Homilist Zechariah 4:1-14 And the angel that talked with me came again, and waked me, as a man that is wakened out of his sleep.… I. AS A STUDENT OF THE DIVINE REVELATIONS. "I have looked, and behold a candle stick all of gold," etc. The ideal Church is all this. The candlestick may, I think, fairly represent the Bible, or God's special revelation to man: that is golden, that is luminous, that is supernaturally supplied with the oil of inspiration. In fact, in the passage the interpreting angel designates this, candlestick, not as the Church, but as the "word of the Lord unto Zerubbabel." I make two remarks concerning this revelation — 1. It has in it sufficient to excite the inquiry of man as a student. "What are these, my lord?" What wonderful things are in this Bible! 2. It has an Interpreter that can satisfy man as a student. The angel to whom the prophet directed his inquiry promptly answered. The prophet here displays two of the leading attributes of a genuine student of the Divine — (1) Inquisitiveness. He inquires; and because he inquires he receives an answer. The Bible is an unmeaning book to the great mass of mankind, because they do not inquire into its significance. Truth is only got by genuine inquiry. (2) Ingenuousness. The first reply of the interpreting angel to the prophet was, "Knowest thou not what these things mean?" and he said, "No, my lord." At once he confesses his ignorance. The man who develops these two attributes in relation to God's Word has a Divine Interpreter at his side, namely, the Spirit of God, who will lead us into all knowledge. This passage sets man before us — II. AS A DOER OF THE DIVINE WILL Man has not only to study, but to work; not only to get Divine ideas, but to work them out. The work of the prophet was to convey a message from God to Zerubbabel, and the message he conveyed was a message to world. Man is to be a "Worker together" with God. I offer two remarks concerning man as a worker out of the Divine will 1. That though his difficulties may appear great, his resources are infinite. Zerubbabel, in rebuilding the temple, had enormous difficulties. Those difficulties hovered before him as mountains. But great as they were, he was assured that he had resources more than equal to the task. "Not by might, nor by power, but by My Spirit, saith the Lord of hosts." 2. That though his efforts may seem feeble, his success will be inevitable. (1) The feebleness of human efforts is here implied. (a) It is common to despise small things. (b) It is foolish to despise small things. All great things were small in their beginnings. (c) It is contemptible to despise small things. Truly great souls never do so. (2) The success of feeble efforts is here guaranteed. The temple should certainly be completed. So it will be with every true work to which a true man puts his hand in the name of God. It will he finished; there will be no failures, success is inevitable. (Homilist.) Parallel Verses KJV: And the angel that talked with me came again, and waked me, as a man that is wakened out of his sleep,WEB: The angel who talked with me came again, and wakened me, as a man who is wakened out of his sleep. |
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