Why God’s work doesn’t always meet our expectations
Posted at Reformation Scotland:
It is tempting to see the situation in both the church and wider society as a story of failure and decline. From one angle, this assessment is valid, because we cannot expect to flourish and prosper when we are walking contrary to God’s ways, and in our times, the world and the church seem to be supporting each other hand in hand to move ever further away from God. We deserve this humiliating ineffectiveness and all the other sad signs that God is not pleased with us. From another angle though, we must interpret even the shrinking numbers and fading influence of the Christian church as a part of God’s good overall purpose for His people and His glory. The plight of the church is not good in itself, and not pleasant to experience for those who remain faithful within the church. Yet this moment of ours, characterised as it is by deterioration and divine displeasure, is only one snapshot in God’s longer term plan — and that plan is characterised by God’s faithfulness and God’s love. Love will neither allow Him to dismiss our sinfulness as unimportant nor leave us to sink entirely under its self-inflicted consequences. Instead, in His faithfulness to His beloved Christ and Christ’s beloved church, He will ensure that surely and eventually the work of redemption will come to full fruition. George Hutcheson noted that the prophet Zechariah lived and worked in a similar context to this, when faithful believers were worried about the smallness of God’s work. In the following updated extract, Hutcheson comments on several features of the Lord’s work which we need to understand properly, so as not to be discouraged.The church’s unpromising appearances
Even if Christ’s works and counsels in the world may seem to lie long interrupted, yet where He begins He is unchangeable, and endures to all generations to see it perfected. “The hands of Zerubbabel have laid the foundation of this house; his hands shall also finish it” (Zech. 4:9). What the Lord dispenses to His reconciled people is rightly studied when we clearly see the fruits of Christ being employed as their Mediator, and when His faithfulness, love, and care for His people are seen to shine in them. We are to keep studying them, over and over again, until we see this, so that Christ’s love will be shed abroad in our hearts, and He becomes high and precious in our estimation. The outcome of the success of building the temple is, “Thou shalt know that the LORD of hosts hath sent me unto you” (v.9).
Small beginnings should not discourage us
“For who hath despised the day of small things?” (v.10). The reason why the Lord so frequently repeats His promise is to reprove the faulty judgment of the people, who judged His work by its small beginnings, and were consequently discouraged, fearing that all they did would be in vain, it wouldn’t be like the first temple, and so their enemies would mock them. The aged among them wept too (Ezra 3). But the Lord reproves this, and promises that they would yet rejoice in seeing Zerubbabel (a type of Christ) as chief director, getting everything done, and by considering also that God’s constant providence, which is intent on Christ, and on the church for His sake, goes through the world for their good, to provide what may prosper the work, and to obstruct what may hinder it.
