We’re going back to the minor prophets today folks and will look at one of the most important scenes in the entire Bible (in my opinion):
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. 2 And the Lord said to Satan, “The Lord rebuke you, O Satan! The Lord who has chosen Jerusalem rebuke you! Is not this a brand plucked from the fire?” 3 Now Joshua was standing before the angel, clothed with filthy garments. 4 And the angel said to those who were standing before him, “Remove the filthy garments from him.” And to him he said, “Behold, I have taken your iniquity away from you, and I will clothe you with pure vestments.” 5 And I said, “Let them put a clean turban on his head.” So they put a clean turban on his head and clothed him with garments. And the angel of the Lord was standing by. (Zech 3:1-5)
I consider this one of the most important scenes in the Bible because in just a few verses it shows our completely hopeless condition, our fiercest enemy, and God’s triumph over both.
The setting for this scene was the rebuilding of the Temple after the Babylonian exile. A group of Israelites had returned from exile led by their governor Zerubbabel and their high priest Joshua.
Joshua was the high priest and lived in a godly way. As a godly high priest, he was the highest level of godliness from a human perspective. In a sense, he was the highest level of spiritual achievement a human can achieve. Knowing this about Joshua is what makes the passage so amazing. Here is Joshua, the height of human godliness but compared to the holy and pure presence of God, he is seen as being dressed in filthy garments (v2). In God’s presence, human righteous acts are nothing but filthy rags (Isa 64:6). The word for filthy here is not just some dirty clothes with mud and grass stains but clothes disgusting with human excrement (poop, pee, vomit, blood) that smelled horrible. His clothes were so disgusting we wouldn’t want to be near him, hug him, or even look at him because they were so repulsive. Joshua’s clothes were an outward symbol of his spiritual condition and cleanliness. Yes, the top tier of human righteousness looks disgustingly filthy compared to God’s holiness and righteousness. That is why Satan was there to accuse Joshua. He was filthy with sin.
If that’s how Joshua looked before God, imagine how you and I look.
That is not the end of the scene though. Notice how God didn’t even give the devil a chance to accuse Joshua. Sure, the devil was standing there ready to accuse him, but God stepped in before he did and rebuked the devil. God then went on to defend Joshua by saying that he was plucked from the fire to be saved. Next God took away Joshua’s impurity and iniquity by taking off his filthy clothes. But God didn’t stop there, He went on to put new clothes on Joshua – He dressed him in holy and pure clothes and a royal turban. God cleansed Joshua and then dressed him in holy righteous clothes.
I’m sure you see where we’re going. You are I are dressed in filthy dirty spiritual clothing in our flesh. Our clothes are covered in excrement and stink like we can’t imagine. Yes, you and I are filthy dirty sinners. But … just like with Joshua, God intervened on your behalf. He decided to pluck you out of the world and take off your filthy spiritual clothing. Once your filth was gone, He went a step farther and clothed you with His clean spiritual clothes.
“I will greatly rejoice in the Lord… for he has clothed me with the garments of salvation; he has covered me with the robe of righteousness, as a bridegroom decks himself like a priest with a beautiful headdress.” (Isa 61:10)
“For as many of you as were baptized into Christ have put on Christ.” (Gal 3:27)
“For our sake he made him to be sin who knew no sin, so that in him we might become the righteousness of God.” (2 Cor 5:21)
“But the father said to his servants, ‘Bring quickly the best robe, and put it on him, and put a ring on his hand, and shoes on his feet.’” (Lk 15:22)
Just like the prodigal son’s dad clothed him in fine clean garments, God has clothed you in Christ. You are clothed in the finest, cleanest, most holy Garment in the universe – Jesus Christ.
Take some time out now to think about how utterly filthy you are in your sinful flesh compared to God’s holiness and perfection. Consider your words, attitudes, thoughts, actions. It isn’t pretty, is it. Think of Isaiah. He was chosen by God to be a prophet. Prophets were given the words of God to speak. Now, look at the scene when Isaiah saw God:
In the year that King Uzziah died I saw the Lord sitting upon a throne, high and lifted up; and the train of his robe filled the temple. 2 Above him stood the seraphim. Each had six wings: with two he covered his face, and with two he covered his feet, and with two he flew. 3 And one called to another and said: “Holy, holy, holy is the Lord of hosts;
the whole earth is full of his glory!” 4 And the foundations of the thresholds shook at the voice of him who called, and the house was filled with smoke. 5 And I said: “Woe is me! For I am lost; for I am a man of unclean lips, and I dwell in the midst of a people of unclean lips; for my eyes have seen the King, the Lord of hosts!” (Isa 6:1-5)
Isaiah was completely overwhelmed by being in God’s presence. God’s glory and majesty overwhelmed him so much that he even diminished his most holy and outstanding feature … his lips. Remember, he was a prophet of God and spoke the very words of God. Yet, in God’s presence, Isaiah felt his very lips were unclean compared to God’s infinite purity. It helps us to see how filthy we are before God in our flesh.
But remember, even in your filthiness, God chose you, cleansed you, clothed you in righteousness, and loves you.
Appreciate Him for what He’s done for you by understanding exactly how filthy you are without Him.
Think about it
If the absolute most godly, dedicated religious leader of the day (Joshua) stood before God covered in spiritual vomit and feces, what does that say about your own best attempts to be “good”? Can you admit that you are a filthy sinner?
When Isaiah saw God (Isaiah 6), the very first thing he lamented was his lips—the exact tool he used to serve God as a prophet. When you consider your own unique strengths, talents, or areas of spiritual maturity, how does realizing they are still “unclean” change how you view yourself?
Notice that God didn’t argue with Satan about whether Joshua was dirty. God simply rebuked Satan and changed Joshua’s clothes. What does this teach us about how we should respond when the devil reminds us of our past sins and current failures? Should we try to defend our own cleanliness?
What does it mean to you that when the Father looks at you, He doesn’t see and smell the filth of your flesh—He sees the purity of Jesus Christ? How does that thought impact your view of yourself when Satan or people tear you down, or when you sin, or when your own thoughts turn against you?
Do you truly understand how filthy your sin is before God? Do you think truly understanding it gives you greater love and appreciation toward the Lord?
How does God cleansing you make you want to live your life moving forward?
