The Engraved Christ: Zechariah 3:9

The Introduction

The vision in the third chapter of Zechariah is extremely encouraging. Zechariah is prophesizing to Judah after the return of some of the exiles to Jerusalem. The returned exiles are not making the building of the temple a priority. God gives a vision to Zechariah to encourage Joshua and the people of Israel. God promises that he will establish the priesthood and He is in control. All the promises in this vision are encouraging, but I want to focus on verse 9.

Zechariah 3:9
For behold, on the stone that I have set before Joshua, on a single stone with seven eyes, I will engrave its inscription, declares the LORD of hosts, and I will remove the iniquity of this land in a single day.

Earlier in the passage, Joshua, the high priest of the nation is being accused by Satan. His clothing is besmudged and besmirched by sin. God who chose Jerusalem rebukes Satan. He defends Joshua and by extension the returning exiles as his choice. God has plucked Joshua and the exiles from Babylon as a "brand from the fire." (3:2). God has him stripped of his filthy clothes, gives him clean, white clothing, and provides assurances about the future. In verse 9, God sets before Joshua a stone with seven eyes. Since the stone seems to be related to removal of iniquity, the rebuilding of the the temple seems to be in view. Isaiah [Isaiah 28:16] and David [Psalm 118:22] refer to a stone that will establish Israel. The consensus here is that the stone refers to Christ in his priestly office.

The phrase "seven eyes" has many interpretations. The Apostle John in his first vision references seven spirits [Revelation 1:4]. Isaiah mentions the sevenfold fulness of the Holy Spirit given to the Messiah [Isaiah 11:2].The consensus from the several commentaries I checked is the "seven eyes" are the Holy Spirit resting upon Christ during his earthly ministry.

The Definition

What interested me in the passage is how do we interpret the verb "engrave"? The following quote best sums up what the word means:

Cambridge Bible for Schools and Colleges
This clause, however, is rather to be regarded as an additional promise. My eyes, I have said, are fixed upon the stone. My hand shall engrave upon it whatever is needed to beautify and fit it for the place of honour it is to hold. The word here used for “engrave” occurs three times in Exodus 28, in the expression “engravings of a signet;” twice of the jewels in the High Priest’s dress (11, 21), once of the golden plate on his mitre (36). It is used, however, of a bolder kind of engraving, more like what would here be contemplated, of “cherubim, lions and palm trees,” on the panels of the “bases,” on which the lavers were set in Solomon’s Temple. (1 Kings 7:36)[1].

Let us put this together. If Christ is the stone and God the Father is engraving the stone to beautify it, what does it mean? It has to be refering to the scars left on Jesus's body from his suffering and crucifixion. Although we see scars as disfigurement, God and Christ sees the scars on Christ's body as a sign of a job well done. They are beautiful beyond all measure because they reflected how Christ bought and purified the Church, his Bride, to himself.

An Illustration

"Bryan Stevenson, a civil rights lawyer and author of Just Mercy, writes of an encounter he had after a speech with a man in a wheelchair:

He leaned foward again and said hoarsely, "you've got to keep beating the drum for justice." He gestured and after a long while said again, "Beat the drum for justice."

He leaned back, and in an instant he seemed tired and out of breath. He looked at me sympathetically and waved me closer. I did so, and he pulled me by the arm and leaned forward. He spoke very quietly, almost a whisper, but with a fierceness that was unforgettable.

"You see this scar on the top of my head?" He tilted his head to show me. "I got that scar in Greene County, Alabama, trying to register to vote in 1964. You see this scar on the side of my head?" He turned his head to the left and I saw a four-inch scar just above his right ear. "I got that scar in Mississippi demanding civil rights."

His voice grew stronger. He tightened his grip on my arm and lowered his head some more. "You see that mark?" There was a dark circle at the base of his skull. "I got that bruise in Birmingham after the Children's Crusade."

He leaned back and looked at me intensely. "People think these are my scars, cuts, and bruises."

For the first time I noticed that his eyes were wet with tears. He placed his hands on his head. "These aren't my scars, cuts, and bruises. These are my medals of honor."
(p. 46)

The world views the "word of the cross as foolishness"[1 Corinthians 1:18] and weakness. However Christians view the cross and Christ's suffering as the highest form of wisdom and an ultimate demonstration of God's power.[1 Corinthians 1:24-25]. Christ's scars, like the civil rights warrior's scars, contribute to his honor and glory.

The Exposition

The Reformed Expository Commentary: Zechariah explains the purpose and the result of the engraving well:

Richard D. Phillips
This probably indicates that God will beautify this stone the way an engraver does. Here we see Christ’s divine character, for what is more lovely than godliness, so eminently revealed in the person of Jesus. Paul says, therefore, that we see “the light of the knowledge of the glory of God in the face of Christ” (2 Cor. 4:6). What could be more beautiful! Surely, Christians are not wrong to see this promise of engraving fulfilled especially at the cross, when the marks of thorns and nails and a spear-thrust were etched in Jesus’ flesh. Dave Baron writes, “Beautiful were the gifts and graces which Christ received as a man; but beautiful beyond all beauty must be those glorious scars with which He allowed His whole body to be riven, that throughout the whole frame His love might be engraven.” [2]

Conclusion

In Hebrews 12:2, Christ endured the cross for the "joy set before Him." His joy was that his bride, his church, would be presented to him pure and unblemished. Christ endured suffering and shame to secure our salvation and sanctify us. Later, in the same chapter in Hebrews, Christ is held up as our example to follow. We see Jesus's call to discipleship in the Gospels involves the taking up his cross, "Then Jesus told his disciples, “If anyone would come after me, let him deny himself and take up his cross and follow me." (Matthew 16:24). Our call is to follow Jesus through suffering into glory.

We, followers of Christ, are tied to Christ's suffering in a deeper sense. The Bible ties our current suffering to our future glory. In Romans 8:16-17, Paul writes of suffering as being bound to our future as fellow heirs with Christ. In 2nd Corinthians 8:16-17, Paul wrote that our current suffering is not worth comparing to the "eternal weight of glory" being prepared for us. The apostle Peter wrote that we should rejoice when we share Christ's suffering, so that "we may rejoice and be glad when his glory is revealed." (1 Peter 4:13). If we are Christians, then we should expect suffering and be glad when we share Christ's sufferings because they assure us of our future with Christ.

Another observation, in John 20:27, after his resurrection, Jesus told Thomas to touch his scars. Jesus kept his scars in his glorified body. The world may see scars as disfigurement, but God sees the scars on His son's body as beautiful engravings. God's does not belittle the suffering of his children. The scars of our lives point to God's love, wisdom and providence.

Application

• We should behold Christ as he is revealed in the Bible. God, in Zechariah's vision, put Christ's future life and ministry on display so that Joshua (and thus then nation) may take encouragement from it. 
• View suffering as how the Bible views suffering. God has many purposes in allowing us to suffer. We should see the beauty in how God is shaping us for his purposes.
• Don't look at outward appearances. God looks at the inner person and so should we. The scars and wrinkles we have may indicate a life well lived for God's glory. [1 Samuel 16:7], [1 Peter 3:3-4] 

Scriptures

[Isaiah 28:16]
therefore thus says the Lord GOD,
“Behold, I am the one who has laid as a foundation in Zion,
a stone, a tested stone,
a precious cornerstone, of a sure foundation:
‘Whoever believes will not be in haste.’

[Psalm 118:22] The stone that the builders rejected has become the cornerstone.

[Revelation 1:4] John to the seven churches that are in Asia:
Grace to you and peace from him who is and who was and who is to come, and from the seven spirits who are before his throne,

[Isaiah 11:2]
And the Spirit of the LORD shall rest upon him,
the Spirit of wisdom and understanding,
the Spirit of counsel and might,
the Spirit of knowledge and the fear of the LORD.

[Romans 8:16-17]
The Spirit himself bears witness with our spirit that we are children of God, and if children, then heirs—heirs of God and fellow heirs with Christ, provided we suffer with him in order that we may also be glorified with him.

[2 Corinthians 4:16-18]
So we do not lose heart. Though our outer self is wasting away, our inner self is being renewed day by day. For this light momentary affliction is preparing for us an eternal weight of glory beyond all comparison, as we look not to the things that are seen but to the things that are unseen. For the things that are seen are transient, but the things that are unseen are eternal.

[Hebrews 12:2]
looking to Jesus, the founder and perfecter of our faith, who for the joy that was set before him endured the cross, despising the shame, and is seated at the right hand of the throne of God.

[1 Corinthians 1:18]
For the word of the cross is folly to those who are perishing, but to us who are being saved it is the power of God.

[1 Corinthians 1:24-25]
but to those who are called, both Jews and Greeks, Christ the power of God and the wisdom of God. 25 For the foolishness of God is wiser than men, and the weakness of God is stronger than men.

[1 Samuel 16:7]
But the LORD said to Samuel, “Do not look on his appearance or on the height of his stature, because I have rejected him. For the LORD sees not as man sees: man looks on the outward appearance, but the LORD looks on the heart."

[1 Peter 3:3-4]
Do not let your adorning be external—the braiding of hair and the putting on of gold jewelry, or the clothing you wear— 4 but let your adorning be the hidden person of the heart with the imperishable beauty of a gentle and quiet spirit, which in God's sight is very precious.

Footnotes

[1] https://biblehub.com/commentaries/zechariah/3-9.htm

[2] p. 82, Zechariah: Reformed Expository Commentary, Richard D. Phillips

Retirement Rubric

This page is a work in progress. It is on ongoing meditation on preparing for retirement.

Current Goals

• Are you planning your retirement?
• Psalms 90:10-12; Proverbs 6:6-8
• Have you planned for providing for yourself and your spouse in retirement?
• 1 Timothy 5:8
• When should you retire?
• How can you better serve God? 
• 1) Retire early and serve God in ministries or
• Philippians 3:12-16 
• 2) Retire later and financially support ministries?
• 3 John 1:5-10
• Have you been committing your plans to the Lord?
• Proverbs 16:3
• Are you getting input from godly advisers?
• Proverbs 15:22
• How do you plan to finish the race with zeal?
• Psalm 71:18; Phil. 1:19-26; Timothy 4:7

Ministry Goals

• Do you have a plan to use your time to glorify god? 
• Are you planning for your comfort or for your service? 
• Are you seeking your own pleasure or pursuing God?
• Will you pursue hobbies and serve God or will you serve God through your hobbies?
• While you are saving for retirement, are you being rich toward God? (Luke 12)
• Are your eyes focused on the promises of Jesus? (Luke 2:25-32)

Financial Goals

• Can you provide for yourself and your wife? 
• Do you have health care paid for? 
• Can you afford funeral expenses?
• Do you have a will?

Quotes

John Piper
"The wasted life is the life without a passion for the supremacy of God in all things for the joy of all peoples." (Don't Waste Your Life, p. 32)

John Piper
The world is not impressed when Christians get rich and say thanks to God. They are impressed when God is so satisfying that we give our riches away for Christ’s sake and count it gain.
(Don't Waste Your Life, p.68)"

William Gurnall
The believer is to persevere in his Christian course to the end of his life: his work and his life must go off the stage together.
(The Christian in Full Armour(Kindle Edition)

Scripture

Numbers 8:23-26
And the LORD spoke to Moses, saying, “This applies to the Levites: from twenty-five years old and upward they shall come to do duty in the service of the tent of meeting. And from the age of fifty years they shall withdraw from the duty of the service and serve no more. 26 They minister to their brothers in the tent of meeting by keeping guard, but they shall do no service. Thus shall you do to the Levites in assigning their duties.”

Psalm 71:18
So even to old age and gray hairs,
   O God, do not forsake me,
until I proclaim your might to another generation,
   your power to all those to come.

Psalm 90:10-12
The years of our life are seventy,
   or even by reason of strength eighty;
yet their span is but toil and trouble;
   they are soon gone, and we fly away.
Who considers the power of your anger,
   and your wrath according to the fear of you?
So teach us to number our days
    that we may get a heart of wisdom.

Psalm 92:14-15
14 They [the righteous] still bear fruit in old age; they are ever full of sap and green, 15 to declare that the LORD is upright; he is my rock, and there is no unrighteousness in him.

Proverbs 6:6-8
Go to the ant, O sluggard;
   consider her ways, and be wise.
Without having any chief,
   officer, or ruler,
she prepares her bread in summer
   and gathers her food in harvest

Proverbs 16:3
Commit your work to the LORD, and your plans will be established.

Proverb 27:23-27
Know well the condition of your flocks,
   and give attention to your herds,
for riches do not last forever;
    and does a crown endure to all generations?
When the grass is gone and the new growth appears
   and the vegetation of the mountains is gathered,
the lambs will provide your clothing,
   and the goats the price of a field.
There will be enough goats' milk for your food,
   for the food of your household
   and maintenance for your girls.

Proverbs 15:22
Without counsel plans fail,
but with many advisers they succeed.

Isaiah 46:4
even to your old age I am he, and to gray hairs I will carry you. I have made, and I will bear; I will carry and will save.

Matthew 6:25-34
“Therefore I tell you, do not be anxious about your life, what you will eat or what you will drink, nor about your body, what you will put on. Is not life more than food, and the body more than clothing? Look at the birds of the air: they neither sow nor reap nor gather into barns, and yet your heavenly Father feeds them. Are you not of more value than they? And which of you by being anxious can add a single hour to his ispan of life? And why are you anxious about clothing? Consider the lilies of the field, how they grow: they neither toil nor spin, yet I tell you, even Solomon in all his glory was not arrayed like one of these. But if God so clothes the grass of the field, which today is alive and tomorrow is thrown into the oven, will he not much more clothe you, O you of little faith? Therefore do not be anxious, saying, ‘What shall we eat?’ or ‘What shall we drink?’ or ‘What shall we wear?' For the Gentiles seek after all these things, and your heavenly Father knows that you need them all. But seek first the kingdom of God and his righteousness, and all these things will be added to you.
“Therefore do not be anxious about tomorrow, for tomorrow will be anxious for itself. Sufficient for the day is its own trouble.

Luke 2:25-32
Now there was a man in Jerusalem, whose name was Simeon, and this man was righteous and devout, waiting for the consolation of Israel, and the Holy Spirit was upon him. And it had been revealed to him by the Holy Spirit that he would not see death before he had seen bthe Lord's Christ. And he came in the Spirit into the temple, and when the parents brought in the child Jesus, to do for him according to the custom of the Law, he took him up in his arms and blessed God and said,

“Lord, now you are letting your servant depart in peace,
   according to your word;
for my eyes have seen your salvation
   that you have prepared in the presence of all peoples,
a light for revelation to the Gentiles,
   and for glory to your people Israel.”

Luke 12:13-21
Someone in the crowd said to him, “Teacher, tell my brother to divide the inheritance with me.” But he said to him, “Man, who made me a judge or arbitrator over you?” And he said to them, “Take care, and be on your guard against all covetousness, for one's life does not consist in the abundance of his possessions.” And he told them a parable, saying, “The land of a rich man produced plentifully, and he thought to himself, ‘What shall I do, for I have nowhere to store my crops?’ 18 And he said, ‘I will do this: I will tear down my barns and build larger ones, and there I will store all my grain and my goods. And I will say to my soul, “Soul, you have ample goods laid up for many years; relax, eat, drink, be merry.”’ But God said to him, ‘Fool! This night your soul is required of you, and the things you have prepared, whose will they be?’ So is the one who lays up treasure for himself and is not rich toward God.”

Philippian 1:21-26
For to me to live is Christ, and to die is gain. If I am to live in the flesh, that means fruitful labor for me. Yet which I shall choose I cannot tell. 23 I am hard pressed between the two. My desire is to depart and be with Christ, for that is far better. But to remain in the flesh is more necessary on your account. 25 Convinced of this, I know that I will remain and continue with you all, for your progress and joy in the faith, 26 so that in me you may have ample cause to glory in Christ Jesus, because of my coming to you again.

Philippians 3:12-16
Not that I have already obtained this or am already perfect, but I press on to make it my own, because Christ Jesus has made me his own. 13 Brothers, I do not consider that I have made it my own. But one thing I do: forgetting what lies behind and straining forward to what lies ahead, I press on toward the goal for othe prize of the upward call of God in Christ Jesus. 15 Let those of us who are mature think this way, and if in anything you think otherwise, God will reveal that also to you. 16 Only let us hold true to what we have attained.

1 Timothy 5:8
But if anyone does not provide for his relatives, and especially for members of his household, he has denied the faith and is worse than an unbeliever.

Web Pages

1. www.medicare.gov
2. www.healthcare.gov

Other References

"Living to Work" in Unpopular Opinions by Dorothy L. Sayers

Meditations on 3rd John -- Supporting Missionaries

One of the shortest books of the Bible is 3rd John. This epistle is a letter from the apostle John to a dear friend in a different church. John praises Gaius for supporting missionaries by showing hospitality to them and financially supporting them in their missionary activities.

3 John 5-8
Beloved, it is a faithful thing you do in all your efforts for these brothers, strangers as they are, who testified to your love before the church. You will do well to send them on their journey in a manner worthy of God. For they have gone out for the sake of the name, accepting nothing from the Gentiles. Therefore we ought to support people like these, that we may be fellow workers for the truth.

John praises Gaius's faithfulness from a good report that some visitors gave at John's church of Gaius's hospitality. These visitors just came from Gaius. John encourages Gaius to continue to show hospitality by sending itinerant missionaries on their way. Sending missionaries on their way in New Testament times meant more than a hearty handshake and a wave goodbye. Coling G. Kruse explains what "sending them on their way" meant in the early church.

The expression 'to send them on their way' translates a form of the verb propempo, which functioned a a technical term for missionary support in the early church (cf. Acts 15:3; 20:38; 21:5; Rom 15:24; 1 Cor 16:6, 11; 2 Cor 1:16; Tit 3:13), and this is also its function here. These people were preachers of the truth as it was heard at the beginning, and so it was appropriate to send them on their way as faithful missionaries 'in a manner worthy of God'. This probably means to send them on their way in a manner befitting those who serve the living God. (The Letters of John, p. 223)

Zane Hodges in the The Bible Knowledge Commentary makes the following observations on verse 8.

But the fact that faithful Christian preachers sought no help from the unsaved meant that Christians were under a special obligation to assist them. By extending the needed help (showing hospitality to such men), Christians such as Gaius could work together for the truth. This last phrase might be better rendered "be fellow workers with the truth" (NASB). The thought is of partnership with what the truth accomplishes in people's hearts and lives. It was a noble objective for Gaius to follow. (p. 913)

I want to make a few observations. First, the apostle John is praising Gaius for not only opening his home for missionaries as they traveled, but also for giving them financial support to help them during their travels and to help them as they ministered. We can conclude that it is not only the local church who supports missionaries through their missionary budget, but individual believers as well. John praises Gaius individually for his support of the missionaries. This support is worthy a responsibility to be taken up for every member of the local church. The giver becomes a fellow worker with the missionary. To use the idiomatic phrase as explained earlier, missionaries and supporters become fellow workers with "The Truth."

Second, this term "fellow worker" is also used several times by Paul as a title of esteem and affection for those who helped him progress the gospel. [1]. The very fact that both Paul and John use this term to honor the people who financially and materially support the missionaries should draw our attention. This honoring by the apostles helps us to realize how important the Bible views missionary support in terms of prayer and material support. It is a effort worthy of praise.

Third, hospitality in the New Testament means more than opening up your house to relatives. Malina, A New Testament scholar writes writes about hospitality,

'might be defined as the process by means of which an outsider's status is changed from stranger to guest.' [2]

Although, in our day and age, we have hotels, inns, B&Bs, and other places where strangers can stay, the command; however, is still effect to show hospitality when called upon by the Church.

Hebrews 13:2
Do not neglect to show hospitality to strangers, for by this some have entertained angels without knowing it.

Romans 12:13
Contribute to the needs of the saints and seek to show hospitality..

[1] Romans 16:3, 9, 21; 1 Corinthians 3:9; 2 Corinthians 8:23; Philippians 2:25; Philemon 1:1, 24

[2] Malina, 'The Received View and What it Cannot Do', p. 181

Truthing It (Comments on Ephesians 4)

Packer and Nystrom have good insight on the phrase in Ephesians, "speaking the truth in love." This phrase is not just telling your friends hard truths in a loving manner. An oversimplified example comes to mind, "I love you, but you have bad breath." It may include that idea of interpersonal boldness in correction or exhortation, but it is a much grander concept.

Here's the passage to provide context.

Ephesians 4:12-16
And he gave the apostles, the prophets, the evangelists, the shepherds and teachers,to equip the saints for the work of ministry, for building up the body of Christ, until we all attain to the unity of the faith and of the knowledge of the Son of God, to mature manhood, to the measure of the stature of the fullness of Christ, so that we may no longer be children, tossed to and fro by the waves and carried about by every wind of doctrine, by human cunning, by craftiness in deceitful schemes. Rather, speaking the truth in love, we are to grow up in every way into him who is the head, into Christ, from whom the whole body, joined and held together by every joint with which it is equipped, when each part is working properly, makes the body grow so that it builds itself up in love.

J. I. Packer and Carol Nystrom in their book on praying emphasized the need for community in the Christian life. They pointed out to live out the truth you need to be loved and to love others in community.

Praying: Finding our Way through Duty to Delight
First, "speaking the truth" is an unavoidable undertranslation, for the Greek word means expressing and living out the truth in every way possible, and there is no single English word for that. John Stott, following some older commentators, gave "truthing it" as a rendering, coining a new verb to catch the breadth of meaning. (p. 247)

Mike Cosper provides additional support to this idea that "speaking the truth in love" is living out truth in community.

Mike Cosper
Speaking the truth in love” is often understood as saying hard things or dealing with conflict: we “speak the truth in love” when we confront sin or say unpopular things lovingly. According to Peterson, though, “speaking the truth in love” is not so much about interpersonal boldness as it is about a community that shares a confession, a unified expression of faith in the God who saved them. The gathered body teaches the Word and proclaims it together; we speak the truth I love as we sing, read the Scriptures, and remember the gospel together.” (Rhythms of Grace, p. 80)