God’s Truest Expression of Favor
Zechariah 3:1-10
October 2, 2016
We live in a day when the love of God
Is often questioned or even doubted.
When we hit times of difficulty or confusion, it is not uncommon for people
To assume that God just doesn’t love me.
I don’t think it’s far-fetched to wonder if these refugees from Israel
At times wondered these types of things.
John Calvin wrote about how under their circumstances
It would be hard for these refugees
To maintain the hope of the redemption that they had been promised.
You are aware of their struggle.
• They traveled back from Babylon (5 month journey)
• The city was in ruins and the temple was gone
• They started to build but opposition quickly halted them
• Haggai convinced them to start again
• Now the governor has sent word to Darius to find out if they can continue
• All the while most of your brothers have opted to remain in the comfortable life back in Babylon
That would definitely be a difficult scenario to endure.
THAT IS THE PURPOSE OF THE MINISTRY OF ZECHARIAH.
John Calvin wrote:
“Zechariah was sent for this end – to encourage weak minds.”
The name of the prophet means “The Lord Remembers” and that is certainly the point that he is trying to get across to these people.
Presently he is doing so through the revealing of his 8 NIGHT VISIONS.
They are all meant to remind these refugees that God is for them.
1) The Vision of the Angelic Patrol
• Reminded us that God is angry at those nations who are fat and happy and enjoying the demise of Israel. God is jealous for Israel and angry at the nations who oppress her.
2) The Vision of the 4 horns and 4 craftsmen
• This vision taught us that God will avenge Israel on the nations that have oppressed Israel. You don’t mess with His people at no cost.
3) The Vision of the Surveyor
• This vision reminded us that God has claimed Jerusalem for Himself. Surveying denotes ownership.
• And even more than that, as the man was measuring for a wall God intervened to tell him no wall was needed because God Himself would be her protection.
So the point thus far has been clear.
• I am for you
• I am against those who harmed you
• I will protect you and I will judge them
That message then brought a sermon of application in which
God called for all the Jews still living in Babylon to come home.
• If God is going to judge Babylon (even though it doesn’t look like it)
• And God is going to bless Jerusalem (even though it doesn’t look like it)
• Then you need to walk by faith and leave Babylon.
It’s no different than our continual call to forsake this world for eternity.
But as you can see God has revealed at least 3 times that He is for Israel.
Tonight He does so again, and He does so in what I have called GOD’S TRUEST EXPRESSION OF FAVOR.
It is the fourth vision which is
THE VISION OF JOSHUA’S ATONEMENT
And this vision should certainly reveal to Israel that God is for them.
Let’s look at it together.
#1 THE VISION
Zechariah 3:1-7
Here we have Zechariah given a glimpse into a spiritual realm.
He is able to see the Lord and he is able to see Satan,
That’s pretty much a spiritual realm.
Let’s break it down a little more; there are 3 things we see here.
1) JOSHUA ACCUSED (1-2)
We have here “Joshua the high priest standing before the angel of the LORD,”
What you have here is the Day of Atonement.
The high priest has gone before the presence of God
In order to make intercession for the sins of the people.
And of course this is a big deal to Israel.
• This is the day when the guilt of your sin is to be removed.
• When all of those sins you committed in ignorance are atoned for and taken away.
It was a big day.
But immediately Zechariah recognizes a problem.
Joshua isn’t alone
“and Satan standing at his right hand to accuse him.”
Here we have Satan working against
The intercessory work of Joshua.
We don’t know what the particular accusation is,
But we understand the purpose.
If Satan can disqualify the high priest
Then he can put a stop to the work of atonement.
So this isn’t just an attack on Joshua, it is an attack on the entire nation.
Satan is opposing the entire work of atonement.
And of course this does not surprise us.
We saw Satan do the same thing with Job
Job 1:9-11 “Then Satan answered the LORD, “Does Job fear God for nothing? “Have You not made a hedge about him and his house and all that he has, on every side? You have blessed the work of his hands, and his possessions have increased in the land. “But put forth Your hand now and touch all that he has; he will surely curse You to Your face.”
And we know from the book of Revelation that he is tireless in this work.
Revelation 12:10 “Then I heard a loud voice in heaven, saying, “Now the salvation, and the power, and the kingdom of our God and the authority of His Christ have come, for the accuser of our brethren has been thrown down, he who accuses them before our God day and night.”
Satan is the one who accuses God’s people before God day and night.
That is to say it is constantly.
Satan tempts us to turn on God by slandering God
(remember Christ’s temptation where Satan questioned God’s provision, God’s protection, and God’s plan)
And Satan seeks to tempt God to turn on us by slandering us to God.
(fortunately the good news is that James tells us that God cannot be tempted by evil)
But you get the idea.
• The high priest is working to bring atonement to God’s people
• And Satan is seeking to thwart that work
• By disqualifying the high priest through accusation of sin.
HOWEVER, we immediately recognize that the Lord won’t hear of it!
(2) “The LORD said to Satan, “The LORD rebuke you, Satan! Indeed the LORD who has chosen Jerusalem rebuke you! Is this not a brand plucked from the fire?”
I absolutely love this passage and I think you will too.
This passage is the Old Testament equivalent to Romans 8:28-39
TURN TO: ROMANS 8:28-39
Of course that begins with the blessed reality that “God causes all things to work together for good to those who love God”
This verse is often quoted as a verse of hope and encouragement
To people in difficult situations.
BUT LET ME TELL YOU SOMETHING ABOUT THIS VERSE.
If you don’t hold to the Doctrines Of Grace
(Things like Reformed theology, or Calvinism as it is often called)
Then you really have no basis for clinging to this verse.
BECAUSE THE REALITY OF THAT PROMISE
IS TIED UP IN GOD’S SOVEREIGN ELECTION.
One should ask WHY DOES GOD CAUSE ALL THINGS TO WORK FOR GOOD?
That is the answer that is given at the end of verse 28 through verse 30.
It is because they “are called according to His purpose. For those whom He foreknew, He also predestined to become conformed to the image of His Son, so that He would be the firstborn among many brethren; and these whom He predestined, He also called; and these whom He called, He also justified; and these whom He justified, He also glorified.”
God is promised to do good to them that love God
BECAUSE that is what He has determined to do
For those whom He has called.
By His own sovereign decree He has said
• That He will call those He has foreknown,
• That He will justify those He calls,
• And that He will glorify those He justifies.
Since God has decreed that His elect will end in glory,
It is impossible to say that any situation in life
Can end up in any reality but a good one.
We know God causes all things to work together for good
Because that is what He has sovereignly decreed to happen.
(If you take sovereign election out of that, then that verse has no legs to stand on)
But that reality then leads Paul to take the application a little further.
(READ 31-37)
The point there is that
• God has chosen us
• God has redeemed us
• God has already purposed to take us to glory
So there is nothing that can undo that,
Because there is nothing that can thwart God’s sovereign will.
If God has determined that those whom He foreknew will be glorified, what does Satan think he can do to stop that? -nothing
That reality led Paul to a high state of doxology in which he said:
(38-39) “For I am convinced that neither death, nor life, nor angels, nor principalities, nor things present, nor things to come, nor powers, nor height, nor depth, nor any other created thing, will be able to separate us from the love of God, which is in Christ Jesus our Lord.”
In short, Satan’s accusations cannot stop what God has predestined.
Satan’s slander cannot undo God’s sovereign decree.
(We love that because our security rests there)
That is the EXACT SAME THING that Jesus tells Satan in Zechariah 3:2
Jesus rebukes him and rebukes him harshly.
And He reminds Satan why his accusations won’t work.
Namely because “the LORD has chosen Jerusalem”
In fact Jesus also asks, “Is this not a brand plucked from the fire?”
Thank about that for a moment.
• The fact that the brand was already in the fire indicates that it was already under judgment.
• But in the midst of judgment God reached in and plucked it out,
• Thus rescuing it from the flame.
And here is the point.
Do you really think God has some level of confusion
Regarding what type of people Israel is?
He knew what they were when He first plucked them from the fire.
He is not saving them because they are worthy,
He is saving them because He is gracious.
This is why the accusations of the enemy do not work.
If we were saved by works then all Satan would have to do is take the record of our failures to the righteous Judge and we’d be toast.
But we weren’t saved by works so mistakes don’t condemn us.
God knew about our mistakes when He chose us.
We are secured, not by our own merit, but by God’s sovereign election.
And this is what Jesus reveals here.
Think about how encouraging this must be to Israel.
God has chosen them and Satan’s accusations have no bearing.
God has remembered His selection of them.
But it gets even better.
We have Joshua Accused
2) JOSHUA ATONED (3-5)
Here is what is really remarkable.
Satan was standing next to Joshua in order to accuse him, and do you want to know the startling thing?
He was correct in his assessment.
(3) “Now Joshua was clothed with filthy garments and standing before the angel.”
This is wrong on a number of levels.
• First, one of the first requirements of the priest before he could even begin the
process of the sacrifices for the Day of Atonement was this:
Leviticus 16:4-5 “He shall put on the holy linen tunic, and the linen undergarments shall be next to his body, and he shall be girded with the linen sash and attired with the linen turban (these are holy garments). Then he shall bathe his body in water and put them on. “He shall take from the congregation of the sons of Israel two male goats for a sin offering and one ram for a burnt offering.”
• Aaron was to have a clean body and clean garments before appearing before
the Lord.
So even if we are talking about actual garments here,
The application is clear that Joshua doesn’t fit the bill.
I tend to think, however, that
We aren’t talking about his clothes, but his heart.
Throughout Scripture garments represent character.
Hence the redeemed are said to be given white garments from Christ.
So the real picture here could be that
Joshua is sinful and unworthy to stand before God.
That means that Satan’s accusation is accurate.
Joshua was in fact unworthy.
But notice how the Lord deals with this.
(4) “He spoke and said to those who were standing before him, saying, “Remove the filthy garments from him.” Again he said to him, “See, I have taken your iniquity away from you and will clothe you with festal robes.”
That was Joshua’s symbolic atonement.
• Joshua didn’t do anything,
• Joshua didn’t make any sacrifice,
• But the Lord simply removed the filthy garments and gave him festal robes.
I think the important phrase is that He said,
“I have taken your iniquity away from you”
This is a foreshadowed picture obviously to the atonement of Christ.
Today we are saved as we trust in the finished work of Christ which He accomplished on the cross.
In the Old Testament they were saved as they trusted in the promised work of Christ which He would accomplish on the cross.
We praise Christ because He bore our sin.
Joshua could praise Christ because He promised He would.
So we have a sinful but chosen priest being accused by Satan
And Jesus simply steps in and takes his iniquity
That he might be CLOTHED in righteousness and FIT for service.
That is the gospel in clear fashion.
Romans 8:34 “who is the one who condemns? Christ Jesus is He who died, yes, rather who was raised, who is at the right hand of God, who also intercedes for us.”
Joshua is clothed in righteousness,
AND he is FIT FOR SERVICE
So Christ recommissions him!
(5) “Then I said, “Let them put a clean turban on his head.” So they put a clean turban on his head and clothed him with garments, while the angel of the LORD was standing by.”
Those are the high priestly garments.
I hope you are seeing the beautiful scene here.
• We have a sinful man who is not worthy to serve, seeking to intercede on behalf of other sinful men.
• And we have a devil pointing all that out seeking to wreck the entire process.
• And that devil would win were it not for Jesus, who steps in, rebukes the enemy, takes away Joshua’s iniquity and recommissions him to continue on as a priest for his people.
That is a wonderful reality for the children of Israel.
THAT IS A WONDERFUL REALITY FOR ALL OF GOD’S ELECT!!!
Joshua Accused Joshua Atoned
3) JOSHUA ADMONISHED (7)
Not only is Joshua given permission
To enter the presence of God and atone for his people,
But the LORD also expresses to Joshua
How he can continue in this ministry.
“If you will walk in My ways” (that is do the things I command)
“if you will perform My service” (continue in your role as priest)
“then you will also govern My house and have charge of My courts and I will grant you free access among these who are standing here.”
That is to say, I will let you rule and will continually allow you back into My presence for your work of atonement.
(We see here as well why Christ remains an acceptable high priest to God on our behalf as well.)
So Israel, you have a priest, and acceptable priest, and one whom God has agreed to continue to accept on your behalf.
That is good news.
God is willing to forgive.
The Vision
#2 THE PROMISE
Zechariah 3:8-10
This is the point to the vision which Zechariah wanted the people to see.
“Now listen, Joshua the high priest, you and your friends who are sitting in front of you”
He’s speaking there of Joshua and of all the priests.
“indeed they are men who are a symbol”
Be sure and catch that.
I’m actually kind of shocked that the writer of Hebrews didn’t use this verse in his preaching on Christ.
Here the LORD is speaking and He makes a startling revelation
That the high priest and the priesthood
Is in all actuality nothing more than a symbol.
Now we know that.
• We know that it’s impossible for the blood of bulls and goats to take away sin.
• We know that those priests weren’t actually entering the presence of God, they were just entering a man-made version.
• We know it was all a divine illustration; a picture
Hebrews 9 and 10 makes that point over and over and over.
Well here the LORD tells the priests that.
You “are a symbol”
Well a symbol has to have a substance.
What is the substance?
“I am going to bring in My servant the Branch.”
You are a symbol for a coming “Branch”
Who is that?
Jeremiah 23:5-6 “Behold, the days are coming,” declares the LORD, “When I will raise up for David a righteous Branch; And He will reign as king and act wisely And do justice and righteousness in the land. “In His days Judah will be saved, And Israel will dwell securely; And this is His name by which He will be called, ‘The LORD our righteousness.’”
Jeremiah 33:14-16 “’Behold, days are coming,’ declares the LORD, ‘when I will fulfill the good word which I have spoken concerning the house of Israel and the house of Judah. ‘In those days and at that time I will cause a righteous Branch of David to spring forth; and He shall execute justice and righteousness on the earth. ‘In those days Judah will be saved and Jerusalem will dwell in safety; and this is the name by which she will be called: the LORD is our righteousness.’”
We are talking about a coming branch.
And one who will bring righteousness to the people.
What the priest did day after day was just symbolic.
They didn’t actually remove sin, they just symbolically did.
But the LORD says there is one coming
Who actually will do what you are merely symbolizing.
(9) “For behold, the stone that I have set before Joshua”
• This stone is the temple foundation stone.
• They’ve started but they haven’t finished.
“on one stone are seven eyes.”
What does that mean?
Zechariah 4:10 “For who has despised the day of small things? But these seven will be glad when they see the plumb line in the hand of Zerubbabel — these are the eyes of the LORD which range to and fro throughout the earth.”
• These eyes are the eyes of God.
Here we find that they are focused on the temple foundation stone.
God is focusing on the rebuilding of this temple.
Now of course the temple was also symbolic.
• It was symbolic of God’s presence.
• It was symbolic of God’s atonement.
• It was symbolic of forgiveness.
But God says, as you are building this temple I’m going to “engrave an inscription on it,’ declares the LORD of hosts, ‘and I will remove the iniquity of that land in one day.”
This temple that you are building will serve as reminder to me
That I will atone for all the iniquity of the land of Israel in one day.
There is a future Day of Atonement coming for you.
And there is no doubt in our mind what this day is,
It is the coming cross of Jesus Christ.
• It is on the cross that Christ would bring true atonement for all the sin of God’s
people for all time.
• All their sin would be permanently removed.
I am going to send my servant the Branch and He will remove your sin.
And the effect is glorious!
(10) “’In that day,’ declares the LORD of hosts, ‘every one of you will invite his neighbor to sit under his vine and under his fig tree.'”
With sin removed there would no longer be any curse or any unrest.
It will be a time of blessing and peace.
It is God’s promise of a full atonement
Coming through His servant the Branch.
Now, first you have to realize HOW ENCOURAGING
This must have been to these refugees.
• They are trying to rebuild this temple so that they can once again enjoy
God’s presence and seek His forgiveness through sacrifice.
• God is saying that He will accept them, will forgive them, and will
ultimately send One who will bring about a final and lasting atonement.
That is good news!
I told you that this is God’s clearest expression of favor.
It is FORGIVENESS
There is no greater expression of favor than that.
That God would forgive undeserving sinners.
As I said, we live in a world where people
Doubt the love of God when their circumstances get difficult,
But that is horribly unfair to God.
There is no doubt that God’s favor rests upon us
And that His love is toward us.
Romans 5:6-8 “For while we were still helpless, at the right time Christ died for the ungodly. For one will hardly die for a righteous man; though perhaps for the good man someone would dare even to die. But God demonstrates His own love toward us, in that while we were yet sinners, Christ died for us.”
Atonement is God’s demonstration of His love and favor.
We never have the right to question God’s love or God’s favor.
He has given us forgiveness.
That is why we can know that all things will work for good,
Regardless of what they are.
God has sovereignly decreed that they must,
And He has proven His will toward us in our forgiveness.
Zechariah was seeking to encourage these people
By not only reminding them that God had chosen them
But also that God had chosen to forgive them.
THAT IS ENCOURAGING.
Now do you want to hear the bad news?
God promised a branch that would come and atone for sin.
Isaiah 53:1-3 “Who has believed our message? And to whom has the arm of the LORD been revealed? For He grew up before Him like a tender shoot, And like a root out of parched ground; He has no stately form or majesty That we should look upon Him, Nor appearance that we should be attracted to Him. He was despised and forsaken of men, A man of sorrows and acquainted with grief; And like one from whom men hide their face He was despised, and we did not esteem Him.”
• The Branch came and did exactly as God promised
• But they didn’t like the fact that this branch was like a tender shoot from parched ground
• And they refused to accept Him.
And they have thus postponed their atonement for a future day
When they will look on Him whom they have pierced.
God gave them the truest expression of His favor that He could give them
AND THEY REFUSED IT.
However, for us, this is blessing.
John 15:1-4 “I am the true vine, and My Father is the vinedresser. “Every branch in Me that does not bear fruit, He takes away; and every branch that bears fruit, He prunes it so that it may bear more fruit. “You are already clean because of the word which I have spoken to you. “Abide in Me, and I in you. As the branch cannot bear fruit of itself unless it abides in the vine, so neither can you unless you abide in Me.”
• Jesus is our branch.
• Jesus is our righteousness.
• Jesus is our proof of God’s favor toward us.
You don’t have to walk through this life
Fretting whether or not God is for you.
GOD IS FOR YOU – He proved that on the cross.
And though this world with devils filled may threaten to undo us,
We will not fear for God hath willed, His truth to triumph through us
The Prince of darkness grim
We tremble not for him
His rage we can endure
For lo, his doom is sure
One little word shall fell him
Though Satan should buffet though trials should come
Let this blessed assurance control
That Christ hath regarded my helpless estate
And hath shed His own blood for my soul
THERE CAN BE NO CLEARER EXPRESSION OF FAVOR THAN THIS
Go forward
Press on
Finish the task
“If God be for us, who can be against us”
