ZECHARIAH 3:3

“Now Joshua was clothed in filthy garments and was standing before the angel.”

I have been filthy! Yep, I have, but I mean that in the physical sense. I grew up working. I have had some pretty demanding and nasty jobs. Few came close to working in the tobacco fields when I was young. When you are handling wet tobacco leaves, the tar from the leaves covers your hands and clothes. I could literally stand my jeans up upon returning home due to the stiffness of the material from being soaked all day in that tar. And I was filthy!

But the Lord is not referring to that kind of filth on Joshua’s garments in Zechariah’s vision. That filth was due to the sins he and the nation of Israel had committed. But I want you to see something in this verse. Even though his garments were filthy, he still was able to stand before the angel. You see, God takes us right where we are – filth and all. We’ll see what happens in the next few verses. Come back and see.

APPLICATION

Are you filthy? Do you have unconfessed sins in your life. Perhaps you are not a believer. In that case, you stand filthy before the Lord. Those sins stain you, just like that tobacco tar stained me. I love the last part of James 1:27. “…and to keep oneself unstained by the world.” This old world will definitely stain you with all the filth that is in it.

So, what do we do about that? We come to Jesus. He has the ultimate cleansing power. 1 John 1:9 tells us, “If we confess our sins, He is faithful and righteous, so that He will forgive us our sins and cleanse us from all unrighteousness.” Did you catch that? He will cleanse us from all unrighteousness. What a promise! What a claim to make.

When we confess our sins as a believer, His blood, which has already saved you, washes it away. And for the unbeliever, His blood does the same. That blood will never lose its power. It never loses its strength. It can cleanse the filthiest sinner and make him white as snow. Have you been cleansed? Come to Jesus.

What can wash away my sins? Nothing but the blood of Jesus.