17. The Shepherd’s Worth

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Blessed Hope Bible-Presbyterian Church

Adult Sunday School

3 June 2018

THE SHEPHERD’S WORTH

Zechariah 11:10-17 (KJV)

10 And I took my staff, evenBeauty, and cut it asunder, that I might break my covenant which I had made with all the people. 11 And it was broken in that day: and so the poor of the flock that waited upon me knew that it wasthe word of the LORD. 12 And I said unto them, If ye think good, give memy price; and if not, forbear. So they weighed for my price thirty piecesof silver. 13 And the LORD said unto me, Cast it unto the potter: a goodly price that I was prised at of them. And I took the thirty piecesof silver, and cast them to the potter in the house of the LORD. 14 Then I cut asunder mine other staff, evenBands, that I might break the brotherhood between Judah and Israel. 15 And the LORD said unto me, Take unto thee yet the instruments of a foolish shepherd. 16 For, lo, I will raise up a shepherd in the land, whichshall not visit those that be cut off, neither shall seek the young one, nor heal that that is broken, nor feed that that standeth still: but he shall eat the flesh of the fat, and tear their claws in pieces. 17 Woe to the idol shepherd that leaveth the flock! the sword shall beupon his arm, and upon his right eye: his arm shall be clean dried up, and his right eye shall be utterly darkened. 

  • THE SHEPHERD’S WORTH 

10 And I took my staff, evenBeauty, and cut it asunder, that I might break my covenant which I had made with all the people. 11 And it was broken in that day: and so the poor of the flock that waited upon me knew that it wasthe word of the LORD. 12 And I said unto them, If ye think good, give memy price; and if not, forbear. So they weighed for my price thirty piecesof silver. 13 And the LORD said unto me, Cast it unto the potter: a goodly price that I was prised at of them. And I took the thirty piecesof silver, and cast them to the potter in the house of the LORD. 14 Then I cut asunder mine other staff, evenBands, that I might break the brotherhood between Judah and Israel.

Matthew 26:14-15 (KJV) 14 Then one of the twelve, called Judas Iscariot, went unto the chief priests, 
15  And said unto them, What will ye give me, and I will deliver him unto you? And they covenanted with him for thirty pieces of silver. 

Matthew 27:1-10 (KJV) 1 When the morning was come, all the chief priests and elders of the people took counsel against Jesus to put him to death: 2 And when they had bound him, they led himaway, and delivered him to Pontius Pilate the governor. 3 Then Judas, which had betrayed him, when he saw that he was condemned, repented himself, and brought again the thirty pieces of silver to the chief priests and elders, 4 Saying, I have sinned in that I have betrayed the innocent blood. And they said, What is thatto us? see thou to that. 5 And he cast down the pieces of silver in the temple, and departed, and went and hanged himself. 6 And the chief priests took the silver pieces, and said, It is not lawful for to put them into the treasury, because it is the price of blood. 7 And they took counsel, and bought with them the potter’s field, to bury strangers in. 8 Wherefore that field was called, The field of blood, unto this day. 9 Then was fulfilled that which was spoken by Jeremy the prophet, saying, And they took the thirty pieces of silver, the price of him that was valued, whom they of the children of Israel did value; 10 And gave them for the potter’s field, as the Lord appointed me. 

Representing the Lord’s kindness and loving protection of Israel was the good Shepherd’s rod called “Graciousness.” To enact the removal of divine providential care, the good Shepherd took this staff and “cut it asunder.” This is a strong word used to describe cutting off bodily members, mutilating (1 Sam 2:31; Lam 2:3). It means “cutting down or slaughtering men in battle” (Jud 21:6). So His staff of “graciousness”was withdrawn with the result that His covenant of suppression of the Gentiles was withdrawn. They would then have a greater power oppressing them than ever before – the invading Roman army. The exhaustion of the good Shepherd’s patience and His giving the nation of Israel over to judgment and divine wrath in the invasion of the Roman army ended the sovereignty of Israel as a nation. 

The believing remnant “the poor of the flock that waited upon me” understood the intent of God’s word in disengaging Himself from Israel. The price offered was “thirty pieces of silver,” the value of a slave gored to death by an ox (Ex 21:32; Matt 26:14-15). An insignificant amount with far reaching consequence – the other rod of unity was thus broken. For Israel, the rejection of their Messiah is seen in the eventual scattering of the nation to the four corners of the earth, Israel literally ceased to exist in the Promised Land for the next two thousand years. There is a price to be paid for being “stiff-necked.” The patience and longsuffering of God has a limit. Dear friends, may we not indulge ourselves in the pleasures of this sinful world for a season and consigned our eternal destiny to the lake of fire. May we be awakened out of our slumber of self- indulgence and flee to our Lord Jesus for refuge, for the ark of Jesus Christ provides a safe passage to the third heaven where God dwells. 

Jesus Christ is mankind’s great God and Saviour. Lord, help me to share of my Saviour’s worthiness! 

  • THE WORTHLESS SHEPHERD 

5 And the LORD said unto me, Take unto thee yet the instruments of a foolish shepherd. 16For, lo, I will raise up a shepherd in the land, whichshall not visit those that be cut off, neither shall seek the young one, nor heal that that is broken, nor feed that that standeth still: but he shall eat the flesh of the fat, and tear their claws in pieces. 17 Woe to the idol shepherd that leaveth the flock! the sword shall beupon his arm, and upon his right eye: his arm shall be clean dried up, and his right eye shall be utterly darkened. 

Ezekiel 34:15-16 (KJV) 15 I will feed my flock, and I will cause them to lie down, saith the Lord GOD. 16 I will seek that which was lost, and bring again that which was driven away, and will bind up that which wasbroken, and will strengthen that which was sick: but I will destroy the fat and the strong; I will feed them with judgment.

The characteristics of the worthless, foolish and idol shepherd is fully described as a negative example. 

  1. Visits not the afflicted of the 

flock (v 16a). 

  1. Seeks not the helpless young 

sheep (v 16b). 

  1. Heals not the broken (v 16c). 
  1. Feeds not even the stronger sheep that needs minimum effort (v 16d). 
  1. Neglects the sheep and prey upon them as a wolf (v 16e).
  1.  Horrible greediness that “tears their claws in pieces” (v 16f). 
  1. Forsakes the flock (v 17a). 

“Woe” is a declaration of divine judgment upon the worthless shepherd. Since the shepherd used his arm not to fend for the sheep but to fleece and destroy them and employed his eye not to watch over them, but seek their utter ruin, divine vengeance called the sword of destruction upon these members. If the avenging sword failed in its work upon the wicked shepherd’s arm and right eye, these members would nevertheless be judged by the inescapable curse of God. His arm shall wither and his eyes plagued with complete loss of vision. May all entrusted with the divine mandate to care for God’s flock be faithful to the task. The faithful Shepherd is contrasted to provide the correct perspective – “I will feed my flock, and I will cause them to lie down…I will seek that which was lost, and bring again that which was driven away, and will bind up that which was broken, and will strengthen that which was sick: but I will destroy the fat and the strong; I will feed them with judgment” (Ezekiel 34:15-16).

This ends the climactic scene of the first prophetic burden from Zechariah 9 to11 giving the First Advent of Messiah and His subsequent rejection. The way is now open for the second burden, the Second Coming and subsequent deliverance of Israel (Zechariah 12 -14). 

The care of God’s flock is a grave responsibility. Lord, send forth faithful pastors to feed Your flock.