Zech. 3:1-10: A burning stick snatched fom the fire

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Introduction

1)     This one chapter might be the best, most complete presentation of the Gospel in the entire Bible.

Text

1)     vv. 1-7 – The heavenly courtroom scene

A)   v. 1 – The actors

1)     Joshua, the high priest

(a)   He was a representative of all Israel. He literally carried Israel into God’s presence on his shoulders and heart (Ex. 28:9-12; vv. 15, 21, 29)

(b)   He is supposed to be ritually and morally clean.

2)     The angel of the Lord. He represents God’s presence.

3)     Satan

(a)   Heb. satan = the adversary / accuser.

(b)   e.g. Job 1:8-11; Rev. 12:10

(c)   He’s like a prosecutor who presents his guilt to the judge.

B)    Jump to v. 3 – “filthy garments”

1)     This is not mud. “Filthily” literally refers to human poop.

(a)   DBL – i.e., pertaining to being befouled with excrement

(b)   BDBA – fig. of iniquity; specif. of human excrement

2)     We should not clean up the Bible and make it nice and politically correct. When God says something we should leave it the way he says it. Verse 3 should say, “Joshua was standing before the angel, clothed with garments covered in human poop.”

3)     This is important because is makes the point he Israel’s sin was repulsive and disgusting, and it paints a very clear picture that because of their sin they are unfit to stand in the presence of God. In fact, it’s offensive and humiliating to step into God’s presence and God’s courtroom dripping with toxic foul stench of sin. Satan, the accuser, doesn’t even need to say anything to make his case.

4)     NOTE: The Gospel is a message about salvation, and before we talk to people about salvation they need to know what they are being saved from. There is no way to talk about Jesus and the Gospel without knowing about our sin, separation from God and spiritual death. Salvation is a solution to a problem, and the problem is that we are all covered in moral filth as far as God is concerned.

C)   Back to v. 2

1)     God rebukes Satan. “How dare you come to my throne and speak against my chosen people!”

2)     v. 2b – God calls Joshua “a brand plucked from the fire.”

(a)   NIV – “Is not this man a burning stick snatched from the fire?”

(b)   Think about a stick in a fire. It is just a matter of time before it is completely consumed and turned into ash. But this stick has been rescued and pulled out of the flame at the very last second.

(c)   NOTE (important for salvation conversation) – The stick did not magically sprout legs and jump out of the fire. God reached in and saved him from the fire.    

D)   vv. 4-5

1)     cf.

(a)   Is. 61:10

(b)   Lk. 15:22 (prodigal)

(c)   Rev. 3:5, 18; 7:9, 13-14

2)     Turban (Ex. 28:36-38) – The turban designates the high priest as holy to the Lord.

2)     vv. 6-7 – Now what?

A)   If you will… (conditional statement)

1)     Walk in my ways

2)     Keep my charge

3)     POINT: God has given us a new set of clothes, so now we’re supposed to live right.

B)    Then…

1)     You shall rule my house

2)     And have charge of my courts

3)     And I will give you the right of access among those who are standing here.

(a)   NLT – I will let you walk among these others standing here.

(b)   NCV – I will let you be with these angels who are standing here.

4)     POINT: You get to be where God and his people are.

C)    NOTE: We are saved by God’s free and undeserved grace, and absolutely NOT by anything that we may have done to deserve God’s salvation. We are all morally filthy. But now that we are saved by the blood of Jesus, how do we respond to his grace?

1)     Eph. 2:8-9 – Not saved BY our works, but FOR good works.

2)     God’s grace generates profound gratitude and a desire to serve him.

3)     v. 8

A)   “for they are men who are a sign”

1)     This is an OT shadow / type conversation. They are not the thing. The point to the thing, and teach us about the thing.

2)     If you’re lost in the desert and you see a sign pointing to an oasis, you don’t hug the wooden post and say, water, I’m saved. That sign is simply pointing you to the water where you can be saved.

3)     This whole vision about Joshua who was wearing filthy clothes, but God cleaned him and gave him access into the place where God is only a sign of the real thing that God is talking about.

4)     What is God pointing to in all this?

B)    “Behold, I will bring my servant the Branch”

1)     The Branch is an Old Testament picture of the Messiah.

2)     Is. 11:1 – “There shall come forth a shoot from the stump of Jesse, and a branch from his roots shall bear fruit. “

3)     This shoot will grow into a tree with a canopy that covers all creation.

C)    The stone is also a picture of the Messiah in the OT. Jesus is the chief cornerstone, and the stone of stumbling for those who reject him.

1)     Trans. issue. NCV – “Look, I put this stone in front of Joshua, a stone with seven sides. I will carve a message on it,’ says the Lord All-Powerful. ‘And in one day I will take away the sin of this land.’”

2)     cf. Rev. 2:17 – “To the one who conquers…I will give him a white stone, with a new name written on the stone…”

D)   “…and I will remove the iniquity of this land in a single day.”

1)     Consider the OT system: It was an exhausting, never-ending cycle dealing with sin - morning sacrifices, evening sacrifices, weekly Sabbath rituals, new moon offerings, feasts and festivals. The blood never stopped flowing and the smoke never stopped rising into the sky. It was a hamster wheel of guilt and sin management.

2)     God says that this vision is pointing to a day when he will remove sin (our filthy garments) in a single day.

(a)   cf. Heb. 10:10-14

4)     v. 10

A)   George Washington quoted this constantly in his letters after the Revolutionary War.

B)    The vine and fig tree are the ultimate picture of peace and prosperity. A fig tree takes years to mature and produce fruit. A vine requires a lot of care. If you are sitting under them enjoying their shade and fruit, it means you aren’t running from an army or working every waking hour to stay alive.  

C)    POINT: “everyone of you will invite his neighbor”

1)     God has cleaned us from our filthy sins.

2)     He has plucked us out of the fire.

3)     He has given us clean clothes and a hope of living and walking and working in his presence.

4)     This is not something that we should keep to ourselves. God’s saving grace is something that we should invite others to come and enjoy also.

5)     Conclusion: I was a filthy stick snatched from the fire, and now I get to sit under this fig tree. Do you want to get cleaned up and come sit with me?