Nepaug Bible Church - http://www.nepaugchurch.org - Pastor's Evening Sermon Notes - http://www.nepaugchurch.org/ev/ev20070218.htm

THE PREINCARNATE MINISTRY OF JESUS CHRIST
Part XXV: Christ's Work With Israel's High Priest: Effectively Interceding For His Repentant People
(Zechariah 3:1-10)
  1. Introduction
    1. 1 John 1:9 reveals that if we confess our sins, God is faithful and just to forgive us our sins and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness, and 1 John 2:1 reveals this forgiveness comes by the intercession of Christ.
    2. Lest we doubt God's forgiveness of our confessed sins or His will or ability to cleanse us, the Preincarnate Christ's intercession with Israel's representative High Priest in Zechariah 3:1-10 illustrates these truths:
  2. Christ's Work With Israel's High Priest: Effectively Interceding For His Repentant People, Zech. 3.
    1. The Preincarnate Christ Who we before learned appeared as the "Angel of the Lord" in the Old Testament (Ryrie Study Bible, KJV, 1978 ed., ftn. to Gen. 16:10) is seen as the Advocate for Israel before God in her representative head, Joshua the High Priest, as Christ defended Israel's right to avoid God's judgment for her forgiveness in Zechariah 3:1-2, Bible Know. Com., O. T., p. 1554. We know this as (1) the "Angel of the Lord" in Zechariah 3:1 is called "the Lord" in Zechariah 3:2, and yet (2) He distinguishes Himself from "the" Lord, God the Father, before whose presence the High Priest stood, Ibid. (cf. 1 John 2:1-2)
    2. This event reveals the encouraging truth that God's people have true forgiveness, cleansing and restored blessings with God for true repentance, and sustained blessings for a sustained holy walk in life:
      1. As we learned in our last lesson, Israel's exiles who returned from Babylonian Captivity had repented of becoming diverted from rebuilding the temple, Zech. 1:1-6 with Hag. 2:1-4 in light of Hag. 1:1-5.
      2. Consequently, God supplied eight visions that encouraged these exiles in reward of their repentance.
      3. One vision, that of Joshua the High Priest in Zechariah 3:1-10, presents the intercessory work of the Preincarnate Christ to intercede for Israel genuinely to forgive and cleanse the nation from its sin:
        1. The picture of Joshua the high priest "standing" before the Angel of the Lord in Zechariah 3:1 uses a verb for "stand" that is "practically a technical word for priestly ministry (cf. Deut. 10:8; 2 Chron. 29:11)," Ibid. This vision then presents Joshua as Israel's representative before God as he came into the Holiest of Holies to atone for the sins of the people, cf. Hebrews 9:7 with Leviticus 16.
        2. As Joshua stood before God to intercede for Israel's sins, Satan appeared at his right hand, the place where an accuser typically stood (cf. Zond. Pict. Ency. of the Bible, vol. Three, p. 28 in citing Psalm 109:6) to accuse him of sin so that God would have to judge him and Israel, Rev. 12:10.
        3. Yet, as Israel had repented in returning to her work of rebuilding the temple, the Preincarnate Christ rebuked Satan, saying ". . . is not this a brand plucked out of the fire?" Israel's repentance was used by the Preincarnate Christ to gain her forgiveness and cleansing with the Father, so Satan's charges against Israel in her representative High Priest were thus discredited by Christ, Zechariah 3:2.
        4. Accordingly, Joshua had his symbolic filthy clothes replaced with clean attire, Zechariah 3:3-5.
        5. This cleansing was followed by an announcement by Christ of the Father's word to Joshua that for sustained obedience, he would be blessed with (1) temple influence (2) that was sustained (3) and have effective access to God as did the holy angels, Zech. 3:6-7 (Merrill F. Unger, Zechariah, p. 63).
        6. The Preincarnate Christ also gave the Father's message that Joshua's cleansing pictured Israel's future cleansing under the Messiah, the Servant, Branch and Stone, Zech. 3:8: (1) as the Servant, He will come to do the Father's will (Isa. 53:11); (2) as the Branch, He will come as the restored Davidic King of the humbled Davidic kingdom (Isa. 11:1) and (3) as the Stone He will come as a Stone of Stumbling for unrepentant Israel (Rom. 9:31-33), Ibid., Bible Knowledge Com., O. T., p. 1554-1555. The seven eyes of that stone reveal His omniscience by which He will either judge the unrepentant or forgive the repentant at His Second Coming, Zechariah 3:9; Ibid., p. 1555.
        7. Thus, Israel's future messianic cleansing and resulting blessings are predicted in Zechariah 3:10.
Lesson: God seeks to encourage and comfort His people that their true repentance followed by holy living will surely result in His true forgiveness and restoration followed by sustained divine blessings.

Application: If we believers confess our sins and follow this with sustained upright living, we WILL enjoy forgiveness and restoration, with God making us (a) continually (b) influential (c) and giving us effective access to Him in prayer. May we thus CONFESS our sins and KEEP walking uprightly!