Zechariah: Chosen to Serve

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Friday morning I got up about 6ish and started getting ready to go for a run as is my custom on Friday morning as I prepare for the upcoming half-marathon. I got dressed putting on my shorts, shirt, headband, knee brace, angle support, and shoes. I put my smart watch on to record my effort.

I grabbed my earbuds so make the run less agonizing. Then off I went to run 10 miles. The first mile was pretty good and the second not bad but then you hit an incline on the trace at about 2.5 miles and it is a constant incline for over 1.5 miles.

As I was getting close to the end of the incline, I was just over 4 miles, only 1 mile till I turned around, and I took a stride and felt my ankle twist. I caught myself before I put all my weight on it so it wasn’t as bad as it could have been. After a little TLC I had to make a decision.

Was I going to call someone to come pick me up, or was I going to finish my run?

Create Tension

We all have choices to make. I had to choose if I was going to continue to run or was I going to have someone come pick me up? Knowing that my ankle could have been a lot worse and I could walk on it, albeit with pain, I decided to finish my run.

But these is another choice we all have to make, that is what I want to talk to you about today?

Provide Solution

We only have two weeks left in our series, “Majoring in the Minors.”

Today we are in the book of Zechariah the second to last book in the OT.

Zechariah was a prophet during the return of the Jews from their exile in Babylon.

As a contemporary to Haggai, Zechariah their messages was to the same group of people, but they emphasized different things. Haggai dealt with the physical aspects of the temple, specifically the fact the Temple lay in ruin while the people cared for their own houses.

Zechariah deals with a more spiritual. The first 6 chapters deal specifically with 8 visions ranging from dealing with Israel’s fall to the the future glory of God’s Temple.

In the midst of these visions is one that is encouraging and challenging.

In this vision we can find comfort but also confrontation. For what is done and said for Joshua is also done for us!

Let’s read.

Zechariah 3:1–10

Then the angel showed me Jeshua the high priest standing before the angel of the LORD. The Accuser, Satan, was there at the angel’s right hand, making accusations against Jeshua. 2 And the LORD said to Satan, “I, the LORD, reject your accusations, Satan. Yes, the LORD, who has chosen Jerusalem, rebukes you. This man is like a burning stick that has been snatched from the fire.” 3 Jeshua’s clothing was filthy as he stood there before the angel. 4 So the angel said to the others standing there, “Take off his filthy clothes.” And turning to Jeshua he said, “See, I have taken away your sins, and now I am giving you these fine new clothes.” 5 Then I said, “They should also place a clean turban on his head.” So they put a clean priestly turban on his head and dressed him in new clothes while the angel of the LORD stood by. 6 Then the angel of the LORD spoke very solemnly to Jeshua and said, 7 “This is what the LORD of Heaven’s Armies says: If you follow my ways and carefully serve me, then you will be given authority over my Temple and its courtyards. I will let you walk among these others standing here. 8 “Listen to me, O Jeshua the high priest, and all you other priests. You are symbols of things to come. Soon I am going to bring my servant, the Branch. 9 Now look at the jewel I have set before Jeshua, a single stone with seven facets. I will engrave an inscription on it, says the LORD of Heaven’s Armies, and I will remove the sins of this land in a single day. 10 “And on that day, says the LORD of Heaven’s Armies, each of you will invite your neighbor to sit with you peacefully under your own grapevine and fig tree.”

This passage is a reminder for us of several things…

First…

Like Jeshua we have an advocate.

Vs. 1 says the Accuser (Satan) was there making accusations against Jeshua .

Then the angel showed me Jeshua the high priest standing before the angel of the LORD. The Accuser, Satan, was there at the angel’s right hand, making accusations against Jeshua. 2 And the LORD said to Satan, “I, the LORD, reject your accusations, Satan. Yes, the LORD, who has chosen Jerusalem, rebukes you. This man is like a burning stick that has been snatched from the fire.”

Rev. 12:10 tells us that the accuser is in the presence of God night and day accusing believers.

But be aware of this, the accuser is not wrong in the sin we have committed…

He is only wrong in the punishment we must face!!! Why?

We also see there is an advocate for Joshua, the LORD.

1 John 2:1“1 My dear children, I am writing this to you so that you will not sin. But if anyone does sin, we have an advocate who pleads our case before the Father. He is Jesus Christ, the one who is truly righteous.

Because of this advocate we…

Like Jeshua We can be cleansed.

Vs. 3-4 Shows us that Jeshua was given new clothes to replace his filthy clothes, his sin.

3 Jeshua’s clothing was filthy as he stood there before the angel. 4 So the angel said to the others standing there, “Take off his filthy clothes.” And turning to Jeshua he said, “See, I have taken away your sins, and now I am giving you these fine new clothes.”

Most people like to wear their new outfits. You go to the store and find a cool shirt and a new pair of jeans, and you can’t wait to wear them.

Our society today is one where many people no longer desire to look their best. They wear their PJ’s to the store. There was a time in our country where a man would almost be underdressed if he went out in public without a suit on.

Biblically speaking new/white clothes vs old/filthy clothes is an important image.

Revelation 7:9 “9 After this I saw a vast crowd, too great to count, from every nation and tribe and people and language, standing in front of the throne and before the Lamb. They were clothed in white robes and held palm branches in their hands.”

Revelation 3:18 “18 So I advise you to buy gold from me—gold that has been purified by fire. Then you will be rich. Also buy white garments from me so you will not be shamed by your nakedness, and ointment for your eyes so you will be able to see.”

Matthew 22:11–12 “11 “But when the king came in to meet the guests, he noticed a man who wasn’t wearing the proper clothes for a wedding. 12 ‘Friend,’ he asked, ‘how is it that you are here without wedding clothes?’ But the man had no reply.”

The implication is the need to be seen as clean before God. The greatest picture of how we get that is in

1 John 1:7–8 “7 But if we are living in the light, as God is in the light, then we have fellowship with each other, and the blood of Jesus, his Son, cleanses us from all sin. 8 If we claim we have no sin, we are only fooling ourselves and not living in the truth.”

We are not clean because we have no sin, but we are clean in spite of our sin!

Like Jeshua we will be commissioned!

Vs. 5-7 we see the commissioning of Jeshua.

5 Then I said, “They should also place a clean turban on his head.” So they put a clean priestly turban on his head and dressed him in new clothes while the angel of the LORD stood by. 6 Then the angel of the LORD spoke very solemnly to Jeshua and said, 7 “This is what the LORD of Heaven’s Armies says: If you follow my ways and carefully serve me, then you will be given authority over my Temple and its courtyards. I will let you walk among these others standing here.

The turban is a representation of what God had called Joshua to do, his priestly work!

We too have been commissioned!

The great commission to go into all the world and make disciples.

but there is more than that!

Ephesians 2:10 “10 For we are God’s masterpiece. He has created us anew in Christ Jesus, so we can do the good things he planned for us long ago.”

What are these good works…any good thing we do, but I believe

There are a lot of church-goers who call a certain church their church home, but they treat it more like a vacation rental.

What I mean by that is that they pay to go and use the facility but don’t do anything to improve it, they treat it like a place they rent.

Like Joshua we have a better future!

Vs 8-10 remind us that there is a better future

8 “Listen to me, O Jeshua the high priest, and all you other priests. You are symbols of things to come. Soon I am going to bring my servant, the Branch. 9 Now look at the jewel I have set before Jeshua, a single stone with seven facets. I will engrave an inscription on it, says the LORD of Heaven’s Armies, and I will remove the sins of this land in a single day. 10 “And on that day, says the LORD of Heaven’s Armies, each of you will invite your neighbor to sit with you peacefully under your own grapevine and fig tree.”

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