GRACE

Sermon #9[1] Zechariah Series

Title: A Chosen Sinner, A Mighty Accuser,

And An Omnipotent Savior

Text: Zechariah 3:1-5

Subject: Zechariah’s Fourth Vision

Tape # Zechariah #9

Reading: — Zechariah 3:1-10

1. And he showed me Joshua the high priest standing before the angel of the LORD, and Satan standing at his right hand to resist him.

2. And 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?

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

4. And 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.

5. And 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.

6. And the angel of the LORD protested unto Joshua, saying,

7. 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.

8. Hear now, O Joshua the high priest, thou, and thy fellows that sit before thee: for they are men wondered at: for, behold, I will bring forth my servant the BRANCH.

9. For behold the stone that I have laid before Joshua; upon one stone shall be seven eyes: behold, I will engrave the graving thereof, saith the LORD of hosts, and I will remove the iniquity of that land in one day.

10. In that day, saith the LORD of hosts, shall ye call every man his neighbour under the vine and under the fig tree.

Introduction:

Is there anyone here who is fallen? — Guilty? — Dirty? — Ashamed? — With tattered garments? — Embarrassed? — Under Satanic assault? — Give me your attention. I have a message for you today. You will find it in Zechariah 3:1-5. In this third chapter of his Prophecy, Zechariah, writing by divine inspiration, gives us the fourth vision the Lord had given him concerning his people.

Background

Before we look at our text, let me remind you of the background. Israel was in a terrible state of spiritual lethargy and decline. The nation had just been delivered from 70 years of Babylonian captivity. God had miraculously brought them back to their own land. He had turned the heart of the pagan king of Babylon for the good of his people; and that king, Darius, by royal decree gave the Jews permission to return and to build again both the walls of Jerusalem and the temple. He not only gave permission, but also ordered it to be done and paid for out of his own treasury. God arranged for the Babylonians to pay for the whole thing!

Under the leadership of Ezra, Nehemiah and Haggai, the work had prospered well for a while. Then everything came to a halt. Under Haggai’s ministry, the Jews had begun to rebuild the temple; but their work began to wane. They quickly became discouraged in the work and their hearts, so enflamed with zeal yesterday, grew cold. So the Lord sent Zechariah to revive and stir up the hearts of his people, calling them to repentance.

But this instructive prophecy is not a mere lesson in Jewish religious history. It is God’s Word to us. In this great prophecy God calls chosen, redeemed sinners to repentance. He calls for us to return to him. And he does so by assuring us of his matchless grace. This is what we have seen in each of the previous three visions the Lord gave to Zechariah. And we see the same thing again in Zechariah’s Fourth Vision

In chapter 3, Zechariah gives us his fourth vision. Let’s look at just the first part of that vision (vv. 1-5). Here, in Zechariah 3:1-5, the prophet tells us that the Lord God showed him A Chosen Sinner, A Mighty Accuser, And An Omnipotent Savior.

(Zechariah 3:1-5) “And he showed me Joshua the high priest standing before the angel of the LORD, and Satan standing at his right hand to resist him. (2) And 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? (3) Now Joshua was clothed with filthy garments, and stood before the angel. (4) And 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. (5) And 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.”

Joshua the High Priest

I Joshua the high priest of Israel stands before us as a picture of every sinner who is chosen, redeemed, called, and converted by the grace of God in Christ.

The Angel of the Lord

And the Angel of the Lord standing by is our all-glorious Savior and Advocate, the Lord Jesus Christ, the Son of God.

Obviously, our Savior is not one of the angelic hosts that he created. He is called “the Angel of the Lord,” because he is Jehovah’s Messenger, the Angel of the covenant. This One who is called, “the Angel of the Lord” in verse 1, is Jehovah himself. We know that because he is called, “the Lord” (Jehovah) in verse 2. This Man who is God, the Angel of the Lord, the Lord Jesus Christ, is our almighty Advocate and effectual Intercessor (Heb. 7:24-27; 1 John 2:1-2).

(Heb 7:24-27) “But this man, because he continueth ever, hath an unchangeable priesthood. (25) Wherefore he is able also to save them to the uttermost that come unto God by him, seeing he ever liveth to make intercession for them. (26) For such an high priest became us, who is holy, harmless, undefiled, separate from sinners, and made higher than the heavens; (27) Who needeth not daily, as those high priests, to offer up sacrifice, first for his own sins, and then for the people’s: for this he did once, when he offered up himself.”

(1 John 2:1-2) “My little children, these things write I unto you, that ye sin not. And if any man sin, we have an advocate with the Father, Jesus Christ the righteous: (2) And he is the propitiation for our sins: and not for ours only, but also for the sins of the whole world.”

Proposition: This Man, who is our Savior, who intercedes with God for us, is himself the Lord God Almighty. That means that his intercession is effectual intercession.

Divisions: As we look at Zechariah’s vision of Joshua the High Priest, I will call your attention to four things in the vision. Here is…

1. A Chosen Sinner Guilty Before the Bar of God (v. 1).

2. A Mighty, Malicious Accuser Ready to Destroy (v. 1).

3. An Omnipotent Advocate Anxious to Save (v. 2).

4. A Work of Grace Effectually Accomplished (vv. 3-5).

A Chosen Sinner

I. The first thing seen in this picture is a chosen sinner guilty before the bar of God (v. 1). ― “And he showed me Joshua the high priest standing before the angel of the LORD.”

This Joshua, of course, is not the man who succeeded Moses as the great deliverer of Israel. This is Joshua the high priest, who came up out of Babylonian captivity with the children of Israel. He was a primary instrument of God for the rebuilding of the temple in the days of Ezra. But before he could be an instrument fit for the Master’s use, his sin had to be dealt with.

Joshua and his sons had taken heathen wives to themselves from among the women of Babylon (Ezra 10:18).

(Ezra 10:18) “And among the sons of the priests there were found that had taken strange wives: namely, of the sons of Jeshua the son of Jozadak, and his brethren; Maaseiah, and Eliezer, and Jarib, and Gedaliah.”

Here, he stands before the Lord God conscious of his guilt and sin. We read in verse 3, ― “Now Joshua was clothed with filthy garments, and stood before the Lord.”

A. Here is a sinner under the conviction of sin.

I will leave it to the theologians to argue about whether we should speak of “awakened sinners,” “convicted sinners,” and “sensible sinners.” But I know this ― If God Almighty ever saves you by his grace, he will convict you of your sin. There is no salvation apart from Holy Spirit conviction. Zacchaeus must come down, if he comes to Christ. The prodigal must come to himself, if he comes to the father. The woman at the well must have her sin exposed, or she will never drink water from the Well of Living Water. The publican must be made to cry, “God, be merciful to me, a sinner,” before he can go down to his house justified. And you must be made to know and confess your sin in the presence of God himself, or you cannot be saved (1 John 1:9; Ps. 32:1-5; 51:1-5).

(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.”

(Psa 32:1-5) “Blessed is he whose transgression is forgiven, whose sin is covered. (2) Blessed is the man unto whom the LORD imputeth not iniquity, and in whose spirit there is no guile. (3) When I kept silence, my bones waxed old through my roaring all the day long. (4) For day and night thy hand was heavy upon me: my moisture is turned into the drought of summer. Selah. (5) I acknowledged my sin unto thee, and mine iniquity have I not hid. I said, I will confess my transgressions unto the LORD; and thou forgavest the iniquity of my sin. Selah.”

(Psa 51:1-5) “Have mercy upon me, O God, according to thy lovingkindness: according unto the multitude of thy tender mercies blot out my transgressions. (2) Wash me thoroughly from mine iniquity, and cleanse me from my sin. (3) For I acknowledge my transgressions: and my sin is ever before me. (4) Against thee, thee only, have I sinned, and done this evil in thy sight: that thou mightest be justified when thou speakest, and be clear when thou judgest. (5) Behold, I was shapen in iniquity, and in sin did my mother conceive me.”

Robert Hawker wrote, “The Hebrews had in use several words by way of expressing the nature of sin; in the diversities of it. But the truth is, that sin doth not consist in this, or in that act of it, for the acts of sin are but the branches; the root is within: so that strictly and properly speaking, in the fallen and corrupt nature of man, sin itself is alike in every son and daughter of Adam. And that it doth not break out alike in all is not from any difference in the nature of man, but in the power of divine restraints. If this doctrine, which is wholly Scriptural, were but thoroughly and full understood by all men, what humbling views would it induce in all, and how endeared to all would be the person, blood, and righteousness of the Lord Jesus Christ! I beg to leave this on the reader's mind.”

John Flavel once wrote, “Christ is not sweet until sin is made bitter to us.” And Mr. Flavel was right.

Illustration: The Woman Taken in Adultery

John 8:1-12

1. Though Joshua was of the priestly line, he was a sinner still. ― He was chosen of God, but still vile. Though justified in the mind and purpose of God from eternity, he was guilty in his own conscience before the Lord.

2. He stood before the Lord in the filthy garments of his sin.

3. When Joshua stood before the Lord, in the filth of his sin, he was speechless before the bar of justice (Rom. 3:19).

(Rom 3:19) “Now we know that what things soever the law saith, it saith to them who are under the law: that every mouth may be stopped, and all the world may become guilty before God.”

Martin Luther once said, “The recognition of sin is the beginning of salvation.” Then he said, “I have no other name than sinner. Sinner is my name. And sinner is my surname.”

There is no hope for you until God graciously convicts you of your sin. I pray that he will do so. Spirit of God, by whatever means it takes, cause all here to know our sin, that we might know God’s mercy in Christ.

B. Here is a believer, polluted with personal sin, fallen and defiled.

This is an instructive picture. Look at what and where Joshua was and learn something about yourself. The believer is here described as a priest, standing before the angel of the Lord.

1. Every believer is a priest.

We have nothing but contempt for the idolatrous priesthood of Romanism, Anglicanism, and Mormonism. Every form of priestcraft invented by men is idolatrous. But we rejoice in the priesthood of the believer (1 Pet. 2:5, 9; Rev. 1:6).

(1 Pet 2:5) “Ye also, as lively stones, are built up a spiritual house, an holy priesthood, to offer up spiritual sacrifices, acceptable to God by Jesus Christ.”

(1 Pet 2:9) “But ye are a chosen generation, a royal priesthood, an holy nation, a peculiar people; that ye should show forth the praises of him who hath called you out of darkness into his marvellous light.”

(Rev 1:6) “And hath made us kings and priests unto God and his Father; to him be glory and dominion for ever and ever. Amen.”

The priesthood of the believer does not mean that every believer has the right to believe whatever he wants to believe, do whatever he wants to do, or worship God in whatever way he sees fit. The priesthood of the believer simply means that every child of God has direct access to the Father by the blood and righteousness of Christ, our only High priest and Sacrifice.

· Priests are chosen of God.

· Priests have access to God by God’s appointed and accepted Sacrifice. Priests do business in the holy place!

· Priests offer sacrifices to God (Rom. 12:1-2; 1 Pet. 2:5).

· All the sacrifices of God’s priests are acceptable to and accepted by him. We “offer up spiritual sacrifices, acceptable to God by Jesus Christ” (1 Pet. 2:5).

(Rom 12:1-2) “I beseech you therefore, brethren, by the mercies of God, that ye present your bodies a living sacrifice, holy, acceptable unto God, which is your reasonable service. (2) And be not conformed to this world: but be ye transformed by the renewing of your mind, that ye may prove what is that good, and acceptable, and perfect, will of God.”

2. Joshua, as the High Priest, was “standing before the angel of the Lord,” that is, standing to minister before the angel of the Lord. Every believer is a priest actively engaged in the service and ministry of Christ.

Not all of God’s priests are pastors, preachers, missionaries, evangelists, elders, deacons, and teachers. But all of God’s priests are in the ministry. They all serve about the holy things of the temple. Like Melchizedek, we are appointed priests of the Lord forever. Whether we eat, or drink, or whatever we do, you are in God’s temple. ― Wherever you are, my brother, my sister, you are at God’s altar. ― Whatever your calling in this world is, use it for the glory of God (1 Cor. 7:20-21; 1031).

· Your calling is that for which God created you.

· Your calling is that for which God has gifted you.

· Your calling is that which God has put in your hands.

(1 Cor 7:20-21) “Let every man abide in the same calling wherein he was called. (21) Art thou called being a servant? care not for it: but if thou mayest be made free, use it rather.”

(1 Cor 10:31) “Whether therefore ye eat, or drink, or whatsoever ye do, do all to the glory of God.”

3. Now, notice where Joshua stood to minister, ― “before the Angel of the Lord.” We are priests whose service is acceptable to God, only through the Mediation of Christ.

Between us and the thrice holy God, there is a Mediator, the Angel of the Lord. It is a blessed thing to stand and minister before Christ!

· God would never accept anything done by us upon its own merit.

· But he accepts everything done by us upon the merit of Christ. ― Our Prayers ― Our Praises ― Our Sacrifices ― Our Visitations ― A Cup Of Cold Water ― A Kind Word!

4. But, as Joshua stood before the angel of the Lord, he was “clothed with filthy garments.”

Though he was God’s High Priest, Joshua was fully conscious of his sins. He wore the garments of the priesthood, but they were worn, tattered, and filthy. He was a priest; but he was a fallen priest and he knew it. Yet, he stood before the Lord. Though he spoke not a word, it is as though he had said –

“Foul I to the Fountain fly,

Wash me, Savior, else I die!”

Can you relate to this? I can! Often, I am inclined not to pray, or read the Word, or preach, because I know that I am filthy. I cannot tell you how many times I have stood in the pulpit to lead God’s people in prayer, or song, or worship, with such a sense of personal corruption and sin that I felt totally unfit for my Master’s service. But I have lifted my hand to the Lord, and I cannot go back! Besides –

· When I am weak, then I am strong.

· When I am nothing, Christ is everything.

· When I am filthy, I have no other place of cleansing, but to stand before the Angel of the Lord.

Spurgeon said, “True repentance is sorrow for sin in the presence of Christ.”

This is what I am getting at – When you are most vile, corrupt, when you are most aware of your own unfitness, do not give up your priesthood, but use it (Heb. 4:16). Wash in the laver of Christ’s blood and draw near to God (1 John 2:1-2).

(Heb 4:16) “Let us therefore come boldly unto the throne of grace, that we may obtain mercy, and find grace to help in time of need.”

A Mighty Accuser

II. Second, as Zechariah relates his vision, we see a mighty, malicious accuser and adversary ready to destroy (v. 1).

There is “Joshua the high priest standing before the Angel of the Lord, and Satan standing at his right hand to resist him” (v. 1).

Illustration: Satan Accusing Job

From the beginning, God made the angels to be ministering spirits to his elect (Heb. 1:14). Satan, being lifted up with pride, was not willing to serve God’s purpose. So he led a revolt in heaven and persuaded Adam to fall. Immediately after the fall, God told the old serpent, Satan, that man would destroy him in the end (Gen. 3:15; Rom. 16:20). And ever since that day, Satan has been in a rage, seeking to destroy man, “because he knoweth that he hath but a short time” (Rev. 12:12).

A. Satan is a mighty accuser and adversary.

Our adversary, the Devil, is too smart, too strong, too crafty, too subtle for us. Any man who stands foot to foot with Apollyon fights against an enemy over whom he cannot prevail.

B. Satan resists the conversion of every sinner who comes to Christ.

He knows that he has but a short time; and he is furious. Whenever Christ comes to save, Satan is there to resist.

Illustration: (Luke 4:35; 9:42).

(Luke 4:35) “And Jesus rebuked him, saying, Hold thy peace, and come out of him. And when the devil had thrown him in the midst, he came out of him, and hurt him not.”

(Luke 9:42) “And as he was yet a coming, the devil threw him down, and tare him. And Jesus rebuked the unclean spirit, and healed the child, and delivered him again to his father.”

Conviction Not Conversion

Some of you here, I have no doubt, are under the conviction of sin. But conviction is not salvation. Satan knows it. He will do everything in his fiendish power to keep you from Christ. When God convinces a person of sin, he brings that person before his bar. When he does, Satan comes to resist and to accuse.

Satan resists you at the bar of God as your accuser. He accuses you of sin and of unbelief. He resists you at the bar of your own conscience, and finds in you a ready ally. Once he made you think you were too good to need a Savior. Now, he tries to persuade that you are too vile to hope for mercy.

· He tells you “it’s too late.”

· He says, “You’re too vile.”

· He stirs up your inward corruptions.

· He casts a shadow upon God’s Word, and tries to persuade you that Christ will not really receive all who come to him.

· And the fiend of hell even tries to raise Moses from the dead to condemn you. — Jude refers to this in Jude 9.

(Jude 1:9) Yet Michael the archangel, when contending with the devil he disputed about the body of Moses, durst not bring against him a railing accusation, but said, The Lord rebuke thee.

C. Satan is an adversary to every believer, too.

Satan aims at our destruction. That is what he seeks and he knows when and where we are most vulnerable.

1. He comes to accuse Joshua of sin, when Joshua was most fully aware of his sin. ― Imagine that! Here is Satan pleading against sin!

2. He tried to make Joshua question the goodness and faithfulness of God, by pointing out his own corruption.

3. The fiend of hell may stand to resist you and he may stand to resist me, with easy success; but he cannot resist God our Savior (Rev. 12:10; John 12:28-32; Rev. 20:1-4).

(Rev 12:10) “And I heard a loud voice saying in heaven, Now is come salvation, and strength, and the kingdom of our God, and the power of his Christ: for the accuser of our brethren is cast down, which accused them before our God day and night.”

How does Satan resist us when we stand before God? How does he accuse us? I do not need to tell you. Do I? Satan resists us by accusing us, by attempting to resurrect the body Moses. He resists us by attempting to resurrect the law to condemn us. He says…

· The law demands perfection; and you stand here filthy.

· Moses demands that you die; and you hope for mercy.

· The law demands holiness; and you know that you have none.

· Moses says, “It shall be holy to be accepted;” and you dare hope that the holy Lord God will accept you!

What a sad, sad picture we have before us, if that were all that the Lord God put in the picture. But, blessed be his name, that is not the whole picture!

AN Omnipotent Savior

III. In verse 2 the picture gets brighter. The third thing Zechariah describes in his vision is an omnipotent Advocate and Savior who is anxious to save.

(Zec 3:2) “And 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?”

Here is a picture of the Lord Jesus Christ making intercession for his elect. Satan is our adversary. But Christ is our Advocate. Satan is our accuser. But Christ is our Intercessor.

Joshua said nothing. Joshua did nothing. He stood in silence before the Angel of the Lord; and the Lord pleaded his cause. (Read Micah 7:8-9, 18-20).

(Micah 7:8-9) <