Clean Cloth

One man stand inside courtroom. Im cloth full of dirt. Beside am, one accuser stand, ready to list everything wey e don do wrong. And di man no get anything to talk.

We don come back to di prophet Zechariah, around five hundred and twenty years before Jesus, for Jerusalem wey dey rebuild small small after di exile. Di people get new temple to build and new high priest to lead dia worship. Im name na Joshua, son of Jehozadak. Dem carry im papa go Babylon. Di high priest suppose stand for front of God for di whole nation, pure and holy. But di people wey dey come back from exile know dia history. Na because of sin dem send dem away. God fit really accept dem, and dia priest, again? One night, dem show Zechariah di answer.

For di vision, Zechariah see Joshua di high priest wey stand for front of di angel of di Lord. And for im right hand, Satan stand, name wey mean di accuser, ready to accuse am. E be like court case, and di case against Joshua be like say e strong. Because Joshua wear cloth wey dirty well well. No be small dust. Di Hebrew word mean say e dey smell, e dey disgust person. Na so sin dey look for di presence of God. But before di accuser fit talk anything, di Lord talk. Make di Lord rebuke you, Satan! Yes, make di Lord wey choose Jerusalem rebuke you! No be stick be dis, wey dem pull comot from fire? Joshua be like stick wey dem snatch comot from fire just in time. God rescue am on purpose.

Then di angel give order to di ones wey stand for im front. Remove di dirty cloth from im body. And e tell Joshua: Look, I don make your sin pass comot from you, and I go dress you with fine cloth. Zechariah enter di matter so much say e shout: Make dem put clean turban for im head! And dem do am. Dem put clean turban for im head and dress am with clean cloth, as di angel of di Lord stand by. Joshua no wash imself. E no work for di new cloth. Na gift dem give am.

Now di angel give Joshua one charge. If you waka for my ways and keep my instructions, you go take care of my house and my courts. And then one promise about di future. Hear now, Joshua di high priest, you and your companions wey sit for your front, because dem be men wey be sign. Because look, I go bring out my servant, di Branch. Dem put one stone for di front of Joshua with seven eyes on top am, and God talk: I go remove di sin of dat land in one day. And di vision end with picture of peace. For dat day, everybody go invite im neighbour make dem sit down under im own vine and under im own fig tree.

Di clean turban matter. For di law of Moses, di turban of di high priest carry one plate of pure gold, wey dem write dis words on top: Holiness to di Lord. E dey wear am for im forehead when e dey serve, so e fit carry di guilt of di people go meet God, and God go accept di people. Dirty turban mean priest wey no fit do im work. Clean one mean say di way to God don open again.

Clean Cloth. You go find am for Zechariah chapter three, verse one to ten. God answer di accuser, no be by pretending say di dirt no dey there, but by removing am. For Christmas, Christians dey remember di promise of di Branch, and another promise say sin go comot in one single day, and dem see say e happen for Jesus. So see one question wey you go carry dey go. God remove di dirty cloth of Joshua and give am clean one. Wetin you go like make God clean for your life?