, "I am healed in Jesus' name!" Or a job: "Job - BE! In Jesus' name!" Find a scripture that covers your case, and shout that.

There are a few things of note. Here, we see God describing what faith is like. How long did Zerubbabel shout? Until he was done. "Shoutings" is not a singular word. "Crying" is not a one time action. Some people think speaking faith is a vain repetition the heathen use. But, all scripture agrees. God wouldn't say "yes, yes, shoutings," in one place, and, "No, no, vain repetitions," in another place if they were both the same thing. The mantras the heathen chant contain no faith command. Their words are all in vain.

Also, he shouted to the mountain, not to God. When people have a problem, they speak to God about it. They say, 'It's all up to you to fix it." But that is wrong. We are to speak to our problem with shoutings. With authority. Or his Spirit won't do it. That is where Zerubbabel was missing it.

So, shout, cry aloud from the heart. That is how things are done by God's Spirit.

You might want to shout secretly in your prayer closet so the Father will reward you openly, though (Matthew 6:5-6).

Copyright © 2009 Burley Ward. All rights reserved