The Priest, the Lord, Satan and the Prophet
Zechariah 3:1-6 (NIV)
3 Then he, (God’s messenger) showed me, (Zechariah), Joshua the high priest standing before the angel of the Lord, (Old Testament manifestation of Christ), and Satan standing at his right side to accuse him.
2 The Lord said to Satan, “The Lord rebuke you, Satan! The Lord, who has chosen Jerusalem, rebuke you! Is not this man a burning stick snatched from the fire?”
3 Now Joshua was dressed in filthy clothes as he stood before the angel.
4 The angel said to those who were standing before him, “Take off his filthy clothes.” Then he said to Joshua, “See, I have taken away your sin, and I will put fine garments on you.”
5 Then I said, “Put a clean turban on his head.” So they put a clean turban on his head and clothed him, while the angel of the Lord stood by.
6 The angel of the Lord gave this charge to Joshua:
7 “This is what the Lord Almighty says: ‘If you will walk in obedience to me and keep my requirements, then you will govern my house and have charge of my courts, and I will give you a place among these standing here.
Read Zechariah 4:6. Zerubbabel was the civic leader who worked along side Joshua.
Questions to mull, slowly, listening.
How aware are you of the fact that Christ is with you always and that Satan is always near?
Where in your life do you feel overwhelmed? Discouraged? That the task, the issue, is too much for you? When do you say, “I can’t.”
What accusations are planted in your mind? You are too weak, lack experience, don’t have the know-how, too sinful, carry too much baggage from the past, fearful of the future…? The voice of Satan?
How do you discourage, belittle, or plant doubt, in others, speaking on behalf of Satan? What words do you use?
Do you allow the voice to Satan to consume a lot of mind space? Why? Do you believe him? Can you speak, “The Lord rebukes you!” as the Angel did?
What has Christ done for you? Has He snatched you out of the fire of condemnation and placed you in His Kingdom? Were you not filthy from your former way of life? What are the fine garments? Isaiah 61:10 and Philippians 4:5,6,13 to get you started. Has He made you to be a priest? 1 Peter 2:4-5
Zechariah wasn’t a mere onlooker; he had a part to play in procuring a clean turban. Do you allow others to help you put off the daily sin which this side of heaven still gets us? Can you tell the difference between brotherly help and the accusations of Satan? Aren’t their voices different? How?
Walking with the Lord Almighty is a place of victory--not inertia, not fear, not debilitation.
Distinguishing the voices of Christ, Satan and our fellow believers is crucial. We must silence the one and then we truly HEAR the others.
Review these verses numerous times in order to HEAR the full truth of this drama. It is profitable to use this drama as a role play with Joshua dressed in filthy rags (my old paint clothes) with a beautiful robe on hand. Rotate players, each acting Satan, Christ, Joshua, and Zechariah in turn. Encourage ad-libbing, setting it in today’s dilemmas.
Zechariah is a prophet in demolished and burnt Jerusalem. The Israelites have recently been returned from captivity in Babylon. They face an enormous task of rebuilding the city and temple. Opposition, mocking, disdain from surrounding peoples is unrelenting. Discouragement and doubts have sapped energy and hope, even from the High Priest Joshua.
AN EXERCISE IN DISCERNING THE VOICES
This court room scene is played out every day for each of us. Educate yourself so as to recognize the voice of the Accuser, Satan. First read the Scripture. Use your imagination to visualize the scene. Read it again, place yourself in the role of Joshua, and read it as if you are Satan, the angel, and Zechariah. Then dwell upon the questions.