Slices
Prepare
Imagine being a priest who is wearing defiled clothing. Imagine that you cannot cleanse yourself and the accuser is rightly pointing out how unfit you are to serve God. What do you need?
Bible passage
Clean garments for the high priest
3 Then he showed me Joshua the high priest standing before the angel of the Lord, and Satan standing at his right side to accuse him. 2 The Lord said to Satan, ‘The Lord rebuke you, Satan! The Lord, who has chosen Jerusalem, rebuke you! Is not this man a burning stick snatched from the fire?’
3 Now Joshua was dressed in filthy clothes as he stood before the angel. 4 The angel said to those who were standing before him, ‘Take off his filthy clothes.’
Then he said to Joshua, ‘See, I have taken away your sin, and I will put fine garments on you.’
5 Then I said, ‘Put a clean turban on his head.’ So they put a clean turban on his head and clothed him, while the angel of the Lord stood by.
6 The angel of the Lord gave this charge to Joshua: 7 ‘This is what the Lord Almighty says: “If you will walk in obedience to me and keep my requirements, then you will govern my house and have charge of my courts, and I will give you a place among these standing here.
8 ‘“Listen, High Priest Joshua, you and your associates seated before you, who are men symbolic of things to come: I am going to bring my servant, the Branch. 9 See, the stone I have set in front of Joshua! There are seven eyes on that one stone, and I will engrave an inscription on it,” says the Lord Almighty, “and I will remove the sin of this land in a single day.
10 ‘“In that day each of you will invite your neighbour to sit under your vine and fig-tree,” declares the Lord Almighty.’
Explore
The first three visions related to the nation of Israel being restored from captivity and prospering in the land. Now, in the fourth vision, God addresses the internal cleansing from sin that Israel needed. This vision focuses on Joshua, the high priest in Israel at that time. Representing the nation, he stood there before the Lord dressed in filthy clothes, with Satan accusing him.
‘The angel of the Lord’ rebuked Satan (vs 1,2), took away Joshua’s sin (v 4) and then he was dressed for service as a priest. Israel were originally called to be a kingdom of priests, and now Joshua was being called to fulfil that role (v 7). Joshua, and the men with him, were also told to anticipate the coming of God’s servant, the Branch (v 8). This is the Branch of David, the Messiah, who will do the will of God (see Isaiah 11:1; Jeremiah 23:5).
Just like Israel, we have been called to be priests (1 Peter 2:5). We also are defiled by sin and rightly accused by Satan. We too are cleansed by God’s grace, called to serve faithfully and told to anticipate the coming of the Branch. When he comes we will really know peace and prosperity!
Respond
Imagine being a priest, purified by God’s action, invited to live for God in this needy world. If you have trusted in Christ, that is you.
Deeper Bible study
‘In his hands [God] gently bears us, / rescues us from all our foes.’1
According to legend, Satan taunted the Protestant reformer Martin Luther about his sins one night as he sat writing at his desk in Wartburg Castle. Luther drove the enemy away by throwing an ink pot at his head! It’s a wonderful story with no historical authentication, but certainly illustrates an indisputable fact – Satan hates God’s people and seeks to discourage us with a sense of our unworthiness. That’s what high priest Joshua, a prominent leader of the Jews returning from exile,2 discovers in Zechariah’s fourth vision…
Joshua stands in the dock before the angel of the Lord, his judge. In various Old Testament passages this angel is a theophany, an appearance of God in physical form.3 Many Bible scholars believe he is the pre-incarnate Christ. Joshua’s filthy clothes represent the people’s sins, his own included. Satan’s accusations are intended to render him inoperative under a burden of guilt, but the angel of the Lord replaces Joshua’s rags with clean garments, symbolising the Lord’s forgiveness, and charges him to lead henceforth a life of righteousness. ‘See, I have taken away your sin’, says the angel (v 4), having previously rebuked the Accuser (undoubtedly to the latter’s surprise!). The Judge becomes the Justifier!
Dear Christian, how many times has Satan cast your sins before you and sanctimoniously whispered how unworthy you are, reminding you of past transgressions till you were overwhelmed with shame? True, all are sinners at birth4 and children of wrath,5 but through faith in Christ you are ‘ransomed, healed, restored, forgiven.’1 You are clothed with Christ’s (the angel of the Lord’s) righteousness.6 His blood cleanses from all sin.7 Let the Accuser be silent in the presence of your Judge and Justifier!
‘Praise [God] for his grace and favour … slow to chide, and swift to bless’!1 Thank God afresh today for your glorious salvation in Jesus Christ!
1 HF Lyte, ‘Praise, my soul’, 1834 2 Ezra 5:1,2; Hag 1:1 3 Eg Gen 21:17,18; Exod 3:2–6; Judg 2:1–4 4 Ps 51:5 5 Eph 2:3, AV 6 Rom 13:14 7 1 John 1:7
Bible in a year
Read the Bible in a year: Judges 13,14; Mark 4
Pray for Scripture Union
Praise God that last summer, It’s Your Move proved so helpful to Year 6 pupils like Sam as they moved schools during the pandemic. Please pray that even more schools will see its value and want to use it this summer. (This week's prayers relate to Taking God’s love back into schools)
