PRÉCIS ON THE ROYAL JUSTIFICATION OF A FIREBRAND

SCRIPTURE. “Then he showed me Joshua the high priest standing before the Angel of the Lord, and Satan standing at his right hand to oppose him. And the Lord said to Satan, ‘The Lord rebuke you, Satan! The Lord who has chosen Jerusalem rebuke you! Is this not a brand plucked from the fire?’

Now Joshua was clothed with filthy garments, and was standing before the Angel. Then He answered and spoke to those who stood before Him, saying, ‘Take away the filthy garments from him.’ And to him He said, ‘See, I have removed your iniquity from you, and I will clothe you with rich robes.’” ― ZECHARIAH 3:1-4, NKJV

KEY TERM: FIREBRAND: ‘Ud’ [אוּד]: “‘An incendiary;’ one who inflames factions, or causes contention and mischief; originally, a bent stick used to stir fire; stumps of smoking wood [used to keep the larger fire going]; a poker (for turning or gathering embers); a person who is passionate about a particular cause, typically inciting change and taking radical action.” DK: For Noble Cause or for Dark Cause – ‘We choose!’

QUOTATION. “If I could change it all for you, if it were in my power to spare you, I would do so. If I could trade places with you, I would. But I can only be here with you, and I will tell you this: ‘You are not broken, and every inch of you is dear to me and whole.’” ― KRISTEN BRITAIN, Firebrand, 2017; edited

THE COMMENTARY. “Near the close of the Old Testament, God ushered the Prophet Zechariah into a spiritual dimension revealing an indictment against the High Priest Joshua (Zechariah 3). Scripture doesn’t reveal Joshua’s sins, but we know this preeminent Priest, representing the nation of Israel, is described as ‘filthy’ as he stood in God’s Court. It’s familiar that Satan, ‘the Accuser of the brethren,’ stood as the Prosecuting Attorney with the recriminating evidence. When you read this story—told in a mere seven verses—you discover Joshua is unworthy of continued service and must plead guilty to all charges.

Defenseless. Helpless. Guilty! The evidence mounted against Joshua when, suddenly, God interrupted the proceedings with a rebuke. But the censure wasn’t against Joshua; it was against Satan. Hear His words: ‘The Lord rebuke you, Satan! Indeed, the Lord who has chosen Jerusalem rebuke you! Is this not a brand plucked from the fire” (3:2)?’ While everyone in the courtroom saw Joshua sullied with sin, this was God’s Courtroom, and the sentence wouldn’t be decided by the ‘burden of proof.’

As the Lord spoke, He demanded everyone to look closer at Joshua: ‘Is this not a brand plucked from the fire?’ God didn’t say Joshua was a ‘stick plucked from the fire.’ He wasn’t a charred piece of wood that had smoldered into uselessness. God identified Joshua as: ‘A brand — an object designed to make a mark in life!’ While Satan wanted Joshua stripped of his dignity, God wanted Joshua stripped of his sin. And with that the Lord said, ‘Joshua, I have taken away your iniquity and I am clothing you with festal robes.’ Notice that Joshua didn’t get an ordinary change of garments. The Lord re-dressed Joshua with ‘festal robes’ — garments designed only for the High Priest. Joshua got his Priestly position back! By ‘Sovereign Fiat,’ the Lord ordered Mercy to triumph over Judgment. He demanded Joshua’s purpose to remain unaltered. ‘As a brand snatched from the fire,’ Joshua would again make his mark in life.” — ROBERT D. PACE, “A Brand Plucked From the Fire,” Revelation Central Devotional, ret. Aug. 22, 2023; edited

DK. It took me a good while to get to the interpretation that has been on my heart about this for some time. Most commentaries wax on and on about God’s Grace here, and of course that is a massive theme in Scripture. But one, quite frankly, the Church has aired as its lead Narrative for nearly a century. To the extent that I want to shout:

“Okay! I get it already! God is loving! Roger that!”

But today I want to make a more contemporary, an even more urgent point concerning today’s American Church which I have judged by the very Words of the Messiah to be, on its best days LUKEWARM LAODICEA.

“And to the angel of the church of the Laodiceans write, ‘These things says the Amen, the Faithful and True Witness, the Beginning of the creation of God: “I know your works, that you are neither cold nor hot. I could wish you were cold or hot. So then, because you are lukewarm, and neither cold nor hot, I will vomit you out of My mouth. Because you say, ‘I am rich, have become wealthy, and have need of nothing’—and do not know that you are wretched, miserable, poor, blind, and naked—I counsel you to buy from Me gold refined in the fire, that you may be rich; and white garments, that you may be clothed, that the shame of your nakedness may not be revealed; and anoint your eyes with eye salve, that you may see.” – REVELATION 3:14-18, NKJV

What the Messiah was charging here in no uncertain, hushed voice manner, was for this Lukewarm, cowardly Church was this: “Cease and desist from your timidity, your reluctance, your lifeless approach to Christian life!” Reminds me of someone ‘mincing [tiptoeing] through the tulips’ concerning their faith, especially when it desperately needs to confront wickedness inside our own house.

THE VETERAN. Just yesterday (Sep. 4, 2023), I returned to an old Starbucks to do my work where I happened into a conversation with an army combat vet (Iraq) who was training a beautiful, two-year-old Doberman named “Mocha” as a service dog. Got to talking Politics and Religion of course (a died-in-the wool Trump-Conspiracy Libertarian carrying a 9 mm Springfield, I think), as was I.

Long story short (impossible for this old man), after we talked guns for a bit, he said he’d tried to go to a Church Men’s Group and asked a question: “If you came upon a man declaring himself a woman walking into a woman’s bathroom or gym: ‘What would you do about it?’”

“Well, we’d do nothing except to ‘remain idle.’ Our call is to just be Christian and stay out of such matters.”

IDLE. ‘Argos’ [ἀργός]: “Inactive [inert]; unemployed, useless, lazy, barren; injurious [imp. to the Cause of Christ]; indolent, slothful, slow; insincere, false, unprofitable; shunning the labor one ought to perform; pernicious; given to rest and ease; doing nothing.”

JAMES 2:20 (AMPC). “Are you willing to be shown [proof], you foolish (unproductive, spiritually deficient) fellow, that faith apart from [good] works is inactive and ineffective and worthless?”

COMMENTARY. “Works are the natural fruit of faith; and without them it is evident the tree is dead, perhaps at the very roots, ready to be cut down and cast into the fire.” – CHARLES ELLICOTT, An Old and New Testament Commentary, 1878, 1897; edited

LAST CALL. I believe with all my heart God is done with it! Or in two of my favorite Spanish terms: “¡Se acabó!” In the more common vernacular: “Enough with the shrinking away from your duty!” Boldness, beloved! Courage and candor is called for in this hour of ‘The Dying of the Light’ of the American Church.

The only Solution to Lukewarm Cowardice is to do one unthinkable thing: ‘Become God’s Loving Firebrands for Truth!’

If we dare ask Him to make of us such Men and Women of Fire, He Promises us in return: Fresh Garments, Rich Authority, Divine Favor and Great Power, to bring the Light of Christ to this Last Days’ Darkness.

How can we possibly refuse the One who calls us to this Final Mission, beloved?

YOUTUBE: https://youtu.be/FshGCGWrHaU