For who hath despised the day of small things?  Zechariah 4:10.

Haggai, Zechariah, and Malachi are the last three prophets in the Old Testament. These men preached after the Jews returned to Jerusalem from captivity in Babylon. Because they ministered after that event, we call them the “Post Exilic Prophets.” 

When around 516 BC the first exiles returned to the ruins of Jerusalem, they had the right priority:

Then stood up Jeshua the son of Jozadak, and his brethren the priests, and Zerubbabel the son of Shealtiel, and his brethren, and builded the altar of the God of Israel, to offer burnt offerings thereon, as it is written in the law of Moses the man of God. And they set the altar upon his bases. (Ezra 3:2,3).

Notice, it does not say the returnees built an altar, but “the altar.” This means they replaced the one that once stood in the forecourt of Solomon’s temple, and on its original “bases.” This seemed a little thing, and yet it was of great significance. It was a believing expression of restoration and continuity. Heathen altars were replaced by the Lord’s altar, like Elijah who “repaired the altar of the LORD that was broken down” (1 Kings 18:30).

After this came the re-building of the Temple itself, destroyed by the Babylonians in 586 BC. The returned remnant had begun to do this, but owing to the work of enemies, it had stalled for 15 years. This is where Haggai and Zechariah come in. Through their preaching, they encouraged the men in the rebuilding of the second temple in Jerusalem.

They needed encouragement. All that could be seen at the time was the foundation and part of the walls. It was a depressing sight. Zechariah concedes that the work is “small” (4:10). However, the real problem is that the people have “despised” that work.

It comes in the form of a question: “For who hath despised the day of small things?” This is to arrest the attention, to challenge and make them examine themselves over this attitude.

How might this question apply to us today?

a] It speaks to Christians.

We are likened to “the temple of God” (1 Corinthians 3:16). Therefore, it can mean the work of grace in our souls. Sometimes there is little to show, our progress slackens, and we lament, “My leanness, my leanness, woe unto me!” (Isaiah 24:16). It is “small things” in the graces of the Spirit. But we should not be discouraged. Living growth is gradual and will increase. If God has begun a good work in us, He “will perform it until the day of Jesus Christ” (Philippians 1:6).

Let us not despise ourselves, nor other Christians; for example, new converts who may take time to manifest gracious evidence. We should be patient when we only see “small things.” J.C. Ryle wisely wrote: “They are too ready to doubt the reality of a beginner’s grace, because it is small, and to treat him as Saul was treated when he first came to Jerusalem after his conversion: ‘They believed not that he was a disciple (Acts 9:26). Let us beware of giving way to this spirit.”

b] It speaks about the cause of God. 

This is represented by the second temple here. It stands for the advance of His gracious kingdom in the world. Seen in this scarcely-built temple, it represents small, unpromising progress. It reflects the weak state of the Christian Church, the gospel in the world, and the cause of Truth in the land.

This arresting question, then, comes to us about the Lord’s work in us, and in His church. It reminds us that it is not the size of what God is doing, but how we see itthat is the problem. We can “despise” it. This means, “to regard it as insignificant, even have contempt for it.” The Lord is more concerned about our doing this than about how big or otherwise His work is. For our correction and encouragement, let us consider:

1. What lies behind this

“For who hath despised the day of small things?” Let us watch against two tendencies:  

1] Making comparisons.

Ezra records the temple foundation laying ceremony (Ezra 3:12,13). It is a curious mixture of young and old, rejoicing and weeping. The difference is because some were old enough to remember Solomon’s magnificent temple before its destruction by the Babylonians. Compared with that, the second temple will be in their eyes a reduced substitute: “as nothing” (Haggai 2:3). Therefore, they wept.

However, the younger men, with no such memories, rejoiced at the promise of a new beginning with the second temple. They saw it as a symbol of renewed blessing and hope for the future. But such was the outpouring of mixed emotions that “people could not discern the noise of the shout of joy from the noise of the weeping of the people: for the people shouted with a loud shout, and the noise was heard afar off” (Ezra 3:13).   

We can be like the older men with their sadness. Through church history books, biographies, and autobiographies, we have access to the glorious times of the past. Impressed by revivals and great blessing, the present state of things can seem lack-lustre by comparison. It appears hardly worth our zeal unless God does more than what we see today. The danger is we live in the past, and by despising the more ordinary work of our day, grow discouraged.

We should remember that God calls us to follow Him and serve Him now. Our lot might have been cast in better times, but God did not see fit to place us there. We are “come to the kingdom for such a time as this” (Esther 4:14). As an author has said, “It may be given us merely to enter the vineyard of the Lord, and ere the youthful glow of love to the Saviour and His cause on earth has given place to the more staid and sober energies of the matured evangelist, to quit the ministrations of earth for the ministrations of heaven … but it is equally true that today is ours!”

It is true that our times are not like those of our fathers (Psalm 44:1), but let us remember the promise: “According to the word that I covenanted with you … so my spirit remaineth among you: fear ye not” (Haggai 2:5). We have the Holy Spirit as well as they. And while this is so, there is hope of better times again. It is right to pray for revival, for the Lord to come down and grant us days of heaven upon the earth; it is wrong to despise our day of smaller things. Let us avoid such odious comparisons.

2] Giving in to opposition.

There certainly was opposition. In Ezra 4 we read that “the adversaries of Judah” reported the builders to King Artaxerxes, alleging that rebuilding the temple meant fomenting sedition and potential trouble (verses 6-16). The King believed their slander and demanded that the building stop (verses 21-24): “Then ceased the work of the house of God which is at Jerusalem.”

As a result, their small progress remained small. The work did not seem worth getting into trouble for. So, Haggai tells us (Haggai 1:3-11) that the builders gave in to the king and settled in the neighbourhood of Jerusalem to build houses for themselves. They turned away from the Lord’s work to DIY.

But the question needs to be asked: who was King Artaxerxes? They had their orders from the God of heaven! “The fear of man bringeth a snare: but whoso putteth his trust in the LORD shall be safe” (Proverbs 29:25). Eventually, through the preaching of Haggai and Zechariah they did recommence building (Ezra 5:1,2; Haggai 1:12-15), and God overruled the King’s prohibition (Ezra 5:3-6-15). This teaches us that our business is to obey God rather than men – and leave the consequences with Him (Proverbs 16:7). He promises to be “an enemy unto thine enemies, and an adversary unto thine adversaries” (Exodus 23:22).

2. What can prevent this

“For who hath despised the day of small things?” We can be helped against this attitude if we remember certain things. These will change our outlook upon what otherwise might be discouraging.

1] Small things can be real things.

The foundation and unfinished walls were all that could be seen — but this was of God. It represents what God had wrought: moving Cyrus to make the decree, bringing the exiles safely to Jerusalem, and giving them prophets again. All this was not their doing but God’s doing. These are no small things and should have been “marvellous in [their] eyes” (Psalm 118:23).

The smallest evidence of grace is divine not natural: “A man can receive nothing, except it be given him from heaven” (John 3:27). Our Lord does not “quench the smoking flax” (Mattew 12:20b). Better to have a grain of God’s working than a heap of merely our own. In the work of the Kingdom, it is not so much quantity as quality.  As J.C. Ryle said: “Numbers alone do not make strength.” A man’s wife may not receive numerous items of jewellery from her husband, but each item is cherished, and far from despised!

At the Last Day, when the Lord tries our works, it will be seen “of what sort it is” (1 Corinthians 3:13), not how much or what size it is. The Lord will look for and reward what is real. A minister was heard bemoaning how few he had in his church. The reply came from another minister: “Enough to give account for on the Day of Judgment.”

2] God is found in the small things.

Remember, it was the “still, small voice” that brought Elijah from the cave, not the wind, earthquake, or fire. It is not the “might” or “power” of anything human, but His divine Spirit that fulfils His purposes (Zechariah 4:6).

Moreover, God, in condescension, is pleased to own and use what is small because it suits His purpose better. We see this everywhere in Scripture: Gideon’s army is reduced from 32,000 to 300 men. Jonathan’s armourbearer nobly said, “For there is no restraint to the LORD to save by many or by few” (1 Samuel 14:6). Our Lord multiplied five loaves and two fishes. To the self-glorying Corinthians the apostle declares,

God hath chosen the foolish things of the world to confound the wise; and God hath chosen the weak things of the world to confound the things which are mighty; And base things of the world, and things which are despised, hath God chosen, yea, and things which are not, to bring to nought things that are: That no flesh should glory in his presence. (1 Corinthians 1:27-29).

“Small” does not mean the absence of God. Yet, big often does. The only place in the Bible where we find a full place of worship is the house of Baal which “was full from one end to another” (2 Kings 10:21)! Whereas where two or three are gathered in the Lord’s name, there He is in the midst of them (Matthew 18:20). It is significant that the Lord did not say two or three hundred. We do not, of course, perversely despise large gatherings where the Lord is. But Heknew there would be periods in church history when gatherings would be small, and it is to such assemblies that He especially promises His presence! Often there would be the remnant that would need encouraging, as in our day. 

3] The church has a glory, even when small.

Its glory is that the Lord oversees and regards it. In the latter part of our verse, we read: “those seven; they are the eyes of the LORD, which run to and fro through the whole earth.” Seven is the perfect number, and it represents the Lord’s all-seeing, watchful care of the church. As in Ezra 5:5 “But the eye of their God was upon the elders of the Jews.” He sees everything in His church: the smallness, the discouragement, the fruitless labours, and all our dedicated efforts for Him. He rejoices over us and appreciates all we try to do for Him.

He loves His people the same in days of small things as in days of revival. The importance and value of anything depends, not upon our estimate of it, but upon His. God does not despise the day of small things (Job 36:5). Let us bring our thinking into line with His.

Moreover, the devil does not despise the day of small things. He attacks us because he knows the significance and potential of God’s work better than we do. Discouragement is his weapon to weaken and dispirit the Lord’s people in their endeavours for Him.

4] We must persevere in the day of small things.

Peter was encouraged to do this in Luke 5, which records the miraculous draught of fishes. Tired and jaded after a night’s fruitless fishing, the Lord told him and his friends to “let down your nets for a draught” (verse 4). Peter baulked at this, but then said, “Nevertheless at thy word I will let down the net” (verse 5). We notice that his reason for trying again was not his hope of success but the Master’s word. It should be so with us: His gracious orders become our reason to continue in hope; because the Master says so. We persevere with that small Sunday School class; the training our children at home; those few for the service in the care home; the handful in the assembly with all those empty chairs or pews.

Keep going, dear reader, for the Lord bids you, and say, “Nevertheless at thy word…” Remember that Peter did not obey in vain (verses 6,7); even though his obedience was partial. The Lord had said, “Let down your nets (plural) for a draught” but he said, “I will let down the net” (singular). Yet the Lord still blessed. How gracious He is to our unworthy efforts! The only cost to Peter was his broken net! (verse 6). 

5] There can be a day of greater things.

Through the preaching of Haggai and Zechariah, the people resumed building. The Lord quickened and strengthened them by His word (4:7,9,10). Like an exhausted bee, given sugar-water, rises up with new vigour, so the builders rose up to their task again, “And the elders of the Jews builded, and they prospered through the prophesying of Haggai the prophet and Zechariah the son of Iddo. And they builded, and finished it, according to the commandment of the God of Israel, and according to the commandment of Cyrus, and Darius, and Artaxerxes king of Persia” (Ezra 6:14).

Moreover, greater glories awaited this second temple in time to come. Haggai predicted that the Lord will “shake all nations, and the desire of all nations shall come: and I will fill this house with glory, saith the LORD of hosts” (2:7). This was fulfilled 500 years later. King Herod would enlarge and embellish it (John 2:20). This temple, built by Zerubbabel, was not as outwardly impressive as Solomon’s, but it had a greater glory: the Messiah Himself walked the courts of that temple. The infant Christ would be brought to it at His dedication (Malachi 3:1). Its courts would be the scene of His teaching and miracles. On the day of Pentecost thousands would be converted there. What glories awaited that humble building!

“Small” in our verse is often translated “young.” This is how faith will read this verse. Because it is God’s work, it can grow and enlarge: “Though thy beginning was small, yet thy latter end should greatly increase” (Job 8:7). In the early days of the 18^th century awakening, Charles Wesley could write:

When He first the work begun,

Small and feeble was His day:

Now the Word doth swiftly run;

Now it wins its widening way:

More and more it spreads, and grows,

Ever mighty to prevail;

Sin’s strong­holds it now o’erthrows,

Shakes the trembling gates of hell.

The work of the Lord is supernatural. He can give the increase and revive His work in us, or for His Church, whenever He pleases. This is big with promise. Therefore, let us continue faithful, do God’s work in God’s way, and look for God’s blessing: that the more ordinary might become the extraordinary. And that our heavenly Zerubbabel may “bring forth the headstone thereof with shoutings, crying, Grace, grace unto it” (Zechariah 4:7).

Article reproduced with permission from the Bible League Quarterly, Issue No. 499, October – December 2024 (www.bibleleaguetrust.org)