Last post I mentioned that the scriptures on adoption didn't sink in as they should have. When they did, what great joy it brought as they spoke of such a great love.
For the last two weeks I have been enjoying meditating on another section of scripture that I must have skimmed in the past. Two weeks ago, during his sermon, our Pastor read Zechariah 3. When he read it aloud I was thinking to myself "Why have I never read this?" I know I've read Zechariah before. I wondered how I missed one of the most beautiful pictures of the Gospel in all of scripture. Yes, Zechariah 3. Here it is:
3:1 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 Hear now, O Joshua the high priest, you and your friends who sit before you, for they are men who are a sign: behold, I will bring my servant the Branch. 9 For behold, on the stone that I have set before Joshua, on a single stone with seven eyes, I will engrave its inscription, declares the Lord of hosts, and I will remove the iniquity of this land in a single day. 10 In that day, declares the Lord of hosts, every one of you will invite his neighbor to come under his vine and under his fig tree.”
What a wonderful passage that brought more great encouragement and praise to the Lord. There is so much to ponder in each of these verses. I really like what Spurgeon wrote about v2.
“So it is with the child of God. What is he at the best? Till he is taken up to heaven, he is nothing but a brand plucked out of the fire. It is his daily moan that he is a sinner; but Christ accepts him as he is: and he shuts the devil’s mouth by telling him, ‘Thou sayest this man is black - of course he is: what did I think he was but that? He is a brand plucked out of the fire. I plucked him out of it. He was burning when he was in it: he is black now he is out of it. He was what I knew he would be; he is not what I mean to make him, but he is what I knew he would be. I have chosen him as a brand plucked out of the fire. What hast thou to say to that?’ Do observe that this plea did not require a single word to be added to it from Joshua.”
How much confidence this should give us in Christ. How thankful we should be for God providing the Branch.
BTW, A brand is a burnt or burning piece of wood. I was able to see a lot of these, and stay reminded of the above text, during our camping trip. Half of the family had to stay home due to sickness but it was still a fun and refreshing couple of days. -chad
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| Our campsite was next to a really pretty lake |
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| Brother and Sister : ) |
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| Happy Camper! |
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| Figuring out the folding chairs |
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| Much to do outdoors! |
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| Friends playing |
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| "One day I'm going to learn how to ride this all by myself!" |
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| Roasting "stick bread" with friends |
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| Out hiking |
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