Zechariah 4:10 For who has despised the day of small things? for they shall rejoice… This very sweet and evangelical minor prophet bore his burden of prophecy after the return from the Babylonish Captivity. The second temple, erected in his time, was of no esteem in the sight of the people, few and poor as they were, whose fathers had boasted to them of the glory of the first temple. But the prophet cheers them as his fellow prophet Haggai did, who said, "The glory of this latter house shall be greater than of the former!" In this despised temple the people would know that the Lord of hosts had sent His servant to them. Man is never so apt to err as in coming to hasty conclusion with regard to God's dealing with him. I. OURS IS A DAY OF SMALL THINGS. 1. We live in a small world. Many worlds that surround us in space greatly exceed ours in size. We stand, as it were, upon an atom of God's material creation. 2. Our bodies are small portions of this world. Over these alone we have immediate control, and that in a very partial degree. 3. Our faculties are few. We have but five senses of the body and five of the mind. These are at our command in a limited and imperfect manner. 4. Our knowledge of matter is small. Nature is ever sparing in her revelations. 5. Our knowledge of the Divine Mind is small. II. THIS DAY SHOULD NOT BE DESPISED. Why should it? It is ours. No one despises his own. Despise — 1. Not small opportunities of obtaining religious knowledge. This is the chief knowledge. Its smallest morsels are more precious than pearl dust. Religious knowledge is useful for two lives — a guide for both worlds. 2. Not small opportunities of doing good for Christ. We have not all abundance of wealth to enrich God's sanctuary. Few have ten talents to occupy until He comes. 3. Not small sins in their earliest stage. However small, they are deviations from the right path; the lines containing a small angle, if produced far, become far asunder. As large rivers spring from small sources, so small sins soon grow to be large. Sinning is strengthened by habit, and increases in its onward course. 4. Not small chastisements for sin. 5. Not small religious impressions. You may never get stronger ones to start with. By being timely cherished they will grow in strength. Why we should not. Because our present day is but the infancy of our being. Our brief time will give birth to an eternity; a dwarf will be the parent of a giant. We shall have to give an account of how we spend it. Why should we differ from others with regard to the day of small things? God despises not small things; if He did, He would not have created so many of them. Nor does the Church; it receives the weakest in the faith, and performs the smallest duties. Nor does the Evil One, with his malicious craftiness. (J. Bowen Jones, B. A.) Parallel Verses KJV: For who hath despised the day of small things? for they shall rejoice, and shall see the plummet in the hand of Zerubbabel with those seven; they are the eyes of the LORD, which run to and fro through the whole earth. |
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