We continue our study this week of Zechariah
3:1-7 which is the 5th of his 10 visions. I continue
with our theme of “There’s Still Hope”. This 5th
vision is that of ‘Joshua The Priest’. He pictures through
this priest His chosen people. I see great hope in ‘His
Calculation’ of this vision. This is the 5th of
Zechariah’s visions. This is the number of grace. Grace is God
giving you and I what we do not deserve. In the words of my dear
preacher friend, ‘All of grace is my story, All the way from
earth to glory’.
In verse 1 of this vision we see
Joshua as the people of God, but standing at the right is Satan.
Satan stands to resist the people of God. The word ‘resist’
means to attack or accuse as an adversary. Revelation 12:10 says
that Satan accuses the brethren before God day and night. The
fearful thought is that what Satan is saying about us is true.
The one who speaks to Zechariah is
the angel of the Lord. Most students of the Bible believe this is a
public, personal, and visible appearance of Jesus Christ. When
Satan begins his accusation our Lord brings up ‘His Choice’
in verse 2. He says, “Even the Lord that hath chosen…rebuke
them…” Our Lord has elected and picked a people unto Himself.
Who can lay anything to the charge of God’s elect? Who can accuse
God’s chosen people? Satan’s mouth is shut because the position of
the elect cannot be changed and standeth sure. Paul reminds us in
Ephesians 1:4, “According as He hath chosen us in Him before the
foundation of the world.” When you bring up God’s divine
election before Satan he is enraged for he realizes that we have
never been in his reach. We have always been out of Satan’s reach
even before he was created.
We are given hope in the picture of
‘His Clothing’ in verses 3-5. We find in Joshua’s clothing a
picture of our position in the presence of God.
In verse 3 we are told that he was
clothed with ‘filthy’ garments. This means to be soiled with
the filth of excrements. We only see ourselves clearly when we
stand in the presence of a holy God. Job said when he was in God’s
presence he abhorred himself and repented. In verses 4 and 5 God
takes Joshua’s clothes and clothes him with the garments of
righteousness. What is so important about this change of clothes?
The text tells us in verse 4 “I have caused thine iniquity to
pass from thee.” The word ‘caused’ means to appoint or
make to happen. It was not anything we did. God was the cause and
we are but the recipient. The phrase ‘pass away’ means to
conduct away or cover out of the sight of all.
In verses 6-7 we are given hope by
the reminder of ‘His Conversation’. The word ‘conversation’
doesn’t speak of one’s talk but their walk. The angel of the Lord
speaks to the redeemed Joshua in verse 7 about walking in God’s
ways. The angel is very serious about the walk. In verse 6 the
text said, ‘He protested’ to Joshua about this walk. This
means to testify, admonish, and give the record in an earnest
warning. He admonished Joshua to ‘Keep The Charge’. This
has the idea of guarding God’s Word. He warns him to ‘judge his
house’. This tells us of the need of overseeing the house of
God. We must keep its courts. The courts are its pathways of
entrance into the presence of God. They would be the paths of
prayer and praise. God reminds Joshua if he will walk with God the
Lord will always supply the places for him to walk. O what hope
there is for the elect of God. “No good thing will He withhold
from them that walk upright.”
