The true northerner. [volume] (Paw Paw, Mich.) 1855-1920, 1905-10-27
POWER THROUGH
GODS SPIRIT
Sunday School Lesson for Oct. %. 1905
Specially Prepared for This Paper.

LESSON TENT.-Zechariah 4l-lO. Mem
! DRY Verses TO- IL.
GOLDEN TEXT.-"Not by might, nor
by power, but by My Spirit. saith the
Lord. "-Zech. 40.
TIME.-The lesson is the NTH of series
of eight visions which came to the prophet
in January or February. 5l9.
PLACE.-Jerusalem.
SCRIPTURE REFERENCES.-Other
who have had visions: To Abraham (Gen.
15I-1D; TO Jacob Gen. 2s:l0-15); to Moses
eek. 3:2-2D: to Isaiah lisa 6;l-s); to Ezekiel
(Ezek. 14-14. etc); to Daniel dan.
7:1-1D; TO Amos amos S.i-l6; to Paul
(Acts $3.50; to Cornelius (Acts 1888; to
Peter (Acts l0:9-lO: to John Grew l:lO-2o
etc,).
Passages on Holy Spirit: lisa. s47-13;
John 16:7-15 Acts 2:1-4 1921; Rom. S:ll-H;
Cor 12:7-l3; Gal. 5:16-25.
Comment and Suggestive Thought.
INTRODUCTORY. - Zechariah (the
Lord remembers) was the son of Bara
chiah and grandson of lido. who was
one of the heads of the twelve
courses of priests (Neh. 1874, D. and
whose successor Zechariah became
(Neh. 1910. He was therefore priest
as well as a prophet, the head of one OF
the Davidic courses of priests. He was
probably born in Babylon. and went TO
Jerusalem when quite young. with
Zerubbabel and Joshua. He began TO
prophesy about two months after Hag
gai began Czech. IL; Ezra. 81; 6 IA;
Hag I'D. in the second year of Darius
Hystaspes. and continued TO prophesy
for two years Czech. I'D. The circum
stances were those described in our last
lesson. The people had just been awak
ened from their lethargy. and begun
anew to build the temple, amid the ru-
jns of the old. They were few. Most
of them were poor. They were discour-
aged. Their enemies were persistent
and cruel. They were trying TO bring
the whole power of the empire against
these few people and their feeble enter
prise Drought and mldew had ruined
their crops. Even God seemed TO be
against them. The aged Haggai had
aroused enthusiasm and the work on
the temple had begun. It had been go
ing on but few weeks when the young
er prophet Zechariah came to his aid.
His first brief address was spoken in
November, 500, after the second proph-
ecy of Haggai, who followed with two
more messages from God. Then Zecha-
riah came again upon the scene, three
months after his first prophecy, in Jan
uary, or February, 519, when one mem
orable night God sent to Zechariah
series of eight visions-living pictures
object lessons-which the prophet re-
hearsed TO the people the next morning
Two years later as the work was pro-
crossing he brought another message
from the Lord The Jews. we are told
"prospered through the prOphesying'
ezra 6:1D and in about four years
the temple was finished
V. /. THE angel" who had explained
the other visions just as Dante repre-
sents himself as accompanied by the
spirits of Virgil and Beatrice. And
walked me-" He had slept after the
first series of visions. This was the be-
ginning of a new series. during the same
eventful night.
V. .. Behold a candlestick all of
gold" Like the seven branched candle
stick of the tabernacle and the later
temple, for holding oil lamps, not can
dies. with a bowl upon the top" For
a reservoir Of oil to supply the lamps
V. 3. "And two olive trees" The oil
usually burned in the lamps was olive
oil. pressed from the fruit of the olive
tree
V. 5. The angel wondered that the
prophet did not understand these plain
symbols. The prophet then asked the
angel TO explain not only for himself
but to give authority to the message to
the people The candlestick with it's
branches represented the Jewish ma
ton as the representative of the king
| dom of God. Its business was TO uphold
the light of God before the whole
world. The olive oil which fed the
lamps represented the Holy Spirit of
God
V. g. This is the word of the Lord
unto Zerubbabel:" The governor
Not by might. nor by power" Not by
armies. nor wealth, nor numbers, nor
The material greatness of nations, can
the work be done. But by My spirit"
The source of help is in God
V. 7. who art thou. O great noun
tain?" The difficulties. the opposition
! OF the WOTlu power OF IeTSld, the pow
erty, the ruins. the sins, and indiffer-
ence of some of the Jews, the hatred
of the Samaritans. all rose up before
the prophet like a huge range Of noun
tains. proud, overbearing. seemingly in
vincibe. But who are you? DO you
think you can stop this work when the
Lord sends His spirit to see that it is
done? Thou shalt become a plain"
BE wholly removed
V. 10. For who hath despised the day
of small things?' Small beginnings. a
| small people, a small kingdom, small
wealth. They -. shall see the plum
met" The symbol of the architect or
head builder Those seven; they are
the eyes of the Lord" Referring back
to Zech. 39. The people should rejoice.
because the providence of God. reaching
everywhere in the world, is with their
| leader.
Application.
When we look at outward things. as
did the Jews of that day, we are often