Devotional by Rory Larsen

The Spirit of the Lord whispered to me a couple of weeks ago and it opened a beautiful revelation truth from scripture. He said, “Tell my people, no more covering yourself with guilt and shame.”  As I sought the Lord over this word, I’d like to share a deep truth you may not have seen before.  

The prophet Zechariah was shown a vision for the people of God, and he saw Joshua standing before the courts of heaven.  One key question to understand about this passage is, to whom is Yahweh addressing?  In speaking to Joshua the high priest, this is not the Joshua that replaced Moses back in the Wilderness/Promised Land transition.  This Joshua was the son of Jehozadak the first high priest to lead the children of Israel after the Babylonian Captivity.  Here is why this context is critical; the children of Israel were just coming out of exile and allowed to return to Jerusalem to rebuild the temple.  Prior to this returning event though, they were taken from the city of Jerusalem and the city itself was besieged.  The people were taken captive and the temple was destroyed, and the people were then marched some 900 miles off to Babylon where they were brutalized by their captors.  During their time in captivity the men, women, and children underwent torturous events that traumatized them for life.  Upon returning to Jerusalem there was no way for them to assuage themselves of the guilt and shame that was placed upon them by others.  They had been wearing a stained existence from being brutalized with no way of being ritually cleansed due to a temple that had been destroyed.   

"Then I was shown another vision. I saw Joshua the high priest standing before the angel of Yahweh dressed in filthy clothes. On Joshua's right hand was the accuser, standing there ready to prosecute him. The angel of Yahweh said to Satan, Yahweh rebukes you, Satan! Yes, Yahweh rebukes you, for he has chosen Jerusalem. And he has rescued Joshua, like a stick snatched out of the fire." (Zechariah 3:1-3 TPT)  The word used for filthy ( tso’im ) can be translated excrement.  Here is why this is important.  Generally, as Christians we think in terms of being washed of guilt and shame from the dirt of sins that we ourselves have committed, but this scripture relates to a whole other people group.  Here was an entire generation of people whose whole existence was living with a shame and guilt that was placed on them by another.  When Joshua stood before the throne his clothing was covered in excrement, he symbolized the people before the throne of Yahweh, with no way of being cleansed because the temple, their mode of ritual sacrifice had been decimated.  Joshua as the high priest had to stand before Yahweh speechless, wearing clothes covered in poop.

While you may not personally relate to this, there are multitudes of lost people out there traumatized by life events that they had no control over.  People who have experienced parental trauma, perhaps rape, physical assault or other abuses that were put upon them by another, creating a garment of filth they must wear that is covered in feces.  This is the guilt and shame that is placed upon a person because of the actions of another.  It is to those people that need to know that this is what Jesus died for.  "Then the angel said to those heavenly council members who were standing before him. Remove Joshua's filthy clothes. Then he said to Joshua, 'Behold, I have taken your guilt away, and I will clothe you with splendid robes.'  And I spoke up and requested, 'Let them also put a clean turban on his head.'  So they dressed him in clean clothes and put on his head a clean turban while the angel of Yahweh stood nearby. So the angel of Yahweh solemnly assured Joshua with these words: Yahweh, Commander of Angel Armies, declares to you, 'If you walk in my ways and live in obedience to me, you will preside over my temple and keep watch over my courts. And I will let you come and go in the same way as your fellow council members standing here.'" (4-7) (Zechariah 3:1-7 TPT)

If you are wearing spotted garments of excrement, shame and guilt applied to your existence at no fault of your own.  Like Joshua, stand before the throne of Yahweh in the courts of heaven.  Lift your hands up and surrender it all to Jesus.  He is the sacrifice and alleviation of all guilt and shame.  He will meet you right where you are and give you splendid robes to wear.