GOVERNMENT IN A DAY OF SMALL THINGS
GOVERNMENT IN A DAY OF SMALL THINGS
In reading from this prophet I have in mind that he, in company with Haggai, ministered in a day of small things. The work of God at Jerusalem, the building of the house, had ceased when this prophet, with Haggai, ministered, bringing in the mind of God and stirring up the people to energy, so that the work was resumed. “The eye of their God was upon ... the Jews” (Ezra 5: 5), so that in the face of opposition the work proceeded.
The ministries of these two men introduce Zerubbabel and Joshua prominently; that is to say, Christ in type was kept before the minds of the people. No ministry can be effective save that which keeps Christ prominently before the saints. These were men, I need not say. Their offices shall be ultimately filled by Christ — but as filled by them, under divine appointment, they are employed in these prophets as figures of Christ.
Haggai speaks more about Zerubbabel and he refers to him as governor. Now it is not a mere incident that he thus refers to Zerubbabel. He is in a position which Christ was to occupy. He did not prefigure Him as the Son of David, as we see in Solomon. As such Christ is King of kings and Lord of lords. He is universal Ruler. Zerubbabel represents Him as ruling under certain limitations, but nevertheless ruling.
There was a very great difference between the sphere of the rule of David and Solomon and that of Zerubbabel. They ruled over a vast empire, in which were many millions of subjects. Zerubbabel ruled over something like fifty thousand, but he was, nevertheless, a governor. We have to understand that the Lord Jesus is now pleased to be Governor to a few. “The government shall be upon his shoulder” (Isaiah 9: 6), we are told. As I said, He will come out of heaven with the name, King of kings and Lord of lords. He shall then be Emperor, but now He is content, in His grace and His consideration for us, to be Governor to the few. A “little flock” indeed He called His disciples, His immediate followers. That little flock extended in Jerusalem to three thousand, to five thousand and again to myriads, as James said, besides those elsewhere, particularly the many among the Gentiles. But we are in “a day of small things”, and the Lord is graciously pleased to be Governor to a few, but, nevertheless, Governor. We are to understand this, beloved, and that we are to be subject. For the power by which He will rule over all later is already in His hands, but He is graciously content now with limitations.
In Haggai we have encouragement, for the Governor is to be the divine signet by-and-by. He that is known amongst us in our littleness, in our obscurity and weakness, shall be the divine signet in the future. Everything shall have to bear His stamp. And so if we are to be a testimony to that now there has to be subjection to Christ, so that His stamp is upon us.
Zechariah 4: 14 refers to Him, not as a governor, but rather personally. He introduces a symbol, “the two sons of oil”. This symbol is particularly introduced in connection with a day of small things. It says, “Who hath despised the day of small things?” (verse 19). We are not to despise what the Lord Jesus is identified with, what is marked by the Spirit. You will always find that where the Holy Spirit is free, Christ is exalted. So Zechariah introduces the sons of oil, who witness to the divine claims. They witness in power; they witness in intelligence; they are sons of oil. Zerubbabel lays the foundation, and having laid the foundation puts on the top-stone saying, “Grace, grace unto it”.
[p. 3] We are thus encouraged in a day of small things in view of the end of what has been begun by the Lord Jesus, as He said to Peter, “On this rock I will build my assembly” (Matthew 16: 18). There is no other foundation, and those who build on that foundation anything unsuitable shall find it burnt up. He has laid the foundation and He shall set the top-stone on the structure. It is Christ Himself, not simply as a governor, but according to what He is personally. We know Himself by the Spirit. No one can say, Lord Jesus except by the Spirit. We may use the words, but in order to use them aright and according to God we must have the Spirit. So, as I say “Lord Jesus” by the Spirit I have an Object, a Person, who has a place in my affections. I thus understand that He shall complete things. He is doing it. Have we eyes to see this? He is putting on the top-stone of the structure, and it shall be put on in victory. He shall bring forth the headstone with shoutings: “Grace, grace unto it”.
The dispensation begins in grace, grace reigns throughout it and grace shall mark the finish. As John says, “full of grace and truth”. The more room that is given to the Spirit, the more the Person of Christ is seen. In Zerubbabel, in a day of small things, a note of victory is heard. He shall lay on the top-stone. Whatever obstacle may be in our way, before Zerubbabel it shall become a plain. When the Holy Spirit is free Christ is proclaimed; Christ is dominant and Christ is all, and every obstacle in the way goes down and becomes a plain.
Zechariah 6 introduces the idea of government, firstly in a providential way, and secondly in a direct way. These are two thoughts that have to be apprehended in order that we may understand the present situation. God intends that we shall be intelligent as to everything. Before the Lord introduces the system in Matthew, He lifts up His heart to God and says, “I praise thee, Father, ... that thou hast hid these things from the wise and prudent, and hast revealed them to babes. Yea, Father, for thus has it been well-pleasing in thy sight” (Matthew 11: 25).
The Lord took account of the heavens and the earth, and this chapter furnishes us with light as to how the earth is ruled at the present time. The prophet sees four chariots — not simply horses, but chariots. There are horses attached of course, red horses, black horses, white horses, and grizzled, strong horses. These chariots issue from between two mountains of brass, meaning that God holds in His hand the means of judgment, and although the powers represented in these chariots do not know Him, yet they do His will. They are said to be the spirits of the heavens, for heaven never gives up its right over the earth.
Whatever men may say about the ‘voice of the people’, heaven never gives up its right over the earth. Even this last power called grizzled, and then bay, or strong, cannot “walk to and fro through the earth” without permission. They essay to do it. The great fourth empire, which has its roots in antiquity and extends to our own time, and is about to re-appear in all its ferocity, is nevertheless subject to heaven. There was a going forth to the south country and then the intent to walk to and fro through the earth, but there could be no walking through the earth without God’s permission.
We need to have in our mind the power of God; that He is the sovereign ruler of the heavens and the earth; as the souls under the altar in Revelation say, “How long, O sovereign Ruler, ... dost thou not judge sand avenge our blood on them that dwell upon the earth?” (Revelation 6: 10). They understood that He had universal power, and we should understand it too. So He says, “Go, walk to and fro through the earth”. Hence you have an empire, the like of which has never previously [p. 5] appeared, extending from the Atlantic to the Euphrates. Roman roads still existing testify to their means of walking to and fro, but they walked to and fro through the earth by divine permission. The saints may be assured that nothing can happen without divine permission, and if these strong horses walk to and fro on the earth under God, they maintain order; they have come out from between the two brazen mountains. They are called “the spirits of the heavens”. They were under divine control and direction. Our Lord Jesus Christ died under them, saying to Pilate that he could have no power against Him except it were given to him from above. They were the spirits of the heavens sent out by the Lord of all the earth.
Then we come to another vision, and this is what I have in mind to dwell on particularly. The prophet is directed to go to certain ones who had been brought back from the captivity. They are mentioned by name, as you will observe. They had come from Babylon. We have all been recovered; our position is that we have been recovered from Babylon. The prophet is directed to take “silver and gold, and make crowns, and set them upon the head of Joshua the son of Jehozadak, the high priest”. I wish to show that this is what is going on at the present time.
It is not now chariots and horses who are to be in power, but a man, Joshua, the son of Jehozadak, the high priest, a type of Christ, as I said. Those who return from the captivity are to give, and the prophet is to take from them; they do not come back empty-handed, nor is anyone who has really been brought back from Babylon brought back empty-handed. You have come back through exercise if you have come back rightly. You come back in a spiritual way, with an apprehension of Christ. Yet come back in the spirit of humility, of littleness, and of subjection. You do not assert your will. What you have [p. 6] is available and it is to be utilised in making crowns.
In this connection a house is mentioned, the house of Josiah the son of Zephaniah. After taking from these men, the prophet was to go the same day into this house. Having arrived at the thought of a house, I wish to comment for a moment on the relation of our houses to our present position. As the question has been raised today as to the place sisters have in the service of God, the suggestion of a house enables one to enlarge on this point. The gospel of Luke prominently introduces women; it introduces them as priests, particularly Elizabeth, Mary and Anna. If any sisters wish to determine before God what their function is, what their service should be, I cannot advise them better than that they should read the Scriptures from the standpoint of the service and testimony of women as seen there. Take the gospel of Luke, as I said. The Lord arrives at Bethany, and a certain woman receives Him into her house. Is that not a service? Think of the honour of receiving Christ into your house! If you are set for that, you would be concerned for your house, for you are to guide it.
And we find that those who witnessed the Lord Jesus go up into heaven in Acts 1, returned to Jerusalem, and they go to an upper room, and it says, Peter, James and John were there ... and certain women. I think that upper room at Jerusalem was a place of general gathering, and what you observe is that certain women were there, amongst them the Lord’s mother. These women would not be there listlessly. They would be there with keenest interest. They would follow all that passed. They would carry the burden of the testimony on their hearts. And then Mary the mother of Mark had a prayer meeting in her house. Then you find a girl, who, as the sequel shows, was in advance of them all. Her [p. 7] name was Rhoda. Is not that a word for young girls amongst us? She recognised Peter’s voice. The others had prayed for him. Doubtless she had joined in the prayers, but she knew Peter’s voice. They thought she was mad. You may get persecuted, young sister, but if you are true to Christ, the Lord will give you light, and you may shine more than others at times. Her name is given. It is an honour to have your name mentioned by God.
It is a great thing to be firm. If you know a thing is so, stand by it. Then again, you find a woman like Priscilla. What an honourable mention she has in Scripture! In Romans she is mentioned before her husband. This is not an accident, and what you find is that she and her husband had an assembly in their house. Do you not think that Priscilla would know what went on in that assembly? Earlier at Ephesus they had also an assembly in their house.
The prophet is here instructed to go the same day to the house of Josiah the son of Zephaniah. There is nothing said about women in that house, but undoubtedly there was a woman or women there. You see how God connects what is precious spiritually with the house. The most precious things are found in the houses of the saints, and I need not say again, the woman has to do with the house; it was so in connection with Peter. The Lord goes into the house and puts his mother-in-law right. He stands over her. And may I suggest that much that is wrong amongst us is due to the insubjection of women? There is a want of authority in the man. The Lord, it is said, stood over her; Luke 4: 39. As she would look up to Christ standing over her, she would be impressed with His authority. He rebuked the fever and it left her. Need any sister feel at a loss for her service? Peter’s wife’s mother did not have far to go. She arose and served them. And so again with Lydia, as the Lord opened her heart to attend to the [p. 8] things spoken by Paul, she opened her house to Paul and those that were with him.
Thus the prophet was to take gold and silver and enter into the house and make crowns and set them on the head of Joshua. This is going on now. Christ is honoured, crowns are being made for Him, as it were. And then it says, He shall sit on His throne and rule. What is the value of a throne if the occupant does not rule? Did He not rule in the house of Peter? He did. The fever left the woman at His rebuke. And then it adds that He sits on His throne as Priest. Whilst He rules, He rules as a Priest. There is the tenderest sympathy. So that whatever happens as the outcome of His rule, you will find the tenderest sympathy flowing in it. Whatever happens in connection with His rule, you will find it is mitigated by grace. Then in this state of things you have peace. “The counsel of peace shall be between them both”. It is a day of small things, but the most precious features of the testimony are to be seen. Here we have the throne, the rule of Christ on it and the counsel of peace. How much is the counsel of peace amongst us? Between Him and God there is the most perfect peace — the counsel of peace. This is to be reflected among us, for we are to follow peace together.
The Corinthians wrote to Paul about many things, but they did not write about the differences amongst them; these differences were serious, and so the apostle begins with them; “I exhort you, brethren, by the name of our Lord Jesus Christ, that ye all say the same thing, and that there be not among you divisions; but that ye be perfectly united in the same mind and in the same opinion” (1 Corinthians 1: 10). That is what he begins with. They had said nothing about their divisions to him, but he knew they were there. It had been told to him by some of the house of Chloe.
And then you see these crowns are set up in the [p. 9] temple as a memorial for these men. How encouraging it is in a day of small things that these crowns are hung up in the temple as a memorial to the devotedness of those who provide for the honour of Christ. And then it says, “He shall build the temple”. The Lord is doing it, and every person recognises that it is the Lord that is doing it. It speaks also of those that are afar off. If these conditions prevail amongst the saints, we may count upon it that the Lord will extend His operations. “They that are far off shall come and build at the temple of Jehovah: and ye shall know that Jehovah of hosts hath sent me unto you”. The chapter closes with the assurance that “this shall come to pass, if ye will diligently hearken to the voice of Jehovah your God”.
May this obedience mark us until the Lord comes!