20160213 Saturday, February 13 2016
Zechariah 03: Joshua's New Garments

by Wayne Blank
See also 1 Year Holy Bible Reading Plan

"Behold, I have caused thine iniquity to pass from thee, and I will clothe thee with change of raiment"

Joshua the son of Josedech (not to be confused with Joshua in the time of Moses; see Israel In History and Prophecy: Joshua) was appointed to be the first High Priest after the people of Judah returned to Jerusalem from their seventy-years Babylonian captivity (see Israel In History and Prophecy: Kingdom Of Judah and Why Didn't The Exiles Want To Go Home?).

Joshua was appointed, not only to serve at the Temple, but be involvement in the rebuilding of the Temple that had been destroyed and left as rubble seventy years before. Joshua and the other returned exiles had a great amount of reconstruction work to do.

"1:1 In the second year of Darius the king, in the sixth month, in the first day of the month, came the word of the LORD by Haggai the prophet unto Zerubbabel the son of Shealtiel, governor of Judah, and to Joshua the son of Josedech, the high priest, saying,

1:2 Thus speaketh the LORD of hosts, saying, This people say, The time is not come, the time that the LORD'S house should be built.

1:3 Then came the word of the LORD by Haggai the prophet, saying, 1:4 Is it time for you, O ye, to dwell in your cieled houses, and this house lie waste?

1:5 Now therefore thus saith the LORD of hosts; Consider your ways. 1:6 Ye have sown much, and bring in little; ye eat, but ye have not enough; ye drink, but ye are not filled with drink; ye clothe you, but there is none warm; and he that earneth wages earneth wages to put it into a bag with holes.

1:7 Thus saith the LORD of hosts; Consider your ways. 1:8 Go up to the mountain, and bring wood, and build the house; and I will take pleasure in it, and I will be glorified, saith the LORD. 1:9 Ye looked for much, and, lo, it came to little; and when ye brought it home, I did blow upon it. Why? saith the LORD of hosts. Because of mine house that is waste, and ye run every man unto his own house. 1:10 Therefore the heaven over you is stayed from dew, and the earth is stayed from her fruit. 1:11 And I called for a drought upon the land, and upon the mountains, and upon the corn, and upon the new wine, and upon the oil, and upon that which the ground bringeth forth, and upon men, and upon cattle, and upon all the labour of the hands.

1:12 Then Zerubbabel the son of Shealtiel, and Joshua the son of Josedech, the high priest, with all the remnant of the people, obeyed the voice of the LORD their God, and the words of Haggai the prophet, as the LORD their God had sent him, and the people did fear before the LORD.

1:13 Then spake Haggai the LORD'S messenger in the LORD'S message unto the people, saying, I am with you, saith the LORD. 1:14 And the LORD stirred up the spirit of Zerubbabel the son of Shealtiel, governor of Judah, and the spirit of Joshua the son of Josedech, the high priest, and the spirit of all the remnant of the people; and they came and did work in the house of the LORD of hosts, their God, 1:15 In the four and twentieth day of the sixth month, in the second year of Darius the king." (Haggai 1:1-15 KJV)

Despite the opposition, the work progressed until the Temple of the LORD was completed. It was not as magnificent as the original Temple, but it facilitated its purpose.

"2:1 In the seventh month, in the one and twentieth day of the month, came the word of the LORD by the prophet Haggai, saying,

2:2 Speak now to Zerubbabel the son of Shealtiel, governor of Judah, and to Joshua the son of Josedech, the high priest, and to the residue of the people, saying, 2:3 Who is left among you that saw this house in her first glory? and how do ye see it now? is it not in your eyes in comparison of it as nothing? 2:4 Yet now be strong, O Zerubbabel, saith the LORD; and be strong, O Joshua, son of Josedech, the high priest; and be strong, all ye people of the land, saith the LORD, and work: for I am with you, saith the LORD of hosts: 2:5 According to the word that I covenanted with you when ye came out of Egypt, so my spirit remaineth among you: fear ye not." (Haggai 2:1-5 KJV)

Joshua worked in the reconstruction. As such, in that time of limited means, his clothing became worn and dirty. When the Temple was ready however, the LORD provided Joshua with new, dignified garments that were appropriate to the prophetic office of High Priest (see Why Did Jesus Christ Choose Aaron?). It was also an object lesson of the iniquity (see Iniquity In History And Prophecy) that had caused the destruction was then replaced with a new opportunity to get it right.

"3:1 And he shewed me Joshua the high priest standing before the angel of the LORD, and Satan standing at his right hand to resist him. 3:2 And the LORD said unto Satan, The LORD rebuke thee, O Satan; even the LORD that hath chosen Jerusalem rebuke thee: is not this a brand plucked out of the fire?

3:3 Now Joshua was clothed with filthy garments, and stood before the angel. 3:4 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.

3:5 And I said, Let them set a fair mitre upon his head. So they set a fair mitre upon his head, and clothed him with garments. And the angel of the LORD stood by.

3:6 And the angel of the LORD protested unto Joshua, saying,

3:7 Thus saith the LORD of hosts; If thou wilt walk in my ways, and if thou wilt keep my charge, then thou shalt also judge my house, and shalt also keep my courts, and I will give thee places to walk among these that stand by.

3:8 Hear now, O Joshua the high priest, thou, and thy fellows that sit before thee: for they are men wondered at: for, behold, I will bring forth my servant the BRANCH. 3:9 For behold the stone that I have laid before Joshua; upon one stone shall be seven eyes: behold, I will engrave the graving thereof, saith the LORD of hosts, and I will remove the iniquity of that land in one day.

3:10 In that day, saith the LORD of hosts, shall ye call every man his neighbour under the vine and under the fig tree." (Zechariah 3:1-10 KJV)

Fact Finder: The LORD designed the garments of the office of the High Priest. What were they?
See The Priestly Garments; see also Linen In History And Prophecy