When Judah returned from her captivity in Babylon, it was not in power and great glory. She was but a remnant of her former self, almost slinking back home like the prodigal son. Despite the blessing of their foreign monarch, her people were an helpless, insignificant bunch, filled with weakness and fear. Zerubbabel was her governor, but despite being a good man, he struggled with his own weaknesses. The prophet Zechariah, however, was there to convey the encouragement of the Lord.
We don’t have time to fully expound this interesting scripture, but let me point out just a couple of things: The “mountain” of verse 7 is referring to the trials and difficulties which faced those people. Figuratively speaking, Zerubbabel was going to cut out of that mountain the foundation stone for a new temple, and then he was going to reduce the rest of it to meadowland. But it was not going to be the strength of Judah’s human leader accomplishing this; Zerubbabel was not the Messiah. No, it would not be by human might, or human power, but by the spirit and power of the Lord of hosts. Judah was exhorted not to look down on the apparently insignificant beginning of this great work. “Who hath despised the day of small things?” Don’t you dare! Because the God who can use a slingshot to bring down a mighty giant, can do whatever He chooses. “With men this may be impossible, but with God all things are possible.” In the midst of all your problems and trials never forget that Jehovah is omnipotent. So determine to “cast all your care upon him, for He careth for you.”
Many old Bible commentaries like to apply Zechariah 4 to the preaching of the gospel and the establishment of the Lord’s churches. Some of them get very fanciful in the application of the candlestick and the two olive trees. They talk about the stone cut out of the mountain becoming the Headstone or the Cornerstone – Christ. They joyfully emphasize the shouting of “grace, grace” as an evangelical word. Some of them talk about the day of small things and mustard seeds becoming the Church of Christ. And I can see the logic in some of their applications. But it forever remains true that the Old Testament is primarily about Israel.
Having said all that, I’m going to carefully lay it aside and apply Zechariah 4:10 to New Testament evangelism. Let’s go back to the scripture which we read earlier. In Acts 16 we see the first recorded spiritual conversion on the continent of Europe. And it began as another very small thing. Don’t despise the day of small things. When Paul stepped off the boat in Neapolis, there wasn’t a brass band and welcoming committee. The Kingdom of God came without observation, but it eventually consumed the continent.
Beyond the evangelist and the Holy Spirit, it began with a lady named “Lydia.” The evangelization of Europe didn’t start with a king or governor, like Sergius Paulus in Cyprus. Lydia was not another Timothy, prepared to travel to the far corners of Europe carrying the gospel. And she not another a Saul of Tarsus converted from murderer to messenger of Christ. Just about everything we know about this lady are contained in only two verses of the Bible. And yet she was and continues to be a very important person. “Despise not the day of small things.” The salvation of even a single soul will never be considered a small thing in the sight of God.
I see in this chapter four major factors working towards this lady’s conversion. They are important because in one form or other they are found in everyone’s salvation. Lydia is a prototype – she is the poster child of Holy Spirit directed evangelism.
Notice first the working of God’s PROVIDENCE.
When I use the word “providence” it is with the definition of my little “Chamber’s Dictionary.” Providence is the foresight and care of God over all his creatures; in prudence He manages their affairs. In the historical books of the Bible, like Acts, we can see God’s providence in every chapter. It is a shame that a third of all Christians look at providence as some sort of Christianized fate. And why is it that another third think of Providence as being MORE the will of man than the will of God. Providence needs to be studied and restudied until God teaches us that He is the great Micro-manager. Providence can be a thousand times more complex than can be handled by the computers of men. And yet sometimes it seems to end in something relatively simple like the salvation of an insignificant woman. Is that simple? Is any soul insignificant?
God led – no, God brought – the Apostle Paul all the way from Damascus, Syria to Philippi, Macedonia. Just recently, Paul wanted to minister the gospel in Asia, but the Lord forbade it. He was forbidden to preach in Bithynia, Mysia and several other regions in Asia Minor. And then in a vision, God directed Paul and his company towards Europe. Immediately Paul, along with Luke, the new member of crew, sailed from Troas to Neapolis.
It is easy to see how the Lord brought PAUL to Philippi, but how did He bring Lydia to meet Paul? Perhaps the details are things which we will never know. But we do know that this lady was not born in Philippi. She was not a Macedonian, but an Asian – she was born in Thyatira. Lydia was from a place where Paul had earlier been forbidden to preach. So they met on neutral, foreign soil. Why did God arrange it this way? Is this some sort of divine humor?
The providence of God is a marvelous tapestry. It looks like a strange tangled mass of colours, with a variety of thread and patterns, Until one day we are given the privilege of turning it over and stepping back far enough to see it all. Theodore Roosevelt had terrible eyesight, and because of that he often carried two pairs of glasses. The pair that he wasn’t wearing at the time was kept in a steel case in his breast pocket. One day a bullet came speeding toward his heart, but it hit that case and was deflected away. The providence of God may appear to be a nuisance, but don’t curse it, because it is merely the stitching handiwork of the fingers of God.
What brought us all here again today? Is this a chance meeting after a reluctant agreement to attend? No such chance! Why are you not sick and unable to come down to the river bank today? Just lucky? Unlucky? No! I believe that God has a purpose in both of us being here today; He has brought us together. Providentially, my purpose is to preach the gospel and Lydia. What is it for you?
Besides providence, another factor involved in LYDIA’S conversion clearly belonged to HER.
As I have said, just about everything we know about this woman comes from these verses. But that doesn’t keep people from stretching their imaginations and offering their opinions. We know that Lydia was originally from the city of Thyatira in the district of Asia which is called “Lydia.” This was the same area where Ephesus was located. This was one of the cities to which the Lord dictated letters in the Book of Revelation. So eventually there was a church established there. Like most churches it had its problems, and in this case the problem was a troublesome woman. That couldn’t have been this lady could it? Thyatira was famous for its production of purple dye, which was manufactured from a shell-fish. This dye became a favorite among the Romans, and the togas of the politicians had to be purple. But this color preference wasn’t confined to the Romans. In Luke 16:19 we read: “There was a certain rich man, which was clothed in purple and fine linen, and fared sumptuously every day.” It is very likely that spreading from Thyatira there was a network of agents and salesmen. Lydia appears to have left home as a representative of her home town and its famous industry.
It is conjectured by some people that this woman had been a slave in Lydia. They make that statement, because it was customary to give place names to slaves. Who can? Whatever the case this woman was “Lydia from Lydia.”
And it appears from the language of verse 14 that Lydia may have been a Jewish proselyte. The words “she worshiped God” were sometimes used to describe Gentiles who had turned to the Lord. But this doesn’t prove that she wasn’t born an Hebrew. Whether a proselyte or not, she was not a heathen polytheist. She did her best to worship the Lord in the way that she knew how under difficult circumstances.
It was the will of God that Lydia become a Christian, BUT no one has ever been saved against their will. What was HER contribution to this salvation equation? Besides the fact that she was a sinner and in need of God’s gracious salvation like all the rest of us, she was keeping the Jewish sabbath as a day of rest and worship. She was trying her best to serve the Lord in the limited light that she had been given. This didn’t make her a child of God, any more that your attendance at church makes you a Christian. But the Bible clearly teaches the importance of setting aside one day out of seven to worship the Lord. As a Jewess, Lydia had heard the law which said: “Remember the Sabbath day to keep it holy.” There was no selling purple cloth for this woman on Saturday. Notice that she didn’t over-rule the plan of God just because she wasn’t at home. The moral laws of God apply to every person in every part of the globe. There was no priest in Philippi to exhort her or to accuse her, but there was something in her heart.
Oh that Israel had been as obedient as Lydia. “Thus saith the LORD; Take heed to yourselves, and bear no burden on the sabbath day, nor bring it in by the gates of Jerusalem; Neither carry forth a burden out of your houses on the sabbath day, neither do ye any work, but hallow ye the sabbath day, as I commanded your fathers. But they obeyed not, neither inclined their ear, but made their neck stiff, that they might not hear, nor receive instruction. But if ye will not hearken unto me to hallow the sabbath day, and not to bear a burden, even entering in at the gates of Jerusalem on the sabbath day; then will I kindle a fire in the gates thereof, and it shall devour the palaces of Jerusalem, and it shall not be quenched” – Jeremiah. 17.
Lydia knew the law of Sabbath, and she resorted to the nearest thing she could call a “place of worship.” Sure it didn’t look like a church, but so what? And, yes, there wasn’t a preacher, a piano or song books either. People who can’t go to church unless it looks like a cathedral, need to read their Bibles. There weren’t even any local men in attendance that day. Lydia didn’t reason with herself, “I can worship God just as well in the comfort of my living room.” She didn’t turn on the TV and watch J. D. Jakes, Joel Osteen or some internet evangelist. Lydia didn’t compromise and go to a beautiful heathen temple either. If a person thinks that they can receive God’s blessings at the synagogue of Satan, they have been listening to Satan too long. That is essentially what the serpent told Eve at the dawn of all human sin.
Lydia just met with a few other ladies to pray. Somehow God told Paul about that prayer meeting, and the Lord directed him to join them. When Paul began to tell them about the Lord Jesus, Lydia was courteous enough to listen. Oh, how important it is to attend unto the things of the Lord. When Luke said she “heard us” he used a Greek word which said she really listened and kept on listening. She wasn’t just warming a pew, so to speak, anxiously waiting for the noon whistle. And she didn’t have to fight to stay awake either.
Lydia was saved because she kept the Sabbath, went to church and attentively listened to the Word of God. These things did not actually save her soul, but they put her in the place and position to be saved.
Certainly PAUL had a role to play in this drama.
First, he had a willingness to be used of God in whatever capacity and wherever the Lord wanted him. Where would Lydia be today if Paul had not said, “Lord, what would thou have me to do, Lord? “For whosoever shall call upon the name of the Lord shall be saved. How then shall they call on him in whom they have not believed? and how shall they believe in him of whom they have not heard? and how shall they hear without a preacher? And how shall they preach, except they be sent? as it is written, How beautiful are the feet of them that preach the gospel of peace, and bring glad tidings of good things!” It continues to disturb me that I don’t see our next generation of preachers and pastors. “Pray ye the Lord of the harvest that He would send forth laborers into the harvest.” And while you’re at it, look – for they are already white unto harvest.
Paul took up the cross and went to Philippi. But Philippi was different from just about every other place he went. There doesn’t appear to have been a Jewish synagogue there. It was usually Paul’s policy to visit the synagogue in the community before doing anything else. He wanted to start in a place where the message would be most likely heard. Christians need to remember that if people have no interest in the gospel then it will have little chance. Our responsibility is to first give the gospel to those who will most likely hear it – like our loved ones. And our second responsibility is to create an appetite, a taste, where there wasn’t one before. And we can do that by living joyful, godly lives, while looking for the return of the Saviour. Of course God can do anything He chooses, but the conversion of the stranger is something strange. And the point is, be wise about the work, but don’t give up. “Let us not grow weary in the work of love, send the light, send the light.” And where possible, encourage the blind man to open his eyes to see that light. Remember that light which is not used is wasted; we can’t store up and save light.
When Paul found those few Jewish ladies praying on the Sabbath he didn’t immediately storm in and obnoxiously pound on the pulpit or on their heads. Probably sitting on a rock, he spoke in a voice that was appropriate to a small group of ladies. I may raise my voice this morning in my excitement of the message, but in the quiet of your home, I will be a little more subdued. Paul was careful about his message, adapting it to his hearers. And he could have discussed the weather, or business, or providence or their homelands, but he didn’t. Paul spoke about Jesus Christ, the Son of God. “For I determined not to know anything among you save Jesus Christ and Him crucified.” “God forbid that I should glory save in the cross of our Lord Jesus Christ.” “For we preach not ourselves, but Christ Jesus our Lord, and ourselves your servants for Jesus’ sake.” Paul knew that only Christ can save a sinner, so he focused his message on the Saviour.
Finally, we notice the working of the HOLY SPIRIT in the salvation of this lady.
The scripture says – “God opened her heart to attend to the Word.” Experts in the Greek language tell me that when God opened her heart it was opened wide. It was like the opening of double doors. The Lord opened the door of Lydia’s heart wider than they had ever been opened before. It is the same word that we read in Luke 24:45: “And Jesus said unto them, These are the words which I spake unto you, while I was yet with you, that all things must be fulfilled, which were written in the law of Moses, and in the prophets, and in the psalms, concerning me. Then OPENED he their understanding, that they might understand the scriptures, And said unto them, Thus it is written, and thus it behoved Christ to suffer, and to rise from the dead the third day: And that repentance and remission of sins should be preached in his name among all nations, beginning at Jerusalem.” A lost man’s heart is like a house shut up. But it’s not just a house that has been locked. It is like a house that stands in the path of the hurricane, which has been locked, shuttered, and boarded up with plywood. It takes the power of the hurricane-force omnipotence of God to open that heart.
I wonder what preparatory work was involved in softening this lady’s heart. I wonder if she had lost her husband, making her tender and focused on eternity. Maybe business was bad or she had received an unhappy letter from home. Perhaps she was just homesick. God works in different ways with people to prepare them for the presentation of the gospel.
Whichever method the Lord had used, in addition to that the Holy Spirit came and opened her heart. The Word of God is not just heard with the ear and the mind; it must be heard by the soul. Some people find listening to sermons one of the most difficult things in all world. Often there is good reason – often those are poor messages and a waste of time. Yet, these same people sit for hours at a miserable sporting event while their team loses really badly. They can do the one but not the other, because they have heart to do so. Only those whose hearts the Lord opens will have a desire to hear the gospel truth. Evangelism begins with God – not the evangelist – and not the sinner. Sinners don’t just decide that they want to be born again. The Holy Spirit so forcefully leads them that they can do nothing less than turn to the Lord who they formerly despised. God opened this woman’s heart, poured in Spiritual life – regenerating her. And because of this she could understand and trust what Paul was teaching her. She yearned for the Saviour because the Lord converted her yearnings.
A lot of people fear the idea that God can invade a person’s private heart like this. A lot more despise the idea that God MUST open the heart before those people will attend unto the Word. But the Bible declares both those things. Lydia became a child of God BECAUSE the Lord opened her heart.
Not only did Lydia have a desire to hear the truth, but by the grace of God she did understand it. The world is completely confused about nearly every important doctrine of the Bible: The law, grace, Christ, death, heaven, hell, etc. etc. etc. Some people who hear these things with their sin-riddled minds, disagree and turn away. But Lydia heard things which were brand new to her, and yet she continued to listen, because the Holy Spirit gave her a heart to hear.
Then, by the grace of God, Lydia accepted the Gospel message. Paul undoubtedly told these ladies that the Messiah had come, and His name is “Jesus.” He told them that Christ died – just as the Old Testament had prophesied. He explained the necessity for a sacrifice and an atonement which would be accepted by God. He told them about the empty tomb, and how HE had personally met the risen Lord. He may have even told them how Christ had revolutionized his own life. And this displaced Asian Jewess believed the message and was born again.
Except for the personal details, this history is repeated whenever any sinner is saved. The message of the gospel is preached or in some way shared with that sinner. The Holy Spirit opens that heart to attend to that message, and the Spirit gives that dead heart an understanding of its need of Christ. It is by the grace of God that faith is communicated to that sinner, and it is by grace that he or she repents. It was the will of God that Lydia become one of His children, and the Lord arranged every detail to guarantee that it come to pass.
Now, what about you? Won’t you humbly repent before God? Won’t you cast your faith and trust upon the sacrificed Son of God?