DESPISE NOT SMALL THINGS Devotion 13 of 24 MOSES Speaking of the coming deliverance of Israel from Egyptian bondage, the Lord said, "And I will take you to Me for a people, and I will be to you a God: AND YE SHALL KNOW THAT I AM THE LORD YOUR GOD, which bringeth you out from under the burdens of the Egyptians" (Ex 6:7). EZEKIEL The Lord frequently speaks of this kind of knowledge – the knowledge that comes from seeing the fulfillment of what He has promised. How poignantly it was revealed to Ezekiel. "And shall put My spirit in you, and ye shall live, and I shall place you in your own land: THEN SHALL YE KNOW that I the LORD have spoken it, and performed it, saith the LORD" (Ezek 37:14). And again, "And I will purge out from among you the rebels, and them that transgress against me: I will bring them forth out of the country where they sojourn, and they shall not enter into the land of Israel: AND YE SHALL KNOW that I am the LORD" (Ezek 20:38). ISAIAH Isaiah also spoke in this manner when he foretold the restoration of the Jews. "Thus saith the Lord GOD, Behold, I will lift up Mine hand to the Gentiles, and set up My standard to the people: and they shall bring thy sons in their arms, and thy daughters shall be carried upon their shoulders. And kings shall be thy nursing fathers, and their queens thy nursing mothers: they shall bow down to thee with their face toward the earth, and lick up the dust of thy feet; AND THOU SHALT KNOW that I am the LORD: for they shall not be ashamed that wait for Me" (Isa 49:22-23). JOEL In his declaration of the era of the New Covenant, Joel also mentioned this kind of knowledge. "The LORD also shall roar out of Zion, and utter His voice from Jerusalem; and the heavens and the earth shall shake: but the LORD will be the hope of His people, and the strength of the children of Israel. SO SHALL YE KNOW that I am the LORD your God dwelling in Zion, My holy mountain: then shall Jerusalem be holy, and there shall no strangers pass through her any more" (Joel 3:17). JESUS Jesus also spoke in this manner. "When ye have lifted up the Son of man, THEN SHALL YE KNOW that I am He, and that I do nothing of Myself; but as My Father hath taught Me, I speak these things" (John 8:28). THE ULTIMATE FULFILLMENT The Word of the Lord holds before us the ultimate fulfillment of this kind of knowledge – confirming knowledge, when the scope of the truth is seen as well as its fact. That time is "then" as compared with "now." The limitations of "now" will not be experienced "then." What is dark and often ambiguous "now" will be clear "then," and what is partial will be complete. Thus it is written, "For now we see through a glass, darkly; but then face to face: now I know in part; but then shall I KNOW EVEN AS I AM KNOWN" (1 Cor 13:12). The New Living Translation reads, "but then I will know everything completely, just as God knows me now." That is when we will no longer see the borders of "the deep things of God," but will behold them more fully and profitably. THE POINT OF THE TEXT The angel knows that the hands of the workers are slacking, and the hearts of the leaders failing. Weakness and discouragement are among the ranks, both of which spring from a lack of the knowledge of which the text speaks – i.e., "then ye shall know." The purpose of this word is to assure Zerubbabel that the time is coming when strength will surge within his heart once again, together with courage and confidence. That second sustaining level of knowledge is on the way, and will surely accompany the work of the Lord. – Tomorrow:
"Moreover the word of the LORD came to me, saying: "The hands of Zerubbabel have laid the foundation of this temple; His hands shall also finish it. Then you will know That the LORD of hosts has sent Me to you. For who has despised the day of small things? For these seven rejoice to see The plumb line in the hand of Zerubbabel. They are the eyes of the LORD, Which scan to and fro throughout the whole earth." Zechariah 4:8-10, NKJV
"Then you will know That the LORD of hosts has sent Me to you."
This ("Then you will know") is not initial knowledge, but confirming knowledge. It is when the truth comes home to the heart the second time. David referred to this kind of knowledge when he said, "God hath spoken once; twice have I heard this; that power belongeth unto God" (Psa 62:11). This is the knowledge that confirms the soul – the inner witness that brings stability. It is a deeper knowledge that is more related to faith than the intellect, and to experience than mere observation. It is knowledge that registers with the heart. This is when the implication of what has been heard with the ear registers upon the conscience.
The angel has already mentioned this kind of knowledge twice to Zechariah. "For, behold, I will shake Mine hand upon them, and they shall be a spoil to their servants: AND YE SHALL KNOW THAT THE LORD OF HOSTS HATH SENT ME" (2:9). And again, "And many nations shall be joined to the LORD in that day, and shall be My people: and I will dwell in the midst of thee, AND THOU SHALT KNOW THAT THE LORD OF HOSTS HATH SENT ME TO THEE" (2:11). What a precious knowledge this is! It is when the weight and relevance of the truth are realized.
No less than twenty-two times Ezekiel uses this expression: "AND YE SHALL KNOW THAT I AM THE LORD" (Ezek 6:7; 7:4,9; 11:10,12; 12:20; 13:9,14,21,23; 14:8; 15:7; 20:38,42,44,49; 23:49; 24:24; 25:5; 35:9; 36:11; 37:6,13).
Dear child of God, you need this kind of knowledge – the kind where you hear for the second time what God has spoken but once. It is the time when what He has said registers upon your heart, and you see that it applies to you. It is when you experience the faithfulness of God, and all of the blessed accompaniments that come with it.
PRAYER POINT: Father, in the name of Jesus, help me to keep believing You and trusting You until what You have said comes to pass in me.