Zechariah 3
January 24
Reading: Zechariah 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.
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?"
3 Now Joshua was standing before the angel, clothed with filthy garments.
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."
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.
6 And the angel of the LORD solemnly assured Joshua, 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.
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. 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. 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."
Zechariah chapters 3-4 are the central focus of the eight night visions of Zechariah. In these two chapters we will see the Lord’s personal ministry to Joshua and Zerubbabel, the leaders of the exiles returned to Jerusalem. Zechariah 3 is a very special moment.
Joshua is the high priest for a people without a land, without a city, and without a Temple. The high priest represents God before the people, and he represents the people before a holy God. But, Joshua, the high priest, is a filthy mess. In the vision he looks like someone who has just been plucked out of a fire. Satan is right there to point this out, to accuse him. In Revelation 12:10, Satan is called “the accuser of our brethren.” He loves to point out our sin, failures, and dirtiness.
What begins happening in verse 2 to the high priest as a representative of the people of God is a picture of the grace of God.
1. The Lord rebukes Satan.
2. The Lord points out that He has chosen Joshua.
3. The Lord clothes Joshua in clean garments.
4. The Lord has taken away the sin and filthiness of Joshua.
5. The Lord calls Joshua again to Temple service before the Holy God. (vs. 7)
In verses 8-10 the Lord makes it clear in the vision that the vision is about much more than Joshua and Jerusalem in the current day. “I am going to bring My Servant the sprout.” This is a reference to Isaiah 11:1, 53:2, Jeremiah 23:5 and many other messianic prophesies. The Messianic King will be a shoot from the root of Jesse, a descendant of King David.
“A stone with seven eyes” (vs. 9) is a stone with seven facets, or seven sparkles, or seven springs. It is a picture of a stone made alive by the Spirit of God. The Messiah will bring the Holy Spirit. The Messiah will remove the sin of God’s people. (vs. 9) The Messiah ultimately will bring eternal peace and prosperity. (vs. 10)