How to move a Mountain
At a recent pastors conference I attended, one of the teachers took the group of us into the book of Zechariah and showed us the answer to the question—“How do you move a mountain?”
Zechariah 4 (ESV)
1And the angel who talked with me came again and woke me, like a man who is awakened out of his sleep. 2And he said to me, “What do you see?” I said, “I see, and behold, a lampstand all of gold, with a bowl on the top of it, and seven lamps on it, with seven lips on each of the lamps that are on the top of it. 3And there are two olive trees by it, one on the right of the bowl and the other on its left.” 4And I said to the angel who talked with me, “What are these, my lord?” 5Then the angel who talked with me answered and said to me, “Do you not know what these are?” I said, “No, my lord.” 6Then 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. 7Who are you, O great mountain? Before Zerubbabel you shall become a plain. And he shall bring forward the top stone amid shouts of ‘Grace, grace to it!’”8 Then the word of the LORD came to me, saying, 9″The hands of Zerubbabel have laid the foundation of this house; his hands shall also complete it. Then you will know that the LORD of hosts has sent me to you. 10For whoever has despised the day of small things shall rejoice, and shall see the plumb line in the hand of Zerubbabel.
“These seven are the eyes of the LORD, which range through the whole earth.” 11Then I said to him, “What are these two olive trees on the right and the left of the lampstand?” 12And a second time I answered and said to him, “What are these two branches of the olive trees, which are beside the two golden pipes from which the golden oil is poured out?” 13He said to me, “Do you not know what these are?” I said, “No, my lord.” 14Then he said, “These are the two anointed ones who stand by the Lord of the whole earth.”
The context of this passage is an exploration of the building of the temple. God speaks to show Zechariah that this difficult task is not beyond His control. God uses the analogy of “moving a mountain,” to show that He understands the difficulties of the task to which God has called him.
The lessons of the mountain can be applied to any difficult task to which the Lord calls his people. And certainly we will do well to learn the lessons of the mountain as we are confronted with the giant task (and limited resources,) we have in building Immanuel Evangelical Free Church.
In the passage God answers the question four different ways. The first answer to “How do you move a mountain?” is found in verse 6: “Not by might, nor by power, but by my Spirit, says the LORD of hosts.”
In this answer He declares that it is in He, Himself that will “move the mountain.” The task ultimately and securely belongs to God. And he will not fail.
