Satan Rebuked & Man Cleansed Series

ZECHARIAH 3:1-5

SATAN REBUKED & MAN CLEANSED

[Isaiah 43:1-7]

The fourth vision deals with the problem of sin. Before the promised blessing of inhabiting God's holy habitation can come about, there must be a spiritual transformation in Israel. God's people, both then and now, have fallen into the mire of sin. Spiritual restoration must occur before God's called out ones can fulfill their priestly ministry to the world. Both Israel then and God's people by His new covenant have rebelled and experienced the ensuing filth and marring of sin because they have refused to heed the Word of the Lord.

Here Satan takes these sins of disobedience and prosecutes them before the Lord, making his case that they-we are neither worthy of salvation nor able to be servants to God. But here we have the glorious picture of the Angel of the LORD rebuking Satan and giving the representative of the people, and thus the people, full and final acceptance before God.

God's people have been called to glory but because of their grievous sins and moral defilement, they must be cleansed or be excluded forever from the holy habitation of the Lord God. (Our text reveals the fact that the exceedingly great and precious promise has been given to the representative of His people, the great High Priest, when He returned from His redemptive mission for fallen man.) Let man understand that their salvation and restoration cannot rest on their own merits of worthiness but only upon the grace which cleanses and gives righteousness to His chosen people who let their great High Priest represent them.

This vision, using very graphic symbolism, is about the restoration of God's people who having found inner deliverance from sin and its moral defilement will inherit salvation's outward manifestation and all its attending blessings partially set forth in the first three visions.

I. THE LORD REBUKES SATAN, 3:1-2.

II. CLEANSING AND CLOTHING, 3:3-5.

I. THE LORD REBUKES SATAN, 1-2.

Verse one introduces the three main characters featured in the new vision. Then he showed me Joshua, the high priest, standing before the Angel of the LORD, and Satan standing at his right hand to accuse him.

Joshua was the high priest who returned with the governor Zerubbabel at the head of the first colony of 49,697 exiles from captivity some sixteen years before. The name means YHWH is salvation. Jesus is the Greek translation.

The Angel of the LORD's divine character, which shines out in a most striking manner in this vision, can be none other than the pre-incarnate Christ, the second person of the holy trinity. (See Josh. 5:13-15; Judg. 6:20-22; 13:19-22).

The high priest Joshua is standing before the Angel of the LORD expressing that he is in attendance upon or ministering to the Lord before whom he stands. The high priest is the mediator of his people. He stands before the Lord representing the nation. This was understood in Israel where the high priest represented the entire nation before God on the Day of Atonement each year.

The scene may be imagined as the high priest engaged in his high priestly duty of interceding for mercy on behalf of the people he represents. The Angel of the LORD comes down to answer his plea. But Satan, the sworn enemy of the church of God, with jealous eyes, looks on preparing to interrupt by his accusations in this dramatic court room trial. The prosecuting attorney is Satan, the defense attorney is the Angel of the LORD, the judge is the LORD, and the accused is the high priest. The decision; what to do with the sinful people whom the high priest represents.

Satan' means ‘an adversary' or ‘accuser'. Here he is specifically identified as ‘the adversary.' Why God allows Satan to stand before Him as the accuser of the brethren (Rev. 12:10) is not answered in Scripture. But we do perceive a part of Satan's character here. First, he lies and lures mankind into sin(s) and then when the seduction is accomplished, he turns around and becomes man's accuser.

That is a solemn truth which should never be forgotten. A Christian's sins do accuse him before the bar of God. They are all made visible there. But it is not mere malice against Israel or us which brings the deceiver there as our accuser, it is Satan's hatred of God and his desire to frustrate God's plans to show His love toward us.

In verse 2 the Angel of the LORD steps in and defends His people against their accuser. And the LORD said to Satan, "The LORD rebuke you, Satan! Indeed, the Lord who has chosen Jerusalem rebukes you! Is this not a brand plucked from the fire?"

Blessed be the Sovereign LORD! Our adversary may accuse us but it is not in his power to condemn us. Only the Judge has the power to condemn and also to acquit.