Zechariah chapter 3 The first vision given to
Zechariah was each of the visions to overrule
all the Gentile powers and the ultimate opposition
and the world dissension against the nation of
Israel God's powerful control to accomplish His will
and His purpose.
Then in the third vision it had suggested
that there was God's purposeful call.
God had an effective call to achieve His
end that He is going to draw His
people from various areas particularly from out of
the world in Babylon and bring them back
into the city of Jerusalem and they will
be planted there as His people and the
city will be a thriving metropolis.
The practical applications we've been making as we
go.
Now we see God's priesthood cleanse.
The fourth vision.
Chapter 3 of Zechariah And He showed me
Joshua the high priest standing before the angel
of the Lord and Satan standing at His
right hand to resist Him.
And the Lord said unto Satan The Lord
rebuke thee, O Satan even the Lord that
hath chosen Jerusalem rebuke thee.
Is not this a brand plucked out of
the fire?
Now Joshua was clothed with filthy garments and
stood before the angel and he answered and
spake unto those that stood before him, saying
Take away the filthy garments from him.
And unto him he said Behold, I have
caused thine iniquity to pass from thee and
I will clothe thee with change of raiment.
And I said, Let them set a fair
mitre upon his head.
So they set a fair mitre upon his
head and clothed him with garments and the
angel of the Lord stood by.
And the angel of the Lord protested unto
Joshua, saying Thus saith the Lord of hosts
If thou wilt walk in my ways and
if thou wilt keep my charge then thou
shalt also judge my house and shalt also
keep my court.
I will give thee places to walk among
these that stand by.
Hear now, O Joshua the high priest thou
and thy fellows that sit before thee for
they are men wondered at for behold, I
will bring forth my servants for behold, the
stone that I have laid before Joshua upon
one stone shall be seven eyes.
Behold, I will engrave the engraving thereof saith
the Lord of hosts and I will remove
the iniquity of that land in one day.
In that day, saith the Lord of hosts
shall ye call every man his neighbour under
the vine and under the fig tree.
The vision divides itself into three sections.
Firstly, the problem that is faced by the
Zechariah and the Lord in verses 1-3
and then verses 4-7 give us the
purging.
The problem is presented a difficulty and God
undertakes and accomplishes the purging.
And then from verses 8 to the end
is the prediction that the prophecy has and
the main thrust of the vision.
Firstly, in the first three verses we have
in this vision a picture where Zechariah has
been taken from out of the deep rich,
green, verdant, blanketed ravine in vision number 1
seeing the enemies negated and destroyed and scattered.
Drawn to his attention to the great prosperity
of the coming city of Jerusalem and now
a unique perspective.
There is a change we have to do
with an individual and the moment individuals come
into God's spectrum or program there is human
responsibility.
There will always be the token of human
responsibility when God deals with people.
Up to this time, God has enforced his
statement and said, I will.
Now God says, I will if Joshua responds.
And here God wants to cleanse the priesthood.
The high priest is not merely an individual.
He is a representative of the people.
So as far as interpreting the vision is
concerned we have to see that God is
giving us what he is going to do
for the nation of Israel.
God must cleanse the priesthood.
The importance of access to God is drawn
to your attention and mine in this particular
vision.
If you have the privilege of access to
God if God has at some time in
your life wrought the divine work of grace
and cleansed you, quickened you by spiritual life
and made you knowledgeable of it and you
have come to the place where you have
confessed Christ as your Savior you are then
an holy priesthood set aside by God, appointed
to have access to him and to come
into his presence.
There must be cleanliness in the priesthood.
So God has to clean this priest and
prepare him for his services.
The cleansing of the priesthood is suggestive of
the restoration of the nation of Israel as
a priestly nation.
That is the true meaning of the vision.
The primary meaning of the vision, the interpretation
of the vision is that God is going
to voluntarily cleanse Israel and they will become
a nation of priests.
In entirety they will all come to the
presence of God.
In one climactic day there shall be a
spiritual birth the details of which are given
in Ezekiel how the nation shall be born
of God all Israel shall be believers spiritual
birth, a wonderful work order in their heart
and they shall be worshippers of God.
That's the promise that's given here.
But there is an application and it is
this, for time's sake, that we want to
draw to our attention.
Remember the primary interpretation is the cleansing of
the nation of Israel the making of them
as a nation of priests to worship God.
Now for you and me the application is
as we go along through the story.
He showed me Joshua.
Now there's a change.
The vision is different.
He doesn't say I lifted up my eyes
and the angel said or I looked and
beheld.
Why?
Because we want to be linked to what
has preceded.
There is a paragraph and a chapter division
that is not existing in the language or
in the flow of thought.
Remember in the last vision, verse 13 all
flesh is urged to be silent in reverential
awe before Jehovah for he is rousing himself
he is waking himself he is in the
present continuous tense beginning the great machinery of
work on behalf of the nation of Israel
he is merging out of his habitation and
the importance of the vision is and he
showed me not the angel but Jehovah who
is rousing himself now in condescension opens up
the mind's eye of this man Zechariah and
he showed me Joshua the high priest standing
before the angel of the Lord and Satan
standing at his right hand to resist him
Here's the problem Satanic opposition the adversary that's
what the word Satan literally means that may
be in your Bible or in your margin
standing next to him is the adversary and
he is there not merely to resist him
but literally to adversary-ize his purpose is
to be there to attack to assault God's
chosen priest I am sure that if Joshua
had his options and he was declared what
do you think is the problem today here
in Zechariah's day what's the difficulty of this
situation after a long 14 year layoff what's
really the problem Joshua well we don't have
adequate animals the people are bringing in bad
animals Joshua might have said well there's not
enough priests to effectively carry on the work
of God Joshua would cast his eye around
and say well it's a terrible threatening to
the Gentile nations it's the Tobias and the
Ammonites and Sam Ballard over here and these
men with all the political unrest and their
accusations everything's in such a turmoil now that's
not the situation the real problem is Satan
Satan attacking God's people the word adversary is
used also in the New Testament and the
Greek word for adversary is Diabolio from which
we get our Diabolos or Diabolos, devil and
Diabolio means to throw through to throw across
or to throw through and the idea is
that Satan is in heaven taking charges against
you because of the impurity of your priestly
life the inequity between our walk and our
talk has just been drawn to our attention
our inability to really live Christ in this
world and Satan is there and he's the
problem and he's putting our blessed Lord on
the defensive and the accusations are being thrown
across the heavens as to what we are
and our weakness and failure he is there
to Satanize and to attack us and the
Lord says to Satan the Lord rebukes thee,
O Satan if nothing else is gleaned from
that statement I would like to suggest to
you that you look at it carefully and
reflect who is speaking and the manner of
the address that's given and then hold in
great suspect the persons in this world who
through carnival-like antics claim to be able
to extricate the power of Satan in the
lives of others exorcists, spiritists, wonder-workers miracle
performers whenever you find an individual addressing Satan
in scripture and there is any thought of
conflict or attack there is great respect shown
to this tremendous person and all the authority
and power for after all he is the
prince of this world he is the god
of this age he is a mighty angelic
spirit being with tremendous force and power and
when Michael encountered him and argued and debated
and was an encounter over the body of
Moses what did Michael say?
Jehovah rebuke thee!
he would not even call upon his own
resources here it is the Lord himself speaking
to Satan and he does not speak out
of his own reservoir but he calls upon
his own deity and his own divine prerogatives
and says the Lord rebuke thee, Satan and
there is a lesson to be learned in
this the discretion and the reverential respect if
you were ever one to deal in the
realm of spirit things and do it effectively
with or for God the Lord rebuke thee,
Satan even the Lord that hath chosen Jerusalem
rebuke thee you see, now this is where
we get the idea and understand that Joshua
is not in the actual vision an individual
but he is representative of the whole he
is the one that's going into the presence
of God on behalf of the people and
represents the people and so he doesn't say
I chose Joshua that is effectually true but
he says I am the one that is
chosen Jerusalem and they are representative of my
people and by the grace of the God
and by his sovereign elective power Israel is
mine and don't you dare challenge them aren't
you thankful that you have an advocate and
that the holy record is and when you
sin we have an advocate with the father
and when he throws his challenges we have
an advocate with the father Jesus Christ the
righteous one who was the propitiation the meeting
place the absolute secure work on our behalf
we don't keep ourselves safe we have an
advocate and I plucked him as a brand
out of the burning says God but the
Lord must acknowledge now Jehovah was clothed with
filthy garments for 14 years they've been carrying
on the offerings it was a mere formality
lacked reality in the presence of God no
real heart like some of our religious activities
no sincerity no self-sacrifice no real insight
no dedication to God and here in the
middle of his priestly function he is battered
with excrement that's literally what filthy means that
which goes out of the body it is
garments clothed with excrement these battered garments surely
to picture to us not to be absorbed
in the detail of how maybe from the
sacrifices maybe from other forms but the significance
is the stench the offensiveness the rankness the
inappropriateness that the high priest should be standing
before God in excrement battered garments filthy garments
there was a right charge to be laid
against him that God says I chose Jerusalem
and Israel and once again God retreats into
his sovereign rights and authority as to the
reason why he can protect us his people
he did it on the mountain the nation
had broken the law Moses came down and
shattered the law he's crushed and heartbroken and
what did God say?
I will have mercy on whom I will
have mercy and our mighty God went ahead
and forgave the nation anyway even though every
one of them had broken the law why?
because he's a mighty sovereign loving God and
that's why your soul and mine is saved
because of that same grace and love because
he could apply the efficacy of the work
of Christ now his priest is filthy and
what does God say?
verse 4 then he answered and spake unto
those that stood before him saying take away
the filthy garments from him that's what he's
going to do for the nation in a
word he'll sweep them clean Ezekiel promises he
uses a figure of water and washing but
it's the same principle take away the filthy
garments and he said behold I have caused
thine iniquity to pass from thee and I
will clothe thee with change of rain a
lovely picture here is suggested notice the process
the first statement is to take away the
filthy garments the next is to cause iniquity
to be removed and then the third is
to clothe with that which is good profitable
take away the garments the cleansing of grace
after God chooses he cleanses by grace he
said now you're a priest of mine and
I'm going to make you a priest of
mine and I'm going to take away those
filthy things everything that's left of the old
life don't let your past life interfere with
your priestly service don't be constantly clinging to
those things in the past and allow them
to interfere with the privileges and joys that
you have as a child of God the
evil one would be glad to take them
up and taunt them and hold them before
you but if you have honestly dealt with
them as you have just been urged from
the word of God to confess them and
name them for what they are he has
been faithful and just to cleanse us because
the blood is constantly cleansing us and its
efficacy is adequate for you and me and
now you and I can enter into the
value of this cleansing work not with pride
recognize what we are filthy indeed but recognize
the grace and the goodness of God he
wants the priesthood to cleanse wants people to
come into his presence with a free spirit
joy in our heart and our hands filled
with sacrifices of praise acceptable to God by
Jesus Christ you can be a royal priest
and declare publicly to those around the great
delivering power of God because you are what
you are no, because the grace of God
is wrought in such a tender, blessed, rich
way that he has moved us into his
presence and given us that quiet, tender, sensitive
confidence to openly address our God blessing, praising,
worshipping take away the filthy garments your iniquities
have been passed and I will clothe thee
with change of raiment as the Jarvee accurately
translates verse 4 that last phrase, I will
clothe thee with festival robes designed to bring
back to our mind that which was originally
given to Aaron by the Lord robes of
glory and youth robes of the token splendor
and loveliness and there's going to be a
restoration to the nation of Israel and they'll
be brought into the presence of God and
be acceptable and the priests will wear festival
robes sometimes you kneel and pray at your
bedside and you've got your pajamas on sometimes
you've got your working clothes and you've worked
with a group of men in the local
church you're down on your knees 50 year
old bungarees on stop thinking of yourself as
being in pajamas or bed clothing or casual
dress or meeting clothes start thinking of yourself
dressed in the festival robes of a high
priest the privileges of being well attired in
splendid garments provided by the Lord and it
adds such dignity to the role of your
praise and prayer you enter his presence clothed
by Jesus Christ and fit to offer praise
and worship to him what a splendid privilege
is ours and the angel of the Lord
protested unto Joshua and says now, thus saith
the Lord of hosts if you will walk
in my ways ah, here it is the
conditions of spiritual blessing you see, God has
done his part he has chosen he has
forgiven he has cleansed he has clothed that's
God's part now he says, if that's your
part and when we deal with human beings
we always have human responsibilities and we always
keep all of our doctrines and pictures perfectly
in balance if you will walk in my
ways and if you will keep my charge
then, two specific conditions for your spiritual priesthood
and your blessing God has done all the
preparatory work now it's incumbent upon you and
me firstly, to walk in my ways and
to keep my charge how should the child
of God walk?
there's a long spectrum, isn't there?
many statements many exercises of heart many individual
sentences sprinkled throughout Pauline epistles through the Jewish
epistles many pastoral concerns and directives given how
should the priest walk?
how should his life be?
what should our speech be?
if you will walk in my ways now
we're coming to the things that make it
difficult and incumbent and why we are sometimes
hesitant if you will walk in my ways
and preserve keep protect my charges do you
realize that you have the weight of priesthood
upon you?
I'm not saying if you know you're a
child of God or a believer I'm not
talking about whether you have a gift or
not there are two separate things altogether we're
talking about priesthood your privilege and responsibility to
enter the presence of God with sacrifices of
praise and worship and adoration and it requires
a walk and it requires the keeping of
the charges given to you a sense of
obligation, of appointment in festival robes going to
God in worship and praise and adoration and
it keeps the whole spectrum of our spiritual
life in balance not salvation not gifts not
fears of service priesthood preaching exercising of gifts
oftentimes is manward priesthood is heavenward teaching and
speaking the word of God is toward the
body priesthood is toward the head all the
difference in the world do you worship God?
do you ever offer Him sacrifices of praise?
do you ever intelligently dress yourselves in the
appointed role and keep His charge as a
result of a care and a concern for
His honor and glory?
are you worshiping the Lord and offering Him
intelligent sacrifices of praise and adoration spiritual sacrifices?
if you will do these things then thou
shalt 1.
judge my house 2.
keep my court 3.
and I will give thee places to walk
among these that stand by 1.
the first thing is that if you will
fulfill this obligation the resulting privilege and blessing
is you will judge my house that does
not mean sit in censure and criticism upon
all the brethren that aren't walking and acting
the way you think they should be that's
not the thought at all the word judge
means to rule translated manage, regulate, govern in
other words your life will be such that
you will be given an impact in your
life by the grace of God and you
will then become one who becomes a leader,
a controller, a guide of others for their
spiritual welfare mothers maybe this is what your
daughters need fathers, is this what our sons
need and our young men?
is this what our assembly needs?
men who have such a relationship with God
that God has invested them supernaturally with the
blessed privilege of leading, ruling, guiding, controlling things
in the local church which is a by
-product of our priestly services it's affirmed in
scripture and secondly you will not only judge
my house you will keep my court you
will take charge of the house of God
you will keep things in order there will
be discipline and order and prosperity and blessing
and joy and thriving and I genuinely believe
in my own soul one of the marked
failures and weaknesses of us as companies of
God's people is we have totally negated our
priestly obligation we have put it to a
second-rate effort giving out the same familiar
hymns saying the same things to God at
no sacrifice to myself as a result no
order, no management no festival robe nothing for
God sometimes a lot of filthy garment may
God exercise our hearts because if we walk
in his way and keep his charge then
you will keep, rule, manage, regulate my house
you will preserve and keep the court and
I will give thee places to walk among
these that stand by the Darby translation I
will give thee going spheres of service realms
of ministration and there will be a remarkable
addition to your testimony the ladies that work
near you in the office will feel the
impact your own family and children will somehow
be circumferenced with your ministrations although not intelligently,
cognizantly doing or preaching to them they will
feel the impact of your life your piety
your devotion and it will be a sweet,
fragrant glory to God and God's people will
be blessed and prospered if we walk and
if we keep our charges verse 8 to
10 is the prediction that's connected with this
prophecy or this vision it says, hear now,
O Joshua the high priest thou and the
fellows that sit before thee for they are
men wondered at it is to say now
you, Joshua, and those priests that are laboring
there in the city you are men that
are wondered at which are a sight, a
portent, a sign something to be looked at
and understand as another truth you are typical
of something else Joshua, what am I typical
of?
my servant the branch behold the stone the
word branch could be very readily translated and
is, I think, in the New American Standard
the sprout that new seed of life that
springs out and if that is a valid
translation then we have three words to begin
with the letter S which is helpful to
remember you are my servant the sprout the
stone the servant Messiah the fulfillment of Isaiah
42 the fulfillment of Mark's Gospel our blessed
Lord Himself He came as a servant the
one that was going to mediate and work
and implement the great plans and purposes of
God the sprout the one who's come to
reign that one which came out of a
root out of a dry ground from the
tribe of David and Judah the one who's
meant to rule and rule and reign over
all things and the stone that was quarried
without hands that's going to come and crush
all the enemy powers crush and destroy all
the Gentile forces and be the absolute priest,
king, ruler over all my servant the sprout
the stone and God will do it in
a day saith the Lord of hosts and
in that day shall ye call every man
his neighbor under the vine and under the
fig tree Jesus says when this comes Zachariah
says to the nation of Israel our blessed
King He's going to come and fulfill all
things and then you can call all men
the prosperity will be so great the enrichment
the joys the privileges you'll all have richness
and wealth and be a wonderful kingdom but
for you and me in application what's the
lesson?
you can be Christlike you too can be
a portent and a son you too in
your priestly life and activities reeling spiritual impact
upon others because of a right relationship to
the Lord you too can have a testimony
for God and be an anticipated picture a
mirrored reflection of our blessed Lord Jesus Christ
that others might see Him and His life
of services see Him and the power and
right to rule to see Him as the
one that is the one can implement rule
and government and control and order in this
chaotic world and this is what we collectively
are to be a lighthouse a luminary to
shine out to those round about the spiritual
lessons are very evident and valuable if we
want for God to receive glory it will
require self-discipline and self-sacrifice if I
genuine desire Christ to be honored and magnified
and seen in myself it will be that
which will be cutting away the flesh removing
the filth and confessing it getting into a
right established relationship with Himself enjoying the Lord
blessing Him praising Him worshiping Him serving Him
but don't be discouraged because He wants to
do it in you and through you and
He wants to give you the absolute confidence
that is divine in power and enabling for
His honor and glory why did Zachariah have
the vision that God's people could recognize the
tremendous importance of their priestly privilege and that
God first said before we can go any
further in my kingdom and before Messiah can
come and before the coming of the Lord
we need to straighten out our personal responsibilities
trusting that which is without equity and balance
straightening and cleaning this matter out keeping the
charges given to us faithfully not with a
thought of success but with a thought of
His glory His honor His coming kingdom I
trust that God will touch our hearts and
that we will be those who can honestly
say for me to live is Christ that
I want to mirror Him and reflect Him
that my mouth and my walk and my
doing will be His that others might see
reflected in us the beloved eternal Son of
God His grace His compassion His tenderness His
faithfulness His obedience we had a son not
ours but Christ's we had a minister to
live as Christ we had the exhortation be
a priest put the impurities away enjoy Him
and mirror that blessed perfect Son Christ great
coming Son fulfill God's purpose