“Now Joshua was clothed with filthy garments, and stood before the angel. And he answered and spake unto those that stood before him, saying, Take away the filthy garments from him. And unto him he said, Behold, I have caused thine iniquity to pass from thee, and I will clothe thee with change of raiment.” — Zechariah 3:3-4

The phrase “filthy garments” in today’s focus verses brings two images to my mind—one humorous and the other inspiring.

The humorous image is a quick photo I snapped years ago of our toddler son and daughter in garments that truly could be described as filthy. They had been playing outside in the yard, and somehow managed to turn on the hose. A flowerbed that had been freshly spaded looked like an inviting spot to mix dirt and water . . . and you can guess the rest! By the time I discovered what was causing such joyous shrieks of laughter, they were absolutely covered with mud.

The inspiring image that comes to mind is the face of my eighth grade Sunday school teacher, Sally Barrett. She often testified of a time as a young mother when she visualized herself clothed in “filthy rags.” Sally’s husband had just been saved, and she was deeply convicted by the change in him. Those who knew her back then would have considered her a “good” woman. She had joined the neighborhood church and accepted Christ, but as she watched her husband’s life after he was saved, she realized she did not have the peace that shone on his face. 

She recalled, “In my stubborn way, I told him, ‘You go your way and I’ll go mine.’ However, God did not leave me in that condition. He began to show me what was in my heart—the bitterness, pride, self-righteousness. A few nights later, I was out in the rose garden pruning. As I cut away the drooping blossoms, I felt I was snipping things out of my life. I would tell the Lord, ‘I don’t want this in my life anymore. If You will make me a Christian like my husband, I won’t do this anymore.’ 

“A week later, I went to church with my husband. The Lord let me see that all my self-righteousness was as filthy rags in His sight. I saw all the criticism, hatred, and sin that was there, and I wondered how God could love me. But He did! As I prayed that night, God put wonderful peace into my heart. He took away the condemnation and the love for things I thought I couldn’t get along without. My heart was filled with something far sweeter than anything I had ever known.” From that day forward, Sally lived with gratitude in her heart for the amazing change God made in her life. A testimony to that is the fact that just a few years after I was in her class, she and her husband went to the mission field in South Korea, where they served for over twenty years. 

In our focus verses, Joshua, as the high priest of Judah, represented the people of Israel. The filthy garments he was clothed in symbolized the sins they were mired in: their disobedience, their neglect of true worship, and their apathy toward the messages of God’s prophets. But the God who sees all is merciful and gracious. The angel of the Lord commanded that Joshua’s filthy garments be removed, and stated, “Behold, I have caused thine iniquity to pass from thee, and I will clothe thee with change of raiment.” 

Satan often disparages the amazing love and forgiveness of our Lord, and frequently tells sinners, “You have gone too far; God won’t hear your prayers” or “God will never forgive you. Look what you’ve done!” That is not true, and Zechariah’s vision proves it. God is more than willing to remove the “filthy garments” of sin and clothe repentant individuals with His righteousness. 

My toddlers’ mud-stained clothes were undeniably filthy garments; the two of them were in desperate need of an immediate bath and a “change of raiment.” The filthiness of sin, though sometimes unseen, is every bit as real as physical dirt and cannot be removed by human efforts. Only God can take away the stain and contamination of unrighteousness in the heart. In today’s text, God was willing and ready to forgive and restore Israel, making this sinful people fit to appear in the presence of God and enjoy His blessings. 

The same free, gracious forgiveness and removal of sin is available today for all who will confess their sins to God and look to Him for deliverance and cleansing.

BACKGROUND

Today’s text covers the fourth and fifth of eight visions that were given to Zechariah, all delivered to the prophet in one night. In chapter 3, the fourth vision concerned the cleansing of Joshua the high priest, as a picture of God dealing with the moral condition of the people of Judah. The fifth vision, described in chapter 4, was of a golden candlestick and two olive trees, representing Joshua the high priest, and Zerubbabel the civil head of the Jewish community. 

The fourth vision of Zechariah is described in verses 1-5 of chapter 3. Joshua the high priest was standing before the “angel of the Lord.” The location of the vision is not stated. However, the phrase “standing before” is given in a judicial sense, and may be an indicator that Joshua, as a representative of the people, was being accused and was standing for judgment. The adversary, Satan, was beside him to “resist” (attack or accuse) him. Because the Lord had chosen Jerusalem, He halted Satan’s accusations and stated that His chosen city was “a brand plucked out of the fire,” meaning that it had been miraculously snatched away or delivered before it was completely destroyed. 

Joshua was clothed in filthy garments, indicating that both Judah and the priests had sinned. The angel of the Lord instructed that these garments be removed, denoting moral cleansing. In verse 5, Zechariah suggested that a “fair mitre” be placed on Joshua’s head. This was the headpiece worn by the high priest which had a golden plate on the front bearing the inscription “HOLINESS TO THE LORD” (see Exodus 28:36-38). 

After Joshua received cleansing and reinstatement, in verses 6-7 the angel of the Lord commissioned Joshua, in essence defining the high priest’s duties. He promised that if Joshua would “walk in my ways” (follow the Lord in obedience), and “keep my charge” (perform his priestly duties in keeping with the instructions delivered to him), then he would be allowed to “judge my house.” He would also have unhindered access to God like “these that stand by” (the angelic beings in the presence of God). 

In verses 8-10, the Lord of hosts made a Messianic promise. The high priest and his fellow priests were a sign of things to come—the forefathers of those who would see the promised Messiah, “my servant the BRANCH.” This phrase identified the coming Messiah as both priest and king (a descendant of David). Bible scholars have varying interpretations regarding the stone referred to in verse 9, but it likely was symbolic of the Messiah. 

In his fifth vision, described in chapter 4 verses 1-6, Zechariah saw a seven-branched golden candlestick—a menorah in Hebrew—symbolic of the Divine Presence in the community, ever watchful over His people. On either side of the lampstand were olive trees. The prophet asked what these were. 

An explanation and encouragement were offered in verses 6-10 to Zerubbabel, the governor of Judah who had been given the responsibility of rebuilding the Temple. His task would not be accomplished by “might” (denoting effort by a human force such as an army), nor by “power” (indicating individual strength), but by God’s Spirit. While the task of rebuilding seemed to be a mountain, through the Spirit of God, all obstacles would be leveled like a plain. Ultimately, those who had “despised the day of small things”—who were disappointed in the Temple’s appearance when comparing it to Solomon’s Temple (see Haggai 2:3 and Ezra 3:12)—would rejoice when they saw the plummet in the hand of Zerubbabel as he put in place the capstone of the Temple. 

In verses 11-14, Zechariah asked again about the meaning of the olive trees in his vision. While Bible scholars identify “the two anointed ones” in various ways, the context suggests they were Joshua and Zerubbabel, the divinely appointed religious and civil leaders of the post-exilic community. They stood in the Lord’s presence, and it was through them that the Spirit of God (often represented in Scripture by oil) would work.

AMPLIFIED OUTLINE

II. The eight night visions
    D. The vision of the cleansing of Joshua (3:1-10)
         1. The defilement of Joshua (3:1-3)
         2. The cleansing of Joshua (3:4-7)
         3. The prophecy for Joshua (3:8-10)
              a. The branch (3:8)
              b. The stone (3:9)
              c. The day (3:10)
    E. The vision of the candlestick and olive tree (4:1-14)
         1. The vision (4:1-3)
         2. The inquiry about the vision (4:4-5)
         3. The purpose of the vision (4:6-10)
         4. The interpretation of the vision (4:11-14)

A CLOSER LOOK

1. In Zechariah 3:8, whom did the Lord of hosts say He would bring forth?
2. A divine being referred to as “the angel that talked with me” (see Zechariah 4:4) was present in many of Zechariah’s visions. Why do you think this angel appeared so frequently?
3. The word resist in the first verse of our text means “accuse.” What are some ways we can overcome the accusations of our spiritual adversary?

CONCLUSION

God’s willingness to remove the filthy garments of sin from Joshua (who represented all of the people of Israel) is a picture of His willingness to forgive and restore all who come to Him in genuine repentance.