“Rejection of the True and Good Shepherd . Rule of the False Shepherd”.
Zechariah Chapter 11.
A dark episode. On reading the Prophetic Scriptures generally, if we search them and think over them overall, we so often find a pattern, like waves. First, we find God’s judgement against Israel and the Nations, then we find restoration and blessing promised. Just like the book of Judges, we found Apostasy, Sin, Judgement, people crying out to the Lord, a Prophet raised up to speak the voice of the Lord on the situation, the people repent, God hears and forgives, restores and brings blessing. This was often repeated.
Think of the number of judges or national leaders God raised up in the book of Judges, to lead the people. The supreme was Samuel. This chapter in Zechariah Ch.11 reflects the same. In Zechariah so far we have had many promises of restoration and blessing for future times following the call to repentance we read of in Zechariah 1:1-6, followed by the meaning of the visions of the Flying Roll and the Ephah in ch.5:1-11, meaning God’s curse against sin. This was followed by question, searching the heart on the motive for fasting in ch.7. This was followed by the promise of future blessing, national and spiritual restoration to the Land and to the Lord in chs. 8,9 & 10. Here in ch.11 we now have God’s anger and judgement against sin, false shepherds and Israel’s rejection of the True Shepherd of Israel, their Messiah and Redeemer, Jeshua, the Lord Jesus Christ.
The following chapters tell us how Israel will eventually cry out to God in desperation and He will send the One who had been rejected for so long and He will be received following deep repentance on the part of His people in Israel and He will come to reign over them as their Messiah Redeemer King and True Shepherd of Israel. He will come and rescue them and save them from their enemies at Armageddon. Zechariah 14:3-4. This is a panoramic and sweeping overview of Zechariah’s message.
Now to ch.11. Whether we take verses 1-5 literally as God’s judgement upon Lebanon, literally – the terrible suffering of Lebanon over these recent years may illustrate the current fulfilment of this prophecy – or whether we take this to mean God’s judgement against the Land of the Jewish people, its people and rebuilt Temple. God’s judgement against Lebanon in v.1 may mean His judgement against the Temple in Jerusalem which had Lebanon cedar included in much of its construction. See 1st Kings 7:2; 10:17 & 21.
So often the prophets speak of the immediate future and then move abruptly to the distant future. The immediate is a message of judgement; the distant is a message of blessing. The prophet moves quickly from one to the other.
A panoramic understanding of the ‘hills and valleys’ of Prophetic Scripture is important to gain a grasp of God’s overview of His purposes. A ‘valley’ in the panorama may mean 100’s or even 2 to 3 thousand years between the ‘peaks and hills’ of prophetic fulfilment.
In Isaiah 14:8 and Jeremiah 22:6-7 the cedars of Lebanon speak of the emblem of the glory of the Jewish state. Was this a prophetic word concerning the eventual destruction of the Temple and the Jewish state at the hands of the Romans? This was approximately 6 centuries later. They were as sheep led to the slaughter then, vs. 4, 6 & 7. The prophet speaks for the True Shepherd and tries to save some, but the sheep will not listen (4, 7(a)), doom is inevitable, v.6, ruin and destruction follows. Israel momentarily and temporally had rejected their Good and True Shepherd, vs. 12-14. These verses clearly cover different stages and times in history. However, do not let this confuse you. See Matthew 27:3-10 and Exodus 21:28-32. Thirty pieces of silver – value and worth of a slave. It was the compensation for a slave who had been killed.
The Jewish people had rejected their Shepherd Messiah, Son of David. See Ezekiel 34:22-23, (see also vs.11-15; 25-31). Thirty pieces of silver is the INSULT VALUE here.
The Jewish people were led astray by their own leaders, verse 5; civil and religious rulers. False shepherds, in addition to Gentile nations, ‘young lions’, (v.3), who slay them. The result is a pitiless slaughter. Then God gave them up for a period of history, 2nd Chronicles ch.36:16-21. (This is the last book in the Jewish Tenach – O.T.). In fact, here is the prophecy relating to AD 70.
The Lord withdraws His care and overall protection for a time. Surely the destruction at the hand of the Romans in AD 70 was because of the rejection of their King and Messiah Redeemer for a time spanning nearly 2000 years as a nation.
The ‘king’ in v.6 refers to the oppressive rule of a foreign oppressor Gentile ruler. The Gospel narratives tell us of the temporary rejection of their Kinsman Redeemer King, by their civil and religious rulers. The chief priests said ‘we have no king but Caesar’. How true, and Caesar destroyed the land, the people and the city of Jerusalem.
Israel’s rejection of their Good Shepherd is only temporary. What is 2000 years in the planning of God, just two days in His sight. The last three chapters in Zechariah show how faithful and true God is towards Israel concerning His promises to them.
There we find the last events of this Age, perhaps nearer than many of us think. See ch.12:10 & ch.13:1-2. “The unclean spirit will pass out of the land”. Isaiah 59:20 cf. Rom. 11:26-27.
“The rebels will also be purged and removed”. Ezekiel 20:38.
The Lord always had a faithful godly Remnant, see vs. 7 and 11, both in Zechariah’s time and at the time of Jesus. The common people heard Him gladly, many believed on Him. John 1:12; 1st Corinthians 1:26-29.
Verse 7 – ‘Two staffs’. (1) ‘Staff’ and (2) ‘Rod’.
(1) Psalm 23:4. Staff rules, guides and directs the flock for food and water.
(2) Rod – for warding off enemies and wild animals. See vs. 7 and 14.
‘Union and cords bind together’. The Lord broke the bond union between Israel and Judah, v.14.
Verse 8 – Three classes of shepherd – Rulers; Priests; Prophets. See Jeremiah 2:8,19 & 26.
In the New Testamant, Priests, Scribes and Elders are the equivalent. ‘One month’ – a period of time designated – quite long. They were ‘blind guides’. See Hosea 3:4. There is One to come. He will be the Prophet, Priest and King all in one. His loving-kindness will cut off the false, because He is the Good Shepherd. Verse 7 leads to verse 8. There will be the protection and deliverance of the godly Remnant. (Mention Pella: AD 70). Psalm 81:12-16; cf. Luke 19:41-44; (Jeremiah 48:17-19).
Verse 10 – Protection for the Remnant of His people. Ezekiel 34:28 says, ‘They shall no more be a prey to the heathen (Gentile nations), neither shall the beast of the land devour them, but they shall dwell safely, and none shall make them afraid.’ READ Hosea ch.2:18-20.
Verse 11 – The godly Remnant are the ‘watchers’ and ‘waiters’ of the Lord. They realise it is the ‘Word of the Lord’. Heb: ‘Hashshomerim othi’ – meaning ‘they waited and watched with me’.
Their eyes were constantly fixed on the Lord, ready to act on His direction and will. See 2nd Chronicles 20:12; Psalm 123:1-2.
Verses 12 & 13. Compare this with the Parable of the Vineyard in Matthew 21:33-41. The Son was killed.
Verse 13 – ‘Throw it’ – fling it with contempt like an unclean thing Heb: ‘Hishlikh’ – verb used for casting torn flesh to the dogs. ‘Throw to the potter’- a contemptuous treatment. The potter is the lowest in society, a labourer, having comparative trifling value, yet found to be working in the Lord’s house, thus having a value to the Lord. This was the place where the Lord met His people.
The rejection of the Lord was announced in the Temple. Consequently the Lord broke the protective covenant with peoples, i.e. Gentiles, but was FOR His people. See Matthew 27:3-10. Thirty pieces of silver was the price paid to Judas and for Jesus. It was ‘insult money’ with which the leaders of the Jewish nation (3 ‘shepherds’) repaid Jesus for bringing Salvation for Israel as her Shepherd. (See Jeremiah Ch.18 (especially verse 6) and ch.19:6 for the narrative of the ‘Potter’s house’.
What an insult towards Jesus. He was regarded as the value and price of a dead slave, to the false shepherds! Thus the protection was broken for THEM! Yet the Lord will bind together the broken, the scattered and peeled Remnant of the nation, Israel. See Verse 17 cf. Daniel 7:7,19,23. Rome was destroyed, soon the Antichrist: the ‘little horn’ will also be destroyed. There will be the eventual, final judgement on him. Note the judgement on the arm and the right eye. The ‘arm’ signified his might and power. His ‘right eye’ signified his intelligence. See Daniel 7:11,26; Ch.8:25; ch.9:27(c); Ch. 11:36 and 45(c). Finally see Revelation 19:20.