"brand plucked from the fire"

This morning, I spent my entire time in Bible study in one of my favorite and most vivid Old Testament pictures of the gospel in Zechariah chapter three.  This high priest/prophet ministered to the Jews after their return from exile. The Jews were very discouraged during this period because the reality of being back in their homeland had not met their expectations.  In the third chapter, Joshua stands before his accuser Satan, who is seeking to begin his prosecution of him for his sins and those of the Jews he represents.  This moral filth of the Jews’ sin is represented by Joshua’s clothing which is covered (literally) in excrement, making him unclean and unfit to stand before God.  The Angel of the Lord (also referred to as “the Lord”) stands between these two as the Judge. 

Zechariah 3:1-10 (ESV)
¹ 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. ⁶ And the angel of the LORD solemnly assured Joshua, ⁷ “Thus says the LORD of hosts: If you will walk in my ways and keep my charge, then you shall rule my house and have charge of my courts, and I will give you the right of access among those who are standing here. ⁸

 

Here are five quick applications to this glorious text.

1.)  Satan is portrayed as standing at the ready to accuse Joshua of his (and by extension) the Jews’ sin.  He has overwhelming evidence of the Jews’ sinfulness as pictured in the excrement clinging to Joshua’s garments.  Yet, before Satan can speak a word of his prosecution, the Lord invokes the LORD’s rebuke, silencing him before he can utter a sound.  This reminds us of our High Priest who stands before God as our Advocate, our defense attorney whose perfect righteousness in him closes Satan’s mouth before he can make a charge against his elect. 

2.)  The Lord refers to Joshua and the Jews as a “brand plucked from the fire.”  This is a beautiful picture of any redeemed sinner.  Like a stick in the midst of a fire, we were doomed to complete destruction until we were—with no help from us, were plucked up from certain destruction by the Lord.  Spiritually speaking, we all smell of smoke and that brings much glory to God.

3.)  Notice the only ground for the Lord’s aggressive defense of his people is, “The LORD who has chosen Jerusalem rebuke you!” [v.4] Again, we see that it is the LORD’S election of Israel for his sovereign purposes that alone serves as the basis for God’s redemption.  Nothing Joshua or Israel had done is mentioned—God’s people are forgiven because they are chosen, not the other way around!

4.)  The imagery of our excrement-covered clothing being exchanged for “pure vestments” is worthy of extended meditation.  What a glorious picture of what God has done for us in Christ.  It’s also important to remember that Satan wants us to see ourselves as living in these dirty clothes and can marshal much evidence against us if we choose listen to his condemnation.  All his evidence is IRRELEVANT—we have been made white as snow by the blood of the Lamb.

The LORD gives a solemn charge to Joshua and the Jews that if they will walk in his ways, he would give great blessing to them.  Don’t miss the order here.  FIRST, God forgives, cleanses and rebukes the accuser. THEN, God asks for obedience in response to his grace.  We must always remember that when God asks us to obey, it is always in the light of what he has done for us---in response to his sovereign grace.  Obedience should be motivated by our grateful love for God in response to all he is and all he has done for us in Christ