This study was originally about a different subject although the same chapter and book, Zechariah 3. It’s fascinating to me when I go into a subject with a certain perspective and after research end up with a totally different concept. Either way… on to scripture.
Zec 3:1 Then he showed me Joshua the high priest standing before the angel of the LORD, and Satan standing at his right hand to accuse him.
Zec 3:2 And the LORD said to Satan, "The LORD rebuke you, O Satan! The LORD who has chosen Jerusalem rebuke you! Is not this a brand plucked from the fire?"
Zec 3:3 Now Joshua was standing before the angel, clothed with filthy garments.
Zec 3:4 And the angel said to those who were standing before him, "Remove the filthy garments from him." And to him he said, "Behold, I have taken your iniquity away from you, and I will clothe you with pure vestments."
Zec 3:5 And I said, "Let them put a clean turban on his head." So they put a clean turban on his head and clothed him with garments. And the angel of the LORD was standing by.
Zec 3:6 And the angel of the LORD solemnly assured Joshua,
Zec 3:7 "Thus says the LORD of hosts: If you will walk in my ways and keep my charge, then you shall rule my house and have charge of my courts, and I will give you the right of access among those who are standing here.
Zec 3:8 Hear now, O Joshua the high priest, you and your friends who sit before you, for they are men who are a sign: behold, I will bring my servant the Branch.
Zec 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.
Zec 3:10 In that day, declares the LORD of hosts, every one of you will invite his neighbor to come under his vine and under his fig tree."
The Gospels give us an amazing view of Jesus. Through the eyes of Apostles and Disciples we are able to look back on the Messiah and learn much about His character, His purpose and His plan. However another equally important view of the Messiah is the one looking forward to His time. Much can be learned about the essence of Christ from the Old Testament perspective; Zechariah 3 being just one example.
What is amazing to me in this passage is the parallel it has to 1 John 2:1-2. “My little children, I am writing these things to you that may not sin. But if anyone does sin, we have an advocate with the Father, Jesus Christ the righteous. He is the propitiation for our sins, and not for ours only but also for the sins of the world.” Advocate meaning: “one that pleads the cause of another; specifically: one that pleads the cause of another before a tribunal or judicial court.” Literally this is the setup here: Joshua, a high priest, is standing before the angel of the Lord (Jesus) and Satan (translated the accuser) is accusing Joshua. We can relate ourselves to Joshua’s position as Revelation 1:5-6 states, “and from Jesus Christ the faithful witness, the firstborn of the dead, and the ruler of kings on earth. To him who loves us and has freed us from our sins by his blood and made us a kingdom, priests to his God and Father, to him be glory and dominion forever and ever. Amen.” (Emphasis added) We are not given the complete charge of what is against Joshua for the Angel of the Lord rebukes Satan sharply. All we know about Joshua is that he dressed in filthy garments. John Wesley describes these garments as “The emblem of a poor or sinful state.” The Hebrew word used for filthy here means “soiled as if excrementitious: - filthy.”
So the picture painted here is that of a literally unholy priest, ragged out, filthy and disgraced, perhaps covered in dung and excrements. We can only imagine which baggage the devil had to hang over this pitiful and pathetic man, as if he needed any; surely by his appearance and the manner in which he has been presented to a holy God he is accountable. But the Angel of the Lord, Jesus, stops the accusations, the reminders of guilt, the blame and the shame instantly and orders that Joshua’s clothing be removed, and replaced with “pure vestments.” Then He says “Behold, I have taken your iniquity away from you.” Jesus said in Matthew 9:2 "Take heart, my son; your sins are forgiven."
Let’s stop there for a moment. Is this not the perfect image of salvation? Is this not visual grace witnessed to us? I’m sure the devil had a long list of reasonable allegations against Joshua. I’m sure Joshua was guilty before the Lord. I mean look at him… filthy… sin ridden… and unworthy. But it didn’t matter. Christ didn’t care. What did Joshua do to deserve this mercy? Nothing. I can think of no more beautiful a visage of the doctrine of Grace. “For while we were still weak, at the right time Christ died for the ungodly.” (Romans 5:6) In agreement with this thought, what did the Hebrew do to deserve to be freed from Egypt? Were they not redeemed prior to being given the Law? Where they not freed from bondage long before the deserved anything? “And I will be gracious to whom I will be gracious, and will show mercy on whom I will show mercy.” (Exodus 33:19) Oh amazing grace how sweet the sound that saved a wretch like me. Zechariah himself is so overjoyed he exclaims "Let them put a clean turban on his head."
The nature of Christ is shown here in absolute congress with what is learned from the New Testament. “Consequently, he is able to save to the uttermost those who draw near to God through him, since he always lives to make intercession for them.” (Hebrews 7:25)
“But God shows his love for us in that while we were still sinners, Christ died for us. Since, therefore, we have now been justified by his blood, much more shall we be saved by him from the wrath of God. For if while we were enemies we were reconciled, shall we be saved by his life. More than that, we also rejoice in God through our Lord Jesus Christ, through whom we have now received reconciliation. (Romans 5:8-11)
It’s rare in the Bible to witness grace. We see the transformation of Saul into St. Paul in the Book of Acts, and as we read the Epistles of Peter we see the difference in him from when we was a disciple of Jesus. The uniqueness in this passage from Zechariah is that we view grace from a heavenly perspective.
And the passage unfolds; the Angel of the Lord makes a covenant with Joshua. Hebrews 7:22 refers to Jesus as “the guarantor of a better covenant.” We are invited to covenant with Christ to walk in His ways. Christ said to his disciples in John 14:15, “If you love me, you will keep my commandments.” Of those who do not keep His commandments he says, “Not everyone who says to me, ‘Lord, Lord,’ will enter the kingdom of heaven, but the one who does the will of my Father who is in heaven. On that day many will say to me, ‘Lord, Lord, did we not prophesy in your name, and cast out demons in your name, and do many mighty works in you name?’ And then will I declare to them, ‘I never knew you; depart from me, you workers of lawlessness.” (Matthew 7: 21-23) How would you prefer to experience judgment day? Would you have your filth removed and covered back up? Would you have Satan silenced instantly? Or would you stand trial and receive due justice as the Angel of the Lord says that He does not know you?
Fascinatingly the passage ends with the foretelling of the coming of Jesus as He is referred to as the “Branch” as the verse says, “Hear now, O Joshua the high priest, you and your friends who sit before you, for they are men who are a sign: behold, I will bring my servant the Branch.”(3:8) How interesting is it that Joshua (literally translated Jehovah saves) and his friends before him are a sign connected to the branch Jesus; a connection made instantaneously in this chapter. Then it tells us the good news of all the sins of the land being wiped out in a single day.
Hallelujah, Amen.
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