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<p>There was a Joshua that was a principal agent in the first settling of Israel in Canaan; here is another of the same name very active in their second settlement there after the captivity; Jesus is the same name, and it signifies <i>Saviour</i>; and they were both figures of him that was to come, our chief captain and our chief priest. The angel that talked with <i>Zechariah showed him Joshua the high priest</i>; it is probable that the prophet saw him frequently, that he spoke to him, and that there was a great intimacy between them; but, in his common views, he only saw how he appeared before men; if he must know how he stands before the Lord, it must be shown him in vision; and so it is shown him. And men are really as they are with God, not as they appear in the eye of the world. He stood <i>before the angel of the Lord</i>, that is, before Christ, the Lord of the angels, to whom even the high priests themselves, of Aaron’s order, were accountable. He <i>stood before the angel of the Lord</i> to execute his office, to minister to God under the inspection of the angels. He stood to consult the oracle on the behalf of Israel, for whom, as high priest, he was agent. Guilt and corruption are our two great discouragements when we stand before God. By the guilt of the sins committed by us we have become obnoxious to the justice of God; by the power of the sin that dwells in us we have become odious to the holiness of God. All God’s Israel are in danger upon these two accounts. Joshua was so here, for <i>the law made men priests that had infirmity</i>, <a class="bibleref" title="Heb.7.28" href="/passage/?search=Heb.7.28">Heb. 7:28</a>. And, as to both, we have relief from Jesus Christ, who is made of God to us both <i>righteousness and sanctification</i>.</p>
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<p class="tab-1">I. Joshua is accused as a criminal, but is justified. 1. A violent opposition is made to him. <i>Satan stands at his right hand to resist him</i> to be a <i>Satan to him, a law-adversary</i>. He stands at his right hand, as the prosecutor, or witness, at the right hand of the prisoner. Note, The devil is the accuser of the brethren, that <i>accuses them before God day and night</i>, <a class="bibleref" title="Rev.12.10" href="/passage/?search=Rev.12.10">Rev. 12:10</a>. Some think the chief priest was accused for the sin of many of the inferior priests, in marrying strange wives, which they were much guilty of after their return out of captivity, <a class="bibleref" title="Ezra.9.1,Ezra.9.2,Neh.13.28" href="/passage/?search=Ezra.9.1,Ezra.9.2,Neh.13.28"><span class="bibleref" title="Ezra.9.1">Ezra 9:1</span>, <span class="bibleref" title="Ezra.9.2">2</span>; <span class="bibleref" title="Neh.13.28">Neh. 13:28</span></a>. When God is about to reestablish the priesthood Satan objects the sins that were found among the priests, as rendering them unworthy the honour designed them. It is by our own folly that we give Satan advantage against us and furnish him with matter for reproach and accusation; and if any thing be amiss, especially with the priests, Satan will be sure to aggravate it and make the worst of it. He <i>stood to resist him</i>, that is, to oppose the service he was doing for the public good. He stood <i>at his right hand</i>, the hand of action, to discourage him, and raise difficulties in his way. Note, When we stand before God to minister to him, or stand up for God to serve his interests, we must expect to meet with all the resistance that Satan’s subtlety and malice can give us. Let us then resist him that resists us and he shall flee from us. 2. A victorious defence is made for him (<a class="bibleref" title="Zech.3.2" href="/passage/?search=Zech.3.2">Zech. 3:2</a>): <i>The Lord</i> (that is, the Lord Christ) <i>said unto Satan, The Lord rebuke thee</i>. Note, It is the happiness of the saints that the Judge is their friend; the same that they are accused to is their patron and protector, and an advocate for them, and he will be sure to bring them off. (1.) Satan is here checked by one that has authority, that has conquered him, and many a time silenced him. <i>The accuser of the brethren</i>, of the ministers and the ministry, <i>is cast out</i>; his indictments are quashed, and his suggestions against them as well as his suggestions to them, are shown to be malicious, frivolous, and vexatious. <i>The Lord rebuke thee, O Satan! The Lord said</i> (that is, the Lord our Redeemer), <i>The Lord rebuke thee</i>, that is, the Lord the Creator. The power of God is engaged for the making of the grace of Christ effectual. “<i>The Lord</i> restrain thy malicious rage, reject thy malicious charge, and revenge upon thee thy enmity to a servant of his” Note, those that belong to Christ have him ready to appear vigorously for them when Satan appears most vehement against them. He does not parley with him, but stops his mouth immediately with this sharp reprimand: <i>The Lord rebuke thee, O Satan</i>! This is the best way of dealing with that furious enemy. <i>Get thee behind me, Satan</i>. (2.) Satan is here argued with. He resists the priest, but let him know that his resistance, [1.] Will be fruitless; it will be to no purpose to attempt any thing against Jerusalem, for <i>the Lord has chosen</i> it, and he will abide by his choice. Whatever is objected against God’s people, God saw it; he foresaw it when he chose them and yet he chose them, and therefore that can be no inducement to him now to reject them; he knew the worst of them when he chose them; and his election shall obtain. [2.] It is unreasonable; for <i>is not this a brand plucked out of the fire</i>? Joshua is so, and the priesthood, and the people, whose representative he is. Christ has not that to say for them for which they are to be praised, but that for which they are to be pitied. Note, Christ is ready to make the best of h
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<p class="tab-1">II. Joshua appears as one polluted, but is purified; for he represents the Israel of God, who are all <i>as an unclean thing</i>, till they are washed and sanctified <i>in the name of the Lord Jesus</i> and <i>by the Spirit of our God</i>. Now observe here, 1. The impurity wherein Joshua appeared (<a class="bibleref" title="Zech.3.3" href="/passage/?search=Zech.3.3">Zech. 3:3</a>): <i>He was clothed</i>, not only in coarse, but in <i>filthy garments</i>, such as did very ill become the dignity of his office and the sanctity of his work. By the law of Moses the garments of the high priest were to be <i>for glory and for beauty</i>, <a class="bibleref" title="Exod.28.2" href="/passage/?search=Exod.28.2">Exod. 28:2</a>. But Joshua’s garments were a shame and reproach to him; yet in them <i>he stood before the angel of the Lord</i>; he had no clean linen wherein to minister and to do the duty of his place. Now this intimates, not only that the priesthood was poor and despised, and loaded with contempt, but that there was a great deal of iniquity cleaving to the holy things. The returned Jews were so taken up with their troubles that they thought they needed not complain of their sins, and were not aware that those were the great hindrances of the progress of God’s work among them; because they were free from idolatry they thought themselves chargeable with no iniquity. But God showed them there were many things amiss in them, which retarded the advances of God’s favours towards them. There were spiritual enemies warring against them, more dangerous than any of the neighbouring nations. The Chaldee paraphrase says, <i>Joshua had sons who took unto them wives which were not lawful for the priests to take</i>; and we find it was so, <a class="bibleref" title="Ezra.10.18" href="/passage/?search=Ezra.10.18">Ezra 10:18</a>. And, no doubt, there were other things amiss in the priesthood, <a class="bibleref" title="Mal.2.1" href="/passage/?search=Mal.2.1">Mal. 2:1</a>. Yet Joshua was permitted to <i>stand before the angel of the Lord</i>. Though his children did not as they should, yet the covenant of priesthood was not broken. Note, Christ bears with his people, whose hearts are upright with him, and admits them into communion with himself, notwithstanding their manifold infirmities. 2. The provision that was made for his cleansing. Christ gave orders to the angels that attended him, and were ready to do his pleasure, to put Joshua into a better state. Joshua presented himself before the Lord in his filthy garments, as an object of his pity; and Christ graciously looked upon him with compassion, and not, as justly he might have done, with indignation. Christ loathed the filthiness of Joshua’s garments, yet did not put him away, but put them away. Thus God by his grace does with those whom he chooses to be priests to himself; he parts between them and their sins, and so prevents their sins parting between them and their God; he reconciles himself to the sinner, but not to the sin. Two things are here done for Joshua, representing a double work of divine grace wrought in and for believers:—(1.) His filthy garments are taken from him, <a class="bibleref" title="Zech.3.4" href="/passage/?search=Zech.3.4">Zech. 3:4</a>. The meaning of this is given us in what Christ said, and he said it as one having authority, <i>Behold, I have caused thy iniquity to pass from thee</i>. The guilt of it is taken away by pardoning mercy, the stench and stain of it by peace spoken to the conscience, and the power of it broken by renewing grace. When God forgives our sins he <i>causes our iniquity to pass from us</i>, that it may not appear against us, to condemn us; it passes from us <i>as far as the east is from the west</i>. When he sanctifies the nature he enables us to <i>put off the old man</i>, to cast away from us the filthy rags of our corrupt affections and lusts, as things we will never have any thing more to do with, will never gird to us or appear in. Thus Christ <i>washes those from their sins in his own blood</i>
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<p class="tab-1">III. Joshua is in danger of being turned out of office; but, instead of that, he is reinstalled and established in his office. He not only has his sins pardoned, and is furnished with grace sufficient for himself, but, as <i>rectus in curia—acquitted in court</i>, he is restored to his former honours and trusts. 1. The crown of the priesthood is put upon him, <a class="bibleref" title="Zech.3.5" href="/passage/?search=Zech.3.5">Zech. 3:5</a>. This was done at the special instance and request of the prophet: I said, “<i>Let them set a fair mitre upon his head</i>, as a badge of his office. Now that he looks clean, let him also look great; let him be dressed up in all the garments of the high priest.” Note, When God designs the restoring or reviving of religion he stirs up his prophets and people to pray for it, and does it in answer to their prayers. Zechariah prayed that the angels might be ordered to set the mitre on Joshua’s head, and they did it immediately, and <i>clothed him with</i> the priestly <i>garments</i>; for no man took this honour to himself, <i>but he that was called of God</i> to it. <i>The angel of the Lord stood by</i>, as having the oversight of the work which the created angels were employed in. He stood by, as one well pleased with it, and resolved to stand by the orders he had given for the doing of it and to continue his presence with that priesthood. 2. The covenant of the priesthood is renewed with him, which is called God’s <i>covenant of peace</i>, <a class="bibleref" title="Num.25.12" href="/passage/?search=Num.25.12">Num. 25:12</a>. Mr. Pemble calls it <i>the patent of his office</i>, which is here declared and delivered to him before witnesses, <a class="bibleref" title="Zech.3.6,Zech.3.7" href="/passage/?search=Zech.3.6,Zech.3.7"><span class="bibleref" title="Zech.3.6">Zech. 3:6</span>, <span class="bibleref" title="Zech.3.7">7</span></a>. The angel of the Lord, having taken care to make him fit for his office (and all that God calls to any office he either finds fit or makes so), invests him in it. And though he is not <i>made a priest with an oath</i> (that honour is reserved for him who is a priest after the order of Melchisedek, <a class="bibleref" title="Heb.7.21" href="/passage/?search=Heb.7.21">Heb. 7:21</a>), yet, being a type of him, he is inaugurated with a solemn declaration of the terms upon which he held his office. The angel of the Lord protested to Joshua that, if he would be sure to do the duty of his place, he should enjoy the dignity and reward of it. Now see, (1.) What the conditions are upon which he enters into his office. Let him know that he is upon his good behaviour; he must <i>walk in God’s ways</i>, that is, he must live a good life and be holy in all manner of conversation; he must go before the people in the paths of God’s commandments, and walk circumspectly. He must also <i>keep God’s charge</i>, must carefully do all the services of the priesthood, and must see to it that the inferior priests performed the duties of their place decently and in order. He must <i>take heed to himself, and</i> to <i>all the flock</i>, <a class="bibleref" title="Acts.20.28" href="/passage/?search=Acts.20.28">Acts 20:28</a>. Note, Good ministers must be good Christians; yet that is not enough: they have a trust committed to them, they are charged with it, and they must keep it with all possible care, that they may give up their account of it with joy, <a class="bibleref" title="1Tim.6.14" href="/passage/?search=1Tim.6.14">1 Tim. 6:14</a>. (2.) What the privileges are which we may expect, and be assured of, in the due discharge of his office. His patent runs, <i>Quamdiu se bene gesserit—During good behaviour</i>. Let him be sure to do his part, and God will own him. [1.] “<i>Thou shalt judge my house</i>; thou shalt preside in the affairs of the temple, and the inferior priests shall be under thy direction.” Note, The power of the church, and of church rulers, is not a legislative, but only a judicial power. The high priest might not make an
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