ANCHOR (⚓) - Christ’s Ambassadors

Bible Reading: Zechariah 6: 9–15 (The Holy Bible, New International Version®. Copyright © 1984 by International Bible Society.)

1. The word of the LORD came to me:
2. “Take silver and gold from the exiles Heldai, Tobijah and Jedaiah, who have arrived from Babylon. Go the same day to the house of Josiah son of Zephaniah.
3. Take the silver and gold and make a crown, and set it on the head of the high priest, Joshua son of Jehozadak.
4. Tell him this is what the LORD Almighty says: ‘Here is the man whose name is the Branch, and he will branch out from his place and build the temple of the LORD.
5. It is he who will build the temple of the LORD, and he will be clothed with majesty and will sit and rule on his throne. And he will be a priest on his throne. And there will be harmony between the two.’
6. The crown will be given to Heldai, Tobijah, Jedaiah and Hen son of Zephaniah as a memorial in the temple of the LORD.
7. Those who are far away will come and help to build the temple of the LORD, and you will know that the LORD Almighty has sent me to you. This will happen if you diligently obey the LORD your God.”

Word for Today: Take the silver and gold and make a crown, and set it on the head of the high priest, Joshua son of Jehozadak. – v. 11.

Inspiring Commentary:

Having completed His audio-visual messages through visions, God now resorted back to His usual way of speaking to prophets, ‘the word of the LORD came to me’ (v. 9). God gave an express instruction to Zechariah to make a crown of silver and gold for Joshua the high priest as the ‘branch’ who will build the temple of the LORD. Take note that in chapter 3:5, God had instructed that Joshua be turbaned and clothed as a high priest; but now God again instructed that he should be crowned as a king. Why?

Joshua will combine the office of priest and a king, a ‘priest-king’. God had spoken to Joshua and his co-priests that He will bring His servant, the Branch (Zechariah 3:8), but right now, God is presenting Joshua as the priest and the branch. God had always used mere mortals as symbols or a type of messiah long before Jesus appeared.

As servants of God, we are a prototype or symbol of Jesus Christ before men. The state of the church and our society today is an affirmation that we are not true representatives of Jesus before men. Can God boldly present you as Christ’s ambassador before the world today?

Prayer:
O God, restore your Church back to the priest-king ministry of our Lord Jesus, so that we can effectively represent You to a dying world.