One story has always intrigued me because it has raised questions in my mind. After Moses Died, his body was a matter of dispute between Satan and the archangel Michael (Jude 9. My brother, my sister, I have always wondered what would have happened, if by His grace, God had not sent the archangel Michael to fight for Moses. We all know that the angels are messengers and they cannot just stand to go and fight y their own decisions. Now, let’s look at the Scripture to really e ale to reflect about ourselves today, because if the entry into the Kingdom of God is a challenging thing for the greatest prophets of God who are in the Bible, what would become of us?
First of all, Moses: Satan, the accuser of God’s people (Revelation 12:10), resisted the raising of Moses to eternal life on the grounds of Moses’ sins, may be because of what he did at Meribah (Deuteronomy 32:51) and his murder of the Egyptian (Exodus 2:12) and may others. Now, let’s look at what happened to Joshua too. The Bible says: “Then he showed me Joshua the high priest standing before the angel of the Lord, and Satan standing at his right side to accuse him” (Zechariah 3:1). But here, it is the God Himself who rebuked Satan: “The Lord rebuke you, Satan! The Lord, who has chosen Jerusalem, rebuke you! Is not this man a burning stick snatched from the fire?” (Zechariah 3:2). And the most important part of Joshua’s story is that actually reached the Kingdom in filthy clothes: “3 Now Joshua was dressed in filthy clothes as he stood before the angel. 4 The angel said to those who were standing before him, “Take off his filthy clothes.” Then he said to Joshua, “See, I have taken away your sin, and I will put fine garments on you.” 5 Then I said, “Put a clean turban on his head.” So they put a clean turban on his head and clothed him, while the angel of the Lord stood by. 6 The angel of the Lord gave this charge to Joshua: 7 “This is what the Lord Almighty says: ‘If you will walk in obedience to me and keep my requirements, then you will govern my house and have charge of my courts, and I will give you a place among these standing here.” (Zechariah 3:3-6).
Yes, my friend, in Heaven we will need to stand by God, but there is no way this can happen without His approval of our garment. A man who managed to enter without the right garment was sent out by the King Himself, without any angel fighting for him (Matthew 22:11-14). Why? Because to be without the garment of salvation is to face the Heavenly Father unprepared. And that’s where I’m wondering: did the grace of God acted for Moses and Joshua, but not for this man? God did not send Joshua out to the darkness, He rebuked Satan, although the Joshua’s clothe was filthy, and therefore not suitable, as this man’s cloth might have been. What I have learned after many questions is that we must not take the grace of God lightly: His grace is an undeserved gift, an undeserved favour, an undeserved love that God gives to whom He wants, as He wants! However, every person clothed in the garment of His Son’s righteousness will be approved by the Father in Heaven. Isn’t it interesting that religion won’t do it, good works won’t do it, being good won’t do it, being kind won’t do it? The only thing that will cloth us in such a way as to make us pleasing to the Lord is for us to receive Jesus as our Saviour and abandon our evil ways to seek His righteousness…
You see, whether you are smoking or non-smoking, rich or poor, good or bad… The true question is this: will your garment be approved by the Father? All of us can have His approval, but only if we are clothed with the glorious righteousness of the Lord Jesus Christ (Romans 4:23-25), but remember that Jesus’ righteousness is not determined only by what we say, it is determined by the way we live for Him, in Him and through Him. What kind of garments are you wearing this morning? Is your garment covered with unforgiveness, resentment, bitterness, sadness or is it a wedding, righteous garment? Stay blessed in Jesus’ name.