Today we return to our study of Zechariah. Zechariah, along with a faithful remnant, have returned from Babylonian captivity to Jerusalem. They are rebuilding the temple along with Ezra and restoring worship of the Lord in their homeland. For 70 years the nation has been living in Babylon as captives. Now God is bringing them back to the promise land.
We understand Zechariah better if we comprehend some of the brokenness these people experienced as slaves in a foreign land. They knew why it happened. It happened because of Israel’s unfaithfulness to God. God had brought that nation into the land of promise with great and mighty miracles through Moses and Joshua. God had covenanted with them and revealed his will to them. But they violated the covenant and gave themselves over to idolatry. The question in their minds might be stated something like this: After all our unfaithfulness, can we get this right? Will God accept us after all we’ve done? Will he restore the priesthood and favor us with his presence? Is there hope that the promises he originally gave to us can still be fulfilled?
The first six chapters of Zechariah records 8 visions that God gave Zechariah concerning these matters. In those visions God reassures Israel of his faithfulness, in spite of their unfaithfulness. What God originally said he would do for them he will do. Their sin had plunged them into severe chastening and correction from the Lord. It carried heavy consequences. But it did not annul God’s ability to bring his purposes to pass. So, in these 8 visions Zechariah and by extension those with him were given comforting words of God’s enduring love and his determination to ultimately bless them.
Today we find ourselves in Zechariah 3. In this chapter Zechariah shares his fourth vision. We dealt with the first five verses in our previous message, and we will consider verses 6-10 today. In Zechariah 3:1-5 Zechariah sees Joshua the high priest clothed in filthy garments. Satan is standing at his right hand opposing him. The Angel of the Lord who is the preincarnate Christ rebukes the devil and provides Joshua clean garments. Let’s read those verses. These verses describe what Joshua saw (his vision), and verses 6-10 is the oracle of God that follows. The scene and the oracle are intimately related; they must be understood together.
Zechariah 3:1-5: “Then he showed me Joshua the high priest standing before the Angel of the Lord, and Satan standing at his right hand to oppose him [NIV says “to accuse him]. 2 And the Lord said to Satan, ‘The Lord rebuke you, Satan! The Lord who has chosen Jerusalem rebuke you! Is this not a brand plucked from the fire?’ [God has rescued him for his purposes. As the high priest, Joshua is representative here of the nation. Israel has been in the destructive fire of Babylonian captivity. God has plucked Zechariah and those with from the destructive situation].
3 Now Joshua was clothed with filthy garments, and was standing before the Angel.
4 Then He answered and spoke to those who stood before Him [Who are those who stood before Him? They are the heavenly angels who do his bidding], saying, ‘Take away the filthy garments
from him.’ And to him [Joshua] He [the Angel of the Lord] said, ‘See, I have removed your iniquity from you, and I will clothe you with rich robes.’
5 And I said, ‘Let them put a clean turban on his head.’ So they put a clean turban on his head, and they put the clothes on him. And the Angel of the Lord stood by [stood by overseeing this whole process].”i
This scene depicts a problem that Zechariah as a priest and prophet understood well: the sinfulness of Israel. How can the high priest (the representative of the nation) stand before a holy God and minister when he and all those he represents are defiled by their sinfulness? That sinfulness is depicted by Joshua’s filthy garment.
The answer to that problem is not found in what Joshua can do, but in what God can do. The Angel of the Lord commands the angels there to “Take away the filthy garments from him.” We know that represents the removal of sin by what the Angel of the Lord then says to Joshua, “‘See, I have removed your iniquity from you.” This is a beautiful revelation of justification by grace right here in the Old Testament. On one side of the transaction, the iniquity is taken away—the sin is forgiven. On the other side of the transaction, Joshua is given clean, priestly garments that qualify him for service to God.
Our justification works the same way. Ephesians 2:8-9: “For by grace you have been saved through faith, and that not of yourselves; it is the gift of God, not of works, lest anyone should boast.” Through the cross of Christ, we have forgiveness of sin so that Jesus says to us what he says to Joshua in our text: Zechariah 3:4, “See, I have removed your iniquity from you.” But that’s only half of the justification process, for he does not leave us stripped and naked. The rest of the process is, “and I will clothe you with rich robes.” By grace we are clothed with the righteousness of Christ.ii
So, we have salvation by grace revealed in these first 5 verses of our text. Now in verses 6-10 we have the oracle of God that flows out of this scene.
I. It begins with an ADMONITION.
Zechariah 3:6-7: “Then the Angel of the Lord [the preincarnate Christ] admonished Joshua, saying, 7 ‘Thus says the Lord of hosts: 'If you will walk in My ways, And if you will keep My command, Then you shall also judge My house, And likewise have charge of My courts; I will give you places to walk Among these who stand here.”
The contingency is first stated: “If you will. . . .” God has freely and graciously forgiven Joshua who represents the people. He has cleansed him and clothed him with a robe of righteousness. And that is followed with an admonition to do two things: (1) “walk in My ways.” That is a call to live in personal holiness. (2) “keep My command.” KJV says, “keep my charge.” The Hebrew word is mishmereth. It means “guard, charge, function, obligation, service, watch.”iii It was often used in reference to the priestly responsibilities. So, this is referring to faithfulness in the ministry God has given you to do. For Joshua it was to honorably perform the duties of his office as a priest. Notice the admonition is two-fold. Live a godly life and be faithful to the assignment God has given you to do.
When God justifies a person by grace, he always tells that person to do those two things: (1) Live a holy life. (2) Faithfully serve. Paul put it to Timothy this way: 1 Timothy 4:16, “Watch your life and doctrine closely. Persevere in them, because if you do, you will save both yourself and your hearers” (NIV).
David gave Solomon a similar charge in 1 Kings 2:3, “And keep the charge of the LORD your God: to walk in His ways, to keep His statutes, His commandments, His judgments, and His testimonies, as it is written in the Law of Moses, that you may prosper in all that you do and wherever you turn.” Sadly, Solomon failed to do that.
This two-fold admonition consistently follows the free gift of grace in Scripture. Paul spends the first half of Ephesians telling us what we have received in Christ by the grace of God. Then in the second half, he admonishes us to live accordingly. The transition occurs in Ephesians 4:1, “I, therefore, the prisoner of the Lord, beseech you to walk worthy of the calling with which you were called.” Of course, walking here and in our text is a metaphor for the way we live.
In the parable of the talents, the unfaithful servant was condemned for his laziness. He did not invest his talent in the service of his master. On the one hand, we are to shun evil. On the other hand, we are to actively fulfill our calling. This is the two-fold admonition of our text.
The benefits of doing this are two-fold as well. Zechariah 3:7: “If you will walk in My ways, And if you will keep My command, Then you shall also judge My house, And likewise have charge of My courts; I will give you places to walk Among these who stand here.” Then you shall:
(1) “judge My house, And likewise have charge of My courts.” In other words, I will trust you with authority. You will “have charge of My courts.” If we don’t do the two things he tells us to do—if we don’t live godly lives and be faithful to our assignment, God cannot and will not trust us with authority. He still loves us. But we disqualify ourselves from the place of authority. When Paul instructed the church about the selection of elders and deacons, there were conditions of purity and faithfulness that had to be met. King Saul, through his unfaithfulness, disqualified himself from the throne. The way we conduct ourselves matters. So, the first benefit here is being trusted with authority. The second benefit of faithfulness in lifestyle and ministry is:
(2) “I will give you places to walk Among these who stand here.” Who are those who stand here? Heavenly angels were standing before the Angel of the Lord and doing his bidding in the vision. The privilege here is intimacy with God. These angels stand in the presence of God, and you are invited to the same privilege if you meet the two conditions. Many Christians live in the outer courts of their religion. They do not enjoy the presence of God like they could if they would live right and do what God calls them to do. We’re all as close to God as we choose to be. James 4:8 in effect tells us that. “Draw near to God and He will draw near to you.” God will always draw near to us if we will draw near to him. Any distance is our fault, not his. “Draw near to God and He will draw near to you.”
So, Zechariah 3:1-5 is a beautiful revelation of justification by grace. That is followed by the admonition to live a holy life and be faithful to the assignment God gives you. That is followed by the promise of spiritual authority and spiritual intimacy.
In the remainder of this chapter will have a beautiful promise of the coming Messiah that includes revelation on how the iniquity is removed.
In verse 8 the Lord tells Joshua that he and his companions are a sign of something far more glorious coming in the future. The restoration of this remnant to Jerusalem is a foreshadowing of an end-time restoration that God has planned for the nation of Israel. It all revolves around one person—Messiah. He is referenced here with three terms: Servant, Branch, and Stone.
Zechariah 3:8: “Hear, O Joshua, the high priest, You and your companions who sit before you, For they are a wondrous sign (Hebrew is mophet: “what they signify is something marvelous to behold”iv]; For behold, I am bringing forth My Servant the BRANCH.”
The fullest Old Testament revelation of Messiah as the perfect Servant is found in the second half of Isaiah. Isaiah 42 begins, "Behold! My Servant whom I uphold, My Elect One in whom My soul delights! I have put My Spirit upon Him; He will bring forth justice to the Gentiles. 2 He will not cry out, nor raise His voice, Nor cause His voice to be heard in the street. 3 A bruised reed He will not break, And smoking flax He will not quench; He will bring forth justice for truth. 4 He will not fail nor be discouraged, Till He has established justice in the earth; And the coastlands shall wait for His law." Matthew 12 quotes this passage as a reference to Christ.
In his First Advent Jesus came as a servant. He washed the disciples’ feet as a servant. Philippians 2 says he not only humbled himself to become a man, but he even came as a servant. After correcting the disciples for their vain ambition, Jesus admonished them to serve. Then he added in Matthew 20:28, “just as the Son of Man did not come to be served, but to serve, and to give His life a ransom for many.”
Isaiah 52:13-15 introduces him as the suffering Servant who gives his life as a ransom for others. Isaiah 53:5-6 is a beautiful portral of his redemptive service.
“But He was wounded for our transgressions, He was bruised for our iniquities; The chastisement for our peace was upon Him, And by His stripes we are healed. 6 All we like sheep have gone astray; We have turned, every one, to his own way; And the Lord has laid on Him the iniquity of us all.”
As a priest and prophet, Zechariah would have been familiar with these Servant passages. When he heard the statement in Zechariah 3:8, “For behold, I am bringing forth My Servant . . .” he knew it was a reference to Messiah.
In our fallen society, the title servant is despised. But in God’s economy it is highly esteemed. I hope God sees me as a servant of others, don’t you?
The title BRANCH was established as a reference to Messiah in earlier writings. Isaiah wrote,
“There shall come forth a Rod from the stem of Jesse, And a Branch shall grow out of his roots. 2 The Spirit of the Lord shall rest upon Him, The Spirit of wisdom and understanding, The Spirit of counsel and might, The Spirit of knowledge and of the fear of the Lord” (Isa. 11:1-2). Translating this a “Branch” does not fully communicate what the Hebrew word depicts. We think of a branch as something growing high up in a tree, dependent on the trunk. But the Hebrew (tsehmach) could be translated sprout.v
In the diaspora, the dispersion of the Jewish people, the tree of David was cut down as if it were dead. But this living sprout springs forth from humble beginnings and will fully restore the glory of the Davidic dynasty. Just when it would appear that all future for David’s kingly linage was lost, Jesus (a descendent of David/Jesse) would spring forth as a living sprout whose kingdom would grow and fill the whole earth. That’s the idea conveyed in the title.
Jeremiah used this terminology as well. In Jeremiah 33:14-16 he prophesied,
“'Behold, the days are coming,' says the Lord, 'that I will perform that good thing which I have promised to the house of Israel and to the house of Judah: 15 'In those days and at that time I will cause to grow up to David A Branch of righteousness; He shall execute judgment and righteousness in the earth. 16 In those days Judah will be saved, And Jerusalem will dwell safely. And this is the name by which she will be called: THE LORD OUR RIGHTEOUSNESS.'”
So, Zechariah would have understood the title Branch to a reference to the coming Messiah.
The third term used in our text for Messiah is Stone.
Zechariah 3:9: “‘For behold, the stone That I have laid before Joshua: Upon the stone are seven eyes. Behold, I will engrave its inscription,' Says the Lord of hosts. . . .”
Scholars have identified the stone in this verse in various ways.vi But the best way to understand it is in the context of the building of the temple. Isaiah prophesied, “So this is what the Sovereign LORD says: ‘See, I lay a stone in Zion, a tested stone, a precious cornerstone for a sure foundation; the one who trusts will never be dismayed” (Isa. 28:16). Jesus quoted Psalm 118 to the Jewish leaders who questioned his authority. In Matthew 21:42 he said to them, “Have you never read the Scriptures: ‘The stone which the builders rejected Has become the chief cornerstone. This was the Lord's doing, And it is marvelous in our eyes'?” Peter also referred to Jesus as the chief cornerstone in 1 Peter 2. The imagery of Messiah as the chief cornerstone is well established. It is reasonable to take it that way in our Zechariah passage.
Daniel uses the imagery of Messiah in a little different way: as a stone that breaks in pieces the nations, then its kingdom fills the earth. In Daniel 2:34-35 the angel says to Daniel, “You watched while a stone was cut out without hands, which struck the image on its feet of iron and clay, and broke them in pieces. 35 Then the iron, the clay, the bronze, the silver, and the gold were crushed together, and became like chaff from the summer threshing floors; the wind carried them away so that no trace of them was found. And the stone that struck the image became a great mountain and filled the whole earth.”
The seven eyes on the stone in Zechariah 3:9 is an indication of omniscience. Seven in the Hebrew number of completeness or perfection. Messiah will have perfect insight for fulfilling his mission. We understand this in much the same way that we understand the reference to Christ in Revelation 5:6, “And I looked, and behold, in the midst of the throne and of the four living creatures, and in the midst of the elders, stood a Lamb as though it had been slain, having seven horns and seven eyes, which are the seven Spirits of God sent out into all the earth.” Horns represent power ,eyes represent knowledge, and seven is the number for perfection. So here we see Jesus with perfect, complete power and perfect, complete knowledge. The seven eyes in Zechariah 3:9 indicate the perfect knowledge of Christ.
The description in our Zechariah 3:9 continues, “‘Behold, I will engrave its inscription, 'Says the Lord of hosts.” We are not given specific detail of what is engraved. We do know that the engravers work on stones in those days beautified the stone,vii honored the founder, or at times memorized an event. The event of the cross, mentioned in the next statement, is a possibility. We are simply not given the details, except the stone will be engraved by the Lord Himself.
Messiah Jesus is eternally beautified by the scares of Calvary that he bears in his glorified body. The nail-pierced hands and the wounded side are eternal reminders of his love for the Father and his love for his bride. Those engravings are an eternal badge of honor and grace.viii Anytime you’re tempted to question God’s love for you, remember those scars engraved in his body forever.ix
Now we come to this glorious promise at the end of Zechariah 3:9: “And I will remove the iniquity of that land in one day.”x That happened the day Jesus provided the perfect sacrifice for sin. In one day, the sin of the world was atoned.xi That was typified by the Day of Atonement in Leviticus 16. Once a year the high priest would present the sacrifice for the sins of the people. But it was only a type; it was only a shadow of the perfect sacrifice of Christ at Calvary. Hebrews 10:1-4 says, “For the law, having a shadow of the good things to come, and not the very image of the things, can never with these same sacrifices, which they offer continually year by year, make those who approach perfect. 2 For then would they not have ceased to be offered? For the worshipers, once purified, would have had no more consciousness of sins. 3 But in those sacrifices there is a reminder of sins every year. 4 For it is not possible that the blood of bulls and goats could take away sins.” The writer of Hebrews contrasts that with the one-time, all-sufficient sacrifice made by Christ to take away the sins of the world. Hebrews 10:10: “And by that will [Christ’s perfect obedience to the Father], we have been made holy through the sacrifice of the body of Jesus Christ once for all.” It happened in one day at Calvary.
The application of that for Israel as a nation happens at the Second Coming of Christ. We will see this more vividly when we get to Zechariah 12-13. As a nation Israel remains in unbelief. In Romans 11:25 Paul says, “blindness in part has happened to Israel until the fullness of the Gentiles has come in.” The time of Jacob’s trouble (the Tribulation period) will prepare the Jewish nation to receive Messiah Jesus.xii When Jesus appears in the sky at his Second Coming, the whole nation will be born in a day. All of Israel will be saved on that day. That is only possible because of Calvary. But it is the day that Zechariah would have looked for in our text. Let’s peek ahead and read about that glorious day beginning in Zechariah 12:9, “It shall be in that day that I will seek to destroy all the nations that come against Jerusalem. 10 And I will pour on the house of David and on the inhabitants of Jerusalem the Spirit of grace and supplication; then they will look on Me whom they pierced. Yes, they will mourn for Him as one mourns for his only son, and grieve for Him as one grieves for a firstborn. 11 In that day there shall be a great mourning in Jerusalem, like the mourning at Hadad Rimmon in the plain of Megiddo.” Zechariah goes on to describe the repentance in the nation of Israel. Then in 13:1 we read, “In that day a fountain shall be opened for the house of David and for the inhabitants of
Jerusalem, for sin and for uncleanness.” The application of Calvary for the nation of Israel will be realized on the day of Christ’s Second Coming.
What follows that? The millennial reign of Christ begins in which Israel is exalted above all other nations under the leadership of King Jesus, the Branch. So here we have the description in Zechariah 3:10 of the peace and prosperity that follows: “‘In that day,' says the Lord of hosts, 'Everyone will invite his neighbor Under his vine and under his fig tree.'" That idiom is reminiscent of glorious reign of Solomon which constituted the peak of peace and prosperity for the nation. 1 Kings 4:24-25 describes the conditions under King Solomon, “For he [Solomon] had dominion over all the region on this side of the River from Tiphsah even to Gaza, namely over all the kings on this side of the River; and he had peace on every side all around him. 25 And Judah and Israel dwelt safely, each man under his vine and his fig tree, from Dan as far as Beersheba, all the days of Solomon.” Notice the phrase “each man under his vine and his fig tree.” Those were the glory days for the nation of Israel that Zechariah and his companions longed to see restored. But God has something greater in mind for the nation—a greater than Solomon (Matt. 12:42): King Jesus who will reign over all the earth.
Conclusion:
We have seen in this chapter a revelation of God’s plan for the nation of Israel. It was a comforting word for Zechariah and his companions. But in it we see the plan of salvation of each of us as well. The pattern described here for the nation of Israel is the pattern God has for each of us. Like Joshua the high priest we were clothed with filthy garments. We were in a sinful condition, without hope, and unable to qualify ourselves before God. Satan stood at our right hand to accuse us, and it was effective because we were guilty. But the Angel of the Lord, Jesus, rebuked and confirmed our election by the grace of God. This glorious Savior commanded our filthy garments of sin to be removed and his robe of righteousness be put on us. He justified us by his act of grace.
Then he called us to service. If we will live godly lives and be faithful to our calling, He will entrust us with authority and grant intimacy in his presence. All of this is possible because of the Servant-Branch-Stone Messiah who has come and in one day at Calvary removed our iniquity. As a result, we can enjoy the peace and provision that is ours under his rulership. There is a message in this chapter for Zechariah and his companions. But there is a message here for you and me as well. I want to live in intimacy with God. I want to walk in his ways and keep his charge.
ENDNOTES:
i All Scripture quotes are from the New King James Version unless indicated otherwise.
ii Cf. Jer. 23:6; Rom. 4:20-25; 2 Cor. 5:21.
iii O.T. Strong’s # 4931. Cf. David Baron, The Visions and Prophecies of Zechariah: “The Prophet of Hope and of Glory” An Expositon, 3rd ed. (London: Morgan & Scott, 1919) 104.
iv Richard D. Phillips, Zechariah, Reformed Expository Commentary, Iain Duguid, ed. (Phillipsburg, NJ: P & R Publishing, 2007) 78.
v Brown Driver & Briggs Hebrew Lexicon (OT:6780) gives the meaning as: “a sprout, a growth, a branch
a) a sprouting, a growth, a sprout
b) growth (used of a process)
c) a sprout, a shoot (used of the Messiah from the Davidic tree)”
(from The Online Bible Thayer's Greek Lexicon and Brown Driver & Briggs Hebrew Lexicon, Copyright © 1993, Woodside Bible Fellowship, Ontario, Canada. Licensed from the Institute for Creation Research.)
vi “Various commentators take the stone to symbolize any number of objects: a gem adorning the high priest’s breastplate, a memorial stone marking out territorial ownership, a jewel for a crown, a stone put in the temple in place of the missing ark of the covenant, or a foundational stone for the new temple. The says this stone was set before Joshua, which seems to indicate a large stone, thus ruling out a jewel for his breastplate or a crown. . . . This recommends the idea of this stone as a cornerstone for the rebuilt temple” (emphasis Phillips’s). Richard D. Phillips, Zechariah, Reformed Expository Commentary, R. D. Phillips and P. G. Ryken, eds. (Phillipsburg, NJ: P & R Publishing, 2007), 81.
vii In 1 Kings 6:29 the engraving on the walls was for beautification. However, carvings of “cherubim, palm trees, and open flowers” conveyed reminders of God’s watchful care (cherubim), deliverance (palm trees (Lev. 23:40; John 12:13)) and beauty (open flowers). Since God will do the engraving, it will no doubt be beautiful and meaningful.
viii In Isa 49:16 God says to his people, “See, I have inscribed you on the palms of My hands; Your walls are continually before Me.” Commenting on that verse Freeman writes, “This is a figurative way of expressing that Jehovah will never forget Zion. The city is represented as graven on his hands, so that its walls are perpetually in his sight, and thus the people of God, who are figured by the city, are kept in everlasting remembrance.” James M. Freeman, Manners and Customs of the Bible (Plainfield, New Jersey: Logos International, 1972), 272. Cf. John 20:27.
ix We can’t be certain there is an allusion to the wounds of Calvary in the Zechariah text, but we can be sure Jesus carries the inscription of those wounds on his glorified body and they memorialize his love for us.
x Cf. Zech. 3:4.
xi Cf. 1 John 2:2; Richard W. Tow, Authentic Christianity: Studies in 1 John (Bloomington, IN: Westbow Press, 2019), 39-51.
xii Cf. Matt. 23:39; Richard W. Tow, Rapture or Tribulation: Will Christians Go Through the Coming Tribulation (Bloomington, IN: Westbow Press, 2022), 136-138.
