Sunday
Morning Bible Study
September
14, 2014
Introduction
Do people see Jesus? Is the gospel
preached? Does it address the person who is: Empty, lonely, guilty, or afraid
to die? Does it speak to the broken
hearted? Does it build up the church? Milk – Meat – Manna Preach for a decision
Is the church loved? Regular: 2900
words Communion: 2500 words
The background to Zechariah, like that of Haggai, is found in the book of
Ezra.
After having been captive in Babylon for seventy years, the Jews are given
permission to return to Jerusalem and rebuild their Temple in Jerusalem.
When the Temple construction is stopped, it was Haggai and Zechariah who
began to prophesy and encourage the people to finish the Temple. (Ezra 5:1-2)
After the people began to build,
opposition arose from their enemies, and for a period of 15 years, the Temple
construction was halted.
It was then that God raised up two
prophets, Haggai and Zechariah, who began to encourage the people to get back
to work and make God’s House a priority.
(Ezra 5:1–2 NKJV) —1 Then the
prophet Haggai and Zechariah the son of Iddo, prophets, prophesied to the Jews
who were in Judah and Jerusalem, in the name of the God of Israel, who
was over them. 2 So
Zerubbabel the son of Shealtiel and Jeshua the son of Jozadak rose up and began
to build the house of God which is in Jerusalem; and the prophets of God
were with them, helping them.
It was under the ministry of Haggai
and Zechariah that the work got stirred up again.
The Temple won’t be complete until
March 12, 515 BC (Ezr 6:15-18)
The prophecies of Zechariah are given during the years of 520-618 BC.
One of the key distinctions of the book of Zechariah is the huge amount of
prophecy about the coming Messiah.
Except for the prophet Isaiah, there
are more prophecies about the Messiah in this book than any other Old Testament
book.
One set of scholars list 41 quotes
or allusions to Zechariah in the New Testament.
It seems that Zechariah has dated
each of his prophecies, like Haggai did.
The first prophecy is 1:1-6
It was given on 08/??/02
The second prophecy is 1:7 – 6:15
Hag.2:10-19 talks about how
“uncleanness” defiles everything it touches.
Haggai’s prophecy
was given on 9/24/02
In Zec. 3 God talks about Joshua
the high priest being “filthy”, but being cleansed.
Zechariah’s
prophecy was given 11/24/02
The third prophecy is 7:1 – 14:21
Some suggest that only 7:1-7 are
tied to the last date, and the rest of the book is undated.
Last week we started to look at a series of “night visions” (1:7) that
Zechariah received from God.
They all took place on February 15,
519 BC.
There will be eight of these “night visions” that seem to have been given
on a single night. This is now the
fourth vision.
We’ve seen a vision of horses and
riders. (1:7-17)
We’ve seen a vision of horns and
craftsmen (1:18-21)
We’ve seen a vision of the surveyor
(ch.2)
3:1-5 High Priest Cleansed
:1 Then he showed me Joshua the high priest standing before the Angel of
the Lord, and Satan standing at
his right hand to oppose him.
:2 And the Lord said to
Satan, “The Lord rebuke you,
Satan! The Lord who has chosen
Jerusalem rebuke you! Is this not a brand plucked from the fire?”
:3 Now Joshua was clothed with filthy garments, and was standing before the
Angel.
:1 Then he showed me
We’re now into the fourth
vision.
Zechariah is being shown something,
perhaps by his “tour guide” angel that has been accompanying him through the
night.
:1 Joshua the high priest
This was the fellow that was the actual high priest in Zechariah’s
day. He was the high priest that had
returned with the remnant.
His name means “Yahweh is salvation”, and yes, it’s the Hebrew form of
Jesus’ name, but don’t confuse this fellow with Jesus.
:1 standing before the Angel of the Lord
We’ve talked about this individual before.
He is a specific individual in the Old Testament, literally the “messenger
of Yahweh”.
We believe this is Jesus Himself,
before He took on human flesh and was born in Bethlehem.
The term “Angel” doesn’t
necessarily mean an “angel” as in a created being. It simply means “messenger”.
:1 Satan – satan – adversary,
one who withstands
We give this fallen, created angelic being the name of “Satan”, but the
name is also a description of what he does.
He is an adversary. He withstands the work of God and those who follow God.
:1 to oppose – satan – to
be or act as an adversary, oppose
The “opposer” is “opposing”.
Lesson
Opposition
Is all “opposition” from Satan?
No.
Sometimes the “opposition” we face come from our parents.
That’s part of the role of parents, to help guide and
nurture you on the way to mature adulthood.
(Proverbs
29:17 NKJV) Correct your son, and he will give you rest; Yes, he
will give delight to your soul.
The older you get, the harder it is to receive correction
from your parents, but don’t be quick to neglect it.
The writer of
Hebrews writes,
(Hebrews 12:9 NKJV) Furthermore,
we have had human fathers who corrected us, and we paid them
respect. Shall we not much more readily be in subjection to the Father of
spirits and live?
Sometimes the opposition we face is from God.
He will discipline us like His own children.
The prophet Balaam was heading down a dark path, intent on
making money by cursing the nation of Israel, when God used a donkey to
“oppose” him by trying to slow his journey.
(Numbers
22:31 NKJV) Then the Lord opened
Balaam’s eyes, and he saw the Angel of the Lord
standing in the way with His drawn sword in His hand; and he bowed his head and
fell flat on his face.
Jesus went on to warn Balaam that He was the one behind
the difficulty with his donkey.
Sometimes the “opposition” we face can even come from friends, even from people at church.
(Proverbs
27:6 NKJV) Faithful are the wounds of a friend, But the
kisses of an enemy are deceitful.
There may be times when those who are closest to you are
the only ones to speak up and remind you that you’re doing something stupid.
This is one of the blessings/curses of being in a small
church.
In a large church, no one knows what you’re like or how
you’re living.
When you are in a small church, people might get to know
you, and you may be encouraged from time to time to change what you’re doing.
When you face opposition, be careful about blaming it on Satan.
Lesson
Condemnation
Satan’s opposition is all about condemnation.
The picture we see in Zechariah is the same we see throughout the Bible of
heaven’s courtroom.
Satan is known in heaven as the prosecuting attorney,
(Revelation 12:10
NKJV) …the accuser of our brethren, who accused them before our God day
and night…
Satan’s accusations are aimed at driving you away from
God.
His accusations are aimed at telling you that you are not
worthy of following God.
Satan’s accusations sound a lot like “shame”.
I want to share a clip from a gal named Brené Brown, a
researcher that has devoted years studying vulnerability and shame.
Video: Brené Brown: Listening to Shame (12:20-14:00)
I would like to politely disagree just a wee bit with
Brene. Though you may be the one heaping
the most shame on yourself, but there is also another. Satan is the “accuser”.
In God’s courtroom, Jesus is our defense attorney, our “advocate”
(1 John 2:1–2
NLT) —1 My dear children, I am writing this to you so that you will not
sin. But if anyone does sin, we have an advocate who pleads our case before the
Father. He is Jesus Christ, the one who is truly righteous. 2 He himself
is the sacrifice that atones for our sins—and not only our sins but the sins of
all the world.
When you are feeling “condemned” and shamed, you have a
place to run to.
Jesus wants to stand by your side. He is the one who died for your sins so you
could be forgiven.
Your self-worth doesn’t depend on you being good enough,
it depends on God loving you so much He went and paid everything for you.
:2 And the Lord said to
Satan, “The Lord rebuke you,
Satan! The Lord who has chosen
Jerusalem rebuke you! Is this not a brand plucked from the fire?”
:2 The Lord rebuke you
Jude tells us that even Michael the archangel used these same words when he
fought with Satan (Jude 9)
rebuke – ga’ar
– (Qal) to rebuke, reprove, corrupt
The word speaks of actually
“suppressing” the one who is rebuked, and even speaks of the destruction of the
one rebuked.
This is the same thing that Michael
the archangel said when he fought with Satan over the body of Moses:
(Jude 9 NKJV) Yet Michael the
archangel, in contending with the devil, when he disputed about the body of
Moses, dared not bring against him a reviling accusation, but said, “The Lord
rebuke you!”
Let God be the one to handle Satan’s attacks.
Sometimes you never know who’s ringing the doorbell.
When you hear the doorbell ring, and as you answer the front door you see
Satan standing there, don’t try to answer his accusations on your own. Just
turn around and yell back inside the house, “Jesus, it’s for You!”
Let the Lord rebuke Satan.
:2 The Lord who has chosen Jerusalem
Satan wants to oppose Joshua and
the people of Judah, but he’s got a problem.
God is “for” these people.
Pay attention to who God is “for”.
God’s choice is not based on them
being good enough, but simply because God chose to love them.
(Deuteronomy 7:7–8 NKJV) —7 The Lord did not set His love on you nor
choose you because you were more in number than any other people, for you were
the least of all peoples; 8 but
because the Lord loves you, and
because He would keep the oath which He swore to your fathers, the Lord has brought you out with a mighty
hand, and redeemed you from the house of bondage, from the hand of Pharaoh king
of Egypt.
He chose them because He loved
them, and He loved them because He loved them.
It’s the same with us.
:2 a brand plucked from the fire
It’s a picture of a piece of burning wood being pulled from a burning fire.
Joshua and the remnant of Judah have been rescued from the fire of judgment
in Babylon.
If God had intended on wiping out the Jews in Babylon, why would He have
allowed some of them to return?
If God had intended on wiping you out, then why are you here today?
brand – ‘uwd
– brand, fire brand
A firebrand is a burning piece of
wood.
Our English word “brand” comes from
the Old Norse “brandr”
meaning “to burn”
It’s the idea of “burning your
mark” into something, like “branding” a calf.
A “firebrand” could also refer to
the stick you use to stir up the fire.
When God rebuked Israel through
Amos, He used the same figure of speech.
(Amos 4:11 NKJV) “I overthrew some
of you, As God overthrew
Sodom and Gomorrah, And you
were like a firebrand plucked from the burning; Yet you have not returned to Me,” Says the Lord.
:3 Now Joshua was clothed with filthy garments, and was standing before the
Angel.
:3 filthy garments
garments – beged
–garment, clothing
God told Moses to make garments for the high priest to wear.
(Exodus 28:2
NKJV) And you shall make holy garments for Aaron your brother, for glory
and for beauty.
Yet Joshua’s garments aren’t glorious at all, they are …
filthy – tsow’ –filthy
The word is related to the word for human excrement (poop).
Zechariah 2 is the only place this
word is found.
Isaiah used different Hebrew words, but gave the same picture.
(Isaiah 64:6
NKJV) But we are all like an unclean thing, And all
our righteousnesses are like filthy rags…
Filthy garments are a picture of us “wearing” our sin.
:3 standing before the Angel
Joshua is standing before the Angel
of the Lord
:1 Joshua … standing before the Angel
We hinted back in verse 1 that what’s taking place here is a trial.
The Hebrew phrase for “standing
before” carries some technical implications.
It is used to describe what the priests
do at work, standing before God. (Deut. 10:8)
(Deuteronomy 10:8 NKJV) At that
time the Lord separated the tribe
of Levi to bear the ark of the covenant of the Lord, to stand before the Lord
to minister to Him and to bless in His name, to this day.
(2 Chronicles 29:11 NKJV) —11 My sons,
do not be negligent now, for the Lord
has chosen you to stand before Him, to serve Him, and that you should minister
to Him and burn incense.”
(Ezekiel 44:15 NKJV) —15 “But the
priests, the Levites, the sons of Zadok, who kept charge of My sanctuary when
the children of Israel went astray from Me, they shall come near Me to minister
to Me; and they shall stand before Me to offer to Me the fat and the blood,”
says the Lord God.
And this is what
seems to be initially happening in the vision.
The vision starts
off with Joshua the High Priest standing in a completed Temple, doing the work
of the High Priest.
Yet the phrase “standing before” is
also used to describe judicial matters, like standing before a judge. (Num. 35:12)
(Numbers 27:2 NKJV) —2 And they
stood before Moses, before Eleazar the priest, and before the leaders and all
the congregation, by the doorway of the tabernacle of meeting, saying:
(Numbers 35:12 NKJV) They
shall be cities of refuge for you from the avenger, that the manslayer may not
die until he stands before the congregation in judgment.
(Deuteronomy 19:17 NKJV) —17 then
both men in the controversy shall stand before the Lord, before the priests and the judges who serve in those
days.
This is how the
vision changes. Joshua starts off as if
he’s “standing before” God, doing the work of a priest, and ends up “standing
before” God, being put on trial.
What’s this trial about?
It’s about sin.
It was just two months before this night vision that the prophet Haggai had
reminded the people about the effects of their sin.
Haggai’s prophecy
(Hag. 2:10) was given on the 24th day of the 9th
month. Zechariah’s night visions took
place on the 24th day of the 11th month (1:7)
(Haggai 2:10–14 NKJV) —10 On the twenty-fourth day of the ninth month,
in the second year of Darius, the word of the Lord
came by Haggai the prophet, saying, 11 “Thus
says the Lord of hosts: ‘Now, ask
the priests concerning the law, saying, 12 “If one carries holy meat in the fold of his garment, and
with the edge he touches bread or stew, wine or oil, or any food, will it
become holy?” ’ ” Then the
priests answered and said, “No.” 13 And
Haggai said, “If one who is unclean because of a dead body
touches any of these, will it be unclean?” So the
priests answered and said, “It shall be unclean.” 14 Then Haggai answered and said, “ ‘So is this people,
and so is this nation before Me,’ says the Lord,
‘and so is every work of their hands; and what they offer there is unclean.
(Haggai
2:14 NKJV) Then Haggai answered and said, “ ‘So is this people, and so is
this nation before Me,’ says the Lord,
‘and so is every work of their hands; and what they offer there is unclean.
How can a high priest function to bring forgiveness for people’s sins when
he himself is covered with sin, with “filthy garments”?
And it’s not just
Joshua’s sin, but the sin of the entire nation (whom Joshua represents as the
priest), since one of the things prophesied is the removal of the sin of the
land.
Even though the
nation has been punished for seventy years of captivity, there is still sin in
the nation.
With all this in
mind, how could Joshua ever function as a high priest before God? How could the nation of Judah ever be
considered God’s people?
And an even BIGGER issue – how could the promised Messiah
ever come from a people who were so “filthy”?
Lesson
Is God done with me?
No. If you’re still living and here
with us today, God is not done with you.
The whole point of this vision is to show you that God can help you “change
clothes”.
You can start over.
:4 Then He answered and spoke to those who stood before Him, saying, “Take
away the filthy garments from him.” And to him He said, “See, I have removed
your iniquity from you, and I will clothe you with rich robes.”
:4 I have removed your iniquity
from you
This is something that only God
could do.
:4 I will clothe you with rich
robes
This is putting Joshua and the
nation back where they were originally intended to be, pure and holy.
God said to Moses,
(Exodus 19:6 NKJV) And you
shall be to Me a kingdom of priests and a holy nation.’ These are the
words which you shall speak to the children of Israel.”
:5 And I said, “Let them put a clean turban on his head.” So they put a
clean turban on his head, and they put the clothes on him. And the Angel of the
Lord stood by.
:5 And I said,
It’s at this point that Zechariah
himself speaks up and makes a request.
Zechariah’s request isn’t an
unusual one, it’s just completing what was already in process of happening to
Joshua. The High Priest didn’t just wear
special robes, he wore a special turban as well.
:5 a clean turban
– tsaniyph
– turban, headdress
The high priest was to wear a turban with a gold plate mounted on the front
that had the words “Holiness to the Lord” engraved on it. (Ex. 28:36). God is getting Joshua and the nation back to
where they started.
(Exodus 28:36 NKJV) —36 “You
shall also make a plate of pure gold and engrave on it, like the
engraving of a signet: HOLINESS
TO THE LORD
3:6-10 The Servant Branch
:6 Then the Angel of the Lord
admonished Joshua, saying,
:6 admonished – ‘uwd
– (Hiphil) to protest, affirm
solemnly, warn, exhort or enjoin solemnly, admonish, charge
:7 “Thus says the Lord of
hosts: ‘If you will walk in My ways, And if you will keep My command, Then you
shall also judge My house, And likewise have charge of My courts; I will give
you places to walk Among these who stand here.
:7 If you will walk in My ways
God is speaking to the high priest of the nation of Israel.
He has given them a second chance.
God promises that if Joshua will follow Him, then God will allow him to
continue in his role as high priest.
:7 Among these who stand here
The angels of God are in this
vision, helping to clothe the high priest.
If Joshua continues to walk with
God, he will continue to do his work as priest, ministering in the presence of
God and the angels.
Some of this ministry of the
priesthood is going to usher in the Messiah.
The priesthood would continue for
the next five hundred years, until the coming of Jesus.
And yet when the future priests
would reject their Messiah, God will remove their priesthood.
The Temple as well as the
priesthood would be leveled by the Romans forty years after the rejection of
Jesus.
:8 ‘Hear, O Joshua, the high priest, You and your companions who sit before
you, For they are a wondrous sign; For behold, I am bringing forth My Servant
the BRANCH.
:8 they are a wondrous sign
Literally, “men of a sign”
man – ‘enowsh
– man, mortal man, person, mankind
sign – mowpheth
– wonder, sign, miracle, portent
Joshua and his fellow priests are to be a picture or “portent” of things to
come.
The changing of Joshua’s clothes is a picture of God’s grace.
There will be a day when God will actually remove our sin and replace it
with His righteousness.
(2 Corinthians
5:21 NKJV) For He made Him who knew no sin to be sin for us, that we
might become the righteousness of God in Him.
:8 My Servant – ‘ebed – slave,
servant
This is one of the many titles of the Messiah.
(Isaiah 42:1
NKJV) “Behold! My Servant whom I uphold, My Elect One in whom My
soul delights!
I have put My Spirit upon Him; He will bring forth justice to the Gentiles.
The Messiah is called “servant” because He came to do the will of the
Father.
Even though He Himself was God in
the flesh, He made a choice to serve.
(John 5:30 NKJV) I can of Myself do
nothing. As I hear, I judge; and My judgment is righteous, because I do not
seek My own will but the will of the Father who sent Me.
(Philippians 2:5–8 NKJV) —5 Let this
mind be in you which was also in Christ Jesus, 6 who, being in the form of God, did not consider it robbery
to be equal with God, 7 but made
Himself of no reputation, taking the form of a bondservant, and coming
in the likeness of men. 8 And
being found in appearance as a man, He humbled Himself and became obedient to the
point of death, even the death of the cross.
We are saved today because Jesus chose to obey the Father and lay down His
life for us.
:8 BRANCH – tsemach – sprout,
growth, branch
This is another common title for the Messiah.
He is a “branch” from the family tree of David. He is royalty.
Isaiah wrote about a branch coming
from the family tree of David’s father Jesse:
(Isaiah 11:1–2 NKJV) —1 There
shall come forth a Rod from the stem of Jesse, And a Branch shall grow out of his roots.
2 The Spirit of the Lord shall rest upon Him, The Spirit of wisdom and understanding, The Spirit of counsel and might, The Spirit of knowledge and of the fear of the Lord.
The “Branch” would be from the
family line of David.
Jeremiah would speak of the
“Branch”
(Jeremiah 23:5 NKJV) “Behold,
the days are coming,” says the Lord, “That I will raise to David a Branch of righteousness; A King shall reign and prosper, And execute judgment and righteousness in the earth.
(Jeremiah 33:15 NKJV) —15 ‘In
those days and at that time I will
cause to grow up to David A Branch
of righteousness; He shall
execute judgment and righteousness in the earth.
The “Branch” is a picture of part
of the family tree of David.
The Messiah is called the “Branch”
because it speaks of His connection to King David, ruler over Israel.
:9 For behold, the stone That I have laid before Joshua: Upon the stone are
seven eyes. Behold, I will engrave its inscription,’ Says the Lord of hosts, ‘And I will remove the
iniquity of that land in one day.
:9 stone … seven eyes
stone – ‘eben
– stone (large or small)
This too seems to be another reference to Jesus the Messiah.
The Psalmist wrote
(Psalm 118:22
NKJV) The stone which the builders rejected Has become
the chief cornerstone.
The prophet Daniel described Him as
(Daniel 2:34 NKJV) …a stone
was cut out without hands…
A stone that would destroy the
kingdoms of the world.
Isaiah wrote,
(Isaiah 28:16 NLT) Therefore,
this is what the Sovereign Lord
says: “Look! I am placing a foundation stone in Jerusalem, a firm and tested
stone. It is a precious cornerstone that is safe to build on. Whoever believes
need never be shaken.
As for the seven eyes, John describes Jesus in heaven …
(Revelation 5:6
NLT) Then I saw a Lamb that looked as if it had been slaughtered, but it
was now standing between the throne …He had seven horns and seven eyes, which
represent the sevenfold Spirit of God that is sent out into every part of the
earth.
Seven eyes speak of God’s omniscience, that God sees and knows everything.
We might just see these “seven eyes” pop up elsewhere in Zechariah (4:10).
:9 I will remove the iniquity of that land in one day
remove – muwsh
– to depart, remove
iniquity – ‘avon
– perversity, depravity, iniquity, guilt or punishment of iniquity
land – ‘erets
– land, earth
This is the big picture that Joshua’s changing of clothes was teaching.
God will remove sin in a single day.
It was fulfilled when Jesus died on the cross.
The Old Testament sacrifices had to be performed over and over again, but
when Jesus died for us, He did it with one sacrifice, once for all.
(Hebrews
10:14 NKJV) For by one offering He has perfected forever those who are being
sanctified.
It will be fulfilled when Jesus returns and Israel once again turns to
their Messiah.
Romans 11:25-26 speaks of the Jews turning to their Messiah and being saved
when Jesus returns.
(Romans 11:25–26 NKJV) —25 For I do
not desire, brethren, that you should be ignorant of this mystery, lest you
should be wise in your own opinion, that blindness in part has happened to
Israel until the fullness of the Gentiles has come in. 26
And so all Israel will be saved, as it is
written: “The Deliverer will
come out of Zion, And He
will turn away ungodliness from Jacob;
:10 In that day,’ says the Lord
of hosts, ‘Everyone will invite his neighbor Under his vine and under his fig
tree.’ ”
:10 invite – qara’
– (Qal) to call, cry; to summon, invite, call for
:10 neighbor – rea–
friend, companion, fellow, another person; fellow, fellow-citizen, another
person (weaker sense)
:10 under his vine – gephen
– vine, vine tree
:10 under his fig tree – te’en
– fig, fig tree
:10 Under his vine … fig tree
This is a picture of peace and
prosperity
(1 Kings 4:25 NKJV) And
Judah and Israel dwelt safely, each man under his vine and his fig tree, from
Dan as far as Beersheba, all the days of Solomon.
This is a picture of the peace and prosperity that will ultimately come
when Jesus rules and reigns on the earth. (Mic. 4:4)
(Micah 4:4 NKJV) But everyone shall
sit under his vine and under his fig tree, And no
one shall make them afraid; For the
mouth of the Lord of hosts has
spoken.
:4 Take away the filthy garments
Lesson
Wardrobe change
Joshua was going through a major wardrobe change.
Off came the old and on came the new.
Illustration
One mom writes,
I asked my two-year-old to take his dirty clothes and put
them into the hamper. He looked puzzled, and I explained, “You know; it’s the
place where we put our dirty clothes before they’re washed.”
My son picked up his things, ran into my bedroom, and
threw his clothes on the floor...on his dad’s side of the bed.
Sometimes we get tempted to make the wrong wardrobe change and want to put
on the old stuff.
God has made it possible for us to be wearing the prince’s finest clothes.
And yet sometimes we get tempted to go back and wear our old clothes. We too need a wardrobe change.
For those of you who have never opened your heart to Jesus, it starts with
asking Him to forgive you.
For some of us, there’s even more we need to do.
(Colossians
3:8–14 NLT) —8 But now is the time to get rid of anger, rage, malicious behavior,
slander, and dirty language. 9 Don’t lie to each other, for you have stripped off your old sinful
nature and all its wicked deeds. 10 Put on your new nature, and be renewed as you learn to know your
Creator and become like him. 11 In this new life, it doesn’t matter if you are a Jew or a Gentile,
circumcised or uncircumcised, barbaric, uncivilized, slave, or free. Christ is
all that matters, and he lives in all of us. 12 Since God chose you to be the holy
people he loves, you must clothe yourselves with tenderhearted mercy, kindness,
humility, gentleness, and patience. 13 Make allowance for each other’s faults, and forgive anyone who
offends you. Remember, the Lord forgave you, so you must forgive others. 14 Above all,
clothe yourselves with love, which binds us all together in perfect harmony.
Do you need to change clothes?