May it please God to bless us
together tonight as we consider his word. Let's turn to the prophecy
of Zechariah. We'll read chapter 3 and verses
1 and 2. The prophecy of Zechariah, chapter
3, reading verses 1 and 2. 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. 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? This Joshua who is the high priest
is of course different from the Joshua that was the one who brought
Israel into Canaan. And the word Joshua means, of
course, saviour. And Joshua was a saviour who
brought Israel across Jordan into the Promised Land. And in
a similar way, we have this Joshua who is one of those who came
back with the children of Israel or the children of Judah, perhaps
more properly, and brought them back into Jerusalem from Babylon. We moved on some hundred years
from our occasion this morning in Zephaniah. And now we come to Zechariah
and we come to the 8th month in the second year of Darius.
And that's when the Lord came and spoke to Zechariah. And we see then that there being
this time in captivity and now there's this time of returning
to Jerusalem. And we have the picture then
here of Joshua the high priest standing before the angel of
the Lord. The angel of the Lord of course
is none less than the Lord Jesus Christ. And we then are told
and Satan standing at his right hands to resist him. Well it's a very true picture.
And it's a picture which still occurs today, not with the same
character as Joshua the high priest, but nonetheless there
are those times when his people, as it were, come and stand before
the Lord. And it may be as we come to worship,
it may be as we come in prayer, as we come before the Lord and
what do we find? We find the devil standing at
our right hands to resist us. The devil hasn't changed. The
devil is always concerned to resist us in any true religious
exercise. He does not want us to have any
benefit from times of worship or times of prayer. And therefore,
as we may come before our God, we should therefore not be surprised
to find the devil endeavouring to resist us. Now the Word of
God encourages us to resist the devil, that he may flee from
us. And that's a good admonition,
but it's not easy to carry out, because it sometimes seems that
the devil comes in like a flood. And it almost seems that we'll
be drowned by the things that he brings into our minds, that
we're almost totally distracted from the things of God. Sometimes
it's like that when we come to worship. Sometimes it's like
that when we try to pray and we find we're almost overwhelmed
with the temptations of Satan as he brings one thought after
another which seems to crowd in upon us And it seems that we're, instead
of being near to God, we seem to be far off. And so if we have experienced
such situations, and I don't believe it's an experience which
is just a one-off. I think the Church of God often
have to face this dilemma and endure it, and I believe The
nearer we may be found to God, the nearer we are found to Christ,
the greater resistance the devil will put up, so that we perhaps
are almost mystified of our condition and situation, but we realise
it is the devil doing all that he can to detract and to separate
us from the things of God. Well, then let it be an encouragement
to us today to think that here we have a testimony, an example
of none less than the high priest Joshua. When he was standing
before the Lord, the angel of the Lord, and there was Satan
standing in his right hand to resist him. It's clear that the
devil was very close. He wasn't a long way away. He
was very close at his right hand. He got as near as he could. So it may be sometimes, in our spiritual
life, the devil would appear to get as near as he can to destroy
us. Thanks be to God, he would never
be able to destroy the life of God in the soul, because that
life is the life which God has given. And that which God has
given cannot be taken away, it cannot be removed, because it
emanates from the Holy Spirit of God. And we can bless God
that that which the Lord does is done forever. The Lord does not bless and then
revoke the blessing. When the Lord blesses, that blessing
is done and it is secure. It comes from heaven, it comes
from the Lord himself, enters into the heart and soul and it
cannot be destroyed. But Satan will do all he can
to bring us into those situations where it seems as though we've
been forsaken and forlorn. It seems perhaps that The battle
is going the wrong way. It seems that we're losing ground. We're not gaining ground. It
seems we're going backward instead of going forward. We may wonder
where the scene will end. Well, the Word of God doesn't
leave us in a position of doubt. It tells us the condition that
we should expect because the illustration is as I said, to
none less than Joshua the High Priest. And if he can be tempted
in that relatively exalted position, be sure that you and I will be
tempted by none other than the devil himself. He is a wily foe. He is a very clever individual. He will do all that he can to
separate us from God. He will do all that he can so
that we throw our religion overboard and believe that there's no life
within, that God cannot dwell in our heart. It cannot be so
if we're such a wretch. and such a person that is so
easily distracted and separated from the great things of God.
Well, be encouraged then by such a word as this and to then follow
on and to know what it continues. And the Lord said unto Satan. Yes, the Lord speaks unto Satan. You see, when God speaks, Satan
can't stand against the Word of the Lord. Satan can't stand
against the Word of God. And my friends, the Word of God
is our greatest weapon against the devil. And when he comes
alongside and endeavours to resist us, then to be able to tell him,
God has spoken. God has said. Now, on this occasion
here, It was a very real physical scene. The Israelites were returning
to Jerusalem. Many had returned. There was
that rebuilding of the wall. There was the rebuilding of the
temple. And of course, the devil didn't
want that. And you can read in Ezra and
Nehemiah something of his efforts in bringing up Samballah and
Tobiah to give an evil report and to try and frighten the people. And so that's true today. He'll
bring an evil report and try and frighten us to stop pursuing
the right way. Now, Israel had been commanded
and had been blessed with that wonderful return. They hadn't
deserved it. But God had granted them it,
so they came once again. He raised up Ezra and Nehemiah
and others to help in the rebuilding. He'd given them a mine to work
and a mine to build. And you can be sure the devil
was so angry at the possibility of the temple being restored
and the walls rebuilt. So, my friends, he is today.
He's very angry when there's a building up of the Church of
God. He hates it. It's the last thing he wants
to see. He does all he can to destroy it. He'll do all he can
to resist it. So there are those who are perhaps
afraid, afraid in the work, perhaps afraid to testify of what God
has said and done. Yes, the devil is very active,
especially to someone who desires to do God's will and God's bidding. Oh, the devil is very active.
And so we see here, and Satan standing at his right hand to
resist him. Don't be surprised then, if you
get resistance in your spiritual life. In actual fact, I suppose
we could say, be surprised if you don't get resistance. Because
resistance indicates that you are doing and saying those things
which are right and God-honouring. The devil doesn't trouble people
who are walking contrary to him, to the Lord. He's not worried
about them. He's happy to leave them alone.
And they carry on in their old way. But those who are walking
with the Lord. You see, here was Joshua standing
before the angel of the Lord. And if you and I found standing
before the Lord Jesus, really desiring to hear his voice, to
have his direction granted to us, well then my friends, expect
some resistance from Satan. Expect some resistance from Satan. And I believe it's an indication
that you're on the right road. You're not on the broad way,
you're on that narrow way. The devil tries to make it impassable. But you see, you won't succeed.
Because Christ has died. Yea, rather, he's risen again. And that's the greatest ammunition
that you and I can ever thrust at him. the truth with regards
to the life and death and resurrection and the ascension and intercession
of the Saviour. Because it is true. The devil
hates truth. He'll go along with lies. If
you're living in a lie, the devil will go along with that. You'll
find it pretty easy. My friends, if you're in the
truth, you'll find opposition. And you'll find the devil then
standing at your right hand to resist you. And it won't be comfortable to
your flesh, but it will be the evidence of life within. Because
you have that conflict, the battle, the conflict which the Church
of God have to endure right down through life. The devil will
never give up. Satan will never give up right
to the end of the journey. Sometimes as we get nearer the
end of the journey, we may find that his resistance is stronger. He's doing all he can to destroy
us all. But, thanks be to God, he is
a vanquished foe. And thanks be to God, the Lord
Jesus Christ has conquered. He was tempted. Was he not? The devil resisted the Lord to
the great extent that he could. He tempted him. My friends, he
didn't succeed. And don't forget how on that
time of temptation after the Lord had been baptised, led up
into the wilderness, the Lord answered the devil from the scriptures. That's the way to answer the
devil from the scriptures. If you may be tempted, as he
may stand there and resist you, remember to quote scripture at
the devil. So we read, and the Lord said
unto Satan, The Lord rebuketh thee, O Satan. Even the Lord
that has chosen Jerusalem rebuketh thee. So the Lord can speak to
the devil and rebuke him. Because he cannot go beyond the
limits that the Lord gives to him. He is in fact a chained
foe. It may not always seem like that
sometimes when he comes at us as a roaring lion. And we think
he's about to devour us. But he is chained. He can only
come so far. He will not be able to devour
us. He will not be able to consume
us. Because the Lord has him on that
chain. And therefore, the Lord speaks. The Lord speaks. He hears our
cries. And here it is. that comes in
and rebukes Satan. The Lord said unto Satan, The
Lord rebuketh thee, O Satan, even the Lord that hath chosen
Jerusalem rebuketh thee. Now we have the figure here of
Jerusalem as the place where the Lord dwelt. It is, of course,
a spiritual picture of the Church of God where the Lord dwells. And the blessing is to know that
the Lord has chosen us. So that the Lord speaks in this
way to the devil, even the Lord has chosen Jerusalem, rebuke
thee. And if the Lord has chosen us,
he's called us by his grace to be able to point in the direction
of that occasion, when it was revealed to us that
the Lord has chosen us. The Word of God is true. You
have not chosen me, but I have chosen you and ordained you.
But we need to know it in our own heart and our own soul. We
need to know that it is true of us. We need the Lord to confirm
it. in our own heart, the Lord has
chosen us. Because if we have the evidence
the Lord has indeed chosen us, then we can be encouraged that
the Lord is speaking and rebuking Satan on our behalf. And how
shall we know that we are those whom the Lord has chosen. Well,
first of all, just remember that Satan will not worry about us
if we are not chosen. If we are not chosen, the devil
will leave us alone, because he will believe that there is
no problem. But if the Lord has chosen us,
he will worry us and continually endeavour to turn us out of the
way. So that is a very sure and a
very wonderful evidence that we are amongst those whom God
hath chosen. And then just to look into our
hearts and to see if there's been a change, a change in our
life. The Word of God tells us, those
who are called, those who are converted, behold, all things
become new. We see things in a different
aspect. We don't see them as we did before. We see them through those new
spiritual eyes which the Lord has given to us. I believe even
the things in creation. take on a different aspect. We
see the glory of God all around us. We see what God has done. Surely that is a wonderful evidence
for us and encouragement for us. And it is an evidence of
that change which we have found occupies our heart. We have different
desires. We have different concerns. those
things which at one time didn't worry us. Perhaps we carried
on in a sinful way, doing wrong things, without very much a pricks
of our conscience. But when the Spirit of God comes
upon us and shows us the evil of such things, you see it produces
a concern in our heart. A concern that we are offending
God. We weren't worried about that
at one time. What is it an evidence of? It's
an evidence that God has chosen us. So let us look into our hearts
and see from that perspective whether there's been a change. There is a change. There is no
doubt about it. Because when the Spirit of God
comes into our heart, there is that new nature. The effect is
we have a new spiritual life. We are a new creature. We are born again. And that new
creature, that new spirit understands and observes things that our
old nature did not and is not concerned about. and evidence
that God has chosen us. You see, then we have different
attractions. Rather than being attracted to
the things of the world, all the things that the world goes
after, you know what they are. many programs on television,
many sporting events, many things after that category which do
not bring us nearer to God, but occupy our hearts and minds and
separate us from God. And so what will occur then?
There will be a question mark in our minds. as to whether this
is good or whether this is bad, whether it's right or whether
it's wrong. And what has produced such a
thought, such a concern in our minds? Surely it's the Word of
God, it's the Spirit of God. What is it? An evidence that
God has chosen us. Then you'll know, we'll be more
concerned about how we say things, what we say. We'll be concerned
not to allow ourselves to swear or to curse. We'll be concerned
to do those things which are right and God-honouring. And
what produces that desire and that concern? The evidence that
you and I are chosen of God. So, we need to have these wonderful
evidences in our heart, to know that we are chosen. And then
of course there are the the very positive ones, which mean that
God and the Lord Jesus Christ have taken on a different value
in our lives. Before that time of calling and
redemption, the Lord Jesus Christ meant nothing to us. Think of those words in Lamentations. Is it nothing to you all year
that passed by? Well at one time it was nothing
to us. The Lord Jesus Christ didn't
mean anything. But what a wonderful evidence
of life in the soul when the Lord Jesus Christ means something
to us. What is it? It's an evidence
that God has chosen us. And I believe as the Spirit of
God teaches us and instructs us, we will be led into that
truth as it is in Jesus. And as the Spirit reveals the
glory of the Gospel and the wonder of it, that Almighty God should
have condescended to come into this world to deliver our soul
from the wrath to come. the evidence that we are chosen
of God. And then to know that the Lord
Jesus, who was just a historical character in our mind, has taken
on a very different aspect. And we realise that he is that
one in whom rests all our hope of salvation. His finished work, and to view
and to understand the cost of that finished work. And to then
have the application of it put to our hearts so that we know
the Lord did come to die for me. What is that an evidence
of? It's an evidence that God has
chosen us. Even the Lord that has chosen
Jerusalem rebukes thee. This is the great God who graciously
looks down upon his people. He watches over them. He knows
the suffering. He knows the battle. He knows
the onslaughts of the devil which come upon us. And yet he comes
and gives us to remember he is the way, I am the way, the truth
and the life. Well, what a wonderful word that
is and how encouraging it is for us to points Satan to that
truth, so that he will then, I believe, flee from it. He cannot face the eye of the
Saviour, because he knows what he is portraying is false and
is evil, and the Lord is pure and holy and righteous. Well,
it's a wonderful thought and it's a wonderful consideration
for us to realise the truth of these things. And the Lord said
unto Satan, it's the Lord there fighting our battles. We have no strength ourselves.
We have no might in ourselves. But we have a God who is mighty
to save. We have a great Redeemer. We
have a glorious Saviour. How wonderful it is then to remember
that when Satan is standing in our right hand to resist us. To be reminded of these truths,
my friends, we need to be. And if we forget these truths,
we are one in our own sin, in our own mire. We need to look
out of ourselves, look up to the Saviour and realise that
in Him, Oh, there's my hope. There's my strength. There's
the one who I rely upon. Oh, he says, even the Lord that
hath chosen Jerusalem rebuketh thee. And then he says, is not
this a bran plucked out of the fire? Well, it means if a bran was
left in the fire, it would be consumed. Be eaten up by the
fire. Be nothing left, just ash, which
will blow away. If we are left to ourselves,
we shall be lost and we shall be ruined. But how wonderful
it is to know that the Lord has plucked us out, perhaps of a
very worldly environment, Yes, like a fire. In some ways,
any environment other than that which is of God is a fire. And it does consume us. Yes, the things of the world
consume. They don't bless, they consume. If you and I talk with the Spirit
of God, you will know what I mean. The things of the world consume. They don't bring any blessing
at all. But what a favour it is to know that God has come
and has plucked us out of the world. And all its deceit, did
he do it because there was any good in us? No, my friends, he
did it because of his eternal love toward us. That great and
glorious love which was from eternity past. How wonderful
to think of that. How wonderful to know the truth
of that. Is not this a brand plot out
of the fire? Here you see is the Lord speaking
to Satan. He's telling him. First of all,
this is someone who I've chosen. This is someone who has been
plucked out of the fire. Well, what a wonderful favour
it is to realise that in our lives. We've been plucked out. We couldn't free ourselves. And you know, you can't free
yourself. If you're entrenched in the world, You won't be able
to free yourself, because you are dead in trespasses and in
sins, and you will need the blessed power of God to come and to pluck
you out, indeed, as a brand from the burning. Is not this a brand
plucked out of the fire? And so we have this statement
of this this high priest, Joshua, before the Lord, desiring to
do the will of God, seeking perhaps guidance and direction, and we
see then Satan trying to resist, trying to turn away. And what
do we see then? The Lord coming. The Lord, as
it were, intervening on Joshua's behalf. And a blessing to think
that the great God The ruler of the universe condescends to
intervene on our behalf, to stand between in garments dyed in blood. Oh, what a great and glorious
Saviour we have, who condescends to act on our behalf and to speak
to Satan in these all-consuming words. The Lord rebuketh thee,
O Satan. Even the Lord that has chosen
Jerusalem rebuketh thee. He is not this, a brand plucked
out of the fire. And then just for a moment, just
moving on to again this statement about Joshua. He was clothed
with filthy garments and stood before the angel. You know ourselves,
we only possess filthy garments. We don't have anything good.
All our righteousness is as filthy rags. And to think that here
we are standing before a holy God, in just ourselves. All the sin which dwells within,
exposed to the all-seeing eye of God. Nothing hidden. The secret sins lay bare. before the all-searching eye
of the Holy God. And therefore we stand, as it
were, clothed with filthy garments before the Lord. We can't claim any righteousness
ourselves. We have no ability to remove
them. Because if we do, we shall be
naked before our holy God. We have nothing at all to cover
us. All we have is these filthy garments. And then again we see the great
and glorious words of the Lord. And he answered and spake unto
those that stood before him, saying, Take away the filthy
garments from him. The Lord takes them away. He
takes away all our unrighteousnesses which are as filthy rags. They're
all removed. Take away the filthy garments
and answer Him, He said. Here was the personal statement
of Joshua. Answer Him. For a blessing it
will be, the Lord comes and speaks to you and to me as Him. The word from the Lord, my friend,
you and I need. The word from the Lord spoken
to our hearts. As the Lord spoke here to Joshua,
He spoke to those who take away the filthy garments. He couldn't
get rid of it Himself. They were taken from Him. They
clung to Him. The Lord said, take them away.
They were removed. And unto Him He said, behold,
I have caused thine iniquity to pass from thee. and I will
clothe thee with change of raiment." What an exchange. What is the
exchange? Christ's righteousness for our
filthy rags. Just imagine the picture here. There was this high priest standing
before the Lord. The devil there resisting with
all his power the Lord coming and rebuking Satan and instead
bringing to Joshua his great and glorious garments of his
righteousness. What an exchange! What a blessing! What a favour! Yes, behold, I
have caused thine iniquity, all thy sins, to pass from thee,
washed away in the precious blood of the Lord Jesus Christ, and
I will clothe thee with a change of raiment. 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." What a blessing it is to be amongst those who
are favoured like this. And what it means is that we
have the evidence of the life of God in the soul. And it's
a peculiar path. The Lord's people are a peculiar
people. They are led in a peculiar way.
The way which the world cannot and would not understand. But
it is the right way. He led them forth by the right
way. that they might go to a city
of habitation. This is the journey that brings
us safe home to glory. It's the way ordained by Almighty
God. It's the way ordained by God
to show forth His praise and His glory. And so may we be encouraged
tonight as we press on through life with many temptations, to
hear and to know the Lord is on our side, the Lord is rebuking
Satan, strong as he may be, he's a vanquished foe, and our hope
is built on that victory which the Saviour achieved on that
day, that glorious day in the history of the world of Calvary,
when he finished the work and gave up the ghost. My friends,
what a day that was. We look to Calvary, we rejoice
in what Christ has done and so as we find, as we journey on,
Satan standing in our right hand to resist us, to also know that
the Lord indeed hath rebuked him and we are one of those who
are chosen and have been, as a brand, plucked out of the fire. Amen.