For those who may wish to ‘study’ this chapter, the following simple resources are provided for you. Each passage has a four-Part approach to help you take in and think further about what you have read.

Zech 3:1-5

1 Then he showed me Joshua the high priest standing before the angel of the Lord, and Satan standing at his right side to accuse him. 2 The Lord said to Satan, “The Lord rebuke you, Satan! The Lord, who has chosen Jerusalem, rebuke you! Is not this man a burning stick snatched from the fire?”

3 Now Joshua was dressed in filthy clothes as he stood before the angel. 4 The angel said to those who were standing before him, “Take off his filthy clothes.”

Then he said to Joshua, “See, I have taken away your sin, and I will put fine garments on you.”

5 Then I said, “Put a clean turban on his head.” So they put a clean turban on his head and clothed him, while the angel of the Lord stood by.

A. Find Out

1. What 3 characters are shown? v.1
2. Who does the Lord first address? v.2a
3. What  does He say about Joshua? v.2b
4. How was Joshua appearing? v.3
5. What did the angel instruct and then tell Joshua? v.4
6. What else did they change? v.5

B. Think:

1. Why was Satan apparently accusing Joshua?
2. What did the Lord say about Joshua though?
3. How was what followed a demonstration of that?

C. Comment:

We are now taken on from revelation about the future of Jerusalem to dealing with one of the key ‘players’ of what was now happening in the ruined city, Joshua, who, we are told is the high priest, i.e. the most senior spiritual representative of the returning exiles whose function in the future, we would assume, in respect of the rebuilt temple is going to be very significant. Indeed, perhaps this is all about his attitude, what he thinks about himself and his future role.

So we find him standing there looking very scruffy in filthy clothes, which perhaps, as we’ve just said, speaks to how he feels about himself. He is a returning exile, yes, and perhaps he is feeling very insecure about his position for in the past the spiritual representatives of the people had failed to maintain a spiritual nation, hence the Exile. When we have feelings of uncertainty, we become vulnerable to the assaults of our enemy, Satan, which is perhaps why we see him now see him coming to accuse Joshua and play on his feelings.(v.1)

But the Lord will have none of this but proclaims that Joshua has been saved from the ‘fire’ (v.2) of exile and, by implication, is His man to now take up his role afresh.  So they take away Joshua’s dirty clothes, which had signified his past shortcomings (and no doubt feelings of lack of worth) and give him fine new clothes which included the turban, a special mark of his position. He is now ready to be recommissioned  which will now follow in the coming verses.

D. Application:

1. Negative feelings can easily become a target of the enemy.
2. Always remember, it is the Lord who saves us, not us!

Zech 3:6-10

6 The angel of the Lord gave this charge to Joshua: 7 “This is what the Lord Almighty says: ‘If you will walk in obedience to me and keep my requirements, then you will govern my house and have charge of my courts, and I will give you a place among these standing here.

8 “‘Listen, High Priest Joshua, you and your associates seated before you, who are men symbolic of things to come: I am going to bring my servant, the Branch. 9 See, the stone I have set in front of Joshua! There are seven eyes on that one stone, and I will engrave an inscription on it,’ says the Lord Almighty, ‘and I will remove the sin of this land in a single day.

10 “‘In that day each of you will invite your neighbor to sit under your vine and fig tree,’ declares the Lord Almighty.”

A. Find Out

1. What 2 conditions are given Joshua? v.7a
2. What 3 rewards will follow? v.7b
3. How are these leaders to see themselves? v.8a
4. Who will the Lord send? v.8b
5. What is next being brought, signifying what? v.9
6. What will be the outcome? v.10

B. Think:

1. What part does personal responsibility play here?
2. Who  do you think the Branch refers to?
3. What does such a stone ‘do’, do you think?

C. Comment:

So now comes the commissioning of Joshua which in one sense is very simple and in another, very complex. The simple part is the instruction given to Joshua (v.6,7) by the angel.  It is similar to that given to his namesake before entering the Land, to be obedient (Josh 1:7,8). If he will do that then he will be the ruler of the completed (implied) temple (v.7).

But then follow the more complex parts, two pictures given. Before the first one they (the leaders) are to realize that they are a foretaste, if you like, of what is yet to come (v.8a) and if that was not clear, he is told that the previously prophesied ‘Branch’ will be coming. Now ‘the Branch’ had be spoken of by Isaiah many years before (Isa 11:1) and by Jeremiah much more recently (Jer 23:5, 33:15) which the scholars understood to mean the coming Messiah, a conquering deliverer bring in the reign of God (which we see in Jesus’ ministry – Mt 3:2, Mk 1:15, Lk 4:43). Their presence, now with the restored temple – symbolic of  God in their midst – is to be an early demonstration of that kingdom.

But then in a second picture (v.9), a stone, perhaps acting as a monument of God’s presence, right now before the temple is finished,  with eyes on it denoting His eyes upon them together with an inscription about His saving grace. (v.9b) When all this is fulfilled, God’s end-objective is peace and security for His people, seen in the description of community fellowship in v.10. All these things together should bring a sense of reassurance to Joshua and the other leaders.

D. Application:

1. God’s goal is to reinstate us to fellowship with Him.
2. With that goal comes peace, security and assurance.