Daily Thoughts from Zechariah: Remove the Filthy Garments From Him (Zechariah 3)

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. 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?” Now Joshua was standing before the angel, clothed with filthy garments. 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.” 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.

And the angel of the LORD solemnly assured Joshua, “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. 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. 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. 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.” (Zechariah 3, ESV)

The court of Yahweh is convened. Angels, the sons of God, proceed in and take their places. Suddenly a hush comes over the crowd as a man in filthy garments is ushered into the court, a human named Joshua, the high priest of Israel. But with him to present his case against him is Satan, the Accuser. The situation looks hopeless. Joshua is obviously guilty. What will Yahweh be able to say?

But then the angel of Yahweh, the eternal Son of God, raises his voice and declares, “Yahweh rebuke you, O Satan!” Everyone knows that this One is going to come one day and pay the price for Joshua’s sin and for the sin of every other child of God. He explains that Joshua, as indeed all Israel, has been plucked from the fire of captivity by Yahweh’s gracious promise and determination to restore His people. Though Joshua does not deserve it the angel of Yahweh has clean clothes brought in for him, clothes fitting for his ministry as high priest before God. The other human in the court, Zechariah, can’t help but blurt out, “Give him a clean turban,” because this completes the high priest’s garments.

Then the angel of Yahweh, the eternal Son of God, charges Joshua to walk in His ways so that he may minister in the temple courts and have access to this heavenly court with no fear of condemnation. And the angel of Yahweh tells him that he and all his friends are a sign of all who will be so redeemed. One day yet future Yahweh says He will send His servant the Branch to remove the iniquity of the land in one single day, and those in the court know He means that the eternal Son of God will become that branch from the root of Jesse, the Davidic king who alone can make atonement for mankind’s sin. And in a yet future day Israel will once again be prosperous at the hand of Yahweh.

No one registers how Joshua must feel. But we can imagine because we have felt it too. We were helpless and hopeless before our accuser, with no excuse for our rebellion against God, deserving of condemnation, when Jesus bid us come to him and be forgiven. Lives that once had no future, no purpose, were now full of future and purpose in Him. The Branch became our everything. Our prosperity is the abundant life we share with those who know Him. One day all Israel will come to know Him, too. Until then we proclaim Him and His wonderful forgiveness that is available to all in the sacrifice of our Lord, Jesus Christ.