Mensa Otabil - Overcome Opposition
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Welcome to day number 14 of our 40 days of power. We are looking at overcoming limitations. We’ve looked at Jeremiah, and we’ve looked at Gideon. These two had limitations inside of them, but the character we are looking at today, Zerubbabel, had opposition outside of him.
We read from Zechariah 4:7, «Who are you, O great mountain? Before Zerubbabel, you shall become a plain, and he shall bring forth the capstone with shouts of 'Grace, Grace' to it.» The Lord called Zerubbabel to a very big task. He was a young man and the governor of Judea at the time of the return from captivity. Israel and Judah had been in captivity for many years, over 70 years. Now they’ve come back to their land, and they need to rebuild the land; they need to rebuild the Temple and the city of Jerusalem. Zerubbabel is the one who is leading this effort, and it’s a tremendous responsibility to come from a place of defeat, as literally refugees in your own country, and try to rebuild the ruins of your nation.
The task is so enormous that the passage describes it as a mountain. A mountain represents every big problem or obstruction that stands between you and your assignment. It could be a mountain that faces us in relationships, in our finances; it could be a spiritual mountain or a mental one, but it’s a significant opposition. That’s what Zerubbabel is dealing with, and God tells Zerubbabel how to deal with this mountain. You have to learn that in life you’re going to have mountains; you’re going to have things that stand in your way. They can come in different forms, but they obstruct your path.
This week, we are moving mountains; we are moving them out of the way because God is with us. God tells Zerubbabel what to do. First, if you’re going to deal with a mountain, you have to confront the mountain. God says that Zerubbabel is going to speak to the mountain, and he’s going to say to the mountain, «You are becoming a plain.» A plain is flat land, and so this high thing that is exalted is coming down, and it’s coming down because Zerubbabel is not going to accept it; he’s going to speak against it.
One of the things that happens when we pray and fast is that we increase in our spiritual capacity, and so the words of our mouths become powerful. You’re going to speak to a mountain; you’re going to speak to something that stands in front of you-that it is becoming a plain. Confront the opposition, confront the obstacle, confront the mountain. That’s the first thing that Zerubbabel is going to do. Secondly, he has to declare God’s grace. God’s grace is God’s favor, God’s ability, and the passage says Zerubbabel shall bring forth the capstone with shouts of «Grace, Grace» to it.
What does it mean, the capstone? In those days, it was the final stone you put on a project upon completion. So, what God is saying here is, «Zerubbabel, you’re going to complete this assignment; you’re going to put the capstone in place, and you’re going to do it with shouts of grace.» In other words, you’re going to declare God’s grace over your life, God’s favor over your life, because grace is what will take you to the completion of this assignment.
So, I don’t know what mountain is facing you. First, you’re going to command it to become a plain, and secondly, you’re going to declare God’s grace to bring you to the finish- God’s grace to complete the assignment; God’s grace to perfect what God has begun in your life. The grace of God started with you, and the grace of God will complete this assignment in Jesus' name.
Let’s pray. Say with me, «Heavenly Father, thank you that the mountains are becoming a plain. Your grace is my victory.» In Jesus' name, amen and amen.