What is the meaning of Zechariah 3:6? Then • The word signals sequence: after Joshua’s filthy garments are removed and he is clothed with clean robes (Zechariah 3:4, “See, I have removed your iniquity from you, and I will clothe you with splendid garments”), the next step is a commission. • Cleansing precedes calling throughout Scripture—Isaiah 6:7-8 (“Your guilt is taken away… Then I heard the voice of the Lord saying, ‘Whom shall I send?’”), and Acts 9:15 (“He is a chosen instrument of Mine”) show that once sin is dealt with, service follows. • “Then” anchors the assurance that God never sends His servants without first equipping them by grace. the angel of the LORD • This Angel speaks with divine authority, often identified in Scripture as the LORD Himself (Exodus 3:2-6; Judges 6:11-14). • Because Zechariah records, “the LORD will remove the iniquity of this land in a single day” (Zechariah 3:9), the Angel functions as both messenger and covenant-maker—anticipating the Messiah who mediates cleansing and commissioning. • Malachi 3:1 calls Him “the Messenger of the covenant, in whom you delight,” confirming His unique, divine identity. gave this charge • A “charge” is a solemn, binding command. Verse 7 spells it out: “If you walk in My ways and keep My instructions, then you will govern My house” (Zechariah 3:7). • Scriptural pattern: God entrusts duties after redemption—Genesis 17:1, “Walk before Me and be blameless,” and John 15:16, “I appointed you to go and bear fruit.” • The charge carries authority equal to the Great Commission (Matthew 28:18-20); obedience is non-optional for God’s servants. to Joshua • Joshua (also called Jeshua) is the high priest who returned from exile (Ezra 3:2; Haggai 1:1). As high priest he represents the whole nation, so the charge reaches Israel through him. • His office foreshadows Christ, our ultimate High Priest (Hebrews 4:14), showing that purified leadership is vital for purified worship. • Zechariah 6:11-13 later pictures Joshua crowned, prefiguring the Priest-King role fulfilled perfectly in Jesus. summary The sequence “Then the angel of the LORD gave this charge to Joshua:” reveals a timeless pattern: God cleanses, then commissions. The divine Angel—pointing to the coming Christ—issues an authoritative command that calls the purified high priest, and by extension God’s people, into faithful service. Cleansed hearts are not left idle; they are entrusted with holy responsibility under the sovereign direction of the LORD. |
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