A Burning Stick Snatched From The Fire

Zechariah 3

Background
Then he showed me Joshua the high priest standing before the angel of the Lord, and Satan standing at his right side to accuse him.
3 Main Characters

Joshua The High Priest
Then he showed me Joshua the high priest standing before the angel of the Lord, and Satan standing at his right side to accuse him.
Day of Atonement

The Angel Of YHWH
Then he showed me Joshua the high priest standing before the angel of the Lord, and Satan standing at his right side to accuse him.

Satan The Accuser
Then he showed me Joshua the high priest standing before the angel of the Lord, and Satan standing at his right side to accuse him.

Satan = adversary, opponent – some of the names of Satan: the evil one, the prince of evil, the accuser, the devil, Lucifer, Beelzebub, the tempter, the deceiver, Abaddon, a roaring Lion, an angel of light,

For the accuser of our brothers and sisters, who accuses them before our God day and night, has been hurled down. Revelation 12:10 serious charges

You belong to your father, the devil, and you want to carry out your father’s desires. He was a murderer from the beginning, not holding to the truth, for there is no truth in him. When he lies, he speaks his native language, for he is a liar and the father of lies. John 8:44

Be alert and of sober mind. Your enemy the devil prowls around like a roaring lion looking for someone to devour. 9 Resist him, standing firm in the faith… 1 Peter 5:8-9

…Satan himself masquerades as an angel of light. 2 Corinthians 11:14

Put on the full armor of God, so that you can take your stand against the devil’s schemes. 12 For our struggle is not against flesh and blood, but against the rulers, against the authorities, against the powers of this dark world and against the spiritual forces of evil in the heavenly realms. Ephesians 6:11-12

Since the children have flesh and blood, he too shared in their humanity so that by his death he might destroy him who holds the power of death—that is, the devil— 15 and free those who all their lives were held in slavery by their fear of death. Hebrews 2:14-15

The reason the Son of God appeared was to destroy the devil’s work. 1 John 3:8
Note: We know that we are children of God, and that the whole world is under the control of the evil one. 1 John 5:19

YHWH Rebukes Satan
2 The Lord said to Satan, “The Lord rebuke you, Satan! The Lord, who has chosen Jerusalem, rebuke you! Is not this man a burning stick snatched from the fire?”
Burning Stick Snatched From The Fire
2 The Lord said to Satan, “The Lord rebuke you, Satan! The Lord, who has chosen Jerusalem, rebuke you! Is not this man a burning stick snatched from the fire?”

Burning stick snatched means saved from God’s wrath – Hell – destruction

You were like a burning stick snatched from the fire, yet you have not returned to me,” declares the Lord. Amos 4:11
Be merciful to those who doubt; 23 save others by snatching them from the fire; to others show mercy, mixed with fear—hating even the clothing stained by corrupted flesh. Jude 22-23
Joshua Dressed In Filthy Clothes
3 Now Joshua was dressed in filthy clothes as he stood before the angel.
Filthy clothes represents sin & iniquity

Take Off His Filthy Clothes
4 The angel said to those who were standing before him, “Take off his filthy clothes.” Then he said to Joshua, “See, I have taken away your sin, and I will put fine garments on you.”

Fine Garments
Then he said to Joshua, “See, I have taken away your sin, and I will put fine garments on you.”

Fine linen, bright and clean, Rev 19:6

A Clean Turban
5 Then I said, “Put a clean turban on his head.” So they put a clean turban on his head and clothed him, while the angel of the Lord stood by.
The Prophet Zechariah Enters the Story

A Charge To Joshua
6 The angel of the Lord gave this charge to Joshua: 7 “This is what the Lord Almighty says: ‘If you will walk in obedience to me and keep my requirements, then you will govern my house and have charge of my courts, and I will give you a place among these standing here.

*Return to me,’ declares the Lord Almighty, ‘and I will return to you,’ Zechariah 1:3 *

My Servant, The Branch
8 “ ‘Listen, High Priest Joshua, you and your associates seated before you, who are men symbolic of things to come: I am going to bring my servant, the Branch.

Seven Eyed Stone
9 See, the stone I have set in front of Joshua! There are seven eyes on that one stone, and I will engrave an inscription on it,’ says the Lord Almighty, ‘and I will remove the sin of this land in a single day.

Sin Removed In A Single Day
9 …and I will remove the sin of this land in a single day.

I will remove the sin of this land in a single day.

The Cross
God made him who had no sin to be sin for us, so that in him we might become the righteousness of God.2 Cor 5:21

In That Day
10 “ ‘In that day each of you will invite your neighbor to sit under your vine and fig tree,’ declares the Lord Almighty.”

What Is The Meaning Of “In That Day”
10 “ ‘In that day each of you will invite your neighbor to sit under your vine and fig tree,’ declares the Lord Almighty.”
1. The millennium – Christ’s 1000 year reign Revelation 20:6
2. The new heaven and a new earth – Revelation 21:1

Application 1
1. How do we dress in fine garments, bright and clean? Robes of Righteousness?
What does the Scripture say? “Abraham believed God, and it was credited to him as righteousness.” 4 Now to the one who works, wages are not credited as a gift but as an obligation. 5 However, to the one who does not work but trusts God who justifies the ungodly, their faith is credited as righteousness. Rom 4:3-5

Extra Scripture: That if you confess with your mouth, “Jesus is Lord,” and believe in your heart that God raised him from the dead, you will be saved. 10 For it is with your heart that you believe and are justified, and it is with your mouth that you confess and are saved… 13 for, “Everyone who calls on the name of the Lord will be saved.” Romans 10:9-10, 13

Application 2
2. How do we stand when the accuser accuses us? believe
We… know that a person is not justified by the works of the law, but by faith in Jesus Christ. So we, too, have put our faith in Christ Jesus that we may be justified by faith in Christ and not by the works of the law, because by the works of the law no one will be justified. Galatians 2:16

What I Want For You
That you will never forget that when you come to Christ you are a burning stick snatched from the fire. And that you will join in the gospel mission to save others from the fire.

Resources/Credits
Logos Bible Commentary
The Preacher’s Commentary - Walter Kaiser Jr