Scripture Daily

Context No. 3380 of 4322 · Zechariah

Context · Reflection

Zechariah 3:1-5: in context

1He showed me Joshua the high priest standing before the LORD’s angel, and Satan standing at his right hand to be his adversary. 2The LORD said to Satan, “The LORD rebuke you, Satan! Yes, the LORD who has chosen Jerusalem rebuke you! Isn’t this a burning stick plucked out of the fire?” 3Now Joshua was clothed with filthy garments, and was standing before the angel. 4He answered and spoke to those who stood before him, saying, “Take the filthy garments off him.” To him he said, “Behold, I have caused your iniquity to pass from you, and I will clothe you with rich clothing.” 5I said, “Let them set a clean turban on his head.” So they set a clean turban on his head, and clothed him; and the LORD’s angel was standing by.

This is a vivid picture of grace. Joshua the high priest stands before the LORD in filthy garments, and Satan stands at his right hand to accuse him, for the filth is real; his guilt is not imaginary. But the LORD rebukes the accuser: the LORD rebuke you; is not this a burning stick plucked out of the fire? And then, unbidden, comes the command: take off his filthy garments.

To Joshua the word is spoken: behold, I have taken your iniquity away from you, and I will clothe you with pure garments. Notice that Joshua does nothing. He does not defend himself against the accuser or wash his own clothes. God silences the accuser, removes the filth, and clothes him anew. This is the gospel in a single scene: the accused sinner, guilty in fact, is not condemned but cleansed and reclothed by pure grace, while the accuser is put to silence. Our filthy garments are exchanged for clean ones, not by our effort, but by God's own word spoken over us.

Do I know that God himself silences my accuser and clothes me in clean garments, removing my guilt by grace rather than by any effort of my own?

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