Clothed in Filthy Garments

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. - Zec 3:1-7 ESV

This Joshua was the son of Jehozadak after the restoration of Israel from the Babylonian and Assyrian captivity. They were restoring the walls of the city and the Temple. He would be the priest who was charged with resuming the sacrifices. It was a big deal to be the high priest, especially in a Jerusalem that was being restored and rebuilt after 70 years without sacrifices. He had a lot of responsibility on his shoulders. AS we know, there were many corrupt high priests before the captivity that did not serve to guard the integrity or well being of Israel or Judah. Joshua was chosen to be the one to set the tone of the faith life of Israel as they came out of the shame of being judged and overthrown.

As the story opens, Joshua is in front of the throne of God and Satan is at the Lord’s right side to accuse him. He is the accuser of the brethren. 9 And the great dragon was thrown down, that ancient serpent, who is called the devil and Satan, the deceiver of the whole world--he was thrown down to the earth, and his angels were thrown down with him. 10 And I heard a loud voice in heaven, saying, "Now the salvation and the power and the kingdom of our God and the authority of his Christ have come, for the accuser of our brothers has been thrown down, who accuses them day and night before our God. - Rev 12:9-10 ESV The Lord knew that the only reason Satan was there in that moment was to accuse Joshua. It was what he did. Joshua had come in with baggage. That made him an easy target. But the Lord had a plan.

Before the conversation even began, we hear Him say, “The Lord rebuke you oh Satan.” He then goes on to point out that Joshua was to be a firebrand, carrying the torch of the Lord to the people of Israel. Joshua was in filthy clothes. He probably felt completely undone in the presence of a pure and holy God. It wouldn’t take too many words of condemnation to undermine what the Lord was about to do with him. The Lord shut Satan down immediately. Joshua did not need to be told that he was covered with filthy clothes. He was already aware of his condition.

Instead of hearing “how dare you come in here so dirty? Have you no respect for God or decency?” Joshua heard the Lord give the command to strip of the filthy clothes and put on clean, new, royal clothes on Him. These are also the words we hear as a promise in Rev 3 for the one who conquers. 5 The one who conquers will be clothed thus in white garments, and I will never blot his name out of the book of life. I will confess his name before my Father and before his angels. - Rev 3:5 ESV

The devil did not want to accuse Joshua before the Lord because he thought that the Lord wouldn’t know. He wanted to make sure that Joshua heard the demoralizing, disqualifying words that would keep him from stepping into the Lord’s plans. The Lord already knew Joshua’s condition when he was chosen to be the new high priest. He was not worried about where Joshua had been. He qualified him for where He was leading Joshua to go and what He called Joshua to be.

Maybe you are struggling with feeling defeated, discouraged and disqualified. That is pretty common. We live in a world that is trying to destroy every good thing God has placed in us and magnify ever fault, failure and flaw. The world and Satan will stand close and point out every wrong thing we have ever done and use it repeatedly as long as he has an audience. It is really easy to listen to because everything he says about us is anchored in the old, fallen nature. Even though we sometimes fall into the trap of living like we were never saved at times, it isn’t true. When we have surrendered our lives to Jesus, He makes us new. Our old self may flare up at times, but it is not who we are.

We may feel like Peter. Jesus told him that he was going to be sifted and that he would fall. Peter did not believe him, but he did fall. Jesus then told him that when he turned back to the Lord, he was given the assignment to strengthen the brothers.

31 "Simon, Simon, behold, Satan demanded to have you, that he might sift you like wheat, 32 but I have prayed for you that your faith may not fail. And when you have turned again, strengthen your brothers." 33 Peter said to him, "Lord, I am ready to go with you both to prison and to death." 34 Jesus said, "I tell you, Peter, the rooster will not crow this day, until you deny three times that you know me." - Luk 22:31-34

Joshua was the high priest, the intermediary between God and Man in his day. He was given great authority in Israel, yet his clothes were filthy. Peter was a disciple, one of only 3 to go with Jesus when He would withdraw. Peter had more access to Jesus than any other disciple, yet he was rebuked by Jesus for his arrogance, crushed by Jesus when he was told he would deny Jesus 3 times in one evening, and rebuked by Paul for his inconsistencies with the Gentile believers. David tells us the God knew us before the foundation of the world, that He had plans for us before we occupied our mother’s womb. Jesus knows what you are called to, who He has called you to be. He has called you to be a saint, a holy one, a little Christ. He knows about every chink in your armor. He is aware of every time you have fallen short and every time you have been outright rebellious against Him. He has a plan to remedy that. The cross was the ultimate revelation of that plan. He took all of our junk upon Himself because it could not corrupt Him. Then He carried it to the cross, in great agony and He left it in the pit, where we are eternally separated from our guilt. Then He arose and gave us His life.

Our feelings of disqualification, even though root in a truth, are not the truth about us, because from the cross, Jesus screamed a greater truth. Father, forgive them for they do not know what they are doing. We are blind. We are foolish at times and easily fall into temptation, but those things no longer define us. As the devil is standing waiting at the Father’s right hand to accuse us, he hears, “The Lord rebuke you Satan.” His fate is sealed. He is cast down from heaven and cursed to wander the earth until he is bound hand and foot and tossed into the pit. His half truths and accusations no longer have a place to land in the Father an, if we confess our sins to Jesus and repent, they lose their landing spot in us too. We have been stripped of our old filthy clothes and been dressed in clean, new clothes that honor the Lord and prepare us to stand before Him clean.

Today, if you feel unclean and disqualified, I encourage you to spend some time reading about Joshua in Zech 3 and Peter in Lk 22. Let their stories encourage you. The Lord knows your weaknesses and failures. He is calling you anyway. He is offering you clean new clothes. He is silencing the accuser so you can He Him more clearly. It is His will that none should perish. 7 But by the same word the heavens and earth that now exist are stored up for fire, being kept until the day of judgment and destruction of the ungodly. 8 But do not overlook this one fact, beloved, that with the Lord one day is as a thousand years, and a thousand years as one day. 9 The Lord is not slow to fulfill his promise as some count slowness, but is patient toward you, not wishing that any should perish, but that all should reach repentance. - 2Pe 3:7-9 ESV

Jesus is still withholding judgment in His mercy. It is still His will that you would repent and be in right relationship with Him. It is also His will that you would take what had been failures and allow Him to turn them into your story of redemption and restoration. He knows the accusations and is still offering to strip your old filthy clothes off you and dress you in His royal robes. You are loved beyond measure and way beyond your failures and shortcomings. Just ask Jesus to stand in His presence and allow Him to remove the filth and clothe you in His righteousness. He will transform you and make you new.