Zechariah 3:4 Commentary and Bible Study

Joshua is in filthy garments – this is similar to Isaiah’s language (Isaiah 64:6). This is not just Joshua’s personal iniquity; it is the iniquity of the priesthood and its insincerity. Those filthy garments would be an insuperable barrier that stopped Joshua coming to God and performing his task if it remained, but God is able to solve this problem. ‘Take away the filthy garments from him’, says the angel of the Lord, and shows us not only the problem but the solution in the same language of symbolism. How often Scripture uses this particular image, representing righteousness or lack of it as a garment. ‘Let us be glad and rejoice, and give honour to him: for the marriage of the Lamb is come, and his wife hath made herself ready. And to her was granted that she should be arrayed in fine linen, clean and white: for the fine linen is the righteousness of saints. (Revelation 19:7-8). The replacement of Joshua’s clothing is a figure representing the imputation of God’s righteousness, resulting from justification by faith. Christ’s redeeming work for us both took away our sins by suffering for us and crediting his own perfect righteousness to us, a righteousness which we did not possess. So Joshua was clothed with a change of raiment. Not our own righteousness which comes from the law makes us acceptable to God, but the righteousness of God freely given to us: that makes us acceptable to God.Satan has called into question the fittedness of Joshua to perform his office, but God has provided the solution. The ability of the Old Testament ceremonial worship to operate, even on a temporary basis, was only possible because of the work of Christ which purified it.This is all part of the message that God is going to bring in a better time, a time of reformation, and a time of blessing. But of course, the ultimate fulfilment of the prophecy is not just Joshua and his generation, but the coming of Christ, and the bringing in of the New Testament age. That is primarily what is in mind: the complete fulfilment of the vision of the prophecy.