"He Defends the Guilty" June 24 Readings: Zechariah 1-7

 

Reading the Bible Chronologically in 2022

This year, instead of reading from Genesis to Revelation, we will read the Bible as the story flows, as it happened and was written. There are several plans out there and I have worked to combine them into a plan that lets the Bible tell its own story "as it happened." Remember, the Bible is inspired, but not in the order the books appear in our Bibles. The Old Testament is approximately 3/4 of the Bible, but I have divided it so that we will spend half the year in the OT, and half the year in the NT. 

Bible Readings:  Zechariah 1-7  

Background:   

Zechariah was a contemporary of Haggai and his prophecies are likely dated to about 520 to 518 BC. Zechariah is of the priestly tribe and his name means "God remembered" - God did not forget Israel in Babylon. His message dovetails with Haggai's.

Daily Devotional:  He Defends the Guilty

What a powerful vision Zechariah had - not really a vision but an insight into reality. In Zechariah 3:1-5 we see a man named Joshua, a priest, the chief priest in fact who was standing before the Angel of the Lord. The identity of the "Angel of the Lord" is difficult to discern in the OT - is it just an angel, or Jesus himself? We will likely not know for sure until we are in heaven. Joshua is standing before this representation of the divine presence.

And Satan, the accuser of the brethren, is right there beside him doing his thing. He is accusing him. He is unworthy to stand in your presence, God. He has no right to be here. Look how filthy he is, how unclean, how compromised. He has not done right, has not followed the law adequately, and has not earned the right to be in the presence of the Lord. The accuser is accusing!

The problem is that every accusation he is lodging is absolutely correct. According to verse 3, Joshua was clothed in filthy garments. He was unclean. The accuser was absolutely right. Dirty. Fallen. Wicked. Unworthy to stand in the presence of God.

Just like me. Joshua is me! A sinner whose sin makes him unworthy to be in the eternal presence of God. Here is the hard, cold truth - the truth I want to ignore, deny, and pretend is not so. Whatever accusations Satan wants to lodge against me to the Father are probably true. Oh, maybe I haven't broken every one of the commandments in body, but in mind, in heart, in spirit, I have broken them all. I am guilty.

But God does not respond to Satan's accusations as we might expect.

The Lord rebuke you, O Satan! The Lord who has chosen Jerusalem rebuke you!

Satan spoke true accusations against Joshua but he was rebuked. Why? Because God had chosen Jerusalem. God chose them and therefore he would redeem them.

Behold, I have taken your iniquity away from you, and I will clothe you with pure vestments.

God takes his chosen people, cleanses them, and clothes them in pure clothes. We know now how that happens - it is the righteousness of Christ that is our robe. I am Joshua. Stained and dirty, God chose me. He sent his Son for me to take away my iniquity and clothe me in righteousness. I now have "pure vestments" - spiritual garments of holiness given to me by the work of Christ.

Though I am guilty of every accusation Satan can level against me, in Christ I am innocent!

Thank you, Father, for the grace I have in Christ, for clothing me in Christ's righteousness instead listening to the accusations of Satan against me. 

 

Consider God's Word:

Do you struggle with guilt, with doubt, and with self-recrimination?
Remember that Jesus is your redeemer and has cleansed you and clothed you in "pure vestments."
Thank him today for that!