Zechariah 11: 11-17
TRUE SHEPHERDS AND FALSE SHEPHERDS - PART II
[Matthew 27: 1-10]
God gave His Shepherd two staffs, one called Favor (or grace) and the other Union. The Messiah spoke compassionately to them and opposed the false shepherds. He wanted to unite them in the Father and pour His grace upon them. What was the result? The people detested Him so He finally grew weary of them.
To signify the breaking of His old covenant, He broke the staff, Favor, and asked the people to pay Him what His services had been worth. The people gave Him 30 pieces of silver.
1st We Saw The Pasture Devastated 11:1-3,
2nd The Different Shepherds 11: 4-10,
Now, the 3rd point of chapter 11,
THE GOOD SHEPHERD REJECTED, 11-14.
The reason for the broken covenant symbolically depicted in the Zechariah breaking the staff of favor (grace) is now more fully described. It becomes painfully clear that not only did they reject the Son of God but they mocked the character and glory of God incarnate.
Verse 11 prophesies that a faithful remnant would recognize the Messiah and realize He was carrying out the Word of the Lord. "So it was broken on that day, and thus the afflicted of the flock who were watching Me realized that it was the Word of the LORD."
"On that day"- the day of Christ's crucifixion- the act previously symbolized by the breaking up of the staff actually happened and annulled the old covenant. The faithful few, again called the afflicted of the flock, saw the historical fulfillment of this prediction the day Christ died. In John 19:23-37, John, one of the faithful few, repeatedly uses the phrase words "that the Scriptures might be fulfilled." Certainly he along with the other afflicted of the flock "realized" God's great plan being fulfilled.
Notice those who recognized the fulfillment of "the Word of the LORD" are called "The afflicted of the flock" as in verse 7. Those that are pastured by the Good Shepherd and see the fulfillment of God's Word in the death of Christ are often afflicted in this world. For if the world system crucified our Lord will it love us who are becominglike Him? (See John 16:33, Jn.15:17-21. )
Though great men did not understand Christ's death as a divine sentence (Jn. 19:10-11), yet the disciples of Christ understood that no man could take His life from Him.
It is the broken and hurting who delight more in God's Word and God's ways, and here again they are described as watching Messiah (Gen. 30:3) and realizing. Those that regard God closely have deep spiritual insight. They realize that the crucifixion of Christ was "The Word of the Lord" and not just an unfortunate event or turn of bad luck.
Still today we, the afflicted of the flock, must turn our eyes upon Jesus if we would realize that the Word of God is being fulfilled.
The prophet goes back in verse 12 to bring out in greater detail what was involved in the Jews' hatred of the Shepherd the LORD sent to them. "And I said to them,"If it is good in your sight, give me my wages; but if not, never mind (cease)!" So they weighed out 30 shekels of silver as my wages."
"Give Me my wages" refers to the severance of relationship. He (Zechariah and Jesus, Mt. 27: 1-10) was willing to go on only if they wanted to follow the Lord. Here the people demonstrate their appreciation to the Good Shepherd for His care of them. The Good Shepherd desired His sheep, Israel, to either follow Him because He was faithful in His pastoral labors or to terminate the relationship. The Shepherd even questions whether the people will acknowledge any obligation by asking, "If it is good in you eyes, give Me My pay." But their eyes were blind to the Good Shepherd's shepherding as being beneficial. Those that separate themselves from Christ are not forced to, they chose to separate themselves.
The Good Shepherd is saying that He will terminate His shepherding relationship with them if they do not think it worth the cost of following Him. There is great cost in following Christ (Lk. 14:25-35) and those that follow Christ must be willing to pay it for He is worthy of all the cost that obedience to Him brings.
The second half of the Good Shepherd's statement is, "If not, never mind," or just end it. If the people do not recognize the great benefits of His Shepherding don't bother paying Him. The wages of Christ's barter economy are repentance, faith, a pure heart, humble obedience and grateful love. Although the Good Shepherd has every right and ability to demand His wages, He never does. God places right and wrong in front of us and bids us by our free will to choose the good, to choose to follow Him.
Now notice the peoples' responses to the Good Shepherd's ultimatum. To express the black ingratitude of their hearts for the Shepherd of Almighty God's care they offer thirty pieces of silver. That was the amount paid for a slave that had been gored by an ox according to the law (Ex. 21:32), not even the price of a free man. They viewed the servant of God as if He was their slave. The amount was more of an affront than if they had paid nothing.
The priceless Messiah was sold for the price of a dead slave. 30 pieces of silver, that is how the majority looked upon the worth of Christ in His day of visitation and that is how the majority value His worth today.
What value do you place upon the shepherding Christ provides for your life, for your family, for the fold you belong to? Are you willing to pay His wages of obedience, faithfulness, and love which He asks you to return?
God tells Zechariah in verse 13 to take the paltry sum to the temple and throw it to the potter. "Then the Lord said to me, "Throw it to the potter that magnificent price at which I was valued by them. "So I took the thirty shekels of silver and threw them to the potter in the house of the Lord."
"Throw it," fling it as with a contemptible thing. With great defiance and sarcasm "the magnificent price" paid for Him is rejected. This prophecy of the Shepherd is remarkable in its literal fulfillment. The thirty pieces of silver were literally the price paid for Him. See Matthew 26:14-15. The potter was literally the recipient of it. Even the sudden resolve of the Priests (Lev. 27:8) was disclosed to the foreknowledge of God. Read Matthew 27:3-10.
Judas, under conviction that he had betrayed innocent blood, brought the money back and when the priests would not receive it he cast it into the Temple, the House of the LORD, and departed to hang himself. The money that was flung down in the Temple was immediately taken up by the priests to purchase a potters field for burying the poor. The money could not be deposited again in the Temple treasury for it was blood money (Deut. 23:18) and so it passed into the hands of a potter in exchange for his field. [Apparently this field was the same one Judas fell upon after hanging himself (Acts 1:16-19)].
[The significance of this taking place in the Temple, is that it is seen as a public transaction between the LORD and His people. Though the people thought nothing of the Shepherd, they were not permitted to dismiss Him and His wages as a minor and trivial matter. It was given the public status and witness it required. Whether we are to imagine the potter as being by chance in the Temple, or whether he is a minor Temple functionary (many earthenware pots would have been needed there, 14:20) is not made at all clear. (Mackay, Focus on Zechariah) ]
After the nation's rejection of God's Good Shepherd in verse 14, He dissolves His old covenant with them. "Then I cut My second staff, Union in pieces, to break the brotherhood between Judah and Israel."
The Lord had already destroyed His first staff, Favor or grace, and now cuts up His second staff of unity or Union which His shepherding causes. Because the Israel rejected Him as their Shepherd He severs His relationship with them. The chopping to pieces of the staff of unity signified that God would no longer intervene to check disunifying factions. A kingdom divided against itself cannot stand, (neither can a church or a marriage or a family). One of the blessings of choosing Christ as (your) Shepherd is the unity and brotherhood which obedience to Him brings to His disciples.
This prophecy proclaims the dissolution of Israel's national solidarity. That piece of earth that had for so many centuries been theirs was going to be taken away by their chosen king, Caesar. The Romans would come in and carry off the Jews because of the social and political dissensions and upheavals that occurred after Christ's death.
Because the people had rejected the Messiah, God would reject them which Jeremiah symbolized by breaking the staff called "Union." Not long after Zechariah's time, the Jews began to divide into factions: Pharisees, Sadducees, Essenes, Herodians, and Zealots, The discord among these groups was a key factor leading to the destruction of Jerusalem in A.D. 70 (Jn. 11:48). [Application Bible]
IV. THE EVIL SHEPHERD ACCEPTED, 11: 15-17.
The full fate of Israel is not told with their rejection of the Good Shepherd God raised up to tend them. For the people will accept the Evil Shepherd God allows to devour them. The dark episode in verses 4-14 centered around the Messiah's first advent and death. Verses 15-17 deal with the tragic event which occurs just before the Messiah's second coming. If Israel would reject the True Shepherd in His place it would accept a worthless shepherd.
In verse 15, Zechariah is again divinely commanded to act the part of a shepherd, but now one with a very different character. "The LORD said to me, "Take again for yourself the equipment of a foolish shepherd." Zechariah is instructed to act out the role of a foolish shepherd who is to arise and afflict the flock. He is told to take up the tools that a Shepherd used to care for the flock. A staff, a rod, a pouch (1 Sam. 17:40), a music pipe (Judges 5:16), a knife and a case for setting and binding up broken bones were the normal equipment a shepherd took.
The word foolish ( ewili from awai, to grow thick) in Scripture describes a person who has grown dull and insensible to the higher purposes and aspirations of God, one who is morally deficient. ‘Foolish' does not principally indicate one lacking in intelligence or common sense, but rather points to someone without principles or fear of God. He despises wisdom and discipline (Prov. 1:7). He is proud and unwilling to accept advice, because he is always sure he is right (Prov. 12:15; 14:3).
This foolish Shepherd will appear outwardly like a shepherd in every detail and will not be under suspicion as the Evil Shepherd which he is in reality. There are many worthless shepherds that are anti or against Christ (Mt. 23) but they will discover that this worthless shepherd is the Antichrist.
Six characteristics of the foolish shepherd are listed in verse 16. "For behold, I am going to raise up a shepherd in the land who will not care for the perishing, seek the young, heal the broken or sustain the one standing, but will devour the flesh of the fat ones and tear off their hoofs."
The diabolic cruelty and insatiable plunder of the foolish shepherd is set forth. He is described by negatives as being in every sense the opposite of what a good shepherd is. God will "raise up" [in the causative (hiph´il) stem], by allowing the outworking of certain events of human and demonic agencies.
Several classes of sheep in dire distress are enumerated to show the false shepherd's heartless unconcern for the welfare of the sheep. Since the worthless shepherd will not do the duty of a good shepherd we also have a teaching about what a good shepherd should do when we remove the "not" from the sentence. Thus the church has an inspired description of what a truly effective pastoral ministry should endeavor to do. Also see Ezek. 34:3,4, 15 &16; Jer.23:1&2.
"Care" ( , hiph´il fut. 3 per. sg. masc. of attend to, visit, set over, make overseer in hiph) "for the perishing"( , perf. hiph. Ptc fem. sg., , Brown, Driver & Briggs, p 470). "He will not oversee those going to ruin" - meaning not yet ruined because ptc is incomplete action. He will not take care of them. He will not have a true shepherd's compassion for those who are in process of being ruined or destroyed, having strayed off from the flock and got themselves into difficulties. They will be left to fend for themselves.
Quote John 3:16. A good shepherd is to bring the lost of society under his care.
"Seek" ( Piel fut. 3rd per. sg. masc of , seek to find, seek to secure. BDB p 134) "The young " ( , the n ' r is young as NIV, NKJV, not scattered as Keil & BDB p 654 who are wrong in making the term abstract instead of literal as it is in Zech. 2:4). The young are weak and inexperienced and naturally need special care and direction. The lack of such care sets the foolish shepherd apart from the LORD who ‘tends His flock like a shepherd: He gathers the lambs in His arms and carries them close to His heart; He gently leads those that have young' (Isa. 40:11).
"Heal ( Piel fut. 3rd per. sg. of , BDB p 950) "the broken" (hannish berth, Niph ptc sg fem from ) broken in pieces, wrecked, crushed, broken BDB 990). He will not heal the shattered, broken, those visibly worried and torn. The injured or hurting are to be healed. These especially need a shepherd's care to set and bind up the injury.
"Sustain ( BDB p.465 support, sustain, to supply with food) the one standing"( Niph. Ptc fem. sg. from ) take one's stand, station oneself, stand firm BDB p. 662) The shepherd needs to feed and support the healthy and strong believers who have taken their stand for Christ. John 21: 15-17.
The evil shepherd will not do the good work of feeding the sheep. His incredible greed will cause him to feed on the sheep instead of feeding them. His 5th characteristic is his unrestrained desire prompts him to devour the fat sheep. He will serve His own belly or appetite and will prey on the unwary. [See Ezek 34: 2, 8.]
The final repulsive antithesis of the evil shepherd to the Good Shepherd is that he will tear off the hoofs of the sheep. This tearing off speaks of the horrible, greedy, ferocity of the wicked shepherd that will maim his victims so that they cannot get away from him by their own strength. The shepherd will serve his own concerns and needs rather than the concerns and needs of the flock.
Such is Zechariah's prophetic view of the Antichrist, "The little horn" of Daniel 7:24-26, the desolator of Daniel 9:27 & Matthew 24:15, the man of sin of 2 Thess. 2:4-8, the earth's last and most terrible tyrant in Rev. 13:1-10. Jesus warned those that rejected Him of this one in John 5:43. "I have come in My Father's name, and you do not receive Me; if another shall come in his own name you will receive him."
[Because Israel continues to reject their true Shepherd, Jesus Christ, they will in the last days accept the false shepherd (Antichrist) who will lead them further astray. "According to Daniel 9:27 the Antichrist will actually be able to make a covenant with the Jews for seven years." [Warren Wiersbe, The Bible Exposition Com. OT. Isaiah-Mal. p 470]
Verse 17 pronounces judgment on this Worthless Shepherd. "Woe to the worthless Shepherd who leaves the flock! A sword will be on his arm and on his right eye! His arm will be totally withered, and his right eye will be blind."
"Woe" is the Lord's pronouncement of terrible doom upon the False Shepherd, whom He directly addresses which may indicate a dramatic face to face encounter (Rev. 19:19-21, 20:10). The Lord now calls him the worthless Shepherd (lit. the shepherd of worthlessness). Worthless is a succinct description of his sinister character and of the type of shepherding he does.
Since the worthless shepherd does not use his arm to feed and protect but to fleece and destroy the sheep it will become completely paralyzed. Since he does not use his eye to watch over the sheep but to devour them, divine vengeance calls the sword of destruction upon it. The divine sword's touch withers or atrophies the arm and blinds the eye. The arm may represent his power and his eye his intelligence. With his arm and right eye out of action the leader is hampered in fighting or in even taking aim against his attacker. At that time this leader will have his powers greatly reduced.
There is no neutral situation. Those who set themselves against the LORD and His Anointed One (Ps. 2:2) are not left to themselves. Rejecting the rule of the Good Shepherd does not mean having no shepherd. It is like the evil spirit returning to the unoccupied house, and taking seven others to dwell with him. ‘The final condition of that man is worse than the first. That is how it will be with this wicked generation' (Mt. 12:45). [Mackay, Focus on Zechariah.]
CONCLUSION
The main lesson to be learned is those who reject truth open themselves up to the acceptance of falsehood and those who reject Christ open themselves up to the acceptance of anti-christs, and in the final analysis the Antichrist himself.
But we who have accepted the Good Shepherd must ask ourselves what kind of a shepherd we are.
1. Do we care and attempt to lead to salvation those who are perishing?
2. Are we seeking out the young Christians to help them mature in Christ?
3. Are we bringing healing to those who have been visibly broken and shattered by the falls of life?
4. Are we supporting those who have taken a stand for Jesus Christ?
Let us model ourselves after the Good Shepherd!
