Zechariah 11:15-17 says,...Bible reading week 39, day 1

Today's verses are Zechariah 11:15-17, which read,

v.15, 16 - The LORD said to me, "Take again for yourself the equipment of a foolish shepherd.  For behold, I am going to raise up a shepherd in the land who will not care for the perishing, seek the scattered, heal the broken, or sustain the one standing, but will devour the flesh of the fat sheep and tear off their hoofs."

In the last passage we were introduced to the Good Shepherd, our Jesus who was destroyed for 30 pieces of silver.  Because the staffs of Favor and Union were broken so was God's favor and union with the Israelites because of their wandering from God and to other idols.  The prophets at times were commanded of the Lord to play a part for the Israelites to see what was going to happen and Zechariah is told to play the part of a foolish shepherd.

This foolish shepherd is going to come up among them.  He will not care for the perishing, not seek the scattered, not heal the broken, and not sustain the standing.  This foolish shepherd is neglecting the flock and actually using them for food and getting some profit not from their wool but from their hooves.  If we have been looking at a Good Shepherd, our Messiah Jesus, then this foolish shepherd is the AntiChrist, a Bad Shepherd, and the many shadows of him before he ultimately comes in the end as described in the book of Daniel and Revelation.  God gives another warning of what is to come prior because He is continually calling out to them to return.

v.17 - "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."

God gives the ultimate end of this worthless shepherd.  This is the one who was raised up and neglecting and taking advantage of the flock.  A sword will come upon him.  A sword that will attack his arm which signifies his strength and his eyes which relates to his intelligence.  Revelation 19:20 says with my parenthesis of the current passages images,

But the beast (strength, arm) was taken prisoner, and along with it the false prophet (intelligence, eye), who had performed the signs in its presence.  He deceived those who accepted the mark of the beast and those who worshiped its image with these signs.  Both of them were thrown alive (attack, sword) into the lake of fire that burns with sulfur.

A sword is coming which reminds us of Ephesians 6:17 which reads,

Take the helmet of salvation and the sword of the Spirit--which is the word of God.

Hebrews 4:12 and 13 says,

For the word of God is living and effective and sharper than any double-edged sword, penetrating as far as the separation of soul and spirit, joints and marrow.  It is able to judge the thoughts and intentions of the heart.  No creature is hidden from Him, but all things are naked and exposed to the eyes of Him to whom we must give an account.

Lastly, Revelation 2:16 says in regards to the sword,

So repent!  Otherwise, I will come to you quickly and fight against them with the sword of My mouth.

So Pastor Adam, what is the devotional this morning?  Good question.  We have a Good Shepherd that we are to follow.  This Good Shepherd warns us of what is to come if we don't follow Him.  This Good Shepherd describes for us what bad shepherds look like by their actions.  Our Good Shepherd will defeat the final bad shepherd and He will do this by what He has said in His Word.  We can be very thankful that we have His Word and now we need to live by it for by it all things will come to pass because it is spoken by the Good Shepherd.  

One last thought is to flip this into the positive.  The bad shepherd doesn't care for the perishing; doesn't seek the scattered; doesn't heal the broken; and doesn't sustain the standing.  The bad shepherd uses the flock for his own purposes and advantages.  So the Good Shepherd cares for the perishing and to the end.  The Good Shepherd seeks the scattered and goes after the 1 leaving the other 99.  The Good Shepherd heals the broken and can do this physically and spiritually.  The Good Shepherd feeds the flock, the family of God with the Word of God and the exercising of the spiritual gifts given for the common good.  The Good Shepherd lays down His life for His flock and gives up His life so that they might live.  Oh...we have a Good Shepherd.  

We are done with chapter 11 and onto chapter 12 on Friday.  Wednesday will be another devotional on prayer.  Let us pray.

"Lord, what a contrast between You, the Good Shepherd, and Satan, the bad one.  How we see You in opposition to his practices.  May we desire to be ever closer to You rather than checking out the boundaries of the sheepfold.  Thank You that what is written by You tells us that the Good Shepherd wins.  Amen."

Pastor Adam