“Shall Not God Avenge His Own?”
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washed away. He hopes so to destroy their faith that they will yield
fully to his temptations, and turn from their allegiance to God.
The Lord’s people cannot of themselves answer the charges of
Satan. As they look to themselves they are ready to despair. But they
appeal to the divine Advocate. They plead the merits of the Redeemer.
God can be “just, and the justifier of him which believeth in Jesus.”
Romans 3:26
. With confidence the Lord’s children cry unto Him
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to silence the accusations of Satan, and bring to naught his devices.
“Do me justice of mine adversary,” they pray; and with the mighty
argument of the cross, Christ silences the bold accuser.
“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?” When Satan seeks to cover the people of God
with blackness, and ruin them, Christ interposes. Although they have
sinned, Christ has taken the guilt of their sins upon His own soul. He
has snatched the race as a brand from the fire. By His human nature
He is linked with man, while through His divine nature He is one with
the infinite God. Help is brought within the reach of perishing souls.
The adversary is rebuked.
“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 change of raiment. And I said, Let them set a fair miter upon
his head. So they set a fair miter upon his head, and clothed him with
garments.” Then with the authority of the Lord of hosts the angel made
a solemn pledge to Joshua, the representative of God’s people: “If
thou wilt walk in My ways, and if thou wilt keep My charge, then thou
shalt also judge My house, and shalt also keep My courts, and I will
give thee places to walk among these that stand by”—even among the
angels that surround the throne of God. (
Zechariah 3:3-7
).
Notwithstanding the defects of the people of God, Christ does not
turn away from the objects of His care. He has the power to change
their raiment. He removes the filthy garments, He places upon the
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repenting, believing ones His own robe of righteousness, and writes
pardon against their names on the records of heaven. He confesses
them as His before the heavenly universe. Satan their adversary is