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2025 New Year Message

NOT BY MIGHT NOR BY POWER, BUT BY MY SPIRIT

Zechariah 4:6

So 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 Almighty.

1. When did the word of the Lord come to the prophet Zechariah (Zech. 1:1)? Examine the historical and spiritual context of the time when the prophet Zechariah lived (Ezra 5:12-13, 1:2-3, 3:10, 4:4-5, Haggai 1:9).
2. What message did God give to Zerubbabel and Joshua through the prophet Haggai (Haggai 1:2, 8, 2:4-5)? What promise did God give to the high priest Joshua through the prophet Zechariah (Zech. 3:7-8)?
3. What message did God deliver to Zerubbabel through the prophet Zechariah (Zech. 4:6-9)? Who was Zerubbabel (Haggai 1:1, 2:23)? Reflect on the meaning of “Not by might nor by power, but by my Spirit.”
4. Through this passage, what is God saying to us personally and as a community?

2025 New Year Message Jan 5, 2025

NOT BY MIGHT NOR BY POWER, BUT BY MY SPIRIT

Zechariah 4:6

So 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 Almighty.

Happy New Year! The weather has turned much colder. I hope you stay warm and healthy. Today is the first Sunday of 2025. Our New Year message is Zechariah 4:6. Shall we read it together? So 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 Almighty.”

The book of Zechariah may not be familiar to many of us. Therefore, I would like to explain the historical background of this book. Zechariah 1:1 says, “In the eighth month of the second year of Darius, the word of the Lord came to the prophet Zechariah.” The Darius mentioned here is a king of the Persian Empire and is different from Darius the Mede, who appointed Daniel as an administrator of the Medo-Persian Empire and later cast him into the lions’ den.

The Kingdom of Judah was destroyed by the Babylonian Empire in 586 BC. The temple in Jerusalem was burned, and the city walls were broken down. Many Jews were taken into captivity in Babylon. For 70 years, they served the king of Babylon. However, God promised that after 70 years of captivity, the Jews would return to Jerusalem through Cyrus the Great (Isaiah 44:28, Jeremiah 25:12). As God promised, the Babylonian Empire was destroyed by the Medo-Persian Empire in 539 BC. Cyrus the Great, who had unified Media under his rule, governed the vast Persian Empire, including Babylon, until 530 BC. Unlike Babylon, Cyrus implemented a policy of tolerance, respecting the cultures and religions of the regions he conquered.

Look at Ezra 1:1. “In the first year of Cyrus king of Persia, in order to fulfill the word of the Lord spoken by Jeremiah, the Lord moved the heart of Cyrus king of Persia to make a proclamation throughout his realm and also to put it in writing.” God moved the heart of Cyrus to fulfill His promise. Cyrus permitted any of the Jews to go up to Jerusalem and build the temple of the Lord, the God of Israel. Moreover, he allowed the necessary materials to be provided for this purpose. At that time, Zerubbabel, appointed as the governor of Judah, and the high priest Joshua, along with 42,360 Jews, returned to Jerusalem to rebuild the temple. This marks the first return of the Jews to Jerusalem (538–537 BC).

After returning to Jerusalem, they settled in their towns and assembled together. They first built the altar of the God of Israel and sacrificed burnt offerings on it. They also celebrated the Festival of Tabernacles. In the second month of the second year after their arrival at the house of God in Jerusalem, they began rebuilding the temple. Finally, they laid the foundation of the temple of the Lord. How did they feel at that moment? They were so overjoyed that they praised the Lord with trumpets and cymbals and gave thanks to God. Some were so moved that they wept loudly. The people made so much noise that no one could distinguish the sound of the shouts of joy from the sound of weeping (Ezra 3:13). They dreamed of the day when the temple in Jerusalem would be fully rebuilt, and they could worship God there once again.

However, the temple reconstruction project did not proceed as smoothly as they had hoped. The Samaritans and other Gentiles living in the regions of Jerusalem and Judah did not want the Jews to rebuild the temple and regain their strength. As a result, they began to interfere with the temple rebuilding efforts. They discouraged the Jews who were working diligently and intimidated them. They threatened not to sell food and oil to the Jews. They may have visited Jewish homes, warning that they would set their houses on fire if they continued the construction. They might have also threatened to kidnap Jewish children. Additionally, they bribed officials to work against them and frustrated their plans. They obstructed access to the materials needed for temple construction. Officials may have frequently visited the Jews, threatening imprisonment if the construction continued. These efforts to hinder the rebuilding persisted during the entire reign of Cyrus and down to the reign of Darius, king of Persia. Eventually, the temple reconstruction project stopped just two years after their arrival in Jerusalem. And there was no progress for the next 16 years until God sent the prophets Haggai and Zechariah, urging the people to resume building the temple.

How do you think the Jews and their leaders felt when the temple reconstruction was stopped for 16 years due to opposition from their adversaries? When they first arrived in Jerusalem, they were filled with vision and hope to rebuild God’s temple and restore the kingdom of Israel. They were full of enthusiasm to start the work quickly and confident that they could complete this important task for God. They even laid the foundation of the temple through their dedicated efforts. However, when they were forced to stop the temple reconstruction due to the interference of their adversaries, they must have fallen into deep despair. They probably tried everything they could to overcome the opposition. They may have fought against their adversaries, attempted to persuade the officials who had been bribed, and searched everywhere for the materials needed to continue the construction. Yet, despite their efforts, nothing worked.

One year, two years, and then five years passed. The newly laid foundation of the temple slowly deteriorated without a single pillar erected, and the hearts of the Jews grew hardened. Their vision of rebuilding God’s temple and establishing God’s kingdom began to fade away. However, life still had to go on, so they began to focus more on their own lives than on rebuilding the temple. They farmed, raised livestock, and built homes. Their efforts brought them some joy as they saw greater harvests. Though settling anew in Jerusalem was not easy, over time, they managed to save money, and their lives became more stable. As their children grew, they needed larger homes, so they expanded their houses. They repaired their heating systems for winter, installed air conditioning for the summer, upgraded their roofs to something more stylish, and even enhanced the exterior of their homes. And so, 10 years, 15 years, and finally, 16 years passed. During those 16 years, they carried the constant burden of rebuilding the temple. Yet they comforted themselves by saying, “The time has not yet come.”

At that time, the word of the Lord came to the prophets Haggai and Zechariah. These two prophets lived during the same period. God's revelation was first given to Haggai and later to Zechariah. Haggai delivered God's message to the Jewish political leader, Governor Zerubbabel, and the spiritual leader, High Priest Joshua. “These people say: ‘The time has not yet come to rebuild the Lord’s house.’ Is it a time for you yourselves to be living in your paneled houses, while this house remains a ruin? Go up into the mountains and bring down timber and build my house, so that I may take pleasure in it and be honored. You expected much, but see, it turned out to be little. What you brought home, I blew away. Why? Because of my house, which remains a ruin, while each of you is busy with your own house.” (Haggai 1) The prophet Haggai rebuked the Jews and their leaders for neglecting the Lord’s house, which lay in ruins, while they were busy with their own homes and lives. He pointed out their sin and urged them to repent.

What happened then? Zerubbabel, governor of Judah, the high priest Joshua, and the whole remnant of the people obeyed the voice of the Lord their God and the message of the prophet Haggai (Haggai 1:12). The people feared the Lord. Then the Lord told them: “I am with you. Be strong, Zerubbabel. Be strong, Joshua. Be strong, all you people of the land. And work.” The Lord stirred up the spirit of Zerubbabel, the spirit of Joshua, and the spirit of the whole remnant of the people. Then something amazing happened: “They came and began to work on the house of the Lord Almighty, their God” (Haggai 1:14).

The word of the Lord also came to the prophet Zechariah: “Therefore this is what the Lord says: ‘I will return to Jerusalem with mercy, and there my house will be rebuilt’” (Zechariah 1:16). Through Zechariah, God gave a promise to Zerubbabel. Let’s read Zechariah 4:6 together: “This is the word of the Lord to Zerubbabel: ‘Not by might nor by power, but by my Spirit,’ says the Lord Almighty.” Here, ‘might’ refers to an army or warriors, while ‘power’ means capacity or ability. In other words, the work of rebuilding the temple cannot be accomplished by might, such as through armies or military strength. Nor can it be achieved by human ability. Instead, the rebuilding of God’s temple—the work of God—is only possible by my Spirit, meaning by the Spirit of God. Why were the Jews who had returned to Jerusalem unable to rebuild God’s temple for 16 years? It was because they relied on human strength and ability instead of depending on the Spirit of God. Although they made many efforts from a human perspective, they failed because they did not rely on the power of the Holy Spirit.

On the other hand, what happened when Zerubbabel relied not on his own strength and ability but on the Spirit of God? God said, “Before Zerubbabel, the mountain will become level ground.” This means that the adversaries who appeared strong and powerful would all become low before Zerubbabel. God also said, “The hands of Zerubbabel have laid the foundation of the temple; his hands will also complete it.” Relying on this promise from God, Zerubbabel resumed the work of rebuilding the temple of Jerusalem. Together with the people of Judah and High Priest Joshua, he was moved by the Spirit of God, clothed with God’s power, and began to rebuild the temple. As God had promised, the adversaries who had obstructed God's work were no match for the power of the Spirit of God. King Darius of Persia issued a decree preventing anyone from interfering with the construction of the temple. He ensured that the costs and materials needed for the reconstruction were provided. Four years after the rebuilding work began, the temple of Jerusalem was completed. As promised, God helped Zerubbabel finish the temple with his hands. In the same way, we can accomplish God’s work not by might nor by power, but by the Spirit of God.

Do you think now is the time to rebuild our broken temples? Or do you think, “the time has not yet come”? Yes, now is the time to rebuild our broken temples. God is telling us to rebuild our broken temples now. What are the temples we need to rebuild? Here, the temple does not refer to a physical building. The temple is the place where we meet God. The temple is where God’s presence dwells. The temple signifies our relationship with God.

First, we must rebuild the broken temple of our personal relationship with God. Our sins break our relationship with God. Therefore, we must honestly confess our hidden sins before God and receive His forgiveness to rebuild our broken relationship with God. We should also reassess the purpose of our lives. If we are living for our own glory rather than for God’s glory, we need to repent and redirect our lives toward God. Additionally, we must examine whether we are truly loving God and loving our neighbors. If we find ourselves loving the things of this world—money and pleasure—more than God, we need to turn our hearts back to God. We should come to God daily in prayer and seek His guidance through His word. Then, our Lord Jesus will forgive our sins, and our God Father will fill us with His Spirit. Not by might nor by power, but by the Spirit of God, we can rebuild our broken relationship with God.

Second, we must rebuild the broken temple of our family. A family in God should be holy, peaceful, and happy. However, because of our sins, our families are broken. Husbands and wives are supposed to love and respect each other, but instead, they criticize, complain, and hate one another. In some cases, this leads to divorce. Parents should love their children with the love of Jesus and set a good example of faith, but instead, they exasperate their children. Children should respect and obey their parents, but often they become rebellious and disobey. Though we make many efforts to restore our families, it is truly challenging. Parents find it really difficult to rebuild broken relationships with their children. Not by might nor by power, but by the Spirit of God, we can rebuild the broken temple of our family. Only by the Spirit of God we can bear the fruit of the Spirit and rebuild the broken temple of our family.

Third, we must rebuild the broken temple of our church. We have three main prayer topics for our church: to become a Spirit-filled Community, a Campus-Mission Centered Church, and a Multicultural and Multigenerational Congregation. We will continue to pray for these prayer topics throughout this year.

To become a Spirit-filled Community, we must love God’s word and pray fervently. On New Year’s Day, January 1, I preached on Psalm 1, emphasizing that the delight of a blessed person is in the law of the Lord and that a happy person meditates on His law day and night. I also encouraged everyone to engage in daily bread, Bible reading, Sunday message reflection writing and sharing. Now, I propose that we meet early in the morning to meditate on the word of God and pray so that we can become a Spirit-filled Community. I believe that as we earnestly seek God’s word and pray, the Holy Spirit will dwell among us, transforming us into a Spirit-filled Community.

Last year, we began praying and taking practical steps to rebuild our campus ministry. We formed campus ministry teams, and several members started going to campuses to share the gospel. God blessed our humble beginnings, and a few students began attending Bible studies and Sunday worship services. This was an amazing work of the Holy Spirit. Through this, we experienced that God is pleased with our efforts to serve the campus ministry. This year, we are praying to further activate our campus ministry teams so that we can serve the campus mission more effectively. However, this work cannot be accomplished by our might or power. It is possible only by the Spirit of God. Therefore, we must pray and earnestly seek the presence of the Holy Spirit. We pray that we can serve the campus ministry with the power of the Holy Spirit and bear abundant fruit.

Becoming a multicultural and multigenerational congregation is truly impossible by our own strength. To become a multicultural congregation, the culture of our church must change. Becoming a multigenerational congregation is not something that happens simply with the passage of time. Without the rise of young generation leaders, it cannot be achieved. I deeply realize that this prayer topic can be achieved not by might nor by power, but by the Spirit of God. I pray that only through the work of the Holy Spirit, our church will be transformed into a multicultural and multigenerational congregation.

“Not by might nor by power, but by my Spirit.” We pray that by the Spirit of God, we may rebuild our personal relationship with God, our families, and our church. May God have mercy on us and pour out His Spirit abundantly upon us in 2025. Amen.