Tuesday: God’s Readiness to Forgive
Read Zechariah 3. How is the gospel portrayed here?
Image © Steve Creitz from GoodSalt.com
With, perhaps, the exception of Isaiah 53, no portion of the Old Testament better reveals the wonderful truth of salvation by faith alone than does Zechariah 3. In this vision, the high priest Joshua is being tried on accusations brought forth by the official accuser, Satan. The accusations against the high priest also apply to the nation which he represented. The name Joshua (also spelled as Jeshua) means “the Lord saves” (see Matt. 1:21), and can also be spelled Jesus.
In the Bible, the position of standing on the right side is one of defense and protection. The psalmist says, “I have set the Lord always before me. Because he is at my right hand, I will not be shaken” (Ps. 16:8, NIV; see also Ps. 44:3). In this case, the accuser is doing just the opposite (Ps. 109:6). While Joshua is interceding before God for the people, Satan is bringing accusations against them based on their sinfulness.
The Lord rejects the accusations, reminding the accuser that in His mercy He already has chosen Joshua. Moreover, His people already have suffered the full measure of divine punishment. Joshua and the remnant people were snatched as a burning stick from the destructive fire (Amos 4:11) of long captivity in Babylon.
At the command of the angel of the Lord, Joshua’s clothes, which represent people’s sins, are removed, and he is cleansed and then given the new festive garments of salvation and righteousness.
Finally, Joshua is commissioned to do God’s will and to walk in His ways, an attitude that will result in God’s manifold blessings.
“The high priest cannot defend himself or his people from Satan’s accusations. He does not claim that Israel is free from fault. In filthy garments, symbolizing the sins of the people, which he bears as their representative, he stands before the Angel, confessing their guilt, yet pointing to their repentance and humiliation, and relying upon the mercy of a sin-pardoning Redeemer. In faith he claims the promises of God.”—Ellen G. White, Prophets and Kings, pp. 583, 584. Those promises, of course, include the covering of Christ’s righteousness.
Imagine having to stand before God in your own “filthy garments.” What great hope is presented here, and how can you not only claim that hope for yourself but reveal the reality of that hope through a holy and sanctified life?
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Oh what a saviour in Jesus Christ. when i come to Him, he does not see me as a useleless person, but a son who needs to be clothed with new garments. Not mere clothes, but clothes of righteousness. Thanks for calvary!
Having the greatest hope is the only way where we can live a happy life here on earth. I remember the song that goes" We have this hope that burns within our hearts, hope in the coming of the Lord......." this is the greatest weapon to make us strong in our faith to continue to walk with Jesus everyday in our lives. With the hope and faith that soon we will be with Him.
I found this website helpful: https://egwwritings.org/. I found it through "Resources" in menu bar above. We have access to EG White's writings here.
Prompted by Doug Bachelor in Central Study Hour's online SS; I'm reading EGW's Steps to Christ. (http://www.amazingfacts.org/media-library/media-archives/t/central-study-hour/sq/8/o/4/th/c.aspx)
I'm finding it helpful to answer today's final SS question. Praise God for all the resources made available in today's techno world and for those managing them.
The Devil always seeks to remind us of the sins long forgiven by God.This he does through the people around us who may remind us of a unpleasurable past we ought not to stress about.We therefore need to be careful of the people around us what they say must never bring our faith down.Our hope and salvation is only found in the Lord not the people around.
Amen,I agree that the people around us remind us about our past mistakes but Sometimes in life we also carry the weight of our own sins on our shoulders and we find it hard to forgive ourselfs for a mistake that we made,not even realizing that it is the work of the devil to hold onto those mistakes. I guess forgiveness starts with following Gods word and trusting in his forgiveness.
Even if Satan will try to remind us about our sins, what we are suposed to do as Christians is to abide in Jesus.
How should our understanding be of the universality of the gospel message and the idea that it is for all? Humanity impact how we live. How much of our lives, our time, and our thoughts should be focused on reaching the world with the wonderful truths that we have been given?