Sermon Tone Analysis

Introduction

If I were to ask you what the greatest problem facing the world today what would you say?

Maybe poverty, dictators, threat of world war or nuclear war, globalism, food scarcity, politics, racial tensions?

Actually the greatest problem facing the world today and all men alike is the problem of sin.

The greatest need then would be the appeasement, atonement or forgiveness of that sin.

The world is literally starved to know the forgiveness of sin, though their soul knows it their heart wont admit it or ignores it.

Others have come to know the forgiveness of God through the promise of forgiveness of Jesus Christ.

They know what it is to be made right with the maker of heaven and earth.

There is a story told that has its origins traced many places but one of which is Spain.

The story is of a father and his teenage son with whom their was a falling out and a resulting strained relationship.

The son ran away from home.

It was not long before the father began a journey searching for his rebellious son.

It was in Madrid that he came to his last ditch effort to find him, the father chose to put an ad in the paper.

The ad read “Dear Paco, meet me in front of the newspaper office at noon.

All is forgiven.

I love you.

Your father.”

The next day at noon in front of the newspaper office 800 “Pacos” showed up.

All seeking forgiveness and love from their fathers.

James S. Hewett, Illustrations Unlimited (Wheaton: Tyndale House Publishers, Inc, 1988) p. 218.

Maybe you are here and maybe you believe in God’s forgiveness but you think that God has no desire to use you or cannot use you.

It like you have been working on the underneath of the car and covered in grime and grease and your help is needed to fold the white sheets.

How can you possibly help?

What started as a hypothetical situation is actually the picture of a serious matter facing the returned exiles in Jerusalem.

The question in their mind and maybe the question on you mind is “How can filthy sinner like me serve a holy God?” Have you ever had your past haunt you as you seek to serve God?

“Who do you think you are to teach others the Bible?” “How can you share the love of Christ - you fail Him” so many begin to say “Some day when I am holy enough I may serve God, but I cannot right now” “How could a sinner like me serve God - surely He wants better people.”

This fourth vision that we are going to look at this morning answers that question.

Symbolically the first three visions picture Israel’s external deliverance from exile and captivity, her expansion and possession of the land.

The fourth vision shows Israel’s internal cleansing from sin and reinstatement into her priestly office and functions.

This vision like the ones before is given with the intent purpose of God to give hope and encouragement and reassurance to God’s people.

While we can apply this text individually we must see it also at naturally national for Israel in prophetic scope.

The ultimate final fulfillment of this still awaits Messiah’s second coming.

The vision has however an immediate application to the people who were rebuilding the temple, to show them that they were not laboring in vain.

Now it also applies to us who are seeking to build God’s living temple, the church (Eph.

2:20-22).

How can we as sinners serve a holy God?

Condemned Before The LORD

Zechariah’s vision begins with being shown the high priest Joshua standing before the angel of the LORD.

Standing before the angel of the LORD - this phrase gives idea to the priestly service.

Joshua was standing before the LORD in priestly service a ministering priest before the LORD.

While serving as a priest before the LORD the vision continues to pan the scene and Satan is in view standing at his right side to accuse him.

Satan hates this whole scene - he always has! Satan hates when God’s people come into the presence of the LORD to minister or serve unto the LORD.

The bible teaches that Satan is a fallen angel, fallen because he rebelled against God and tempted Eve in the garden.

The bible also teaches a mystery to us that Satan would have access to the throne of God.

Satan is known as the adversary or the opponent and that is what Satan literally means.

He stands against us and against those who are the LORD’s.

Satan is also known as the accuser for He accuses God’s people.

It is important to know Satan’s tactics.

Satan has to lie to us about God, but when talking to God about us he doesnt have to lie.

God’s throne is a throne of justice and God is a righteous Judge.

Satan is here accusing and pointing out Joshua’s defilement.

Declaring him unfit to stand before the LORD in office as high priest.

The defilement of the high priest symbolized the defilement of the nation as a whole and it seemed like an airtight case - open and shut slam dunk - look at verse 3 — Joshua was dressed in filthy clothes before the Holy One.

The LORD at this point speaks to Satan a rebuke of the accusation.

A rebuke in the LORD (spoken by the angel of the LORD Jesus - so this is a rebuke in the name of the Father).

May the LORD who has chosen Jerusalem rebuke you!

Isnt this man a burning stick snatched from the fire?

A man saved from the fire - in the fire ready to be consumed yet pulled from it.

You see the case was airtight except for one thing - the grace of God.

The grace of God is greater than all our sin and is able to pluck us from the fire!

The angel of the LORD rebuked Satan and proceded to aquit Joshua, not because the accusations are false - they are most definitely true, it is purely because of God’s gracious love for His people.

The rebuke comes in the right time.

Satan accuses and Christ defends a present help in a time of trouble.

Cleansed and Clothed By The LORD

As Joshua was standing there in the vision standing in the filthy clothes the angel of the LORD spoke to those standing before him and said take off his filthy clothes.

Now the high priest does not wear filthy clothes as they perform their duties.

They are clothed in linen breeches for the undergarment, linen white coat, blue robe, ephod woven with blue, purple, scarlet, white linen and gold, a girdle same as ephod, the breast plate same colors as ephod, with 12 precious stones set in gold, mitre - white linen with gold plate and ribbon of blue.

The people would not think that Joshua’s garments and clothes were filthy.

They probably seemed, beautiful, ornate, and significant.

Of course all things are revealed for what they are in the presence of the LORD.

In His presence high priestly robes are filthy garments and ornate is defiled rags.

Isaiah gives the answer to the question of why.

All of our efforts at being religious, generous and good makes us seem like good people.

The presence of the LORD reveals our motives and heart and all our supposed righteousness becomes as rottenness and filthy clothing.

I wonder if Joshua was tempted by the desire to cleanse himself in that situation.

I know I am tempted to believe that somehow I must cleanse myself before I can pray, worship or even serve God.

Notice though that in the vision Joshua continued to remain standing there passively - realizing and agreeing even that his clothes were filthy but the angel of the LORD commands that his clothes be removed and then the meaning — see I have removed your iniquity from you.

He also claims I WILL CLOTHE YOU.

Jesus removes the iniquity and clothes us.

Salvation is not us cleansing ourselves - it is allowing Jesus to remove our iniquity and clothe us in His righteousness!

This removal of and putting on of clothing deeply signified the complete forgiveness and restoration of Israel as a priestly nation.

Even to the putting on of the new turban to signify the return to service.

The front plate has an inscription HOLINESS TO THE LORD.

The LORD in grace removes our sin and appropriately covers us.

He has been doing this since the garden of Eden and promises to all the way up to the end.

It is not a lifelong process of God infusing enough righteousness into us that eventually we qualify for heaven, as the Roman Catholic Church teaches.

Rather, it is a judicial decision on God’s part that takes place in an instant, as the clothing of Joshua here pictures.

God justifies the guilty sinner by grace alone through Christ alone, received by faith alone.

Our good deeds have nothing at all to do with it.

Conditions From The LORD

The angel of the LORD then charged Joseph - not with a crime or accusation - no this is a charge of service a commissioning.

If you walk in my ways and keep my mandates then you will both rule my house and care for my courts (the temple).

I will also grant us access among those standing here — access among those who have access to the throne room of heaven!

A stick plucked from the fire - the only reason to rescue a stick is that you see a purpose a further use for it.

God has saved His people for a purpose, and He saves the church for a purpose as well.

There is a requirement for this service though.

Joshua is commissioned and charged to walk in His ways, and to keep His mandates.

Cleansing and restoration by LORD involve responsibility to the LORD.

It is important to see that Joshua wasnt put on probationary period here he was absolutely cleansed and restored to service, the continued service did not rely on a perfect past but going forward in faithfulness to the LORD and His Word.

The reward or result of this service however is the privilege of access to God and blessing on His people.

God pours out His abundant blessing for those who walk in His ways and who minister as priests before Him in worship and prayer.