Zechariah wrote many years before
the Lord Jesus came to Bethlehem's manger and to Calvary's cross. But Zechariah saw the day of
the Lord. Our Lord said, Abraham saw my
day way back yonder. Abraham saw my day. He rejoiced
to see it. For Zechariah saw his day, and
the heart of Zechariah was lifted to rejoicing by the promise of
the coming Messiah, the coming Redeemer. Let's look at it, chapter
3, verse 1. And he showed me, Zechariah is
writing here, he showed me, the Lord showed me Joshua, the high
priest. Moses sidekick. This is another
Joshua on down years later. The high priest. This man Joshua
was the high priest. And the Lord showed me Joshua
the high priest standing before the angel of the Lord. Standing
before the Lord. And Satan standing at his right
hand to resist him. To accuse him. To bring condemnation
charges against him. Now, Joshua here is not to be
considered personally, but typically. Joshua represents someone here. He showed me Joshua, the high
priest. Well, the high priest represents
Israel. The high priest represents the
people of God. The high priest was ordained.
between the people and God to offer gifts for the people and
to bring blessings from God. So Joshua stands here typically
representing Israel, the priesthood, the people of God, and you and
me. We are people of God. He showed
me Joshua standing before the Lord. David said, Out of the
depths have I cried unto thee, O Lord, hear my voice. If thou,
Lord, shouldst mark iniquity, who would stand? Stand where?
Before thee. David said, Who shall ascend
unto the hill of the Lord? Who shall stand in his holy place?
Joshua. All of us standing here before
the Lord. And Satan at his right hand to
accuse him. to bring charges against him,
true charges, to ask for his condemnation also. You remember, I told my class
this morning, when the sons of God appeared before the Lord,
Satan came in their midst to accuse Job, to accuse the brethren. Here he stands, Joshua, the priesthood,
the people, the elect. God's church, and there's Satan
over there, pointing his finger, bringing charges against Joshua. Justly so. Justly so. Our sins are the same as his
sins. I will be like God. I will exalt my throne. I will ascend into the north. I will. That's our problem, I
will. The essence of sin is, I will. The essence of holiness comes
from Gethsemane's garden, not my will. I will be done. Christ is the only man who ever
really said that in a minute. So here he stands, here we stand,
before the Lord. And verse 2 said, And the Lord
said to Satan, The Lord rebuked thee, O Satan.
He's the only one who can. I dare not challenge him. Joshua
dares not challenge him. Joshua's not even looking in
his direction. Joshua's standing before the
Lord, and Satan is accusing him. And the Lord rebuked Satan. I
believe he's saying here, the Lord will rebuke thee. The Lord
will do it. Have you seen that before somewhere
in Scripture? You remember over in Jude? Verse
9, if you'd like to turn over there, do so. Jude, verse 9. The Lord rebuke thee. The Lord
rebuke thee, O Satan. Look over here at Jude, verse
9. You know, in verse 8, Jude brought
this accusation against the false religionists. He said these filthy
dreamers They defile the flesh, they despise dominion, they speak
evil of dignities. Yet, Michael the archangel, when
contending with the devil, he disputed about the body of Moses.
Michael did not bring against Satan a railing accusation, but
he said, what did he say? The Lord rebuke thee. So here's
Joshua, you and me, God's people. as Satan at his right hand to
condemn him and accuse him. Justly so. But the Lord says,
I'll rebuke thee, Satan. I'll stop your mouth. I'll silence you. I'll destroy
you. I'll deal with you. Joshua won't and can't, but I
can and will. And I'll crush your head. Now
look at the next line. Even the same Lord that hath
chosen Jerusalem rebuked thee." The same Lord who chose Joshua. Whom He foreknew, He predestinated
to be conformed to the image of His Son. Whom He predestinated,
He called. Whom He called, He justified.
Whom he justified, he glorified. What shall we say to these things?
I'll say, if God be for us, if God will deal with Satan, who
can be against us? Even the principalities and powers
and rulers of the darkness cannot harm us. The Lord will rebuke
thee. The Lord will rebuke thee. Even
the Lord who chose who chose Jerusalem, even the Lord who
chose him. Now, what else he said about
Joshua? Is not this a brand plucked out
of the fire? The elect of God, Joshua, you,
me, all whom he represents, are here described. as a bran plucked
out of the fire. What is a bran plucked out of
the fire? Well, it's a dry stick. It's a dry stick cast into the
fire, separated from God, in danger of being utterly consumed
in wrath. A branch cast off by nature,
and God reaches in by His grace and plucks it out of the burning.
It comes forth with the smell of the fire upon it. Rescued,
delivered, plucked from the burning. That's what Joshua is. That's
what he is. There he stands. There we stand
before the Lord. And God speaks. I don't dare
speak. You don't dare speak. Joshua
never said a word. He's got no alibi. He's got no
excuse. That's what the law does. It
shuts them out. It renders us speechless. How came you in here
without a wedding garment? Speechless. Joshua's speechless. But God speaks. And God said,
I'll rebuke thee, Satan. I'll deal with you. I'll close
your mouth. I'll crush your power. I chose
Joshua. I chose Jerusalem. And he's a
brand plucked from the fire. Delivering from the wrath of
God. Now look at verse 3. Now let's see what Joshua looks
like as he stands there. He's clothed with filthy, filthy
garments. And he stood before the Lord
in filthy garments. No high priest ever came before
the Lord in filthy garments. The high priest never ministered
in filthy garments. In fact, over in Leviticus 16,
don't turn there, read it this afternoon or sometime for yourself.
But the high priest, before he came with the atonement once
a year, he bathed, so careful to bathe, he had on his beautiful
Garments with gold and precious stones and the breastplate Names
of Israel engraved on his shoulders and in his hands and all how
that high priest was dressed glorious garments but when he
slew the animal he put those garments aside and Clothed himself
in white linen, but clean Spotless white linen slew the sacrifice,
came across the courtyard, washed his hands and his feet again
in the labor of pure water, and went into the holy place in clean
garments. And when he came out after sprinkling
the blood on the mercy seat, he took off the linen garments
and put back on the beautiful garments. That's how John saw our Lord
on the Isle of Patmos, clothed in the priestly garments. Joshua
got filthy garments. What does this mean? It means
this. It means that Joshua is appearing
there as he really is. As he really is. As the Lord
sees him by nature, by birth, by choice, by practice. You and
me. As Satan sees him. As He really
is. You know, over here in Isaiah
chapter 64, listen to this. This describes us. What's Joshua
doing standing there in filthy garments? Because that's all
his garments are, is filthy. The best he's got is filthy.
Look at Isaiah 64, verse 6. We are all, but we are all, every
one, as an unclean thing. And all our righteousnesses are
what? Filthy garments. Filthy rags. And we all do fade
as a leaf. And our iniquities, like the
wind, have driven us away. Isaiah 40, all flesh is grass. The goodliness, the glory of
man as the flower of the field. The flower faded, the grass withered. Filthy garments. Ah me, look
at verse 4. Hmm. And the Lord answered and
spake unto those that stood before Him. The angels? I don't know. Perhaps those that stood before
Him. Are they not ministers of God
ministering to theirs of salvation? The Lord said to those standing
before Him, Take away Joshua's filthy garments. Take them away
from him. Notice. The Lord didn't say,
thankfully, take him away. There'll be a day when he'll
say that to some folks. Depart from me. I never knew
you. But Joshua was chosen. And even
though Satan himself, the very principality, power, and dominion
of hell, has brought charges against and accusations against
the elect whom Joshua represents, the priest. God says, He didn't say take
him away, I can't stand the sight of him. He didn't say take those
garments out and wash them and bring them back. Because Joshua would mess them
up too after he cleaned them up. He said take his garments
away from him. My sins are all taken away. He said, I'll take your sins
and separate them from you as far as the east is from the west.
I'll cast them into the depths of the sea. I'll remember them
no more. And he said to Joshua, behold,
I, I did it. I did it. I have caused your
iniquities to pass from you. And you know how He caused our
iniquities to pass from us? Iniquities got to be somewhere.
It's got to be accounted for. It's got to be paid for. He caused
our iniquities to pass from us on to Christ. He bore our sins
in His body on the tree. Our iniquities passed from us
to our substitute, our sacrifice, the Lord Jesus, and therefore
They're taken away. They're passed from us. And when
He died on that cross, they passed from Him. He was buried and rose
again without sin. They're paid for. They don't
have to be paid for again. Payment God's justice cannot
twice demand. First at my bleeding surety's
hand, then again at mine. I have caused your iniquities
to pass from you. And listen, and I'll clothe you. You're not going to stand naked.
We'll never be ashamed. We'll never stand naked. I'll clothe you with a change
of arraignment. I'll put on you the righteousness
of Christ. Look over at the book of Ezekiel
a moment. When our Lord wrote by the Ezekiel 16. Our Lord wrote about that, had
Ezekiel write about that deserted infant whom the Lord found, and I pass by you in your blood,
in your filth, in your pollution. It was a time of love, and I
said to you, live. And then he said in verse 10
of Ezekiel 16, and I clothed you. I clothed thee also with broader
work, and shod thee with badger skin, and girded thee about with
fine linen, and covered thee with silk." No more filthy garments. I decked you also with ornaments.
I put bracelets upon your hands, and a chain upon your neck, and
a jewel on your forehead, and earrings in your ears, and a
crown on your head, and you were thus Thus wast thou decked with
gold and silver, and thy raiment was as fine linen silk brought
at work, and you did eat fine flour and honey and oil, and
you were exceeding beautiful, and you did prosper into a kingdom,
and your renown went forth among the heathen for thy beauty, for
it was perfect through my comeliness which I put upon thee, saith
the Lord. I clothed you with chains of
raiment." Zechariah 3, verse 5, and I said, I said, let them set a fair mitre
upon his head. A mitre is an official turban
of a king or priest called a diadem. And that turban or crown, the
diadem, indicates royal power. Royal power. Joshua had stood
there in filthy garments. Now he stands there clothed in
the beauty and righteousness of Christ. And they put a crown
on his head, a turban, a royal diadem. He's a king priest. He's the son of a king. So they set a fair miter upon
his head, and clothed him with garments, and the Lord Jesus
stood by." This is a picture of what He will do. He stood
by, and then He said, Thus saith the Lord of hosts, If you walk
in My ways, My way is Christ. I am the way, He said, the truth
and the life. The only way of salvation. He
is the way of faith and hope and love. He is the way of grace,
mercy, and truth. Walk in this way. If you walk
in the light as He is in the light, you have fellowship with
Him. You walk in my way. Walk in my way. And listen. And
keep my charge, my ordinances, my commandments, my word. You're not your own. You're bought
with a price. You belong to me now. Take my yoke upon you and
learn of me and you'll find rest unto your soul. My yoke is easy.
My burden is light. Walk in my way. Keep my ordinances. And listen to what will take
place. And you'll judge my house. You'll reign with me. And you'll
keep my court. Not as a doorkeeper. David said,
I'd rather be a doorkeeper in the house of God than to dwell
or reign in the tents of the wicked. But you're not going
to be a doorkeeper. You're a son. You're a prince. This is Christ
speaking. You keep my way, my ordinances,
my Word, and I'll make you a son. And you'll judge my house. and
keep my courts as a prince." And listen, and I'll give you
places to walk. I'll give you walks to walk among
them that stand by. Well, back here in verse 4, He
answered and spake to those that stood by, that stood before Him
and said, You take away his filthy garments. This must be the angels.
The heavenly hosts. This must be those who are servants
of God. And He says to Joshua, I'm going
to give you places to walk. Among them that stand by. And down in verse 5, And He said, Let them set a fire
miter upon his head. So they set a fire miter upon
his head, and clothed him with garments, And the angel of the
Lord stood by. We're going to walk with Him,
too. I'm going to give you places
to walk. Paul came back from that place
and he said, I've heard things I can't even tell you about. I can't even tell you about.
And then verse 8, Here now, Joshua, how did all this take place?
How did all this take place? Hear me, Joshua, learn this.
You've seen something now, the high priest. Thou and your fellows
that sit with you, that's you and me, learn something now. For their men to be wondered
at, those that are with Joshua, they wonder at themselves, that
God should love me. Who am I? David said. They wonder at themselves. Men
to be wondered at. Women, believers to be wondered
at. They wonder at themselves. I expect the angels to wonder
at them. Why did God save him? Don't you imagine? I know the world wonders at us. They wonder. We're not understood or loved. They wonder at us. Foolishness,
bunch of foolishness. Those people are fanatics, radicals. Wonder that. Behold, listen,
I will bring forth My servant, the branch. I'll bring forth
My servant, the branch. Now, I'm going to talk more about
this tonight. But our Lord has called the branch for several
reasons. One, He descended the promised Messiah in the right
lineage and house and tribe, son of David. He's the branch. The descendant of David. He asked
those Pharisees, what think ye of the Christ? Whose son is he?
They said, son of David. That's who he is. He's the branch. You take the Old Testament and
study. Abraham, Isaac, Jacob, Judah,
Jesse, David? Christ. The branch. Secondly, He's the branch we'll
see tonight in Isaiah 53. He'll grow up as a tender branch. His incarnation. A tender plant. A root out of a dry ground. And then Isaiah said, and a beautiful
branch loaded with fruit. And John 15 says we're His branch. His branches. I'm going to bring
forth my servant, the branch, the Messiah, the King Messiah.
And listen, here he describes Him. Behold the stone, the rock,
Christ Jesus. I lay in Zion, God said, a stone,
a triad stone, a chief cornerstone, a sure foundation. The stone that I have laid before
Joshua, upon one stone shall be seven eyes, seven spirits
of God, that's the Holy Spirit, seven eyes, omniscient, omnipotent,
almighty. And behold, I will engrave, what's
this? Well, over in Exodus 28, let's turn
over just a moment. Exodus 28. I will engrave. Exodus 28 I believe that's scriptures Exodus 28 Verse 9 Let's read this Exodus
28 verse 9 listen and thou shalt take two onyx stones and grave
on them the names of the children of Israel six of their names
on one stone, and the other six names on the rest of the other
stone, according to their birth. With the work of an engraver
and stone, like the engravings of a signet, shalt thou engrave
the two stones with the names of the children of Israel. Thou
shalt make them to be set in arches of gold, and thou shalt
put the two stones upon the shoulders of the ephod for stones of memorial
to the children of Israel, and Aaron shall bear their names
before the Lord upon two shoulders for a memorial." This is what
he's talking about here. God says, I will engrave their
names. I'll write their names. I'm going
to raise up the branch, the stone, the high priest, the Lord Jesus,
the King Messiah, And I'll write the names of my Israel, my people. I'll put their names on there. When the high priest comes before
me, when he comes bringing his blood, not the blood of animals,
but the blood of the Son of God, and with those names on his breastplate
and in his hands, and he comes before me, and I'll remove the
iniquity of that land in one day. Now there you can sing that song.
They're all taken away with some understanding. I'll take them
away. And in that day, saith the Lord
of hosts, in that day there'll be peace. We'll see that tonight. Shall ye call every man his neighbor,
his brother, under the vine, under the fig
tree, in Christ my servant,