The Lord says:
"As you look forward to this new year, walk ever closer with Me. Let My Spirit fill your life. Let My Spirit lead you and guide you. Not by might nor by power, but by My Spirit. Even though there may be chaos and confusion in the world around you, I will bring clarity to you. You may not understand many things that have happened in your past, but many things are going to become clearer and clearer to you. You will begin to understand the many things that I am doing in your life. You will begin to see how I see. Look to Me and be led by Me, and you will see greater victories and breakthroughs this year."
Yes, be led by the Holy Spirit every step of the way! Follow His footsteps, so to speak. He will know how to lead you, step by step, no matter what happens in the world around you, or what you see in the world around you. And look here. Your victory and breakthrough is not by might nor by power, but by the Spirit of the Lord. I'm going to explain what this verse means.
So, let's dive straight into this verse. Zechariah 4:6 (NKJV) says, 'So he (the angel) answered and said to me (Zechariah): This is the word of the Lord to Zerubbabel, 'Not by might nor by power, but by My Spirit,' says the Lord of hosts.'
Who was Zechariah? 'Zechariah' is 'Zekar Yah' in Hebrew, which simply means 'YHWH remembers'. To apply this in your life, indeed the Lord remembers you and remembers His covenant with you. You see, Israel was blessed because YHWH remembers the covenant He made with His people those days.
Zechariah was a prophet and a priest in his days, having been born in exile during the seventy years of captivity in Babylon. But what happened here is the time came when God's people began returning to Jerusalem from Babylon. Zechariah was one of those who returned to Jerusalem. Here, the Lord used him to inspire the people to look to the Lord and to rebuild the temple in Jerusalem that has been destroyed.
Who was Zerubbabel then? He too was among those returning to Jerusalem from Babylon, and as a governor, he was to take the lead in rebuilding the temple in Jerusalem. Now, that's when the Lord spoke these words to Zerubbabel through the prophet Zechariah: "Not by might nor by power, but by My Spirit'.
By the way, the name 'Zerubbabel' means 'descendant of Babylon'. 'Babylon' speaks of 'the ways of this world (the ways of this fallen world)'. This word 'Babylon' comes from the word 'Babel', meaning 'confusion'. This speaks of 'the fallen ways of the world', or 'people doing things by their own might or power'. Remember the Tower of Babel in the Book of Genesis chapter 11?
So, for Zerubbabel here, even though he had this noble calling of rebuilding God's temple in Jerusalem, God also wanted him to build it in God's ways, and not in the ways of this fallen world. In other words, not in the 'Babylonian ways' that he grew up learning. You see, God needed to tell this to Zerubbabel because Zerubbabel might still be influenced by the Babylonian ways of doing things. And that's when the Lord spoke to Zerubbabel: "Not by might nor by power, but by My Spirit." By the Spirit of the Lord!
Let's do a little study now on the words 'might', 'power', and 'Spirit', as written in Zechariah 4:6.
The word 'might' here is 'khahyil' in Hebrew. It can mean 'force, power, riches, strength (whether of human or other worldly resources)'.
The word 'power' here is 'kowach' in Hebrew. It can mean 'human ability or capacity, own human produce (including power of human persuasion or flattery)'.
On the other hand, the word 'Spirit' is 'ruwach' in Hebrew. It can mean 'breath, spirit'. In the context of our study today, it means 'by the breath of God'. In other words, 'by His breath (that He breathes into you)'.
Back to Zerubbabel now. Now you know Zerubbabel grew up in the Babylonian ways. And he was very likely still influenced by the Babylonian ways of doing things, which is 'by their own human might or power'.
But God is saying there's a higher way! God's way! God's wisdom! God's revelation!
Many believers today are like Zerubbabel. We are so used to the ways of this world (or the Babylonian ways) to achieve success, or to do business, or to go about our lives. Or even doing ministry in ways influenced by the Babylonian ways. Building own empire instead of building God's kingdom. Making a name for ourselves instead of giving God all the glory. Now, it may look like a success initially, but it also brings with it the loss of joy, conscience being compromised, and even getting unnecessarily overly stressed up.
Now, don't get me wrong. God does give wisdom for us to live on earth, whatever our calling or vocation. He wants to see us having good success on earth. But God is also saying that it is by His wisdom and revelation. It is by learning to depend on the Lord, and lean not on our own human might or power. Yeah, trust in the Lord with all our hearts, and lean not on our own understanding. In all our ways, acknowledge Him, and He will direct our paths (Proverbs 3:5-6).
So, let's not repeat the same mistakes as those who tried to build the Tower of Babel those days in the Book of Genesis. Let's look to the Lord's way instead. How? By allowing the Holy Spirit to lead. Now, when I say this, I'm saying this to myself too. Let us all humble ourselves as we look to the Lord this year.
1 Corinthians 2:4-5 (NKJV) says, 'And my speech and my preaching were not with persuasive words of human wisdom, but in demonstration of the Spirit and of power, that your faith should not be in the wisdom of men but in the power of God.' 'Power' here is 'the empowering and enabling of the Holy Spirit, instead of human's own power or human's own ability'.
A few verses later, 1 Corinthians 2:9-10 (NKJV) says, 'But as it is written: "Eye has not seen, nor ear heard, nor have entered into the heart of man the things which God has prepared for those who love Him." But God has revealed them to us through His Spirit. For the Spirit searches all things, yes, the deep things of God.'
Yeah, the things that the world cannot see and understand, because their understanding has been darkened. But if you yield your life to the Lord, He will enlighten your spiritual eyes so that you can see how He sees. He will reveal to you the deeper things of the Spirit that the world doesn't know. He will also show you His wisdom. 'Wisdom' simply means 'knowing what to do and how to go about in your life'. Yes, this applies in your career, in your business, in the ministry that God has called you, and in every aspect of your life.
Romans 8:14 (NKJV) says, 'For as many as are led by the Spirit of God, these are sons of God.' See the words here: 'led by the Spirit of God'.
So beloved, as we begin this new year, let the Holy Spirit fill us all in all. Let the Holy Spirit fill us to the overflow. Let the Spirit of God release upon us the wisdom and revelation that we need to see real good success on this earth.
Let us pray:
"O Lord God, we want to be led by Your Spirit. Come, Holy Spirit, fill our hearts right now. Fill us to the overflow. We need You even more and more, as we look forward in this new year. We want to be led and be guided by You every step of the way. We receive now Your wisdom and revelation. You have spoken today that You will bring clarity in our lives. We'll begin to understand the many things that You are doing in our lives. We'll begin to see how You see. So right now, at the beginning of the year, we entrust our lives entirely to You. Come take over our lives. Come do as You want in our lives. We yield to You. We submit to You. We humble ourselves before You. Indeed it is not by might nor by power, but by Your Spirit, as You have spoken today. In Jesus' name. Amen."
