Now Joshua was dressed in filthy clothes as he stood before the angel.
4The 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 fine garments on you."
- P86
"8o‘Listen, High Priest Joshua, you and your associates seated before you, who are men symbolic of things to come: I am going to bring my servant, the Branch.
9See, the stone I have set in front of Joshua! There are seven eyes on that one stone, and I will engrave an inscription on it,’ says the Lord Almighty, ‘and I will remove the sin of this land in a single day.
10"‘In that day each of you will invite your neighbor to sit under your vine and fig tree,’ declares the Lord Almighty."
- P87
Zechariah sees Joshua the high priest standing before the angel of the Lord,
and Satan standing to accuse him. The Lord rebukes Satan and commandsJoshua‘s filthy clothes to be removed. Joshua receives clean garments and aturban. - P87
The Lord promises that His servant, the Branch, will come and He willremove the sin of the land in one day. boomid - P87
In a vision, Zechariah sees Joshua the high priest standing before God in filthy clothes while Satan stands nearby to accuse him. God, however, rebukes Satan. He commands that Joshua’s filthy clothes be taken away and gives him fine, clean garments instead. - P88
Past sins often cling to us, keeping us from experiencing the bright future God has planned. Satan, the accuser, is quick to list all our offenses as we seek to renew a right relationship with our Lord. But the filthy rags of our past failures are removed by God’s grace, and in their place, we are clothed in robes of righteousness provided by our Lord. - P88
Our rags exchanged for robes; this is the message of the cross of Christ. - P88
God informs Joshua the high priest that he and his associates are symbolsof things to come. God promises that His servant, called the Branch, willcome and that He Himself will remove the sin of the land in a single day.
Scripture shows us that "the Branch" refers to the Messiah (see Isa. 11:1).
- P88
The stone with seven eyes or facets is a symbol of strength and the infinitewisdom found in Christ. Those who cling to the Branch and build theirlives upon the rock of His wisdom will know the forgiveness of their sins,
enter into healthy relationships with their neighbors, and experience theblessings that come from a relationship with God‘s Son in this life as wellas in the life to come. - P88
We may start tothink of ourselves as beyond God‘s forgiveness and mercy.
CASo, what can we do to ensure that we don‘t fall into the enemy‘s trap? We fixour attention on what God says about us. The truth is, we are all unworthyof God‘s forgiveness based on our own merit; we have all sinned and fallenshort of God‘s standards for salvation. And that‘s why we desperately needJesus. - P89
Psalm 103:12 tells us, "As far as the east is from the west, so far has heremoved our transgressions from us."
God doesn‘t dangle our failures in our faces. When we turn from our sinand commit our lives to Him, He.cleanses us from all unrighteousness.
Lay down your burdens of shame and defeat and accept God‘s healing andrestoration. - P89
Just like in today‘s passage, God longs to take off our filthyrobes of past sin and failure, and instead give us His garments of dignity,purpose, and wholeness.
- P89
God, You are the God who removes our filthy rags and replaces them with clean, fine robes. - P89
My heart overflows in worship and praise for the cleansing power of Your Son’s blood shed on Calvary’s cross. In Jesus’ name, amen. - P89
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