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.
Zechariah 3:3-5 (ESV)
The vision continues
Joshua the high priest is still standing before the angel. God has rebuked Satan and proclaimed that He has chosen Joshua (that is Israel). Now He makes him clean.
Filthy garments
These filthy garments represent what? Yes, impurity. (Pr 30:12; Isa 4:4; 64:6) A priest needed to be pure and holy to serve before the Lord. But they were stained with sin. They were unfit to serve the Lord to make offerings.
New priestly garments
So Joshua needed new priestly garments. JFB Commentary says these are, “festal robes of the high priest, most costly and gorgeous; symbol of Messiah’s imputed righteousness (Mt 22:11).”
Iniquity removed
“I have taken your iniquity away”. The Lord takes away Joshua’s sin. This shows them that it was clearly not any righteousness of Joshua or Israel that caused God to choose them (verse 2 from yesterday).
Let us recognize that pronouncement of forgiveness happens before Jesus’s substitutionary death. God’s understanding of time is not like ours.
Add a turban
Even though it’s plain as day, it took me a while to accept that it was Zechariah who called for the turban. Wesley commentary: “Zechariah takes the boldness to desire that for Joshua, which might add to his authority, and he asks the thing of Christ.”
Not by works
Here is a good reminder about our righteousness – it’s not by our works or personal quality. We all know Ephesians 2:8-9 which tells us salvation is by faith, not by works. God provides it by His work; we apply faith and believe.
