Standing By

“And I said, Let them set a fair mitre upon his head. So they set a fair mitre upon his head, and clothed him with garments. And the angel of the LORD stood by.” (Zec 3:5 AV)

This passage is a very encouraging passage to those who are rightly accused of being less than they need to be.  Joshua the high priest is more than likely, a representative of the nation of Israel.  Although there was a Joshua serving as priest as mentioned in earlier minor prophets, this Joshua was more likely a allegory to the condition of Israel at the time.  This priest had filthy garments upon his body.  Satan stood by him to accuse him to the LORD.  The LORD admitted the condition of His high priest, but instead of vindicate the high priest, He replaced the garments with holy garments.  This is a great picture of the imputation of the righteousness of Christ upon the sinner.  But it is what happened afterward that we wish to think upon this day.  After the righteousness of God is imputed to the high priest, the angel of the LORD stood by!  Did we get that?  The angel of the LORD stood by.  Satan, who was by the side of the priest is replaced by the angel of the LORD.

I and my sons grew up a little bit different.  Not that one was always right and the other not so much.  It was just different.  I grew up rather socially independent.  As soon as we could ride our bicycles, we were off.  Separate and apart from our parents, we claimed our little bit of independence.  This was a good thing, but also not so good.  This made us able to cope with life at a much sooner age.  But there was also a connection lost in the process.  A connection that could have been stronger if we would have stayed at the side of the one who should have mattered the most.  When I raised my sons, we didn’t really seek to be apart.  Just the opposite was true.  Unless there was a school or church activity, we were always together.  Not that I would not allow separation of independence.  It was that we enjoyed the mutual fellowship that we shared.  One of my sons was my little shadow.  It was so pronounced that others noticed it.  Wherever I happened to be or doing, he was always there.  Sometimes, I would turn and almost trip over him because of how close he was.  As a father, I didn’t want to be apart from my sons any more than I had to be.  To me, they were just as important to my emotional needs as I was to them.  I needed them.  And they needed me!

The Bible clearly states that God will never leave me nor forsake me.  He will always be there.  Like a father who stands by his son through thick and thin, the Angel of the LORD stands by.  He is always there.  Even if we cannot feel His presence as dramatically as we wish, He is there.  The Angel of the LORD stands by.  Knowing this brings great comfort.  The fact the adversary has been replaced.  Like a solid source of comfort and security, the Angel of the LORD is right there.  Secure.  Never leaving.  Always ready to bear us up in our hardest times.  Always there in our darkest times of doubt and fear.  Always there when we are unsure of the future.  Always there when we think we are alone but are truly not.  The Angel of the LORD stands by.