The Mountain Made a Plain

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"Who are you, O great mountain? Before Zerubbabel you shall become a plain—and he shall bring forth the headstone thereof with shoutings, crying, Grace, grace, unto it." Zechariah 4:7

The children of Israel were, beyond all controversy, a "typical people"; and therefore God's dealings with Israel after the flesh were typical of his dealings with his elect family, Israel after the Spirit. This typical character of God's dealings with them we may trace throughout the whole of the Old Testament. I need not multiply instances, for they are to be found in almost every page; but I shall confine myself this morning to that portion of their history, which, with God's blessing, may throw some light upon the text.

You know that, as a chastisement for their sins, the children of Israel were carried captive to Babylon, and remained there seventy years. When the seventy years, however, were expired, "the Lord," we read, "stirred up the spirit of Cyrus, king of Persia, that he made a proclamation throughout all his kingdom, and put it also in writing, saying—"The Lord, the God of heaven, has given me all the kingdoms of the earth. He has appointed me to build him a Temple at Jerusalem in the land of Judah. All of you who are his people may return to Jerusalem in Judah to rebuild this Temple of the Lord, the God of Israel, who lives in Jerusalem. And may your God be with you!" (Ezra 1:1-3.)

In obedience to this edict, many of the children of Israel left Babylon to return to the land of their fathers, and to Jerusalem, their beloved abode. And one of the first things which they did, after "they had set the altar upon its base," (Ezra 3:3) was, to commence rebuilding the temple of the Lord, which had been laid in ruins by Nebuchadnezzar. We have an account of the laying of the foundation, which I need not enter into, in the book of Ezra (3:8-13) where we find that Zerubbabel, who was the temporal head, and Joshua, who was the spiritual head—the one being the Prince, and the other the High Priest, "set forward the work of the house of the Lord." And we gather from Zech. 4:9, that the hands of Zerubbabel in particular laid the foundation-stone, he being the Governor of Judah, and the lineal descendant of David, and thus a type of the Lord Jesus.

But no sooner was the foundation of the temple laid, than difficulties arose as to its completion. "The adversaries of Judah," when their offer to become co-partners and co-workers was refused by Zerubbabel and Joshua, "hired counselors against them to frustrate their purpose" during several reigns; and wrote an accusation against the inhabitants of Judah and Jerusalem to King Artaxerxes, complaining that they were "building up the rebellious and the bad city once more;" and if they succeeded in setting up the walls again, there would be no more tax or tribute paid to the kings of Babylon. In consequence of these obstacles, for thirteen or fourteen years was the building of the temple much hindered, and during the latter portion of that period entirely suspended.

But at the end of this period of fourteen years, the Lord raised up two prophets, Haggai and Zechariah, in order to stir up the spirits of the people to go on with the building of the temple in spite of all the opposition made to it; as we find Ezra 5:1, 2, "At that time the prophets Haggai and Zechariah son of Iddo prophesied in the name of the God of Israel to the Jews in Judah and Jerusalem. Zerubbabel son of Shealtiel and Jeshua son of Jehozadak responded by beginning the task of rebuilding the Temple of God in Jerusalem. And the prophets of God were with them and helped them." And we find the Lord prospering the undertaking, and moving the heart of Darius king of Persia, so that he gave command that they should not be interrupted in the building of the temple, but should have money given them from the king's tribute towards the completion. (Ezra 6:8.)

At the time, then, that this prophecy was delivered—which was just at the end of the fourteen years, but while all the difficulties still existed in the way of finishing the temple—the heart of the people was faint and desponding; for they saw no prospect of the temple ever being completed. It was begun, but how it was to be finished they knew not; and their hearts sank within them at seeing the walls of the temple only half-reared, and no probability of the head-stone being ever put on.

Under these trying circumstances it was, that the Lord spoke these words to Zerubbabel, who had laid the foundation of the temple—"Who are you, O great mountain?"—thus alluding to the difficulties, opposition, and impediments that lay in the way of completing the temple. "Who are you, O great mountain?" What are all those adversaries, all this opposition, all these difficulties? "Before Zerubbabel you shall become a plain." All the difficulties shall as much disappear, as though a mountain in a moment were to sink down into a level. "Therefore, this is what the Lord says: I have returned to show mercy to Jerusalem. My Temple will be rebuilt, says the Lord Almighty, and plans will be made for the reconstruction of Jerusalem." (Zech. 1:16.) He who has begun the temple shall also complete it; as we read, "the hands of Zerubbabel have laid the foundation of this house, his hands shall also finish it." (Zech. 4:9.) And so it happened; the prophecy was literally and historically fulfilled; the mountain became a plain—and the head-stone was brought forth and put upon the temple with shoutings of "Grace, grace unto it;" as we read, "The Temple was completed on March 12, during the sixth year of King Darius's reign. The Temple of God was then dedicated with great joy by the people of Israel, the priests, the Levites, and the rest of the people who had returned from exile." (Ezra 6:15, 16.)

These, then, are the historical circumstances on which I hope, with God's blessing, this morning to build up a spiritual and experimental interpretation; and to show spiritually, if God enables me, how all the mountains (and many there are) which stand in the way of the completion of the work of grace in the soul, and the building of the inward temple where the Holy Spirit takes up his abode, (for "your bodies are the temples of the Holy Spirit") all disappear before the spiritual Zerubbabel, the Lord of life and glory. And how he is sure to bring forth the head-stone, and put it upon the spiritual building with shoutings of "Grace, grace unto it." As this spiritual interpretation is my object, and this the line of things I mean to pursue, I shall, with God's blessing, take up the words as they lie before me.

I. The Lord here begins with an INQUIRY, "Who are you, O great mountain?" There are many, probably, here who have never seen a mountain; and if you have never seen one, you can have a faint conception what a mountain is. I never saw one until I was more than twenty-three years old; and I shall never forget how surprised I was, as I was traveling through North Wales, when I first beheld its steep and rocky sides. My idea of a mountain was, that it was a high grassy hill, an elevated knoll, covered with beautiful trees and herbage up to the very top. But as to those lofty peaks, that thrust themselves into the sky, completely barren of verdure, with their deep and rugged precipices—of such a mountain as that, I had not the least conception. In carrying, then, into your mind what a mountain is, you must not think of such a hill as Primrose Hill, or such grassy knolls as are in this level, cultivated country; but you must conceive an object that rears up its lofty peaks into the sky, and presents an insuperable and impenetrable barrier, an obstacle not to be climbed over, but which must be entirely removed that a free passage may be afforded. And unless you carry into your mind this idea, that these tall peaks, deep precipices, and unfathomable abysses present an insuperable obstacle, you cannot enter into the mind of the Spirit in the text, and will therefore lose much of the sweetness, beauty, and force of it.

The Lord, then, addresses himself to this mountain, and says, "Who are you, O great mountain?" As though he had said, "Let us look at you; let us take your dimensions; let us see your heights; let us look at your depths; let us view you in all your magnitude, and examine this insuperable obstacle that stands in the way. 'Who are you?' Be you ever so high; be you ever so huge; be your precipices ever so deep; be your peaks ever so lofty; 'who are you, O great mountain? before Zerubbabel'—let him but speak, let him but appear—'you shall become a plain.' It matters not how high; it matters not how deep; 'before Zerubbabel you shall become a plain.'"

Now, let us look at this spiritually. Say, that the Lord has begun a work of grace upon your hearts. Zerubbabel (Jesus, set forth by that name), the true Prince of Israel, through the operation of God, the Holy Spirit, has laid the foundation of a spiritual temple in your conscience. But no sooner is the foundation-stone of God's grace laid in the soul, than it is with us spiritually as it was with the Jews naturally; opposition arises, and enemies start up on every hand; and the great mountain which before did not appear, rears up its head. The adversaries of the church were quiet enough when she was in Babylon; but when she came forth to build up the temple at Jerusalem, then they started up. So spiritually—all the enemies, obstacles, impediments, and difficulties that the quickened soul meets with, were dead as stones, when there was no work going on in the conscience; but no sooner does Zerubbabel lay the foundation-stone of grace in the heart, than adversaries rise up thick—lofty mountains begin to start up, and, where before there was nothing but a plain, thrust up their lofty peaks into the sky.

1. For instance. There is the mountain of God's inflexible JUSTICE. Who knows anything of God's justice, righteousness, purity, holiness, and indignation against sin while in a state of nature? But when the spiritual Zerubbabel lays the foundation-stone of grace in the heart, this lofty mountain for the first time begins to appear; the high and rugged peaks of God's immutable justice, and the deep abysses and precipices of eternal woe—this Sinai mountain, hitherto not perceived, rises up between heaven and the soul. Now this mountain cannot be climbed over. There are many who are trying to wind their way around this mountain; but they will only fall down its precipices. Some skillful engineers are attempting to lower its peaks, and bridge its ravines; but the rocks will fall upon them, and the bridges break under them, and let them down into ever-devouring flames.

The mountain of God's justice in a broken law is not to be passed over by a fallen creature like man; it ever stands up as an impenetrable barrier between God and the soul until Zerubbabel appears; but "before Zerubbabel," this lofty mountain of God's inflexible justice becomes a plain. He has fulfilled it; therefore he has removed it out of the way. As the apostle speaks, "Blotting out the handwriting of ordinances that was against us, which was contrary to us, and took it out of the way, nailing it to his cross." (Col. 2:14.) By fulfilling the law, he removed the impenetrable barrier of God's inflexible justice. He made no bridge over the precipices; he did not lower a little the peaks, that the sinner might by degrees climb over them; but by fulfilling the Law, he completely put it out of the way. Thus before the spiritual Zerubbabel this mountain of inflexible justice becomes a plain.

2. But there is also an UNBELIEVING heart, which stands up as a great mountain between salvation and the soul. We know nothing of an unbelieving heart until God the Spirit makes the conscience tender in his fear. Deceived by Satan, we mistake presumption for faith, and vain-confidence for a good hope through grace; the unbelief and infidelity of our fallen nature are completely hidden from us; and we know no more about the workings of a fearful, doubting heart, and the utter impossibility of creating spiritual faith in our own souls, than the dead in the grave-yard. But when the spiritual Zerubbabel sets his hand to the work, and lays the foundation-stone of grace in the conscience, then for the first time this mountain begins to appear—the mountain of a doubting, unbelieving, and infidel heart, which questions everything that God has revealed, and will not and cannot receive the truth as it is in Jesus. And O, what struggles, difficulties, perplexities, and exercises are felt in the soul through this great mountain of unbelief which rears up its huge head so unexpectedly!

When God the Spirit convinces us of unbelief, he does not create the mountain; for if he did, it would make God the author of sin; but he shows us the mountain which before was hidden from our view, and makes us feel what a barrier it is between heaven and our souls. The mountain was there before, but we did not see it. When this truth is revealed by the Spirit in the conscience, that "without faith it is impossible to please God," we are brought to see, that to live and die in unbelief, is to live and die in our sins. As soon, then, as we get faith, we feel unbelief in our hearts. For we need living faith to believe our own unbelief; spiritual light to see its existence and divine life to feel its power. O this great mountain that stands up as an insuperable obstacle between heaven and our souls!

But the Lord says, "Who are you, O great mountain?" "Are you so high, are you so deep, are you so immense, that you cannot be removed?" For if it is not removed, not a single soul can get to heaven. But some say, "We must do our best to get over this mountain—we must take God at his word; we must believe his promises, look to Jesus, and rely upon his truth." In other words, we must, with a great deal of pains and skill, lower this mountain, level it, tunnel it, cut through it, or make a road over it. But a living soul finds it no such easy thing to take God at his word, no such simple thing to believe the Lord's promises. He finds that all this "taking God at his word," leaves him still in the mud and mire of doubt and fear, still in the dry pit where there is no water, still under the curse and sentence of a broken law. Therefore, all this taking God at his word, looking to the promises, relying on Jesus, without the Spirit's inward work and witness, is found in our experience to be utterly unable to remove the mountain of unbelief.

Now the Lord says, "Who are you, O great mountain? before Zerubbabel, you shall become a plain." The spiritual Zerubbabel, with one glance of his eye, with one touch of his finger, with one word of his lips, in one moment, can cause faith to spring up in the soul to receive him in all his covenant fullness. And thus, the great mountain of unbelief, which seemed completely irremovable and utterly impassable, sinks down into a plain; and we can no more refuse to believe when the spiritual Zerubbabel gives us faith, than we could believe before he gave it. When faith is given, of all things it is most easy to believe; the mountain before Zerubbabel sinks into a plain.

3. But there is also the burden of SIN, that lies hard and heavy on a tender conscience. The iniquities and transgressions of his past life; the base, base backsliding of which he has been and is perpetually guilty; the slips, falls, and inconsistent words and actions; and the horrible workings of a depraved nature—all these at times lie with great weight and power on the conscience of an awakened sinner, and, like a mountain, press down his soul to the earth.

"How is this great mountain of sin and sinfulness," asks the soul, "to be removed? I cannot change my own heart; I cannot take away the burden of sin; I cannot purge my guilty conscience; I cannot bring spiritual, holy, and heavenly thoughts into my mind. How is this great mountain to be removed?" Why, such a mountain as that left upon the soul would be a millstone to sink it into the lowest depths of hell.

But when the Lord says, "Who are you, O great mountain?" this burden of sin, this weight of guilt that makes your soul cry and groan? What are you "before Zerubbabel?" let him but speak with power, "it shall become a plain." For Zerubbabel, the spiritual Zerubbabel, has shed atoning blood to wash away all this guilt, has brought in everlasting righteousness to justify the ungodly, and has a heart full of love which he can and does shed abroad in the soul of his beloved ones. Thus, then, this burden of guilt and shame, this great mountain, before Zerubbabel, let him but speak, becomes a plain.

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