Zacarias 4
David Guzik · Citado em PreceptAustin
Zacarias 4
Guzik - One of the more tedious duties of the temple service was the constant care of the lamps on the golden lampstand. They had to be continually refilled with oil, cleaned of soot, and their wicks had to be maintained. In this vision, Zechariah sees “self-filling” lamps, fed directly from two olive trees. In the temple, the lamps were fueled by pure, specially prepared olive oil. The lampstand Zechariah saw in his vision was fed straight from the trees. QUESTION - What is the significance of the olive tree in the Bible? ANSWER -The olive tree is mentioned frequently in the Bible, from as early as the time of the flood when the dove from the ark brought an olive branch back to Noah, to Revelation 11:4, where the two witnesses are represented as two olive trees. As one of the most highly valued and useful trees known to the ancient Jews, the olive tree is significant for several reasons in the Bible. Its importance in Israel is expressed in the parable of Jotham in Judges 9:8–9: “One day the trees went out to anoint a king for themselves. They said to the olive tree, ‘Be our king.’ But the olive tree answered, ‘Should I give up my oil, by which both gods and humans are honored, to hold sway over the trees?’” Rather common in the Holy Land, the olive tree is a multi-branched evergreen with a knotted trunk, smooth, ash-colored bark, and oblong, leathery leaves that are silvery green. Mature, cultivated olive trees grow to 20 or more feet in height and produce small flowers of yellow or white around the first of May. When the blooms begin to fall, olives, the fruit of the tree, start to form. At first, the fruit is green but turns to a deep, blue-black or dark green color when the olives are fully ripened and harvested in early fall. In the ancient Near East, olive trees were an essential source of food (Nehemiah 9:25), lamp oil (Exodus 27:20), medicine (Isaiah 1:6; Luke 10:34), anointing oil (1 Samuel 10:1; 2 Kings 9:3), sacrificial oil (Leviticus 2:4; Genesis 28:18), and wood for furniture (1 Kings 6:23, 31–33). An extremely slow-growing plant, the olive tree requires years of patient labor to reach full fruitfulness. Being well-suited to grow in the Mediterranean climate, the olive tree played a significant role in the region’s economy. The outer, fleshy part of the oval-shaped fruit is what yields the highly valuable commodity of olive oil. Still today, olive oil is considered good for health. The olive tree and olive branch have been symbols of peace and reconciliation ever since the account of Noah’s flood. When the dove brought Noah “a plucked olive leaf in its beak,” the olive branch represented new life sprouting on the earth (Genesis 8:11). The olive tree was alive and growing. The promise of the dove’s olive branch was a new beginning for humanity, peace and reconciliation with God, renewal, and revival. The slow and hearty growth of the olive tree also implies establishment and peace. Some of the oldest olive trees in the world still grow today in the Garden of Gethsemane on the Mount of Olives. The flowering olive tree is a symbol of beauty and abundance in the Bible. The tree’s fruitfulness and ability to thrive suggests the model of a righteous person (Psalm 52:8; Hosea 14:6), whose children are described as “vigorous young olive trees” (Psalm 128:3, NLT). Olive oil was also used in the anointing and coronation of kings, making it an emblem of sovereignty. Olive tree oil is symbolic of the anointing of the Holy Spirit, as it was used as the carrier for a mixture of spices that made up the holy anointing oil. In Zechariah 4, the prophet has a vision of two olive trees standing on either side of a solid gold lampstand. The olive trees supply the oil that fuels the lamps. The two olive trees represent Zerubbabel and Joshua, the governor and high priest. The Lord encourages them not to trust in financial or military resources, but in the power of God’s Holy Spirit working through them (verse 6). As in other Old Testament analogies, God’s Holy Spirit is represented by the oil of the olive tree. The process by which olives are beaten and crushed to produce olive oil contains spiritual significance as well. Jesus Christ was beaten and crushed on the cross so that His Holy Spirit would be poured out on the church after His ascension to heaven. In essence, Jesus Christ is God’s olive tree, and the Holy Spirit, His olive oil. It is not mere coincidence that Christ’s agonized prayer, just before His arrest, occured in Gethsemane, a place of many olive trees and whose name means “olive press.” God uses the imagery of an olive tree in Jeremiah 11:16–17 to remind His people of the covenant relationship He has with them. God’s people (the nation of Israel) are depicted as an olive tree and God as the farmer. He planted them as a beautiful olive tree but warned He would cut them down if they disobeyed His laws and worshiped false gods. The apostle Paul makes use of this imagery to teach a lesson to Gentile believers in Romans 11:17–24. Paul chooses the cultivated olive tree to portray Israel and the wild olive tree to represent Gentile believers. The cultivated olive tree is pruned and nurtured so that it bears much fruit. The fruitless, ineffective branches are trimmed and discarded, but the root remains intact. God has preserved the holy root of Israel and pruned off the worthless branches. The Gentiles, represented by the wild olive tree in Romans 11, have been grafted into the cultivated olive root. As a wild olive tree, their root was weak. Their branches were incapable of bearing fruit until they were grafted into the nourishing, life-sustaining root of the cultivated olive tree. Gentile believers now share in Israel’s blessings, but Paul warns, “Do not boast that you are better than those branches. But if you do boast—you do not sustain the root, but the root sustains you” (CSB). Paul wants Gentile believers to understand that they have not replaced Israel. God has done a beautiful thing for the Gentiles, but Israel is still God’s chosen nation and the source of the riches of salvation that the Gentiles now enjoy. Jesus Christ, Israel’s Messiah, is the root of Jesse, or the root of the cultivated olive tree. From Him, Israel and the Church draw their life. GotQuestions QUESTION - What was olive oil a symbol of in the Bible? ANSWER - In the Bible olive oil is mentioned several times as the oil used for lighting lamps (Leviticus 24:2; Exodus 27:20). Olive oil was also used for anointing oil (Exodus 30:23–25) and as part of the grain offerings (Leviticus 2:1–10). Kings were anointed with olive oil as a sign that they were chosen by God to rule (1 Samuel 16:1). As an important ingredient in the recipe for anointing oil, olive oil was used to sanctify priests (Exodus 29:7), the tabernacle, and all its furnishings (Exodus 40:9). Olive oil was also used in cooking. Olive trees grew in Israel (Deuteronomy 8:7–8), and the people in that region used the oil from pressed olives as people in other cultures might have used butter or animal fats. Olive oil was an important part of Jewish culture because of its many uses. Because of its centrality to much of Jewish life, olive oil was sometimes used as a symbol of richness, joy, and health (Jeremiah 31:12; Hebrews 1:9). Times of judgment were described as a season when “the olive oil fails” (Joel 1:10). Olive oil can also be seen as a symbol of the Holy Spirit (or possibly of faith) in Jesus’ parable of the ten virgins (Matthew 25:1–13). The five wise virgins in the wedding party had made sure they had olive oil for their lamps as they waited for the bridegroom to come. The five foolish virgins did not think ahead and had brought no oil. As the bridegroom drew near, the five foolish virgins begged the wise ones for some of their oil. But the wise virgins could not spare any. While the foolish virgins were out buying more oil, the bridegroom came, and their chance to join the wedding celebration was gone forever. Jesus gave the point of the parable: “Therefore keep watch, because you do not know the day or the hour” (Matthew 25:13). At the end of the age, when Jesus comes back, some will be ready for His arrival (illustrated by the wise virgins who had olive oil); others will not be ready (symbolized by the foolish virgins who had no oil). Considering the olive oil as a symbol of the Holy Spirit (or of faith), we could say that only those who have the Spirit (or faith in Christ) are truly ready for Jesus’ second coming. Not every reference to olive oil in the Bible is symbolic, of course. But there are passages in which olive oil can be a picture of the Holy Spirit, the One who sanctifies us, fills us, readies us to see Christ, and brings us light, joy, and spiritual health. GotQuestions.org Zechariah 4:4 Then I said to the angel who was speaking with me saying, “What are these, my lord?” KJV Zechariah 4:4 So I answered and spake to the angel that talked with me, saying, What are these, my lord? BGT Zechariah 4:4 καὶ ἐπηρώτησα καὶ εἶπον πρὸς τὸν ἄγγελον τὸν λαλοῦντα ἐν ἐμοὶ λέγων τί ἐστιν ταῦτα κύριε LXE Zechariah 4:4 And I inquired, and spoke to the angel that talked with me, saying, What are these things, my lord? NET Zechariah 4:4 Then I asked the messenger who spoke with me, "What are these, sir?" CSB Zechariah 4:4 Then I asked the angel who was speaking with me, "What are these, my lord?" ESV Zechariah 4:4 And I said to the angel who talked with me, "What are these, my lord?" NIV Zechariah 4:4 I asked the angel who talked with me, "What are these, my lord?" NLT Zechariah 4:4 Then I asked the angel, "What are these, my lord? What do they mean?" NRS Zechariah 4:4 I said to the angel who talked with me, "What are these, my lord?" What: Zec 4:12-14 1:9,19 5:6 6:4 Da 7:16-19 12:8 Mt 13:36 Rev 7:13,14 ZECHARIAH SEEKS AN INTERPRETATION OF THE TWO TREES Then I said to the angel who was speaking with me saying, “What are these, my lord?” - Zechariah has never seen a menorah like the one in his vision! While some think "these" refers to the olive trees just mentioned, others think these refers to the lamps. Assuming Zechariah is asking about the olive trees, the angel will not answer this question until Zech 4:14. NET NOTE on these - Here these must refer to the lamps, since the identification of the olive trees is left to vv. 11-14. Zechariah 4:5 So the angel who was speaking with me answered and said to me, “Do you not know what these are?” And I said, “No, my lord.” KJV Zechariah 4:5 Then the angel that talked with me answered and said unto me, Knowest thou not what these be? And I said, No, my lord. BGT Zechariah 4:5 καὶ ἀπεκρίθη ὁ ἄγγελος ὁ λαλῶν ἐν ἐμοὶ καὶ εἶπεν πρός με οὐ γινώσκεις τί ἐστιν ταῦτα καὶ εἶπα οὐχί κύριε LXE Zechariah 4:5 And the angel that talked with me answered, and spoke to me, saying, Knowest thou not what these things are? And I said, No, my lord. NET Zechariah 4:5 He replied, "Don't you know what these are?" So I responded, "No, sir." CSB Zechariah 4:5 "Don't you know what they are?" replied the angel who was speaking with me. I said, "No, my lord." ESV Zechariah 4:5 Then the angel who talked with me answered and said to me, "Do you not know what these are?" I said, "No, my lord." NIV Zechariah 4:5 He answered, "Do you not know what these are?" "No, my lord," I replied. NLT Zechariah 4:5 "Don't you know?" the angel asked."No, my lord," I replied. NRS Zechariah 4:5 Then the angel who talked with me answered me, "Do you not know what these are?" I said, "No, my lord." Do you not know what these are Zec 4:13 Mk 4:13 No: Ge 41:16 Ps 139:6 Da 2:30 1Co 2:12-15 So the angel who was speaking with me answered and said to me, “Do you not know what these are?” - The angel seems surprised Zechariah did not know the meaning of the two olive trees, especially given Zechariah's priestly background. And I said, “No, my lord.” - NET - So I responded, "No, sir." Zechariah 4:6 Then he said to me, “This is the word of the LORD to Zerubbabel saying, ‘Not by might nor by power, but by My Spirit,’ says the LORD of hosts. KJV Zechariah 4:6 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. BGT Zechariah 4:6 καὶ ἀπεκρίθη καὶ εἶπεν πρός με λέγων οὗτος ὁ λόγος κυρίου πρὸς Ζοροβαβελ λέγων οὐκ ἐν δυνάμει μεγάλῃ οὐδὲ ἐν ἰσχύι ἀλλ᾽ ἢ ἐν πνεύματί μου λέγει κύριος παντοκράτωρ LXE Zechariah 4:6 And he answered and spoke to me, saying, This is the word of the Lord to Zorobabel, saying, not by mighty power, nor by strength, but by my Spirit, saith the Lord Almighty. NET Zechariah 4:6 Therefore he told me, "These signify the word of the LORD to Zerubbabel: 'Not by strength and not by power, but by my Spirit,' says the LORD who rules over all." CSB Zechariah 4:6 So he answered me, "This is the word of the LORD to Zerubbabel: 'Not by strength or by might, but by My Spirit,' says the LORD of Hosts. ESV Zechariah 4:6 Then 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 of hosts. NIV Zechariah 4:6 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. NLT Zechariah 4:6 Then he said to me, "This is what the LORD says to Zerubbabel: It is not by force nor by strength, but by my Spirit, says the LORD of Heaven's Armies. NRS Zechariah 4:6 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 of hosts. Not by might nor by power: Zec 9:13-15 Nu 27:16 2Ch 14:11 Isa 11:2-4 30:1 32:15 63:10-14 Eze 37:11-14 Ho 1:7 Hag 2:2-5 1Co 2:4,5 2Co 10:4,5 1Pe 1:12 might: 2Ch 32:7,8 Ps 20:6-8 33:16,20,21 44:3-7 Related Passages: Ezra 5:1-2 When the prophets, Haggai the prophet and Zechariah the son of Iddo, prophesied to the Jews who were in Judah and Jerusalem in the name of the God of Israel, who was over them, 2 then Zerubbabel the son of Shealtiel and Jeshua the son of Jozadak arose and began to rebuild the house of God which is in Jerusalem; and the prophets of God were with them supporting them. Haggai 1:14 So the LORD stirred up the spirit of Zerubbabel the son of Shealtiel, governor of Judah, and the spirit of Joshua the son of Jehozadak, the high priest, and the spirit of all the remnant of the people; and they came and worked on the house of the LORD of hosts, their God, THE ANGEL'S ENCOURAGING WORD Then he said to me, “This is the word of the LORD to Zerubbabel saying, ‘Not by might nor by power, but by My Spirit,’ says the LORD of hosts - Apparently the work on rebuilding the Temple had stalled. God uses His messenger, this angel, to encourage Zerubbabel regarding the task of rebuilding the Temple. While Zerubbabel and others had begun to rebuild the Temple, this passage (and verse 7) is teaching that it would not be completed by human effort but by supernatural energy provided by the Spirit thus calling for a shout of grace in verse 7 (grace being unmerited favor). THOUGHT- Note that the pattern is God's sovereign provision and power interacting with human effort (in other words they still had to lay the stones manually). This pattern of 100% dependent and 100% responsible is found throughout the Scriptures. See the "Paradoxical Principle of 100% Dependent and 100% Responsible" Henry
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Guzik - Might focuses on collective strength, the resources of a group or army. Power focuses on individual strength. God says, “not by the resources of many or one, but by My Spirit. It will not be by your cleverness, your ability, or your physical strength that the temple will be rebuilt, but by the Spirit of God.” This was the Spirit—the breath—the ruah of the LORD which worked in creation (Genesis 1:2), at the Red Sea, to open and close it (Exodus 15:8, 10) and that gave life to dead bones (Ezekiel 37:1–14). Looking back to the vision earlier in the chapter, we see that God wanted Zerubbabel to know that the Holy Spirit would continually supply his need, just as the oil trees in the vision continually supplied oil to the lamps on the lampstand. God wants His supply and our reliance on the Holy Spirit to be continual. (ED: COMPARE COMMANDS TO CONTINUALLY BE FILLED WITH THE SPIRIT IN Eph 5:18+ AND CONTINUALLY WALK BY/LIVE BY THE SPIRIT IN Gal 5:16+). THOUGHTS BY SPURGEON - “Oh! May God send us poverty; may God send us lack of means, and take away our power of speech if it must be, and help us only to stammer, if we may only thus get the blessing. Oh! I rave to be useful to souls, and all the rest may go where it will. “O churches! take heed lest ye trust in yourselves; take heed lest ye say, ‘We are a respectable body,’ ‘We are a mighty number,’ ‘We are a potent people;’ take heed lest ye begin to glory in your own strength; for when that is done, ‘Ichabod’ shall be written on your walls and your glory shall depart from you. Remember, that he who was with us when we were but few, must be with us now we are many, or else we must fail; and he who strengthened us when we were but as ‘little in Israel,’ must be with us, now that we are like ‘the thousands of Manasseh,’ or else it is all over with us and our day is past. Believer's Study Bible - This is the key to the interpretation of the vision. Man's weakness is no hindrance to God, nor is man's strength an aid to God. He works out His purposes by His Holy Spirit (cf. Hos. 1:7; 2 Cor. 4:7; 12:9, 10). No verse is more germane to the life of today's affluent church than this one. Nations and churches truly prosper, not as a result of their erudition or financial resources, but only because God's power is operative. Fred Hartman - The last portion of verse 6 is often quoted, but frequently out of context. It is often appealed to when God’s people realize that they cannot accomplish certain things in their own strength. And while the statement is certainly applicable to such a situation, several major points of interpretation must be considered to derive its full meaning. First, the statement is addressed to Zerubbabel, and its meaning must, therefore, be related to verse 7, which pictures Zerubbabel as the great Temple builder. Second, might, in the original language, has the connotation of the strength of many. Power, on the other hand, gives the idea of the strength of one mighty person or leader. This conveys the idea that the restoration of Israel, both in the day of Zechariah and in the future glorious day of the Messiah, would not be accomplished by a great host of armies or by one great human leader. Instead, it would be accomplished by the power of the Holy Spirit. Third, we understand, of course, that the primary interpretation deals with the rebuilding of the Temple, which was to be accomplished by Zerubbabel. Verse 7 indicates that God would enable him to complete this task and set the headstone of the Temple. The headstone is the final stone used in the construction of a building.
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Guzik - By My Spirit: Why oil is a good representation of the Holy Spirit: Oil lubricates when used for that purpose—there is little friction and wear among those who are lubricated by the Spirit of God Oil heals and was used as a medicinal treatment in Biblical times (Luke 10:34)—the Spirit of God brings healing and restoration Oil lights when it is burned in a lamp—where the Spirit of God is there is light Oil warms when it is used as fuel for a flame—where the Spirit of God is there is warmth and comfort Oil invigorates when used to massage—the Holy Spirit invigorates us for His service Oil adorns when applied as a perfume—the Holy Spirit adorns us and makes us more pleasant to be around Oil polishes when used to shine metal—the Holy Spirit wipes away our grime and smoothes out our rough edges QUESTION - What does God mean when He says, “Not by might nor by power but by My Spirit? ANSWER - After the Jewish people experienced exile in Babylon, King Cyrus of Persia allowed 50,000 of them to return to Jerusalem and rebuild the temple under Zerubbabel, governor of Jerusalem. At the time, Zechariah, a prophet and priest of Israel, received several visions from the Lord. In one of those visions, God delivered this key message: “This is the word of the LORD to Zerubbabel: Not by might, nor by power, but by my Spirit, says the LORD of hosts” (Zechariah 4:6, ESV). In this period of Israel’s history, the prophets Zechariah and Haggai were both ministering. While Haggai encouraged the returned Jewish exiles in their work of rebuilding the temple, Zechariah urged them to repent of sin and renew their covenant with God. Spiritual renewal would be essential to their survival and worship of God once the temple was rebuilt. Construction on the temple, which had been stopped by opposition from neighbors, resumed under the exhortation of Zechariah and Haggai. Zechariah experienced a series of night visions; in the fifth one, he saw a solid gold lampstand. Two olive trees provided the lampstand with its oil supply, which flowed through two golden pipes (Zechariah 4:1–3). The key message of the vision is contained in the words of verse 6: “Not by might, nor by power, but by my Spirit.” The work of rebuilding the temple would only be accomplished by God’s Spirit and not by human might nor power. In many places in the Old Testament, the Lord’s Spirit is represented by oil (Isaiah 61:1–3; 1 Samuel 16:13). The abundant supply of oil in Zechariah’s vision is the Holy Spirit’s power, which would help Zerubbabel finish rebuilding the temple (symbolized by the large lampstand). The lampstand’s light signified that Israel, God’s covenant people, were to shine forth light and glorify God in the earth. Both in the Old and New Testament, God’s people are called to shine the light of God’s glory into all the world (Isaiah 60:1–3; Matthew 5:14–16). It is the great commission of every believer (Matthew 28:19–20). Just as Zerubbabel would need to depend on the Spirit of the Lord to accomplish the work, so do Christians today. God’s people have no ability in themselves to shine the light of God’s truth to those walking in darkness. The word for might in Zechariah 4:6 is often translated as “army,” “force,” “ability,” or “efficiency” and is associated with human resources. It also relates to financial means and can be connected with wealth. The term power implies purposeful force, firm resolve, dynamic strength, and resoluteness. Not by might nor by power—not by their own abilities, plentiful resources, or fierce determination—would God’s people build the temple and send God’s light into the world. Only by the Spirit of the Lord would their work and worship become a light broadcasting into all the earth (Acts 1:8; John 16:7–15). As the physical labor of rebuilding the temple was being done, a spiritual renewal was also taking place. Joshua, the high priest, and Zerubbabel were not to trust in financial resources or military prowess, but in the mighty power of God’s Spirit working through them: “It is not by force nor by strength, but by my Spirit, says the LORD of Heaven’s Armies. Nothing, not even a mighty mountain, will stand in Zerubbabel’s way; it will become a level plain before him! And when Zerubbabel sets the final stone of the Temple in place, the people will shout: ‘May God bless it! May God bless it!’” (Zechariah 4:4–7, NLT). God had made a similar promise to those who remained faithful to Him in Hosea’s day: “But I will show love to the people of Judah. I will free them from their enemies—not with weapons and armies or horses and charioteers, but by my power as the LORD their God” (Hosea 1:7, NLT). Zerubbabel need not be discouraged by human limitations or afraid of earthly obstacles, and neither should present-day Christians (Romans 8:31; cf. Haggai 2:5; Isaiah 41:10). When God calls us to a purpose, His Spirit fills and equips us to complete it (Acts 2:17–18; John 3:34; Ephesians 1:18–20). As the apostle Paul learned, human weakness is no obstacle because God’s power is perfected in it: “That is why, for Christ’s sake, I delight in weaknesses, in insults, in hardships, in persecutions, in difficulties. For when I am weak, then I am strong” (2 Corinthians 12:10; see also Hebrews 11:34). Our God-given work is guaranteed to be successful, not by human might or power, but by the guidance and empowering of God’s Holy Spirit poured into our lives like the oil that fueled Zechariah’s lampstand. C H Spurgeon from Independence of Christianity - The grand thing the church wants in this time, is God’s Holy Spirit. You all get up plans and say, “Now, if the church were altered a little bit, it would go better.” You think if there were different ministers, or different church order, or something different, then all would be well. No, dear friends, it is not there the mistake lies; it is that we want more of the Spirit. It is as if you saw a locomotive engine upon a railway, and it would not go, and they put up a driver, and they said, “Now, that driver will just do.” They try another and another. One proposes that such-and-such a wheel should be altered, but still it will not go. Some one then bursts in amongst those who are conversing and says, “No, friends; but the reason why it will not move, is because there is no steam. You have no fire, you have no water in the boiler: that’s why it will not go. There may be some faults about it; it may want a bit of paint here and there, but it will go well enough with all those faults if you do but get the steam up.” But now people are saying, “This must be altered, and that must be altered;” but it would go no better unless God the Spirit should come to bless us. You may have the same ministers, and they shall be a thousand times more useful for God, if God is pleased to bless them. You shall have the same deacons, they shall be a thousand times more influential than they are now, when the Spirit is poured down upon them from on high. That is the church’s great want, and until that want be supplied, we may reform, and reform, and still be just the same. We want the Holy Spirit. John
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Guzik has a great word on "small things" - Zechariah’s question rings true to us today. Almost every one of us could answer, “I have despised the day of small things.” The question provides its own answer: none of us should despise the day of small things, because God has a wonderful—though perhaps difficult—purpose for those days.. It was a long “day” for Zerubbabel, because the work of the temple laid in ruins for almost 20 years. He probably would say to God, “What do you mean ‘day of small things?’ I’ve lived with 20 years of small things.” Even so, God tells Zerubbabel to not despise the time of small things, and to consider it is all as just a day.. In many of God’s choice workers He uses a powerful season of small things. Those days are not a mistake nor are they punishment; they are days of priceless shaping and preparation. They are not days to despise. When Satan tempts us to despise the day of small things, he shines as an outstanding liar because Satan does not despise the day of small things. Satan fears the day of small things in our life because he sees what great things God does in them and brings out of them. John