Zechariah 3:1-10 (CLICK HERE FOR BIBLE VERSES)
Hi GAMErs!
Today’s passage is Zechariah 3:1-10. As usual, I encourage you to read the passage yourself first and see what you can glean with the Holy Spirit’s help, then read the GAME sharing below. Let’s go!
Zechariah 3:1-5 (NIV)
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 rich 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.
On verses 1-5: Here Zechariah describes a fourth vision that he sees. It’s a picture of Joshua the high priest dressed in filthy clothes and standing before the angel of the Lord. Satan is at Joshua’s right side accusing Joshua of all the sins Joshua has committed. Yet rather than agreeing with Satan, the LORD comes to Joshua’s defense, saying “The LORD rebuke you, Satan! The LORD, who has chosen Jerusalem, rebuke you! Is not this man a burning stick snatched from the fire?” (v2) Then the “angel of the Lord” gives Joshua clean clothes and a clean turban to wear, saying “I have taken away your sin, and I will put fine garments on you.” (v4)
What the LORD did for Joshua He also did for you and me. When Satan the accuser was pointing the finger at all the ways we have sinned, the Lord came to our defense. He rebuked Satan, forgave our sin and exchanged our filth for His righteousness. We don’t need to wait till the New Testament to see God’s amazing grace and mercy toward our sin. We see it right here in Zechariah 3.
Zechariah 3:6-7 (NIV)
6 The angel of the LORD gave this charge to Joshua:
7 “This is what the LORD Almighty says: ‘If you will walk in my ways 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.
On verses 6-7: Verses 1-5 are talking about the undeserved mercy and grace that God shows toward sinners like us. In verses 6-7 the Lord builds on that, basically saying, “Now that you are forgiven and clean, don’t use that forgiveness as a licence to sin more. Instead, walk in my ways and obey my commands, which are for your good. If you do this, you will serve and lead my house effectively and you will have good standing among my servants.”
What can we learn from this? As Christians, our goal should not simply be to receive Christ so that we can go to heaven. No, there is more to your life on earth than that. The reason God does not take you immediately to heaven after you receive Christ is because God has a greater purpose for your life on earth. God saved you so that you could know Him, serve Him, and represent Him all your days on earth. That is your calling. When we serve God humbly and faithfully and represent Him well on earth, we bless others and store up reward and good standing in heaven. May you be one of those to whom God not only says, “Saved and forgiven” but also, “Well done, good and faithful servant”.
Zechariah 3:8 (NIV)
8 “‘Listen, O high priest Joshua and your associates seated before you, who are men symbolic of things to come: I am going to bring my servant, the Branch.
On verse 8: God tells Joshua the high priest that he and his associate priests were a symbol of the Messiah, a promised Saviour, who was still to come: Jesus the Son of God. Zechariah calls that Messiah “my servant, the Branch”, two names which other prophets like Isaiah and Jeremiah used to describe the Messiah. Whereas in verse 2 the LORD called Joshua a burning stick snatched from the fire, here in verse 8 the LORD calls the Messiah “the Branch”, illustrating how a living branch is taking the place of a dead stick.) In other words, God was telling Joshua that the Messiah was coming, and that Joshua and his associates were symbolic reminders to the people that He was on His way.
How can we apply these verses? Like Joshua in Zechariah 3, you and I are priests in God’s kingdom all because of God’s mercy and grace. Like Joshua, may our lives be signs and symbols pointing to the Messiah, Jesus Christ. When people see us, may they see a picture — albeit a broken and imperfect picture — of the One who is to come.
Zechariah 3:9-10 (NIV)
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 his neighbor to sit under his vine and fig tree,’ declares the LORD Almighty.”
On verses 9-10: What does the stone with 7 eyes (or some might say “7 pairs of eyes”) in verse 9 represent? I’m not entirely sure. Scholars have differing views on what this one stone represents. Some scholars think that the stone is another picture of Jesus the Messiah, who elsewhere is called “the stone that the builders rejected which has become the capstone” (Matthew 21:42). Other scholars identify this stone with the cornerstone used to rebuild the temple. Others still identify this stone as the gemstone that God gives to Joshua to complete his priestly attire.
Whatever the stone in verse 9a represents exactly, the overall picture of verses 9-10 is clear. It’s a picture of God removing the people’s sins in a single day (v9) and giving people peace and prosperity (represented by each person having their own “vine and fig tree” and enjoying one another’s company – v10). All of this was fulfilled with the death and resurrection of Jesus Christ. On the cross where Jesus died, God covered us with the righteousness of Jesus and took away our filth, giving us peace to replace our fear, and blessing us with prosperity to replace our poverty.
Thank You, Lord Jesus, for coming to my defense whenever the enemy accuses me. Thank You for taking away all my filth and giving me Your righteousness to wear. Thank You that it’s only because of Your mercy that I can stand in Your presence and serve You. And thank You that You are coming soon. Until that day You come again, may my life be a living reminder — albeit an imperfect one — of the One who is coming soon. Jesus, thank You for being our great High Priest, our royal Branch, and our cornerstone. In Jesus’ name, AMEN!
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