urp-e~. Thesl' are: 1. The settled purpose of God in this matter. God had Jong ago "chosen JerusRlem." He must not now be asked to reject it. 2. 'l'he past action of God in this rnat.ter. Having already so far begun to deliver as to "pluck this brand from the burning," it w~uld be inconsistent of him now to go back (comp. 1 Sam, iii. 12; also the great m11x1m of Rom. xi. 29). Even to ask anything opposed to that is to incur the "rebuke" of Jehovah. IT. THE DECISIO~. It is very complete. It embraces, as we should describe it in New Testa~ent_ la1;1guage: 1. 'l'he "justification" of Joshua, or the acceptance of his :person. This ~igmfied, as we are expressl;17 told here, by the change of his raiment (see also Isa. lx1. 10; Luke x ... 22; Rev. x1x. 8). 2. The" sanctification" of Joshua, or the acceph1.noe of his mim~trations. This represented by that" fair mitre" which- either at the request of the prophet, or, as some take it, of the great AnO'~l himself, who, in any case, is described as "standing by" and assenting-was next placed on Joshua's head; and in which mitre also (though the word is different) there seems (see Pusey, in Zoe.) a reference to that ·• beauty of holiness" described in Exod. xxviii. 36-38. So completely now was that fulfilled of which we read in Ezek. XL 41, and which was afterwards described in Mai. iii. 4. Two "'ery remarkable omissions may be noted, to conclude. These illustrate: 1. The wonderful freeness of God's mercy. We find nothing whatever offered to God by Joshua and Israel towar<ls recovering these lapsed privileges. Nothing whatever, also, is demanded of them as a necessary condition thereto. The whole thing is spoken of as a matter of grace or favour from beginning to end. 2. The wonderful fulness of God's mercy. No mention is made, in the account of this great transaction, of the precise nature of the accusations and charges brought by the adversary against Joshua. Whatever they are, they are treated as done with; and done with altogether. '!'heir very memory, as it were, is to perish. So, "I will not remember their sins," in Isa. xliii. 25 (see Jer. xxxi. 34; also, in a somewhat different connection, Ezek. xviii. 22; xxxiii. 16). "To err is human; to forgive, Divine." Especially so to forgive in this manner ( compare, "Who is a God like unto thee?" in Micah vii. 18-20).
Vers. 6-10.-The priesthcod eclipsed. "And the angel of the Lord protested unto Joshua.," etc. The ancient Jewish priesthood, as we saw in our last, being fully restored, what was to become of it in process of time? The answer to this was partly condi- tional, partly not so. If faithfully discharged by Joshua and his fellows and successors, that priesthood would be for many generations a thing of honour and blessing. In any case, it would ultimately be altogether eclipsed by another priesthood of a far more glorioll6 kind. Such seems to be the full purport of the rest of this chapter. We may consider the conditional promise in the first place, and the unconditional in the second. L THE OO!."DITIONAL PROMISE. (Vers. 6, 7.) Under this head we may notice: 1. The marked solemnity of its manner. By whom made? The Angel-Jehovah. In what attitude? That of standing, as most impressive (see Pusey, in loc.). With what language ? That of protestation, and protestation in God's na!De. . 2. Its twofold con- dition. Being, on the one hand, apparently personal-" walkmg m God's ways," and, on the other apparently ministerial-keeping God's "charge" or ordinances ( compare "Take heed 'to thyself, and to the doctrine," of 1 Tim. iv. 16; also Acts xx. 28). 3. Its threefold blessing. The preceding conditions being observed, Joshua and those after him, representing the restored priesthood, ~hould have the honour and privilege (1) of administering justice, and so being a blessmg to God's people or "house" (com- pare the semi-civil position occupied ~fterwards by Ezra the pr_iest, Ezra viii. 11, etc., ~pecially vers. 25, 26; also :x. 4; also, m New Testament, by Ca1aphas and others, and, in the history of Josephus, by Jaddua and others); (2) of takmg charge of God's courts, and leading his worship and service-a. blessing this, indeed, as shown by such passages as 1 Sam. ii. 28; Ps. cxxxiv.; also lxx~iv. 10 and xxvii. 4; and, (3) as we understand it, of taking rank, after death, even with those holy angels who were then in attendance, and whose appointed place of honour and dignity was close to God's throne (see eh. iv. H; vi. 5; Luke i. 19; Matt. xviii. 10). II. 'l'm: UNCONDITIONAL PROMISE. However things might turn out with this Joshua (or Jesus) and his successors regarding this restored Levitical priesthood, they were but "men of marvellous signs" (so Pu.sey and others). In other words, they CH, ID. 1-10,] THE BOOK OF ZECHARJAH. 33