Not By Might – But By My Spirit And Stilling The Storm

[Posted by permission. Bethel Strict Baptist Chapel.]

Address given at Bethel Chapel, Luton, by Mr. B. A. Ramsbottom, on Thursday, 11th February, 2021

“Then 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”—Zechariah 4:6

This must surely be one of the best-known chapters in the minor prophets, and surely this verse that I have read out to you must be one of the most important words in the whole of the Old Testament. There is so much in it; there is everything it. “Not by might, nor by power, but by My Spirit, saith the Lord of hosts.”

Let me just remind you of the background to this chapter. God’s ancient people were in great trouble, great sadness, and especially their governor Zerubbabel, both personally and also concerning the state of Israel at that time. It seemed they were disappointed. It seemed there was no answer. It seemed they had failed. It seemed their enemies had prevailed. It seemed that God’s purpose had fallen to the ground.

You remember what it was. A little remnant had come with that godly desire, to rebuild the temple at Jerusalem. Now I have reminded you so often, this was not just an outward thing, not just a material thing. It was something of great importance to the Lord’s ancient people. It meant so much to them. It was where the Lord was present. It was where He worked. It was where He revealed Himself. It was where He prefigured His own dear Son and the great work of redemption. But they had terrible enemies against them, and also there was a dreadful spirit of apathy, unconcern amongst them. So it was a case of real trouble, both personally and to Israel as a whole, and both concerning outward things and also concerning vital, spiritual things.

And the Lord showed His servant Zechariah this vision. There was a golden candlestick with its seven branches. It was clear that this represented the state of Israel, the Jewish theocracy. The candlestick was dimly burning, and the secret could be seen: on each side there was a living olive tree pouring the golden oil to keep that candlestick burning. Zechariah enquired what it meant, and the angel told him he should have known what it meant. Now he answered Zechariah’s question as to what the olive trees and the candlestick meant. He answered it really in a back- to-front order. This was the first thing. He came right to the spiritual application of it. “Not by might, nor by power, but by My Spirit.”

And then the second thing: He still did not explain what the symbolism was of the vision. He dealt with their trouble, very definitely, the impossible thing, the building of the temple. “Who art thou, O great mountain?” O it was a great mountain to them. “Before Zerubbabel thou shalt become a plain: and He shall bring forth the headstone thereof with shoutings, crying, Grace, grace unto it.”

And then only thirdly, right at the end of the chapter does He really answer what these two olive trees are: “The two anointed ones that stand by the Lord of the whole earth.” Surely in its fullest sense these two anointed ones are our Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ on the one hand and the Holy Spirit on the other hand.

But this is a wonderful subject for us today, whether we think of Bethel, or whether we think of the difficulties in our own lives, or whether we think of our personal concerns, with our sins and eternity. This wonderful fulness of grace that was revealed there – it was a continual supply, and it could not be exhausted. The candlestick was not overflowing. It was like the barrel of meal and the cruse of oil: there was always something there. The point was this: it was not just a kind of natural reservoir. It was a living supply from a living Saviour in whom it pleased the Father that all fulness should dwell.

So there is a fulness here, a fulness of grace and love and mercy – yes, and also divine, almighty power to deal with difficulties. And the remarkable thing is this: no sinner had any hand in it! The golden oil freely flowed from the olive trees. It did not need a priest to stand by. It did not need anybody to be replenishing it. It was utterly, absolutely, completely the work of God.

There are a few lessons surely for us here. Our spiritual concerns personally. We have them – our sin, our hardness, our deadness, our darkness. We pray to be delivered. We pray to be forgiven. Sometimes it seems the Lord is silent. We perhaps try to do a few things ourselves. They do not avail, and we have to learn this: in the whole of our soul’s salvation personally, it must ever be, “Not by might” – not by any human might, not by any human power – “but by My Spirit.” That is the secret of all real religion, of all vital godliness.

“But by My Spirit, saith the Lord of hosts.” It has been remarked that in the Book of the prophet Zechariah, when the Lord is mentioned, almost every time He is referred to as the Lord of hosts. You know what that means: the almighty God. Hosts of angels obey Him, hosts of devils obey Him, all creation obeys Him, hosts of circumstances obey Him. “The Lord of hosts is with us; the God of Jacob is our refuge.”

So beloved friends, there is a principle here. When we think of our concerns spiritually, and then when we think of the church of God and the congregation at Bethel, our prayer meetings, our desire that the Word might be blessed, our desire that a few hearts might be touched, and we have to come back to this: it is all of grace. What were they shouting? “Grace, grace unto it.” And it is all of divine, almighty power, and it is all of the Holy Spirit’s work. So you see there is the encouragement here, but,

“Herein let self be all abased,

And sovereign love alone confessed.”

It must be the Lord’s work. He must have all the honour and glory.

And then there are our personal problems in our homes and lives and families. Perhaps you think of this Covid at present. It is one of these great mountains we have. “Not by might.” The world is trying to do it by might. Their wisdom seems taken away. Blessed be God, there is a little remnant who sigh and cry for these things and who pray about them, and they know this: if ever we are going to be delivered, it must be, “not by might, nor by power, but by My Spirit” – the Lord hath spoken – “saith the Lord of hosts,” and His word is final.

This does seem to be a beautiful thing, the precious oil freely flowing, inexhaustible. Beloved friends, in the church of God at various times, sometimes the oil seems to flow more slowly and sometimes more fully. But there is a very solemn point, and I hardly know how to speak of it. Is it possible, is it true that because of our sin and unbelief, we can clog up the pipes? It seems it is so. The Lord in His mercy will never stop the oil flowing, but sometimes with us it does not flow like it used to do – the prayerlessness, the hardness, the deadness, the unbelief, the guilt. So we need forgiveness here, and we need cleansing here, and we need the sanctifying work of the Spirit here.

This chapter has always seemed a lovely chapter to me, both in the beautiful symbolism of it and also in the clear, simple, definite word, what it all means. “Not by might, nor by power, but by My Spirit, saith the Lord of hosts.” So we need the Lord to work. We need Him to work by His own divine, almighty power. We need Him to work by His Spirit. This is invincible. Some of you are in your homes, in your families, those who are listening over the relay, and you have these personal things with you which seem so difficult, and they seem impossible, like the case here. You cannot see a way out; you cannot see a way through. Then O this word of divine sovereignty! It is just as if the Lord kindly says, Leave it all to Me. Cease from your own strivings, except still to strive in prayer. But leave it all to Me. “I will work.” He did here. You can read it in Ezra chapter 6, the answer to this very chapter a few weeks later. “I will work, and who shall let it?” – who shall hinder it?

So it is a chapter of grace from first to last. It is a chapter of divine, almighty power. It is a chapter of the Holy Spirit’s work. It is a humbling chapter for the sinner, because he is shown he cannot do anything to makes these things different, yet it is a gracious chapter. The Lord is there, and He is not idle, and He is not silent. Here the great mountain was going to be made into a plain. The temple at Jerusalem – very soon it was finished. The headstone literally was laid with shoutings of, “Grace, grace unto it.” And it was to this temple that one day the Lord Jesus Himself came.

So beloved friends, may we find this to be a chapter of real encouragement, and yet with a loving reproof in it. “Not by might, nor by power, but by My Spirit, saith the Lord of hosts.”

Address given at Bethel Chapel, Luton, by Mr. B. A. Ramsbottom, on Thursday, 6th May, 2021

“He maketh the storm a calm, so that the waves thereof are still”—Psalm 107:29

There is so much in the Word of God about storms, and I think you will find it just the same – there is so much in our hymnbook. Interestingly, in the various places in Scripture, we have three different ways in which Almighty God in mercy deals with these storms that come for the good of His people. One is, He allows the storm still to rage, but He brings His unworthy people safely through. Then secondly, again He allows the storm to rage, but He provides a refuge for His people, both spiritually and providentially. But then thirdly, as in this beautiful verse, He stops the storm; He makes the storm a calm.

Now if you ever ponder it, beloved friends, even naturally, if there is a storm raging, there is nothing that you and I can do about it. There are so many of the difficulties and trials and afflictions of the Lord’s people, and in mercy He has appointed a way, and with His kind help they are able to deal with these trials. But if you are out in the open air and a vicious storm comes down, there is no power upon earth that can stop it. The only thing you can do is flee from it. Only Almighty God can stay the storm.

So we read this evening two of those lovely little accounts of our Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ in His tender compassion, in His divine, almighty power. “The winds and waves obey Him.” The first one I read was when the Lord constrained them to get into the boat and to pass over unto the other side (Mark 4. 35-41). It was His work, His commandment. So they came safely to the other side, but there was a storm in between, and the disciples were fearful. They did not know what to do. We read that their Lord and Master was asleep with His head on a pillow in the hinder part of the ship. One thing there: a real Man, with the sinless infirmities of humanity. The other: He was not disturbed by the storm. “His eternal thought moves on its undisturbed affairs.”

And they awakened Him. Have you noticed: the raging of the storm did not awaken Him, but a few feeble prayers did awaken Him? I have often pointed to those prayers. How much infirmity was mingled with them, and yet what a glorious answer they received! What an encouragement that is to us when we feel the poverty of our prayers. They said, “Master, carest Thou not that we perish?” They almost suggested their Lord and Master did not care. Now here you see it: “He arose, and rebuked the wind … and there was a great calm” – immediately. There were not still a few more ripples. Immediately.

“He maketh the storm a calm” – He can; no-one else can – “so that the waves thereof are still.” The other little account I read to you, this time their Lord and Master did not go with them (Mark 6. 45-51). “He departed into a mountain to pray.” He sent them in a ship to go to the other side, and then they came into great difficulties. A terrible storm arose, and they were toiling in rowing. The winds were contrary to them. They were not making any headway. It seems they were even being blown back. But one thing they did not do: they did not turn round and sail back to the shore they had left.

And then that magnificent word: “He saw them.” They could not see Him. “He saw them.” It was more than natural sight. That dark, stormy night, and the Lord so far away, but He saw them. What do we sing?

“Without cessation pray;

Your prayers will not prove vain”;

“He sees us when we see not Him.”

At the darkest hour, He drew near. “Be of good cheer: it is I; be not afraid.” Immediately there was that calm.

“He maketh the storm a calm, so that the waves thereof are still.” Of course, the life of the Lord’s people is compared to a spiritual voyage. There is the embarking, and perhaps things seem to go well, but sooner or later the storms come, and yet the Lord is with them, and they are “safe amidst tempestuous motion, knowing that the Lord is nigh.” “So He bringeth them unto their desired haven” – the everlasting security of the people of God.

“He maketh the storm a calm, so that the waves thereof are still.” But do not forget, beloved friends, there is something comes immediately before this, and there is something comes immediately after. What comes before? “Then they cry unto the Lord in their trouble, and He bringeth them out of their distresses. He maketh the storm a calm” – in answer to their poor prayers. So when you come into the storm, the pattern is to cry to the Lord with the sweet assurance the Lord will hear you.

But then what comes afterward? An exhortation that when the Lord delivers us, we must not forget to be thankful. “Oh that men would praise the Lord for His goodness, and for His wonderful works to the children of men.” But in our little lives, we will know the storms one way or another at various times, and what a wonderful mercy that our Lord and Master Jesus Christ is in control!

“He maketh the storm a calm, so that the waves thereof are still.” I have one final point, which is something completely different.

“Jesus, arrayed in mortal form, 

Of whom the prophets tell,

On His dear head, O what a storm 

Of awful vengeance fell!” – when He was suffering, bleeding and dying for His people’s salvation. And beloved friends, that storm was not made a calm. O what the Saviour had to endure!

“What He endured no tongue can tell, 

To save our souls from death and hell.”

So the storm was not made a calm, until divine justice was satisfied and our Lord Jesus cried with a loud voice, “It is finished,” and then, and not till then, there was a great calm as the Saviour bowed His head in death, and then was buried in the grave, to lie there in peace until His glorious resurrection on the third day. What a mercy that He has that blessed ability to give this great calm to His people, both when they are concerned about their souls and eternity, and when there are difficult things in their lives.

“Peace, be still…. And there was a great calm.”

Why those fears? behold, ’tis Jesus Holds the helm, and guides the ship; Spread the sails, and catch the breezes,

Sent to waft us through the deep, 

To the regions

Where the mourners cease to weep.

Though the shore we hope to land on, 

Only by report is known,

Yet we freely all abandon, 

Led by that report alone;

And with Jesus

Through the trackless deep move on.

Led by Him we brave the ocean; 

Each tumultuous storm defy;

Calm amidst tempestuous motion, 

Knowing that the Lord is nigh;

Waves obey Him,

And the storms before Him fly.

Rendered safe by His protection, 

We shall pass the watery waste;

Trusting to His wise direction, 

We shall gain the port at last;

And with wonder

Think on toils and dangers past.