The role of the high priest was to represent God’s people. So, when Satan stood to accuse the high priest (3:1) he was in this way accusing the whole community of God’s people. And what God did with Joshua the high priest is symbolic of what God does for you and me. He takes away our soiled garments, our lives stained with failure, and he gives us clean garments. God says here to the high priest and his associates that they are only symbols of the one who was to come and fulfil their office. He makes reference to the ‘branch’ and the ‘stone’, both common messianic references (Isaiah 11:1; Jeremiah 23:5; Isaiah 28:16) and predicts that, in the time of the Messiah, the sins of the people will be removed completely in a single day. Given the messianic overtone of this chapter it is interesting to note that the high priest’s name during Zechariah’s time happened to be the same as that of the Messiah who Zechariah was predicting (‘Jesus’ is the Greek rendering of the Hebrew name ‘Joshua’, or ‘Jeshua’). The feeling of failure, shame and guilt can be so crippling. Are there things that you feel ashamed of? Do you feel that you are ‘stained’? God does not clean old garments. He gives us new ones. You can’t make up for your past wrongs. But you can receive clean garments from God. You can start again afresh. You can put the past behind you and move unfettered into your glorious future in God.
Ask God to forgive you for the things you feel ashamed of.
Read Zechariah 3
