Zechariah 03 01-08 Visions of Joshua and Satan - Lesson 04

INTRODUCTION

1. In the first 6 chapters we are presented with 8 visions

2. The FIRST vision is of a man among the myrtle trees

a. God’s people were in fear from the nations surrounding them

b. God is assuring them that He is in charge of the affairs of all nations.

c. This is something that the children of God need to remember today.

d. God is saying to them ‘Yes, be on your guard, but do not fear. I am in charge of all the affairs of the nations. They cannot do anything to destroy My people.’ Zech. 2:13

e. We are surrounded by powerful enemies, both physical and spiritual

f. We need to heed the words of Paul – Eph 6:11-13

3. What happened in the FIRST vision? (1:7-17)

a. Zechariah saw a group of riders in some myrtle trees.

b. The myrtle tree is a symbol of Jerusalem.

c. Amongst those riders is one on a red horse, who reports – Zech. 1:11

d. The Messiah will return during times of great trouble, not times of peace. Zech. 2:6-7

4. The SECOND vision is of four horns (1:18-21)
a. The four ‘horns’ represent the nations that had come to devastate Israel.

b. Most commentators put the four carpenters along with the four horns

a. They are very similar – Zech. 1:18-21

c. The four carpenters are other pagan nations God uses, to destroy the ‘horns’,

5. The THIRD vision is of a surveyor (2:1-13)
a. We see a man who is going to measure Jerusalem.

b. The city had grown;

a. It had no fear.

c. Did it need to fear?

a. No, because God would be – Zech. 2:5

b. The exiles should return to Jerusalem – Zech. 2:6-7

c. But, there is more.

a. That there is a time when He will live among us – Zech. 2:10-11

d. There will be a time when God will again send His angel to measure a city –

Rev. 21:10, 15-16

FOURTH VISION

Zech. 3:1And he shewed me Joshua the high priest standing before the angel of the Lord, and Satan standing at his right hand to resist him

“He shewed me Joshua the high priest.”

This is not the Joshua who led the children of Israel into the Promised Land.
This is the Joshua who served as high priest among the remnant of Israel

i. Those who returned to Jerusalem after the Babylonian captivity.

Joshua = “Jehovah saves,” i. In the Greek translated as “Jesus.”

Matt. 1:21 “… thou shalt call his name JESUS: for he shall save his people from their sins”

“Standing before the angel of the Lord.”

Again, this angel is the Lord Jesus Christ before His incarnation,

“And Satan standing at his right hand.”

If Zechariah saw Joshua, he also saw Satan,

i. Satan is real - a person.

“To resist him.”

Satan is standing at Joshua’s right hand

i. Why? to support him or defend him,

ii. No, he is there to bring charges against him.

1. This is typical in the workings of Satan.

Scripture tells us that you and I have an advocate with God the Father.

i. Why do we need an advocate with God the Father?

ii. Because of the enemy who is accusing us.

Revelation 12:10 he is called “… the accuser of our brethren …which accused them before our God day and night.”

Satan was standing at the right hand of Joshua to resist him, to accuse him. i. Probably saying to God, “How can you put up with this man, he is filthy!”

ii. Satan was the accuser of the nation Israel.

As God’s children we have an advocate with the Father.

1 John 2:1, “My little children, these things write I unto you, that ye sin not. [I wish we didn’t, but we do.] And if any man sin, we have an advocate with the Father, Jesus Christ the righteous”

Jesus Christ is the “angel of the Lord” before whom Joshua the high priest is standing in this vision of Zechariah.

Zech. 3:2And 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?

1. “The Lord rebuke thee”

No stronger rebuke than that.
Remember that God created him “… Lucifer, son of the morning …” (Isa. 14:12),

Probably the highest creature that He ever created.
Then sin was found in him.

i. What kind of sin? Lust or stealing?

ii. No. Pride was found in him.

iii. He had a free will and set that will against the will of God.

Isa. 53:6 “All we like sheep have gone astray; we have turned every one to his own way …”

2. “Even the Lord that hath chosen Jerusalem rebuke thee.”

a. This rebuke comes not on the account of Joshua the person

a. But on account of Jerusalem,

i. The capital of the nation.

3. “Is not this a brand plucked out of the fire?”

It looked as if Jerusalem would never be rebuilt after Nebuchadnezzar destroyed it

It laid in dust and ashes for seventy years.
Then out of the ruins the city is rebuilt

iv. A brand plucked out of the fire.

What a beautiful picture of a sinner who comes to Christ - a brand plucked out of the fire.

Zech. 3:3 Now Joshua was clothed with filthy garments, and stood before the angel

a. If God is going to return the nation Israel to the land

a. If He will dwell in the midst of them.

i. They will have to be totally restored as His people.

b. That hasn’t happened yet,

i. But He says He is going to do that.

c. He will bless them in that land.

b. How can God bless them when they are so far from Him?

a. In the day of Zechariah they were far from God

b. They were living in sin.

2. Joshua was to represent the nation.

a. We find him clothed with a filthy garment, very dirty.

b. Remember that the high priest had to be dressed spotlessly

a. Or else he was not permitted to serve God.

c. Joshua was the high priest at this time,

a. But in this vision he also represented the entire nation.

3. Joshua as an individual was not a perfect individual.

a. Even though he was God’s high priest,

a. He was described as dirty and filthy.

b. The high priest has always represented the nation Israel.

a. On the great Day of Atonement, the high priest went into the Holy of Holies for the entire nation.

b. In just the same way, Jesus Christ is our high priest.

i. He is our representative

ii. He appears before God for us today.

c. Joshua was a symbol, a type, a representative.

a. God had chosen him, and God had also chosen the nation Israel.

4. The high priest was to be clothed in fine-twined, white linen undergarments.

a. Over them were to be placed the garments of beauty and glory.

b. Remember, Joshua was pictured here as the high priest representing the nation

a. His garments, which should have been clean, were unclean.

b. In fact, he “was clothed with filthy garments.”

Zech. 3:4And 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

1. What a picture

a. Joshua could not stand before a righteous, holy God with these dirty garments on.

a. Joshua was a priest before God.

b. Today, every believer is a priest before God,

i. But we are standing in dirty garments.

b. The dirty garments, representing sin, must be removed

a. We must be clothed with clean garments, symbolic of the righteousness of Christ.

c. This is a picture of our salvation

d. We looked at Romans a while back.

a. Remember, in the first three chapters - mankind is shown as a sinner before God.

i. The writer is showing that we all stand dirty before Him.

b. And our righteousness is as filthy rags in God’s sight.

i. We stand in Joshua’s condition.

ii. What are we going to do?

iii. Here is God’s answer:

Rom. 3:21–24 “But now the righteousness of God without the law is manifested, being witnessed by the law and the prophets; even the righteousness of God which is by faith of Jesus Christ unto all and upon all them that believe: for there is no difference: for all have sinned, and come short of the glory of God; being justified freely [without cause] by his grace through the redemption that is in Christ Jesus”

e. Why?

a. Because Christ died, shedding His blood, that it possible for you and me to come in our filthy rags to Him.

b. He will not accept the filthy rags of our own righteousness.

c. He will take them off and clothe us in the righteousness of Christ.

f. When we stand clothed in Christ’s righteousness, nobody, no created thing, can bring any charge against us

a. Because we are God’s elect.

g. Paul writes

Rom. 8:31–34 “What shall we then say to these things? If God be for us, who can be against us? He that spared not his own Son, but delivered him up for us all, how shall he not with him also freely [without a cause] give us all things? Who shall lay any thing to the charge of God’s elect? It is God that justifieth. Who is he that condemneth? It is Christ that died, yea rather, that is risen again, who is even at the right hand of God, who also maketh intercession for us”

h. What a Savior we have!

a. When we trust Him as our Savior,

i. He not only removes our sins,

ii. He not only removes our dirty garment,

b. But He puts on us the robe of His righteousness,

i. Can God’s child still sin?

a. Yes.

b. And when we do, what are we to do?

1 John 1:9 “If we confess our sins, he is faithful and just to forgive us our sins, and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness”

c. When you and I are out of fellowship with God, we have lost so much.

i. We have lost all joy from our lives.

ii. We have lost all power from our lives.

iii. And it is possible to lose our assurance.

iv. And we lose our privilege of being of service to God.

Zech. 3:5And 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

1. The mitre or turban

a. The garments of the high priest included a turban,

b. Joshua didn’t have a turban because in those dirty garments he was not holy to the Lord.

a. But a turban is given to him now

Zech. 3:6–7And the angel of the Lord protested (testified) 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 courts, and I will give thee places to walk among these that stand by

a. Joshua had been dirty,

a. But God had a redemption which enabled Him to extend His grace and mercy

b. God says, “If you want to be used, you will have to stay clean. You will have to walk in My ways. You will have to be obedient to Me.”

a. Not only is God speaking to Joshua,

b. He was speaking to the nation,

c. He is saying it to you and me today.

John 14:15 “If ye love me, keep my commandments”