July 8, 2024

GOD’S WORD FOR TODAY:

“Now Joshua was dressed in filthy clothes as he stood before the angel. The 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’.” (Zechariah 3.3-4)

REFLECTION ON GOD’S WORD:

Yesterday, we reflected on the “clothing” of Joshua the High Priest using his story as remembered in Zechariah (in Haggai, Ezra and Nehemiah as well) and contrasted with the beggar at the King’s Son’s wedding. The message there had to do with the internal condition of one’s heart, mind and soul toward the task at hand. The beggar was entitled to attend the wedding because the invitation was extended by word of mouth to everyone since the original guests had declined. Who were those who declined? They would have been the “movers and shakers” of the day. Among them would have been rulers, priests, wealthy landowners and business owners and dignitaries from distant lands. In parallel fashion we would see such a listing among those who were of the exiles living in Babylon. That would have been the reason they were captured and taken to live in Babylon near the Chebar River. As we would read of their lives in exile from Ezekiel and Jeremiah, we would learn of the cultural and spiritual conflict which was taking place over those seventy years. Many of them had begun to assimilate living as Babylonians in every aspect of their daily lives including those expressions of faith. Is it little wonder how over time, even in the age following the life and ministry of Jesus, that those who were believers began to enculturate the gospel with their own understanding and expressions of religion? But such was not the case for a smaller group of them; a remnant of the remnant. They “kept the faith,” as I mentioned yesterday, and served the Lord with gladness even in exile. It would be because of such faithfulness to the worship and service of God that Darius would be moved to send them back to Jerusalem. One of them was Joshua the son of Jozadak of the House of Levi. His mention is significant in that the High Priest would be representative of the spiritual condition of the people of God called Israel. He was a reminder of God’s people both foreign and domestic. As the “elite” of Jerusalem were taken in exilic captivity, the “rest” of Jerusalem and Israel were then like “sheep without a shepherd.” Without the “home base” of Jerusalem the spiritual, political and economic system inspired by God wavered and waned. They were suffering in their own lives because of the covering of sinfulness brought upon them by faithfulness kings, religious leaders (priests and rabbis) and community leaders. They system was broken. We would even be reminded of a common saying “the fathers have eaten sour grapes and their children’s teeth are set on edge.” (Jeremiah 31.29) However, in that same breath spoken to Jeremiah, God declared, “Let it no more be said among you.” Why? It would be the determination of God to hold each person accountable for their own choice to sin or not to sin. In the day of Joshua the High Priest, the sin(s) mentioned are representative of the whole nation of Israel whether in exile or in the land influenced by the lack of godly leadership caused by the exile. God was offering reconciliation, blessing and favor through the forgiveness of their sin and the restoration to office for the High Priest. I do find it interesting that the role of king was also placed on Joshua in this vision. With this we find another parallel but not with a beggar. Rather, we are called to remember Melchizedek whom Abram found as priest and king of Salem in the land promised to him and his descendants.

Are we not invited to consider then Joshua, a son of Judah, who led the redeemed exiles from Egypt into the Promised Land, as well as Joshua, the son of Jozadak, who would lead those exiles in Babylon, as the archetypes of Jesus of Nazareth? Were these not the foreshadowing of the true King of kings, Lord of lords and true High Priest after the order of Melchizedek? We are hearing the renewed call of God to His people. The restoration of the High Priest symbolized by ritual cleansing and the fitting of new garments upon Joshua could be paralleled to that of a “bringing back from the figurative dead” the remnant branch to be grafted into the true vine of righteousness. In this we are, as were those in Israel, called to see the true order of life stemming from God, His Word, His Will and His design. With it we are led to see the continuing prophetic preparation for the Messiah, the Messianic Covenant and the Messianic Community which would be revealed in its fullness with Jesus of Nazareth, Son of God and Son of Man. The Church, of course, replaces the Temple because the Temple and its adherents continued to deny its place in the effecting of God’s will on earth. What was that will? It was to be a light unto the world leading all people to come and worship the Lord God of Heaven and Earth. It was a call to dwell in righteousness with one another and “keep the faith” which God had bestowed in and on those He called and would call “His people.” It is because of the Messiah who was, is and will always be that the people would be clothed in new clothes as heaven’s finery and empowered with the renewing of a right spirit and a clean heart. We hear these promises in both the prophets of the Old Covenant and the prophet, priest and king of the New Covenant (read Paul’s letters and Revelation for these promised images and realities bestowed by faith upon the faithful through Jesus Christ the Messiah.)

Mighty ones of God in Christ Jesus, this is why today we can read of and should pursue our rightful place in the kingdom of God on earth. We are called to be “a priesthood of all believers.” (1 Peter 2.9) We are led by the true High Priest of Heaven who is Jesus the Christ. (Hebrews 4.14) We are called to lead the people in the true worship of God all the days of our lives, not just one or some. Our sins have been forgiven and we have been clothed in righteousness. How sad it is for us and the rest of the world that we do not fully live into this new life which God has freely given! We are not beyond repentance and restoration even now. However, the day is coming when we will be held accountable for our decisions, actions and inactions in the matter of faith. We will be looked upon as those chosen and set apart to bear witness to God’s love made known in Jesus the Christ and Messiah. In such view, we will be known by God as those to whom the wedding invitation was given. What shall we do with that invitation? Refuse it? Abuse it? Accept it with humility and integrity? God has made His choice and has made it known in all its implications and ramifications. The choice is now ours!

TODAY’S PRAYER IN RESPONSE TO GOD’S WORD:

Father, before we were conceived in the womb, You had already formed us in Your love and by Your Spirit brought us into being. Each one of us is blessed with the opportunity of doing right, being good and producing the fruit of the Spirit so that others may be fed the truth of that same love so that the two will become one. It is our soul’s sincere desire to embrace the oneness You have in mind that we would know that we are Your people and that You are our God. Lead us in that discovery of the truth and the manifestation of that love for us all. In Jesus’ name, we pray. AMEN.