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examples
Zechariah was prophet to the Israelites during the time when the captives had returned to Jerusalem to re-build the temple. His message was given to encourage the builders at a time when they were ready to give up, even though they had just barely started the work on the re-building of the temple.
This is a talk given to mothers on Mothers’ Day 2009
Don’t Despise
Small Beginnings By Sylvia Faddegon
Z
ECHARIAH was encouraging the people to listen to God’s message for them and to keep a close relationship with God. He told them not to be discouraged because God had a long-range plan for Israel. In fact Zechariah is sometimes referred to as the prophet of the long vision.
temple; his hands will also complete it. Then you will know that the Lord Almighty has sent me to you.
Zechariah 4: 6-10: So he 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 Almighty.
Zechariah is telling the people that it is not by might, nor by power, but by God’s spirit that the work will be done. He encourages the people to listen to God’s words−stay immersed in scripture, and keep themselves in a close relationship with Him. It is not the people’s own strength and ability that’s going to complete the work on the temple; it is by God’s power that the work will be done. He tells them that the people will rejoice when they see Zerubabbel place the capstone. The capstone is the high stone−the finishing stone−it represents the completion of the
What are you, O mighty mountain? Before Zerubbabel you will become level ground. Then he will bring out the capstone to shouts of ‘God bless it! God bless it!’ Then the word of the Lord came to me. The the word of the Lord came to me: The hands of Zerubbabel have laid the foundation of this
Who despises the day of small things? Men will rejoice when they see the plumb line in the hand of Zerubbabel.
temple. It is God’s promise that the work will be done in Zerubabbel’s lifetime. He also speaks of the plumb line: the vertical line that tests the straightness of the temple. We used a plumb line when we want to make sure something is correctly vertical−like when we hang wallpaper or a painting on the wall. Here it is being used to make sure the walls are being built correctly. How can we build something correctly without the guidance of a plumb line−and how can we raise our children well without being focused totally on God? Our children are small beginnings−that have so much potential and God has a long-range plan for them. Today, I want to encourage you in your mothering/your parenting. As moms, we also at times will get discouraged. We sometimes