As a family grows in size, so also the quantity of laundry grows. On some Saturdays, we spend the entire day starting loads of laundry and folding clean clothes. With two littles in our home, we often deal with onesies that have suffered through a blowout. Excrement stained clothing is a reality for any family with a baby.
This week I read and reflected on Zechariah 3. In this text Zechariah writes of a vision in which he sees a high priest, Joshua, who makes a court appearance before God wearing excrement covered robes. The picture is intended to be jarring to the reader. Can you imagine the disgusting appearance of these clothes and the smell that would emit from excrement covered robes?
The man wearing these garments is the high priest! He is the representative of God’s people before a holy God! Here he stands in the height of uncleanness.
In God’s courtroom, the angel of the LORD is the judge, and Satan stands as the accuser. I believe the Old Testament usage of “the angel of the LORD” refers to either a Theophany or a Christophany. Whichever of these two positions you hold, this is God judging Joshua the High Priest. (I personally lean toward a Christophany)
In God’s courtroom, Satan is not allowed to even speak a word. It doesn’t matter how much time or effort Satan has put in to his case against Joshua. He is a bystander in the courtroom as God displays his absolute sovereignty. Amazingly, God rebukes Satan for standing as Joshua’s accuser on the grounds of his elective purposes. The LORD has chosen Jerusalem. The LORD has chosen his people. Therefore, Satan has no case to present.
God commands those standing with Joshua to remove his filthy garments. As the filth is removed, God says “I have taken your iniquity away from you, and I will clothe you with pure vestments.” What joy we find in this text! God did not remove his filthy garments and leave him to figure out the rest. God himself clothed him in pure clothes. As Zechariah watches the scene unfold he says “Let them put a clean turban on his head” and they do. A turban is symbolic of royalty. Joshua is receiving clean clothes and a crown from God.
In v. 8 of this chapter, God declares, “I will bring my servant the Branch.” This is a clear Messianic prophecy. There is one coming who will “remove the iniquity of this land in a single day.” This Branch will bring peace and “every one of you will invite his neighbor to come under his vine and under his fig tree.”
Jesus is the Branch. Jesus, our great high priest, sacrificed himself on our behalf so that our sin could be removed and we could be clothed in his righteousness. I am continually blown away by this facet of the gospel. Not only does Jesus rescue us from the plight of sin, but he also clothes us in his perfect righteousness. We are not left to find our own clean robe! And God doesn’t stop there either! We share in the very inheritance of the Lord Jesus and we are crowned, just like how Joshua was given a turban.
The gospel is beautiful news for the sinner. God removes the filth. God clothes in righteousness. God crowns his people. In Revelation 4, we see a picture of God’s throne room and the 24 elders sitting around the throne have received crowns of glory. Before the throne of God we see no saint reveling in his crown and glorification, but rather we see every saint casting their crown at the feet of King Jesus and saying, “Worthy are you, our Lord and God, to receive glory and honor and power, for you created all things, and by your will they existed and were created.” Glory be to God alone. That is the response of everyone who has believed in the gospel unto salvation!
Zach Scoggin
Missions and College Pastor