Zechariah 3:1-10

The fourth vision give to Zechariah is one of Joshua, the high priest, standing in the presence of the Lord with Satan by his side.  This gives us a glimpse into what goes on in the spiritual realm and the battle that rages in the heavens.  It is very clear that this is not a battle between two equals.  Satan is subject to the Lord, but he does have genuine power that must be respected.  However, this is a vision about Joshua and the position he has before the Lord and the nation of Israel.  God is sovereign over the world but He uses men to accomplish His will.  He empowers us to do His bidding and accomplishes His will as He sees fit.

THE BATTLE: Satan desires to thwart the plan of God in the world.  As an accuser of believers, Satan wants to discourage us in any way that He can.  God in His sovereignty allows Satan to have a certain amount of access to the lives of His children because He knows that our battles with temptation will prepare us for the service He has planned for us.  God is more glorified in us when we face the trials and temptations of life.  We may not always be able to comprehend this reality and may have a hard time understanding all that God is doing but we can rest assured that God is in control of this battle.  He is able to rebuke Satan and has all authority to do so according to His will.  We should not assume God’s position and try to rebuke Satan in our own authority.  All of our prayers in this area should be directed at our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ.


THE BLESSING: Joshua is blessed by the Lord with a position dressed in the robes of righteousness that can only come from the Lord.  He is given a wonderful promise that if he will walk in the ways of the Lord he will be blessed by God in a very rich way.  He will have the honor of representing God before the people and leading the people into a time of great spiritual blessing.  God promises a peace and prosperity to the people that can only be attained through the gift of God’s righteousness.  None of us can be worthy of this blessing in our own merits, but God has made a way that all of us can be blessed through the Lord Jesus Christ.  God will use His power and His people to accomplish His mission in the world.  Joshua is blessed to be a part of that plan and all of us are called to do the same.

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