“The clothes make the man.” This phrase was coined by Mark Twain in the 1880s. The idea is that what you wear says a lot about you; the type of person you are, what’s important to you, your social status, and so on.
The world we live in places a lot of emphasis, and bases a lot of its judgments, on external appearances. Doesn’t it? And, according to Scripture, it should!
Every year, certain groups gather to discuss who the best-dressed, and worst-dressed, men and women are. While the world may concern itself with what a man wears on the outside, God is far more concerned with what a person wears on the inside.
“For the Lord seeth not as man seeth; for man looketh on the outward appearance, but the Lord looketh on the heart.” (1 Samuel 16:7)
Spiritually speaking, each of us is wearing some type of clothing; and all of us would do well to examine ourselves to see which type of garment we’re wearing. Because what would your reaction be if you were to see that you are dressed in less than heaven’s best?
JOSHUA AND THE ANGEL
Zechariah chapter 3 gives us the fourth of Zechariah’s eight visions, and it has a whole lot to say to us today. Let’s read:
“And he shewed me Joshua the high priest standing before the angel of the LORD, and Satan standing at his right hand to resist him. And the LORD said unto Satan, the LORD rebuke thee, O Satan; even the LORD that hath chosen Jerusalem rebuke thee: is not this a brand plucked out of the fire?
“Now Joshua was clothed with filthy garments, and stood before the angel. And he answered and spake unto those that stood before him, saying, take away the filthy garments from him. And unto him he said, Behold, I have caused thine iniquity to pass from thee, and I will clothe thee with a change of raiment. And I said, Let them set a fair mitre upon his head. So they set a fair mitre upon his head, and clothed him with garments. And the angel of the LORD stood by.” (Zechariah 3:1-5)
Joshua was the first high priest after Israel was released from Egyptian captivity, and his life was primarily dedicated to serving the Lord and representing the people before their God. So, here we see Joshua as a representative of those who keep the commandments of God; those who realize their need of cleansing and come to the Lord, who alone can remove the pollution of sin.
Verse one says that Satan stands at the right hand of Joshua to “resist him.” So, while Joshua was interceding before God for the people, Satan was charging Joshua and the people with sinfulness (Rev 12:10).
“Are these,” (Satan) asks, “the people who are to take my place in heaven, and the place of the angels who united with me?... Look at the sins which have marked their lives.” (4T 474) Satan wasn’t lying. God’s people had definitely sinned?
In verse two, the Lord says that Joshua is a brand plucked out of the fire. It’s interesting to note that the children of Israel, after years of captivity, would have been destroyed were it not for the Lord plucking them out of the furnace of affliction into which they had cast themselves.
Verse three tells us that Joshua was “clothed with filthy garments.” If the clothes make the man, what do we make of this man?
The word translated filthy comes from a Hebrew word that can refer either to a soiled feminine sanitary napkin, or to human excrement. Either way, it’s a graphic portrayal of the high priest’s clothes. What does this stained garment represent, other than the sins and iniquities of God’s people?
Remember, this is the high priest we’re talking about. He is representative of the corporate body. Thus, God’s people, His chosen ones, His church, are depicted as in a terrible spiritual state, polluted and defiled by sin.
The Bible tells us that our own righteousness, our own goodness, the clothing of our soul, is nothing more than the filthiest of rags (Isaiah 64:6). This is a hard truth to hear, but in our natural state, mankind is filthy in the sight of God.
But next comes the order to “take away the filthy garments” from Joshua and to have new ones placed on him. Notice, Jesus doesn’t tell Joshua to cleanse his own garments, or to take them off and put on new ones. Instead, the Lord has done it Himself.
“Behold, I have caused thine iniquity to pass from thee, and I will clothe thee with change of raiment.” The filthy garments which represent our sinful characters and rebellious hearts are taken away and replaced by the robe of Christ’s righteousness; symbolic of His holy character (Isaiah 61:10).
THE GOSPEL AND THE JUDGMENT
Verse four tells us that the Angel of the lord “spake unto those that stood before him.” Throughout Scripture, the angel of the Lord speaks as God, identifies Himself with God, and exercises the responsibilities of God, so it should be clear that He is Christ.
Jesus speaks here to those standing before Him. Remember that in Job 1:6, the contention between God and Satan occurred in the presence of the “sons of God.” Also, recall Daniel chapter 7, where “thousand thousands” and “ten thousand times ten thousand stood before” Him. What events are being described in all these places? Judgment. This is the Day of Atonement.
Though Satan attacks Joshua, making accusations against him, who is rebuked? Joshua, standing there in the shame of his defiled, excrement-covered, sinful garments? or Satan?
“The LORD rebuke thee, O Satan, even the LORD that hath chosen Jerusalem rebuke thee.” Jesus gave His life for these souls. They are graven upon the palms of His hands (Isaiah 49:16).
Christ is there to defend His people, not to accuse them; not to condemn. Talk about an Old Testament expression of the gospel! The good news today was the same good news then.
“Jesus, our Advocate, presents an effectual plea in behalf of all who by repentance and faith have committed the keeping of their souls to Him. He pleads their cause, and by the mighty arguments of Calvary, vanquishes their accuser.” (PK 587)
Christ’s righteousness alone – the only righteousness sufficient to meet the demands of the law – makes our salvation sure. “Let him take hold of My strength, that he may make peace with Me: and he shall make peace with Me.” (Isaiah 27:5)
In the Day of Judgment, when the Father looks at us, He sees the character of His Son perfectly reproduced in us. We have so died to self, and Christ is so completely filling us and living His life through us, that He is the only one someone sees when they look at us.
We’re standing out there in the open, just like Joshua was, and our character is on full display. The character of Christ fully recreated within us shines through for our God and the entire universe to see. God wins! Satan loses!
A ROBE OF RIGHTEOUSNESS
It’s a wonderful blessing when the Lord removes our filthy, sin-stained rags and gives us a glorious new suit of clothes, because Christ’s robe of righteousness is the only clothing that will be acceptable at the marriage supper of the Lamb (Matthew 22:1-14). The garments we would choose for ourselves will not get us through the gates of that city and enable us to stand in the presence of the Lord.
Listen to how Christ’s robe of righteousness is described: “This robe, woven in the loom of heaven, has in it not one thread of human devising. Christ in His humanity wrought out a perfect character, and this character He offers to impart to us. When we submit ourselves to Christ, the heart is united with His heart, the will is merged in His will, the mind becomes one with His mind, the thoughts are brought into captivity to Him; we live His life. This is what it means to be clothed with the garment of His righteousness. Then as the Lord looks upon us He sees, not the fig-leaf garment, not the nakedness and deformity of sin, but His own robe of righteousness, which is perfect obedience to the law of Jehovah.” (COL 33)
Being covered with Christ’s righteousness means a real, actual, literal, internal change in the heart and mind of the believer. And so, the Father doesn’t see our sinfulness because we have been healed, transformed, and sin has been removed from our hearts!
There is one requirement to enter the gates of Heaven: Perfection. On our own we cannot achieve perfection. However, when you and I receive Christ as our Savior and our Lord, then God declares that we are as righteous as His Son.
And let’s be clear about this: God doesn’t declare things that are not so. If God declares us to be righteous, it’s because we are righteous.
Look at Zechariah 3:5: “And I (Jesus) said, Let them set a fair mitre upon his head. So they set a fair mitre upon his head, and clothed him with garments. And the angel of the LORD stood by.”
The mitre was a clean turban which had on it the inscription, “holiness to the Lord.” The placing of it upon Joshua signified that his transgressions had been pardoned and that he was now qualified to minister before God in His sanctuary.
The words “holiness to the Lord” are directly over the forehead, indicating that the mind is now consecrated to the Lord (Philippians 2:5). We can have the mind of Christ! Indeed, we must have it.
WE ARE A ROYAL PRIESTHOOD
“But ye are a chosen generation, a royal priesthood, an holy nation, a peculiar people: that ye should show forth the praises of him who hath called you out of darkness into his marvellous light.” 1 Peter 2:9
Undoubtedly, this refers to you and me. We are the royal priesthood of believers, set apart to bear witness to the power of God to transform a life.
As Christ was there to defend Joshua and His people, and not to accuse them, and as He is there to defend and not accuse us today, are we there to defend and not accuse one another? Joshua stood in the presence of God on behalf of his people. Who do you and I stand there for? Are we even standing at all?
Here are just a few of the relevant commands to believers concerning intercession: We are to pray for all fellow Christians (Ephesians 6:18); for sick disciples (James 5:16); for the lost (Luke 10:2); for those in authority (1 Timothy 2:2); for our enemies (Luke 6:28); and for those who proclaim the gospel (Colossians 4:2-4). In short, we are to bear one another’s burdens, interceding for all men everywhere, “for this is the will of God in Christ Jesus concerning you” (1 Thessalonians 5:18).
God has given to “us the ministry of reconciliation” (2 Corinthians 5:18). That is Christ’s mission, and our commission. The Ministry of Reconciliation between man and God.
Joshua stood in the presence of the Lord, representing the people. Where are you and I standing? Who do we represent?
Every one of us knows someone we should be interceding for, perhaps many someone’s, and we may not be doing it. But we can be encouraged to know that as we bring the names and burdens of others to God in prayer, we remember that God loves His children, all His children, with a deep affection.
The best-dressed person in town today isn’t wearing an Armani suit or a Versace dress. The best-dressed person is that one who is saved by the grace of God and is dressed in the righteousness of Christ.
What kind of garment is your soul clothed in today? I wonder, when Heaven’s roll of the best-dressed people is updated, will your name and mine be on it. And will the names of others be there because of our intercession in their lives?
Richard Cecere and his lovely wife, Leslie, volunteer at Uchee Pines Institute in Seale, Alabama. He is an elder of the Phenix City SDA Church, and enjoys reading, teaching, and being married, not necessarily in that order.