I Have Taken Away Your Sin (10/24/11)

Shalom,

Please begin by reading Zech 3:1-10.

Zechariah was a contemporary of Haggai, except he was known to be a much younger man. He spent four years exhorting, encouraging, helping, and working shoulder to shoulder with the people of Jerusalem for the completion of the rebuilt Temple. His book is one of the largest among the group referred to as the "Minor Prophets." It's filled with messianic prophecies, mentioning many details that would be fulfilled by the life and work of Jesus. His name means Yahweh remembers.

There are eight significant glimpses of Jesus in Zechariah's writings. The one we're most familiar with is Jesus' triumphal entry into Jerusalem on what's called Palm Sunday (Zech 9:9). There are also references to his betrayal for 30 pieces of silver (11:12), the piercing of his hands (12:10), and a reference to his being the smitten shepherd (13:7). The one we're focusing on in this lesson concerns the redeeming death of Jesus on our behalf.

In this vision Satan is standing at Joshua the High Priest's right hand. Josuha is accused of being an unfaithful servant. There are scholars who say this accusation of unfaithfulness is being brought because priests under his authority had married foreign women in direct violation of the Mosaic Law. The men who did this included his own son. As Yahweh was working to reestablish a working priesthood, Satan brings a charge against the High Priest which would render him unworthy of his office.

It's normally by our own foolishness that we give Satan any advantages over us. We're usually the ones who furnish him with situations and circumstances allowing us to receive reproach and accusation. If any fault is found within us Satan will use it to file complaints with Yahweh. In this vision Satan is standing before Yahweh with Joshua to oppose his service for the public good. He stood at Joshua's right hand, the hand of action and authority, to discourage Joshua and place obstacles in the way of his service. He knows the priesthood is appointed by our Lord and Master, so he'll work hard to limit our effectiveness or completely ruin our testimony.

When we're fulfilling our call to serve our Lord and Master we must expect to meet with all the resistance that Satan can stir up with his schemes and malice. We have to resist the one who resists us before our Lord. We must never let the obstacles placed in our path discourage us or turn us away from the course set before us by the Holy Spirit. The root cause of sin in our lives is our sinful hearts, not Satan's temptations. This has been his work for a very long time, so he knows how to work against our human frailty.

Today we often tend to blame our sins on circumstances and situations, somehow claiming that what happened was beyond our control. But we can't claim this because our Lord has offered us an escape from every snare and temptation (1 Cor 10:13). We say, "my socio-economic condition is to blame or my genetics or my bad home life or many other excuses." To be sure, these things can affect and influence us, but what we forget is that the most influential ingredient in our failure is our own attitude. Our attitude is totally our responsibility, and that means we can overcome its effects with the help of the Holy Spirit. As Christians we dare to proclaim the possibility of a changed heart, and Yahweh is trustworthy to provide the help we need. He's dealing with us internally and externally to make the changes which produce Christ likeness in us.

Joshua is described as "a burning stick snatched from the fire." He's been wonderfully delivered out of the fire of condemnation and captivity. All converted souls are sticks pulled out of the fire by the miracle of grace. When we cry out or reach out or surrender to Yahweh, he cleanses us just like he did with Joshua. Our Father rebukes the devil and stakes his claim on our penitent hearts.

Yahweh directly rebukes Satan to silence his condemnation of Joshua. The devil is silenced by the One who has all authority. His accusation is crushed, his charge against Joshua is exposed as malicious and frivolous. All who belong to Jesus have his vigorous defense on their behalf to overcome all condemnation. There's no plea bargaining with the devil, there's only clear and direct rebuke of his lies.

Now in the midst of all this Joshua is portrayed as standing before Yahweh dirty and polluted. His clothing isn't fitting or worthy of his position as High Priest. He wasn't in the clean linen the Law directed the priests to wear as they minister before Yahweh. This conveys the idea that the whole priesthood at this time was not only poor, despised, and loaded with contemptible guilt; but there was also iniquity clinging to the holy things within the Temple. The nation had begun to turn away from idolatry, but the sin still needed to be directly dealt with.

Jesus stands with all whose hearts are right with him. He bears us up in our struggles. He admits us into communion with him to cleanse us and help us overcome our failures and sins. The picture of Joshua's cleansing is the same as what happens to us. Jesus gives orders to the angels to put "rich garments" on us replacing the ones stained with our sins. Jesus has compassion on us in our great need of being freed from our sin. Our Lord and Master hates the filth of our sin-stained garments, but he works with us to remove the filth and give us holiness because of our repentance.

Joshua is fully reinstated and established in his office as High Priest. He not only has his sins pardoned, he's acquitted by being furnished with sufficient grace from the hand of his God. The crown of the priesthood is placed on his head. The same thing happens to us when we confess our sin and receive cleansing from the blood of our Savior. When Yahweh plans the restoration or revival of his people, he stirs up the prophets to speak and the people to pray. The solemn charge given to Joshua is one we also need to remember. "If you walk in my ways 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" (Verse 7).

Just like Joshua, if we'll perform our priestly duty we'll enjoy the dignity and rewards of our service. Joshua was put on notice and we also must be aware of our Lord watching over us. We must live a good and holy life. We must lead others in obeying our Lord and walking in holiness. We must carefully act as priests of the Most High God, pointing people to his grace and forgiveness. Good Christians are good priests. We have a trust committed to our care. We're not just standing before people as priests. We're standing before our Lord God Almighty who assigned us the priestly task.

As priests we're not allowed to make any new laws or rites or anything. Only Yahweh has the right to do those things. We can't come up with new ways to approach him. We must trust that he's already provided for every possibility. Our duty as Christians isn't to come up with new ways to introduce Jesus into our world. Yes, there are new songs and concepts and other things that come into our minds for our evangelistic efforts. But none of those is new to our all-knowing Father. To make new laws or rules or doctrines or "isms" is to reject what Yahweh has already set in place for us. We must be good servants, obeying our Master and sharing the Good news of salvation with all who will listen. We must be good priests, serving as a mediator who brings people to our Lord.

If you've read the Book of 1st John you've seen some very clear pictures of belief and unbelief. In this book we're told of the great love of Yahweh that takes away our sins. Joshua was told, "I have taken away your sin." According to 1st John, if we live a life of sin we don't know Yahweh. If we live in the hope of salvation, we're purified. It's all very clear and direct. There's no need for confusion. The only reason for us to be confused is because we're listening more to the accusations of Satan than to the redeeming grace of Jesus.

John Underwood of the Boston Globe wrote: "When a society decides that anything goes, pretty soon, everything does." Yahweh plants his motives within our hearts. Our hearts and Yahweh's heart should be in alignment. That's how we overcome the limitations of the Law, because we understand where it came from and its true purpose. The Law pointed anyone with a seeking heart to the Messiah. The Law continues to teach us that we need grace and mercy to overcome our sinful natures. What we want is to become like this quote from the Roman Seneca. "I no longer obey God... I agree with him."

We're just like Joshua the High Priest. Satan is standing before Yahweh accusing us of our sin. But through the sacrifice of Jesus our clothes are changed from filthy rags to spotless and rich garments. If we've asked Jesus to wash away our sin and come into our hearts we're living out this scripture. Yahweh is the only one who can take away our sin. We have no standing before him without the redeeming blood of Jesus.

John 3:21 says, "Whoever lives by the truth comes into the light, so that it may be plainly seen that what he has done has been done through God." Yahweh is our source. He's the only one we can turn to for salvation. Unless he changes our hearts we have no place in his Kingdom. Don't blow off these Old Testament pictures of Yahweh's grace. Know and understand that the whole Bible is the whole Word of our God. Seek his truth throughout it and strive to learn his ways.

Blessings & Peace, Mike