September 20 — Not by Might
SCRIPTURE READING:
Zechariah 1-4
SCRIPTURE:
Zechariah 1
¹In the eighth month, in the second year of Darius, came the word of the LORD unto Zechariah, the son of Berechiah, the son of Iddo the prophet, saying,
²The LORD hath been sore displeased with your fathers.
³Therefore say thou unto them, Thus saith the LORD of hosts; Turn ye unto me, saith the LORD of hosts, and I will turn unto you, saith the LORD of hosts.
⁴Be ye not as your fathers, unto whom the former prophets have cried, saying, Thus saith the LORD of hosts; Turn ye now from your evil ways, and from your evil doings: but they did not hear, nor hearken unto me, saith the LORD.
⁵Your fathers, where are they? and the prophets, do they live for ever?
⁶But my words and my statutes, which I commanded my servants the prophets, did they not take hold of your fathers? and they returned and said, Like as the LORD of hosts thought to do unto us, according to our ways, and according to our doings, so hath he dealt with us.
⁷Upon the four and twentieth day of the eleventh month, which is the month Sebat, in the second year of Darius, came the word of the LORD unto Zechariah, the son of Berechiah, the son of Iddo the prophet, saying,
⁸I saw by night, and behold a man riding upon a red horse, and he stood among the myrtle trees that were in the bottom; and behind him were there red horses, speckled, and white.
⁹Then said I, O my lord, what are these? And the angel that talked with me said unto me, I will shew thee what these be.
¹⁰And the man that stood among the myrtle trees answered and said, These are they whom the LORD hath sent to walk to and fro through the earth.
¹¹And they answered the angel of the LORD that stood among the myrtle trees, and said, We have walked to and fro through the earth, and, behold, all the earth sitteth still, and is at rest.
¹²Then the angel of the LORD answered and said, O LORD of hosts, how long wilt thou not have mercy on Jerusalem and on the cities of Judah, against which thou hast had indignation these threescore and ten years?
¹³And the LORD answered the angel that talked with me with good words and comfortable words.
¹⁴So the angel that communed with me said unto me, Cry thou, saying, Thus saith the LORD of hosts; I am jealous for Jerusalem and for Zion with a great jealousy.
¹⁵And I am very sore displeased with the heathen that are at ease: for I was but a little displeased, and they helped forward the affliction.
¹⁶Therefore thus saith the LORD; I am returned to Jerusalem with mercies: my house shall be built in it, saith the LORD of hosts, and a line shall be stretched forth upon Jerusalem.
¹⁷Cry yet, saying, Thus saith the LORD of hosts; My cities through prosperity shall yet be spread abroad; and the LORD shall yet comfort Zion, and shall yet choose Jerusalem.
¹⁸Then lifted I up mine eyes, and saw, and behold four horns.
¹⁹And I said unto the angel that talked with me, What be these? And he answered me, These are the horns which have scattered Judah, Israel, and Jerusalem.
²⁰And the LORD shewed me four carpenters.
²¹Then said I, What come these to do? And he spake, saying, These are the horns which have scattered Judah, so that no man did lift up his head: but these are come to fray them, to cast out the horns of the Gentiles, which lifted up their horn over the land of Judah to scatter it.
Zechariah 2
¹I lifted up mine eyes again, and looked, and behold a man with a measuring line in his hand.
²Then said I, Whither goest thou? And he said unto me, To measure Jerusalem, to see what is the breadth thereof, and what is the length thereof.
³And, behold, the angel that talked with me went forth, and another angel went out to meet him,
⁴And said unto him, Run, speak to this young man, saying, Jerusalem shall be inhabited as towns without walls for the multitude of men and cattle therein:
⁵For I, saith the LORD, will be unto her a wall of fire round about, and will be the glory in the midst of her.
⁶Ho, ho, come forth, and flee from the land of the north, saith the LORD: for I have spread you abroad as the four winds of the heaven, saith the LORD.
⁷Deliver thyself, O Zion, that dwellest with the daughter of Babylon.
⁸For thus saith the LORD of hosts; After the glory hath he sent me unto the nations which spoiled you: for he that toucheth you toucheth the apple of his eye.
⁹For, behold, I will shake mine hand upon them, and they shall be a spoil to their servants: and ye shall know that the LORD of hosts hath sent me.
¹⁰Sing and rejoice, O daughter of Zion: for, lo, I come, and I will dwell in the midst of thee, saith the LORD.
¹¹And many nations shall be joined to the LORD in that day, and shall be my people: and I will dwell in the midst of thee, and thou shalt know that the LORD of hosts hath sent me unto thee.
¹²And the LORD shall inherit Judah his portion in the holy land, and shall choose Jerusalem again.
¹³Be silent, O all flesh, before the LORD: for he is raised up out of his holy habitation.
Zechariah 3
¹And he shewed me Joshua the high priest standing before the angel of the LORD, and Satan standing at his right hand to resist him.
²And the LORD said unto Satan, The LORD rebuke thee, O Satan; even the LORD that hath chosen Jerusalem rebuke thee: is not this a brand plucked out of the fire?
³Now Joshua was clothed with filthy garments, and stood before the angel.
⁴And he answered and spake unto those that stood before him, saying, Take away the filthy garments from him. And unto him he said, Behold, I have caused thine iniquity to pass from thee, and I will clothe thee with change of raiment.
⁵And I said, Let them set a fair mitre upon his head. So they set a fair mitre upon his head, and clothed him with garments. And the angel of the LORD stood by.
⁶And the angel of the LORD protested unto Joshua, saying,
⁷Thus saith the LORD of hosts; If thou wilt walk in my ways, and if thou wilt keep my charge, then thou shalt also judge my house, and shalt also keep my courts, and I will give thee places to walk among these that stand by.
⁸Hear now, O Joshua the high priest, thou, and thy fellows that sit before thee: for they are men wondered at: for, behold, I will bring forth my servant the BRANCH.
⁹For behold the stone that I have laid before Joshua; upon one stone shall be seven eyes: behold, I will engrave the graving thereof, saith the LORD of hosts, and I will remove the iniquity of that land in one day.
¹⁰In that day, saith the LORD of hosts, shall ye call every man his neighbour under the vine and under the fig tree.
Zechariah 4
¹And the angel that talked with me came again, and waked me, as a man that is wakened out of his sleep,
²And said unto me, What seest thou? And I said, I have looked, and behold a candlestick all of gold, with a bowl upon the top of it, and his seven lamps thereon, and seven pipes to the seven lamps, which are upon the top thereof:
³And two olive trees by it, one upon the right side of the bowl, and the other upon the left side thereof.
⁴So I answered and spake to the angel that talked with me, saying, What are these, my lord?
⁵Then the angel that talked with me answered and said unto me, Knowest thou not what these be? And I said, No, my lord.
⁶Then 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.
⁷Who art thou, O great mountain? before Zerubbabel thou shalt become a plain: and he shall bring forth the headstone thereof with shoutings, crying, Grace, grace unto it.
⁸Moreover the word of the LORD came unto me, saying,
⁹The hands of Zerubbabel have laid the foundation of this house; his hands shall also finish it; and thou shalt know that the LORD of hosts hath sent me unto you.
¹⁰For who hath despised the day of small things? for they shall rejoice, and shall see the plummet in the hand of Zerubbabel with those seven; they are the eyes of the LORD, which run to and fro through the whole earth.
¹¹Then answered I, and said unto him, What are these two olive trees upon the right side of the candlestick and upon the left side thereof?
¹²And I answered again, and said unto him, What be these two olive branches which through the two golden pipes empty the golden oil out of themselves?
¹³And he answered me and said, Knowest thou not what these be? And I said, No, my lord.
¹⁴Then said he, These are the two anointed ones, that stand by the Lord of the whole earth.
DEVOTIONAL:
Zechariah begins where post-exilic hope must begin: 'Turn ye unto me.' The prophet warns the returned generation not to imitate fathers who ignored earlier prophets until judgment overtook them. Their ancestors and the prophets have died, but God's words have not. That contrast anchors the book. Human generations pass; the covenant Lord remains faithful to what He has spoken. The night visions then show a world that appears settled while Jerusalem still bears the wounds of exile. The angel asks how long mercy will be withheld, and the LORD answers with comforting words: He is jealous for Zion and has returned to Jerusalem with mercies. Restoration begins in divine commitment, yet the people are called to repentance rather than entitlement.
Chapter 2 pictures Jerusalem measured not merely for survival but for abundance, with the LORD Himself as a wall of fire and glory in her midst. The promise expands beyond Israel when many nations are joined to the LORD, while Judah and Jerusalem retain their place in the vision. This is a helpful antidote to two opposite errors. God's concern for the nations does not require the erasure of His particular promises to Israel, and His election of Israel was never meant to imply indifference toward the nations. In Messiah, Gentiles are welcomed to Israel's God by grace. The church should therefore read Zechariah with gratitude and humility, rejoicing in inclusion while refusing the arrogance Paul condemns toward the Jewish people.
Chapter 3 moves from city to priest. Joshua the high priest stands in filthy garments while Satan accuses him. The LORD rebukes the accuser, removes Joshua's iniquity, clothes him with clean garments, and promises to bring forth His servant, the Branch. The scene dramatizes grace before service. Joshua is not cleansed because he proves the accusation baseless; God removes his defilement and then calls him to faithful walking. Christians see the Branch theme fulfilled in Jesus, the Davidic Messiah. The gospel announces an even deeper exchange: Christ bears sin and clothes believers in a righteousness they could never weave for themselves. Accusation is answered not by pretending guilt is unreal, but by God's provision of cleansing.
Chapter 4 then speaks directly to Zerubbabel's apparently inadequate rebuilding task: 'Not by might, nor by power, but by my spirit.' The vision of the lampstand and olive trees assures the community that God's work is sustained by resources beyond visible political strength. This is not a prohibition against planning, skill, money, leadership, or effort. Zerubbabel's hands laid the foundation and will finish the house. The point is that none of those means is the ultimate cause of covenant restoration. God's Spirit supplies what human capacity cannot guarantee. The warning against despising 'the day of small things' completes the lesson. Faithful work can be small in scale and still be carried by divine purpose. The church does not need to manufacture greatness when the Spirit is present.
In daily life, put repentance before strategy. When a marriage, ministry, team, or personal discipline is struggling, ask not only what technique might improve results but what God may be calling you to confess, believe, or obey. When accusation is deserved, take it to Christ rather than defending an image of innocence. When accusation is false, rest in God's judgment rather than allowing the accuser to define you. At work and in church, plan carefully but pray as though the Spirit's work cannot be replaced by planning, because it cannot. Do not despise faithful tasks because they lack scale. A small group taught well, a child discipled patiently, a difficult apology, or a hidden act of service may be exactly where God's lamp is burning.
In U.S. civic life, the virtue is humility about the limits of force. Pray for leaders to use lawful power wisely while recognizing that coercion cannot regenerate hearts, create moral character, or produce spiritual renewal. Ask God to protect religious freedom so churches can preach, serve, persuade, and disciple without confusing the gospel with state power. Pray for Jewish communities to be protected from hatred and for Christians to reject contempt toward Israel while bearing clear witness to Jesus as Messiah. Christians should show up in public life as persuasive rather than domineering neighbors, willing to use lawful means for justice but never imagining that political might can accomplish the Spirit's work.
DISCUSSION QUESTIONS:
Why does Zechariah begin restoration prophecy with a call to repentance rather than with promises alone?
How do the promises concerning Jerusalem and the nations resist both replacement theology and ethnic pride?
What does Joshua's cleansing teach about the relationship between grace, accusation, and subsequent obedience?
Where are you tempted either to trust human power too much or to despise an assignment because it appears too small?
PRAYER:
ADORATION: LORD of hosts, Your words outlive generations, Your mercy returns to Zion, and Your Spirit accomplishes what human strength cannot secure. You rebuke the accuser and provide cleansing for Your servants.
CONFESSION: Forgive our reliance on force, numbers, reputation, and technique. We confess both the pride that trusts might and the unbelief that despises small beginnings.
THANKSGIVING: Thank You for Jesus, the promised Branch, through whom guilty people are cleansed and welcomed. Thank You for the Holy Spirit, whose presence makes faithful service possible beyond our natural resources.
SUPPLICATION – GENERAL: Bring repentance before renewal in our lives and churches. Free the accused conscience through the gospel, strengthen small ministries, and teach leaders to plan diligently while depending wholly on Your Spirit.
SUPPLICATION – U.S. / CIVIC: Give public officials wisdom about the proper limits of coercive power. Protect religious liberty and Jewish communities from hatred, and make Your church a persuasive, serving witness that does not confuse political strength with spiritual renewal.
SCRIPTURE: Not by might, nor by power, but by my spirit, saith the LORD of hosts.