The Rejection of The Worthy Shepherd

Zechariah 11:1–11
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This chapter is probably the darkest chapter of Israel’s history. It can be divided as follows:

1. The desolation of the land (vv. 1-3).
2. The details of the Messiah’s rejection (vv. 4-14).
3. The destruction of the anti-Christ (vv. 15-17).

In this passage God told Zechariah to act out the roles of two different kinds of shepherds. The first type of shepherd demonstrated how God would reject his people (the sheep) because they rejected Him (vv. 1-14). The second type of shepherd demonstrated how God would give over His people to the evil shepherd (vv. 15-17). This is what the Lord said to me, Zechariah. ‘My people are like sheep. There will be a time when men will buy them. And then they will kill them. But feed them until that time (v. 4). Those men who buy the sheep will kill them (v. 5). Nobody will punish them. They will sell them. And they will say, “Thank you Lord, because I am a rich man.”

The foreign kings will do very bad things to the country, but I will not come to help (v. 6).’ So I was a good shepherd to the sheep that men would soon kill. I thought specially about the weakest sheep. Then I took two sticks. And I called one stick ‘Grace’ and I called the other stick ‘Together’. I fed the sheep (v. 7). In one month, I sent away three shepherds. They did not like me and I was not patient with them (v. 8). I said to the sheep, ‘I will not be your shepherd and you will die. The sheep that do not die will eat each other (v. 9).’I took ‘Grace’, which was my first stick. I broke it into two pieces (v. 10). The Lord’s promise to his people finished. On the day that the Lord’s promise finished, the oppressed sheep watched me. They knew that it was the Lord’s message (v. 11).

Application

In this chapter the leaders of Israel have failed. If I fail as a leader in my home or ministry He will hold me accountable like he did the leaders in that day.