Day 10 – Zechariah 3

Zechariah 3

Darius 2nd Year

There’s a metaphor I like called the “magical pair of glasses” that allow people to see what is really going on all around them in spiritual warfare—like angels and demons. When you don’t have them on, you only see what the humans around you are doing. But in passages like 2 Kings 6:17, where Elisha prays for G-d to open the eyes of his servant…as if putting on a magical pair of glasses, the servant suddenly sees the larger war going on.

In Zechariah 3, the prophet gives you and me those glasses, and we get to see what is going on around Joshua the son of Jehozadak. We see him standing before the angel of the Lord, and with Satan on Joshua’s right-hand side casting accusations like a District Attorney in court.

Now, in this passage there’s no mention of Zerubbabel, the executive leadership, as there has been in other passages we’ve read about this rebuilding effort. This message seems to be focused on the pastorate.

Is that going on right now for our pastor? You can bet those that are leading us to outreach face this kind of spiritual warfare every single day.

What is the log that was snatched out of the fire? Was it Joshua, or was it the entire community? Well, right before it, G-d refers to Himself as “the Lord who has chosen Jerusalem,” so it might well mean all who have chosen to rebuild.

By making outreach a priority after our exile, are we now also a log snatched out of the fire? One thing is certain, filthy garments being swapped out for festival robes is what G-d wants for us. Once more, we are being admonished to walk in His ways and perform His service. If we do this, then G-d promises to “bring in My servant the Branch,” and our guilt will be removed. Can you imagine that? What if our entire congregation walked in His ways; performed His service and the Branch Himself was brought in? And then here’s the really amazing part where G-d specifically mentions outreach… “every one of you will invite his neighbor.”

Big Take-Away from Zechariah 3

23) Pray for G-d to rebuke Satan and pray for our pastor.
24) Let’s encourage our entire fellowship to walk in His ways and perform His service, and that every one of us would overwhelmingly desire to invite our neighbors.