TEXT:
[1] Open your doors, O Lebanon,
that the fire may devour your cedars!
[2] Wail, O cypress, for the cedar has fallen,
for the glorious trees are ruined!
Wail, oaks of Bashan,
for the thick forest has been felled!
[3] The sound of the wail of the shepherds,
for their glory is ruined!
The sound of the roar of the lions,
for the thicket of the Jordan is ruined!
[4] Thus said the LORD my God: “Become shepherd of the flock doomed to slaughter. [5] Those who buy them slaughter them and go unpunished, and those who sell them say, ‘Blessed be the LORD, I have become rich,’ and their own shepherds have no pity on them. [6] For I will no longer have pity on the inhabitants of this land, declares the LORD. Behold, I will cause each of them to fall into the hand of his neighbor, and each into the hand of his king, and they shall crush the land, and I will deliver none from their hand.”
[7] So I became the shepherd of the flock doomed to be slaughtered by the sheep traders. And I took two staffs, one I named Favor, the other I named Union. And I tended the sheep. [8] In one month I destroyed the three shepherds. But I became impatient with them, and they also detested me. [9] So I said, “I will not be your shepherd. What is to die, let it die. What is to be destroyed, let it be destroyed. And let those who are left devour the flesh of one another.” [10] And I took my staff Favor, and I broke it, annulling the covenant that I had made with all the peoples. [11] So it was annulled on that day, and the sheep traders, who were watching me, knew that it was the word of the LORD. [12] Then I said to them, “If it seems good to you, give me my wages; but if not, keep them.” And they weighed out as my wages thirty pieces of silver. [13] Then the LORD said to me, “Throw it to the potter”—the lordly price at which I was priced by them. So I took the thirty pieces of silver and threw them into the house of the LORD, to the potter. [14] Then I broke my second staff Union, annulling the brotherhood between Judah and Israel.
[15] Then the LORD said to me, “Take once more the equipment of a foolish shepherd. [16] For behold, I am raising up in the land a shepherd who does not care for those being destroyed, or seek the young or heal the maimed or nourish the healthy, but devours the flesh of the fat ones, tearing off even their hoofs.
[17] “Woe to my worthless shepherd,
who deserts the flock!
May the sword strike his arm
and his right eye!
Let his arm be wholly withered,
his right eye utterly blinded!”
DISCUSSION QUESTIONS:
Read verses 4-5. Discuss what these verses have to say about corrupt leadership?
Read verses 7-8. What do these verses have to say about the character of the good shepherd? How do we know that Jesus is the good shepherd?
What do these verses teach us will happen whenever one chooses to reject the good shepherd?
SERMON MANUSCRIPT
Today we have an opportunity to study the chapter that most commentators describe as the most challenging chapter in one of the most difficult books in the whole Bible.
One of the difficulties of this passage stems from its writing style. The writing style in this chapter differs from what we might be used to reading. This chapter is best described as a play where Zechariah acts out a particular scene on behalf of God for God's people. Some commentators call this a prophetic sign-act.
Zechariah acts out two distinct characters in this sign act: a good shepherd and a bad shepherd-- a shepherd who takes care of the flock and a shepherd who does not take care of the flock.
In the past few chapters, the sun has been shining bright on the land of God's people. The message of Zechariah has been consistently hopeful. But, in chapter 11, the wind changes, and the clouds roll in. A storm of judgment is approaching, and the rays of sunshine are no longer warming the land. Where God, through Zechariah, has brought to his people a consistent message of hope and restoration, he now brings a message of discipline and judgment.
God's people will soon reject the coming good shepherd. And whenever they reject the good shepherd, judgment will come upon them. If you reject the good shepherd, you will only be met with bad shepherds. So, at the end of the day, we will be left asking ourselves the question, "Whose flock do I belong to?"
So, let's go ahead and dive in.
"[1] Open your doors, O Lebanon,
that the fire may devour your cedars!
[2] Wail, O cypress, for the cedar has fallen,
for the glorious trees are ruined!
Wail, oaks of Bashan,
for the thick forest has been felled!
[3] The sound of the wail of the shepherds,
for their glory is ruined!
The sound of the roar of the lions,
for the thicket of the Jordan is ruined!"
JUDGEMENT IS COMING
We see three things referenced in these verses: cedar trees, shepherds, and lions. And none of them are in a state of rejoicing.
Cedars, in verse 1, are described as glorious trees, signs of strength and power. These were the majestic trees that Solomon gathered and used to build the temple. Shepherds would have been responsible for protecting their flock from great danger. Lions are animals that strut and roar in power. Yet, here we see all three wailing due to a coming destruction. The Cypress will wail because "their cedar has fallen" and "their glorious trees are destroyed." The shepherds wail because "their glory is ruined." And the roar of the lions is loud because "the thicket of the Jordan is consumed."
So, here we see that no power on earth can stand against God. The most excellent of trees will soon crumble at the snap of God's finger. They will be devoured in an instant, leading to weeping and wailing. The shepherds will cry aloud because something they worked so hard to build up, their glory, will be ruined. A storm is coming; doom is on the horizon.
This sets up what we will read next.
"[4] Thus said the LORD my God: "Become shepherd of the flock doomed to slaughter. [5] Those who buy them slaughter them and go unpunished, and those who sell them say, 'Blessed be the LORD, I have become rich,' and their own shepherds have no pity on them. [6] For I will no longer have pity on the inhabitants of this land, declares the LORD. Behold, I will cause each of them to fall into the hand of his neighbor, and each into the hand of his king, and they shall crush the land, and I will deliver none from their hand."
BAD SHEPHERDS
The first thing we see here is the LORD commanding Zechariah to "become the shepherd of the flock doomed to slaughter." He's commanding Zechariah to play the role of a shepherd of a flock in despair, a flock that is being oppressed and slain.
The Hebrew word for slaughtered is hāraḡ (haw-rag'). This is not your typical word often used to describe the sacrifice of animals. Instead, it's a word used to describe a type of murder and killing that is vile and out of hand. This is abusive and harmful language. Where the flock should be cared for and protected by good shepherds, their shepherds are overlooking the animals' abuse and slaughter.
Let's spend a couple of minutes unpacking the abuse that's going on here. In verse 5, we see three groups of people being addressed: the buyers, the sellers, and the shepherds. The buyers are massacring the purchased flock, the sellers are rejoicing over the profit they're making through this corruption, and the shepherds are indifferent toward the whole thing. There is no concern over the flock's well-being here; they only care about themselves.
In this verse, we can gather a few things about corrupt leadership, particularly corrupt leadership amongst God's people (the church).
First and foremost, corrupt leaders— especially in the church— see people as a means to an end. They're willing to oppress and slaughter those under their care as long as it ultimately profits them. There's no remorse in the heart of bad leaders. All they care about is themselves and their reputation and gain.
Regarding pastoral ministry, I think a healthy gauge for whether or not you're wading into these waters is your motive for pursuing ministry. Why do you want to preach? Why do you want to pursue this particular position? Is it because the money is good? Is it because you love the spotlight? Is this particular position seen as a means to gain power or wealth?
Church leaders should always be humble, not oppressive. Pastoral ministry is not a domineering ministry; it is an equipping ministry. Pastors must take on the role of a humble servant.
Corrupt leaders also think they're above the law, able to get away with anything. They can get away with murder, slaughtering the flock, and going unpunished. They hand out favors so they can cash in on them later. Wit and flattery are their friends, and they're a master of their words.
Corrupt leaders worship money. The sellers are celebrating the profit they've made off of their corruption. They viewed their profit as the ultimate sign of God's blessing. They were profiting from wickedness and celebrating it as a gift from the LORD.
I think this teaches us that not all financial gain is a blessing from the LORD. Riches don't always equal faithfulness. It's possible to have a lot of money in your bank account and be empty in favor of the LORD. It's possible to make a lot of money through wickedness. I would argue that the Bible teaches us that it is better to make less money doing the right thing than to make a lot of money while doing the wrong thing. It's better to make less money taking care of your flock than making a lot of money while trampling on your flock. Treasure gained through wickedness does not satisfy. The love of money is a root of all sorts of evil. So, we must be cautious about feeding our appetite for money. When profit is lord of our life, we're willing to do anything to gain it.
Next, we see that corrupt leaders are indifferent toward the well-being of their flock. This may seem redundant to the first point, but it's fundamentally different. In verse 5, the buyers slaughter the flock, while the shepherds have no pity on the flock. Their hearts are calloused, and they don't care anymore. They probably had really good motives when they first picked up the staff. But, somewhere along the line, they started going into the field for the paycheck.
Church, listen to me. Where good shepherds seek the good of their flock, corrupt shepherds shrug their shoulders at the pain and suffering of their flock. Indifference is a dangerous place to rest your heart as a leader.
Yet, here we see the leaders of God's people immersed in corruption. And it's because of this that God has "no pity on the inhabitants of this land. He will cause each of them to fall into the hand of his neighbor, and each into the hand of his king, and they shall crush the land, and he will deliver none from their hand." So, because of their corruption, God will bring judgment upon their land. Things will not go well for them. No sin will ever go unpunished. God will soon cause them to fall into the hand of their neighbor. They will soon be crushed.
THE GOOD SHEPHERD
As we continue to read in verse 7, we see Zechariah starting to act out the role of the good shepherd— "So I became the shepherd of the flock doomed to be slaughtered by the sheep traders. And I took two staffs, one I named Favor, the other I named Union. And I tended the sheep."
As Zechariah becomes the good shepherd, he's holding two staffs in his hands. One is called Favor, and the other is called Union. The first staff, Favor, symbolizes God's kindness, pleasantness, delightfulness, and beauty. The second staff, Union, represents a measuring cord, rope, territory, lot, or region.
I think this speaks to the nature of the good shepherd who is to come. Instead of being rude and domineering, he is gentle. Instead of being indifferent, he is caring. He will be kind toward his sheep and bring unity and peace to his flock. Instead of slaughtering the flock, he feeds the flock.
The good shepherd is kind toward those under his care. He heals the maimed and nourishes the healthy. The good shepherd actively seeks the good of those under his care. Jesus is the one who tends to his sheep. He loves his sheep and is kind toward his sheep. He is the one who goes after his sheep. He is the one who willingly laid his life down to save his sheep.
Do you believe this to be true today? Do you understand that God loves you today? Do you believe that he is kind to his flock today? Do you trust his loving provision today?
Jesus is kind, and he invites you to come to him today. He is here for your good, not your demise.
Jesus is also the good shepherd who seeks to unite his flock. He is the source of our peace, keeping his sheep close to him. And conversely, those who are close to the good shepherd are close to the flock of the good shepherd. So, it's irrational to think you can maintain a relationship with the good shepherd away from the sheep. Closeness to God will undoubtedly lead to a closeness to God's people.
So, the good shepherd is kind to his sheep, and he unites his sheep. But he also protects his sheep from false shepherds. In verse 8, this good shepherd quickly destroyed the corrupt shepherds— "In one month I destroyed the three shepherds."
There's a lot of speculation over who these shepherds are.
Some try to identify them as specific people in power after Jesus' death before the fall of Jerusalem.
Some try to connect these three shepherds to the role of the prophet, priest, and king; therefore, the good shepherd eliminated those three offices and stepped into them himself.
Others point out that the number three symbolizes completeness; therefore, Jesus completely purged the corrupt leaders from their midst. He's ridding out the corruption in the land.
I tend to land in one of the two latter camps. On the one hand, Jesus, the good shepherd, is the greater prophet, priest, and king. And on the other hand, Jesus, the good shepherd, passionately protected his sheep by exposing the corruption of their shepherds.
REJECTING THE GOOD SHEPHERD LEADS TO…
Either way, after this purging, tension arises between the good shepherd and the sheep— "But I became impatient with them, and they also detested me. [9] So I said, "I will not be your shepherd. What is to die, let it die. What is to be destroyed, let it be destroyed. And let those who are left devour the flesh of one another."
The unfortunate reality of our sinful hearts is we often love what is bad for us and hate what is good for us. And that's exactly what we see being played out here. Instead of trusting and embracing the good shepherd, the flock despised him, which led to their demise. The good shepherd handed them over to their destruction.
In verses 10-11, the good shepherd picks up the first staff and smashes it— "And I took my staff Favor, and I broke it, annulling the covenant that I had made with all the peoples. So it was annulled on that day, and the sheep traders, who were watching me, knew that it was the word of the LORD."
Here the LORD is not saying he's breaking the covenant he entered into with his people. Instead, he is saying that he will no longer be kind toward them, raining down blessings upon them through the nations (all peoples); he will bring judgment upon them.
And there was no confusion for the leaders; they knew exactly what the LORD was saying. So, the LORD then says to the people, "Then I said to them, "If it seems good to you, give me my wages; but if not, keep them." And they weighed out as my wages thirty pieces of silver. Then the LORD said to me, "Throw it to the potter"—the lordly price at which I was priced by them. So I took the thirty pieces of silver and threw them into the house of the LORD, to the potter."
The sheep traders saw and recognized the work of the good shepherd as being from the LORD, and the good shepherd responded by saying, "Pay me what you think I'm worth." This leads to them paying the good shepherd thirty pieces of silver.
Thirty pieces of silver would have been the price of a slave during this time. So, they're not showing worth and honor to the good shepherd; they're mocking him, declaring him to be no better than a slave. And the LORD commands the wages be thrown to the potter in God's temple.
Does this sound familiar?
The gospels tell us that Judas betrayed Jesus for the price of thirty pieces of silver (Matt. 26:15). After Jesus was betrayed, Judas started feeling guilty, and he changed his mind. So he returned to the chief priest and elders to return the money. He threw the money into the temple and went and hanged himself.
Do you know what the chief priest and elders did? They took the money and bought a potter's field as a burial place for strangers, fulfilling the words prophesied here.
Jesus is the good shepherd who was despised and rejected by his own people. The one worthy of all honor received the wage of a slave. The one worthy of all glory was glorified through his death on the cross.
After this, the shepherd breaks the second staff— "Then I broke my second staff Union, annulling the brotherhood between Judah and Israel." There will not be unity between Judah and Israel. Because of their rejection of the good shepherd, they will be scattered amongst the nations like they were before. We see this being fulfilled in AD 70 when the Romans came in and destroyed Jerusalem.
"[15] Then the LORD said to me, "Take once more the equipment of a foolish shepherd. [16] For behold, I am raising up in the land a shepherd who does not care for those being destroyed, or seek the young or heal the maimed or nourish the healthy, but devours the flesh of the fat ones, tearing off even their hoofs."
Some seek to pinpoint this shepherd to be on specific person throughout history. And it could be a specific person. But, instead of seeking to identify who the bad shepherd is, I think there is a principle for us here. When you reject the good shepherd, you will only find a bad shepherd. To neglect the shepherd who is for your good is to embrace the shepherd who is for your demise. To neglect the shepherd who cares for you is to embrace the shepherd who doesn't care for you. To neglect the shepherd who brings healing is to embrace the shepherd who brings pain.
But, as we see in verse 17,
"[17] Woe to my worthless shepherd,
who deserts the flock!
May the sword strike his arm
and his right eye!
Let his arm be wholly withered,
his right eye utterly blinded!"
No sin ever goes unpunished. Judgment is coming for the wicked; either it has been dealt with on the cross or poured out on them for all eternity.
So, woe to the worthless shepherd who deserts the flock in times of trouble. Woe to the worthless shepherd who does not care for the sheep. Woe to the worthless shepherd who does not care for the young or heal the maimed. But, all praise goes to the good shepherd who came to lay his life down for his sheep.