MIDWEEK MINUTE (6/12/19): BIG THINGS COME IN SMALL PACKAGES

Ever heard of a guy in the Bible named “Zerubbabel”? Kind of an obscure name, yes, but he played a big role in Hebrew history. After the Babylonians conquered the Jews in 586BC, and destroyed the Temple in Jerusalem that King Solomon had built, most of the Jews were taken into captivity by the Babylonians.
A generation later, the Persians had conquered the Babylonians and now Persian King Cyrus had allowed the Jews in Persia to move back to Jerusalem to rebuild the walls of the city and rebuild the TEMPLE. Zerubbabel was the Jewish guy that Cyrus appointed as governor of Judea (which includes Jerusalem).
It was under Zerubbabel that the Temple building project began. 500 years prior, Solomon’s Temple represented the splendor and magnitude of what was worthy to be called the House of God. Zerubbabel’s Temple, however, was much smaller and paled in comparison.
The diminutive size greatly disappointed the Jews. They were ashamed that they were unable to restore the Temple to its previous size and glory, and they wept over their remorse before the Lord.
God, however, did not care about the SIZE of the TEMPLE, He only cared about the PURPOSE of the TEMPLE. Through an angel, God told Zerubbabel, “This is the word of the Lord to Zerubbabel: ‘Not by might, nor by power, but by MY SPIRIT,’ says the Lord Almighty” (Zechariah 4:6).
What God was telling Zerubbabel was this: “This earthly Temple is merely a reminder of my promise. Do not worry about how big or how small THIS Temple is, because YOU ARE PAVING THE WAY for the CAPSTONE of the ultimate TEMPLE.”
The Capstone and the Promise that God was referring to is Jesus. Zerubbabel came from the lineage of King David, from whom Jesus would be born. It was through this blood line that the ULTIMATE TEMPLE would come.
So, what are WE today? 1 Corinthians 3:16 says, “Don’t you realize that YOU are the TEMPLE of the Living God and that the Spirit of God lives in you?”
Our ability to represent God and speak for God and to do things for God is not limited to OUR SIZE, or OUR MIGHT, or OUR POWER, but is only limited by how OBEDIENT we are to let God USE HIS HOLY SPIRIT to do HIS MIGHTY WORK THROUGH US! Wow! How special is that?!
So, how do our lives hang in this balance? Are we more interested in accomplishing things in life through our might and our power, or are we ready to let God UNLEASH His Might and His Power through us?
Which path has the greatest magnitude?
Which path has eternal ramifications?
When it comes to our will vs. God’s will, which do we think is best? Which do we think is most powerful? Which do we think will always WIN?
Is it really worth walking in circles when simple obedience moves us closer to His Kingdom? Let us choose our path wisely and know that we are His Temples as we know that He is our God, and worthy of glory and praise.
God bless you all, and we hope to see you Sunday!