Clean clothes for a soiled servant
Then he showed me the high priest Joshua standing before the angel of the LORD, with 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 rich 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.
The main character of chapter 3 is Joshua, the high priest. Without saying that he typifies all priests, he is certainly a human being. And being a human being, the same thing afflicted him that afflicts all human beings: Satan accused him.
Being a priest or a minister does not make a person free from the charges that the devil levels. In fact, the charges intensify. If the devil doesn’t hesitate to accuse the high priest, think of what he will do with the layperson. If he can point out the sin of the person who has been called to make religion his full-time occupation, then what can he do to the person who, at least so far as his life’s work is concerned, has religion as a part-time occupation?
The ministerium needs to pay attention. Ministers need to remember that they are no better in God’s sight or the devil’s sight than the people they minister to. In the book of Hebrews, this is made very clear: “Every high priest is selected from among men and is appointed to represent them in matters related to God, to offer gifts and sacrifices for sins. He is able to deal gently with those who are ignorant and are going astray, since he himself is subject to weakness. This is why he has to offer sacrifices for his own sins, as well as for the sins of the people” (Hebrews 5:1-3).
In chapter 3 of the book of Zechariah, we see why Jesus, our High Priest, is so important to us. When he stepped before God for us, he did not do it with the devil’s accusations ringing in his ears. His own Father was able to say, “This is my Son, whom I love; with him I am well pleased” (Matthew 17:5). The same writer of the book of Hebrews quoted above was able to write by inspiration, “We have one [high priest] who has been tempted in every way, just as we are—yet was without sin” (4:15).
The minister stands before his people. He is like Joshua, the priest. He prays for them on Sunday morning from the altar. He gives them the Lord’s Supper and baptizes their children. He presents God’s Word to them in preaching and in promise. If he is truly in the Word and about the Word, then he better than all others realizes the condemnation. The mirror of God’s law is unmercifully clear as the minister peers into it. He knows the dream of the prophet Zechariah. He knows that Satan stands at his right side to accuse him. In this way and at this time, Satan is not a liar. The accusations are true! So the minister carries a double burden. If he is supposed to be the spiritual leader of his people, and Satan accuses him rightfully of so many transgressions, then what hope can there be for either him or his people?
This is Satan. He delights in accusing people before God. His very name means “adversary,” “the one who carries a grudge.” The word in Hebrew for Satan contains the very same letters as the verb accuse. It could be said, then, that “Satan was standing there at his right side to ‘satan’ him.”
But then verse 2 comes! The great defense attorney rose. His words rung out loud and clear: “The LORD rebuke you, Satan! The LORD, who has chosen Jerusalem, rebuke you!” The cowering Joshua heard it, and he was glad. Never mind that he was compared to a burning stick snatched from the fire. It was true, and he knew it. But his Lord—the LORD, the Savior—had just defended him! His Lord had stepped before the accuser with his own name. He has authority over sin because he paid for sin. In God’s court this Lord’s words reign supreme. Their echo silenced the accuser.
This is the name proclaimed to Moses: “The LORD, the LORD, the compassionate and gracious God, slow to anger, abounding in love and faithfulness, maintaining love to thousands, and forgiving wickedness, rebellion and sin” (Exodus 34:6,7).
This Lord comes and chooses his people. He chooses to defend them against seemingly hopeless odds. This Lord snatches them from the fire. What a picture of our condition and God’s action! He braved the fire to rescue his people. They were almost gone, yet he snatched them from the fire. That includes ministers no less than others.
Verses 3 to 5 carry on the beautiful imagery, words the accused of this world never tire of hearing. The very reason for the accusation was taken away. The dirty clothes, which in verse 4 are equated with sins, were taken away.
God does not get rid of the charge by ignoring the evil. Something had to be done with Joshua’s dirty clothes. One thing was certain to all: Joshua could not stand before God wearing dirty clothes. The devil pointed to the smudges and stains. Joshua was painfully aware that he was standing before royalty with dirt as a covering. The Almighty and the Pure allows no dirt in his courtroom.
Yet it is all taken care of in a simple operation: “Take off his filthy clothes. I will put rich garments on you.” When it was over, the accuser saw only spotlessly clean garments. Where was the charge now? Case dismissed. Everything was covered. The room was filled with rightness and righteousness. Joshua’s heart and lips said, “Thank you, Lord,” and his chest heaved a great sigh of relief. Now he could approach God and intercede for his fellow sinners. Now no one could accuse him. He was cleansed by the same soap that he recommended his hearers use on their dirty garments, their sins.
A hymn verse tells us how it is: “Clothed in his righteousness alone, faultless to stand before his throne.” And why? “My hope is built on nothing less than Jesus’ blood and righteousness” (CW 382:1,4). He is our clean clothes. He is the solid rock of trust and confidence upon which we stand.
The devil still pointed, but he was pointing at God’s own Son, and even Satan realized the awful blasphemy of this, and he became very quiet.