Zechariah 3

chosen people as a husband is jealous over his wife and as parents over their children (Ex. 20:5; Deut. 4:24; 5:9; 6:15). This explains why the Lord accused the Jews of adultery and unfaithfulness whenever they were guilty of worshipping heathen gods (Jer. 2:1–3; 3:14; 31:32; Hos. 1). Worldliness on the part of Christians is also pictured as “spiritual adultery” (James 4:4–10).

The Lord was angry with the Gentile nations because they had been unnecessarily brutal toward the Jews. True, God had called Assyria to punish the northern kingdom of Israel, and Babylon to chasten Judah; but these nations went beyond what God called them to do and tried to destroy the Jews. Other nations, like Moab, had also joined in the assault (see Ps. 83; 137).

But the Lord’s most heartening words had to do with Judah’s future, not her enemies, for God promised to return to His people and prosper their nation. He would comfort Zion and prove to the enemy nations that Jerusalem was indeed His chosen city. This promise is repeated and expanded in the rest of Zechariah’s prophecy.

When our situation appears to be hopeless, we must remind ourselves that God identifies with our sufferings and is in charge of the future. Our responsibility is to repent, confess our sins, and believe His “comforting words.” His responsibility is to respond to our faith and work out His perfect will for us.

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Kouzes and Barry Z. Posner, one of the popular myths about leadership is that “leaders are prescient visionaries with Merlin-like powers.” In other words, leaders know everything and can do anything. But if that were true, leadership wouldn’t be the difficult and demanding task that it is. Certainly successful leaders enjoy the “peaks” and “perks” that go with their positions, but they also have to deal with the valleys and sacrifices that are also a big part of the job. Real leadership isn’t easy.

Zechariah 3 and 4 focus on Joshua and Zerubbabel, the two leaders of the Jewish remnant who knew how tough it is to lead. Joshua was high priest and had the concern for the spiritual life of the people, while Zerubbabel was governor and had the responsibility of managing the civil affairs of the nation. But their work wasn’t easy. Zerubbabel was trying to motivate people who were discouraged and selfish, and Joshua was trying to educate people who were disobedient and sinful. Is there any hope for a defiled and discouraged nation, or a defiled and discouraged church or individual?

Yes, there is! God gave the prophet Zechariah two visions that speak to us today and encourage us to keep serving the Lord no matter how difficult the people or circumstances may be.

Haggai’s first message (Hag. 1:1–11) and Zechariah’s call to repentance (Zech. 1:1–6) are evidence that the spiritual level of the Jewish remnant was very low. Most of these people had been born in Babylon, where there wasn’t much religious example or instruction to nourish their worship of Jehovah; and the difficult circumstances in their own land tested their faith greatly.

The accused (3:1a, 3). Joshua stood before the Lord as a representative of Israel, a people He had called to be a holy nation of priests (Ex. 19:5–6). He wore filthy clothes, not because he was sinful personally, but because the people had sinned and were unclean in God’s sight. The emphasis here is on the nation collectively and not on Joshua individually, for both Joshua and Zerubbabel were “men symbolic of things to come” (v. 8 niv). God had chosen Jerusalem and had plucked the Jews out of the fire of Babylonian captivity (v. 2). What God did for Joshua symbolically He would do for Israel personally: the iniquity of the land would be removed in a day (v. 9).

To “stand before the Lord” means to be in a place of service (Gen. 41:46; Deut. 10:8; 1 Sam. 16:21), so the Jews became defiled while they were attempting to serve the Lord. If their service was unclean in God’s sight, what must their deliberate sins have been like! The Hebrew word translated “filthy” denotes the worst kind of defilement possible for a Jew. According to Merrill Unger, the word can be translated “excrementcovered.”

Since the priests were commanded to keep themselves clean at all times, on penalty of death (Ex. 28:39–43; 30:17–21), Joshua’s wearing filthy garments would be a terrible personal embarrassment and an offense against God’s law. Those garments were “for glory and for beauty” (Ex. 28:2, 40), but the Lord saw neither glory nor beauty as He beheld His servant.

The accuser (v. 1b). Zechariah has described a courtroom scene in which Joshua is the defendant, God is the Judge, Satan is the prosecuting attorney, and Jesus Christ is the defense attorney, the Advocate of God’s people before the holy throne of God (1 John 2:1–2). The word Satan means “adversary” and refers to the enemy who resists God’s work and God’s people. Satan has access to the throne of God (Job 1—2), where he accuses God’s people (Rev. 12:10). When Satan talks to us about God, he lies, but when he talks to God about us, he tells the truth!

God’s throne is a throne of justice and God is a righteous Judge. Knowing this, Satan pointed out Joshua’s defilement, which symbolized the defilement of the nation, and insisted that a holy God punish His sinful people. It seemed like an airtight case, except for one factor: the grace of God.

The Advocate (vv. 2–5). Christ’s present ministry in heaven is twofold. He’s our High Priest, interceding for us and giving us the grace we need for life and service here on earth (Heb. 4:14–16; 13:20–21); and He’s our Advocate, representing us before the throne of God when we do sin (1 John 2:1–2). Don’t get the erroneous idea that the Father yearns to punish us and the Son pleads with Him to change His mind, because that isn’t the picture at all. The Father and the Son both love us and want the best for us, but God can’t ignore our sins and still be a holy God.

This explains why Jesus took His wounds back to heaven with Him (Luke 24:39–40; John 20:20, 25–27): they prove that He was “delivered over to death for our sins and was raised to life for our justification” (Rom. 3: niv). Satan cannot accuse us, nor God condemn us, for sins for which Christ died! “There is therefore now no condemnation to them which are in Christ Jesus” (Rom. 8:1).

The Lord rebuked Satan on the basis of His own electing grace: He had chosen Jerusalem and the Jewish nation in His own love and grace (Deut. 7:7–11; Ps. 33:12; 132:13). He had not chosen them because of their good works, so how could He condemn them for their bad works? “Who shall bring a charge against God’s elect? It is God who justifies. Who is he who condemns? It is Christ who died, and furthermore is also risen, who is even at the right hand of God, who also makes intercession for us” (Rom. 8:33–34 nkjv).

God proved His grace to Israel by rescuing them from Babylonian captivity; the Jews were “a brand plucked out of the fire” (Zech. 3:2; see Amos 4:11). Scripture often compares Israel’s sufferings to going through the fire. Their trials in Egypt were like being in a furnace (Deut. 4:20), and the exile in Babylon was compared to being refined in the fire (Isa. 48:10; see 43:1–6). When Israel goes through the tribulation in the end times, it will be an experience of refining (Zech. 13:9; Jer. 30:7).

The answer (vv. 4–5). The same Savior who died for our sins arose from the dead and now intercedes for His people at the throne of God (Heb. 7:23–28). “If we confess our sins, he is faithful and just to forgive us our sins, and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness” (1 John 1:9). God’s reply to Satan’s accusation was to say to the angels before His throne, “Take away the filthy garments from him.” This is forgiveness.

He gave a word of assurance to Joshua: “See, I have taken away your sin” (Zech. 3: niv). Believers today know they are forgiven when they confess their sins, because they have the assurance of His promise. According to 1 John 1:9, God is not only faithful (to His promise), but He is also just (toward His Son) and will not condemn His people for sins for which His own Son had already been condemned.

But God in His grace goes beyond forgiveness and clothes us in His own righteousness. “I will put rich garments on you” (Zech. 3: niv). Adam and Eve tried to hide their guilt under garments of their own making (Gen. 3:7), but God killed animals and clothed them in skins (v. 21). Blood was shed that sin might be forgiven. “I will greatly rejoice in the Lord, my soul shall be joyful in my God; for He has clothed me with the garments of salvation, He has covered me with the robe of righteousness” (Isa. 61: nkjv; see Luke 15:22).

The climax of the cleansing (forgiveness) and robing (righteous in Christ, 2 Cor. 5:21) was the placing of the special turban on Joshua’s head; for the golden plate at the front of the turban was inscribed: HOLINESS TO THE LORD (Ex. 28:36–38; 39:30–31). It was this that made him, the people, and their gifts acceptable to the Lord. We have no righteousness of our own, but we come in the righteousness and merits of Jesus Christ, our Savior (1 Peter 2:5).

The assurance (vv. 6–7). The Lord Jesus Christ gave a charge to Joshua, because cleansing and restoration always involve responsibility. Joshua and his fellow priests weren’t put on probation; they were cleansed and restored to service. But the continuation of their service depended on their faithfulness to the Lord and His Word. It’s a privilege to serve the Lord, and we must never take it for granted.

“I will give you a place among these standing here” (v. 6 niv) indicates that Joshua’s service was in cooperation with the angels of God! (See v. 4, “those who stood before him.”) The angels are God’s servants, obeying His every command without fail, and God’s earthly servants are united with them in accomplishing His will. “Your will be done on earth as it is in heaven” (Matt. 6: nkjv). God’s invisible messengers play a vital part in His plans both for Israel (Dan. 10:10–21; Matt. 24:31) and the church (Heb. 1:13–14).

The announcement (vv. 8–10). This remarkable announcement to Joshua and his fellow priests focuses on Jesus Christ and presents three different images of the coming Messiah: the Priest, the Branch, and the Stone. Zechariah will say more about the priest in 6:9–15, so we’ll save our detailed study for that passage. In their priestly ministry, Joshua and his associates were “symbolic of things to come” (3: niv).

“The Branch” is an image of Messiah frequently found in the prophets (Isa. 11:1–2). Here Messiah is called “my servant the Branch.” He is also “the Branch of the Lord” (4:2), “the Branch of righteousness” raised up for David (Jer. 23:5; 33:15), and “the man whose name is the Branch” (Zech. 6:12–13). These four titles parallel four aspects of the person of Christ as seen in the four gospels:

Branch of righteousness for David— Matthew, Gospel of the King My servant the Branch—Mark, Gospel of the Servant

The man whose name is the Branch— Luke, Gospel of the Son of Man The Branch of the Lord—John, Gospel of the Son of God

“The stone” is another image of Messiah found often in Scripture, revealing several aspects of His ministry. Messiah is the cornerstone (Ps. 118:22–23; Matt. 21:42; Eph. 2:19–22; 1 Peter 2:7; see Zech. 10: niv), a stone of stumbling (Isa. 8:14; 1 Peter 2:8; Rom. 9:32–33), the rejected stone (Ps. 118:22–23; Matt. 21:42), the smitten stone (Ex. 17:6; 1 Cor. 10:4), and the smiting stone (Dan. 2:34–35). At His first advent, Jesus was a stumbling stone to Israel who rejected Him, but He became the foundation stone for the church. At His second advent, He will smite the kingdoms of the world and establish His glorious kingdom.

The seven “eyes” on the stone probably speak of our Lord’s omniscience (Zech. 4: niv; Rev. 5:6). The NIV margin translates it “seven facets,” making this stone a precious and beautiful jewel because of the way it is engraved (cut). But the text refers to an inscription that God engraved on the stone, not a jewel, and it doesn’t tell us what the inscription says. Some of the church fathers interpreted this engraving to mean the glorified wounds on Christ’s body, but we have no indication from the text that this interpretation is warranted.

The key message of this difficult verse is the removal of Israel’s sins in one day. This miracle of grace is described in Zechariah 5 and 12:10—13:1, and will be considered in later chapters. At the Second Advent, when Israel beholds the One whom they pierced (12:10), they will repent and be cleansed. “Who has ever heard of such a thing? Who has ever seen such things? Can a country be born in a day or a nation be brought forth in a moment?” (Isa. 66: niv).

When that happens, God will fulfill the promises of peace that He has made to Israel through the prophets. Resting under one’s vine and fig tree (Zech. 3:10) is an image of peace and security (1 Kings 4:25; 2 Kings 18:31; Mic. 4:4), something that Israel has always longed for but has never found.

Knowing that God would forgive and cleanse His people and restore the ministry of His priests must have encouraged Joshua greatly. In the next vision, God will encourage His servant Zerubbabel.