Satan's Accusations Parried

Satan's Accusations Parried

Satan's Accusations Parried
https://www.esv.org/Zech3:1—7
Week 12: 16/03/2023. Thu

You and I are constantly under a same kind of attack by Satan, if you give him the opportunity. His style is calling the unclean clean, and calling the clean unclean—simply put, reversing the evaluation of whatever the LORD analysed.

Zechariah 3:1–3 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. (ESV)

Joshua was the high priest during the prophetic ministry of Zechariah. Joshua was one of those "plucked from the fire", referring to the LORD's rescue of Joshua and other Israelites from Babylon.

Because the people of God has not been fully restored to their former glory, they still beared the marks and soots of having gone through the fire of the Babylonian exile. This, the Satan seized upon to accuse them, hoping to stumble them. Joshua's "filthy garments" referred to the sin, guilt and pollution that had caused them the exile.

But now, having gone through the punishment of exile, the LORD chose to forgive them. In particular, Joshua was given "a clean turban" and new garments (3:5). This restoration to priestly service came with the condition of obedience to God (see 3:6—7) according to the pattern given by Moses.

APPLICATION: Do not let Satan continue to accuse you again when you have already dealt with sin thoroughly and have received God's forgiveness according to His prescription.