Zechariah
11 reminds me of opening the door of our life to someone that
destroys. The biggest pain comes from the doubt left behind. How
could I have been so wrong? I will never trust again. Sometimes it
keeps us from ever opening that door again. Today’s chapter
applies that scenario to a nation. It begins, “Open
your doors, Lebanon, so that fire may devour your cedars!”
The cedars of Lebanon represented the source of strength and wealth.
We do not always recognize the wolf in sheep’s clothing until it
is too late, “the stately trees
are ruined! …the
dense forest has been cut down!”
The cost is counted in years and tears. But worse, emptiness always
seeks something to fill the void. We can find ourselves in the wrong
crowd and very wrong relationship. The chapter warns of the
leadership emptiness will attract. Zechariah is told to “Shepherd
the flock marked for slaughter“.
He is identifying those in Israel that have abandoned God for the
“freedom” of hedonism. Those that preach to have fun now and
worry later, often have other motives.
No
one thinks they are the dumb sheep, but God says, “Their
buyers slaughter them and go unpunished. Those who sell them say,
‘Praise the Lord, I am rich!’”
When we abandon God’s standards and follow the crowd of popular
thought, we can find ourselves without fun, or freedom. “Their
own shepherds do not spare them“.
After God removes His hand of protection, the nation crumbles. He
says of the His rebellious people, “I
will no longer have pity on the people of the land“.
The void allows leaders that take, “They
will devastate the land, and I will not rescue anyone from their
hands“.
The
chapter closes with a look into the future. We are given a beautiful
symbol for the abused that vow to never open the door of their heart
again. We see a shepherd with two staffs, “one
Favor and the other Union, and I shepherded the flock“.
In my mind I see Him on the hilltop ahead, holding one horizontal
and one vertical, symbolizing peace between God and Man, and peace
with one another. He is rejected by many, “The
flock detested Me“. We read,
“I took my staff called Favor
and broke it, revoking the covenant I had made with all the nations“.
On the cross, Christ was broken and a new covenant was born. Recall
that Jesus spoke of the Good Shepard, who will lay down His life for
His sheep. He contrasts to the hired hand that will run away when
danger approaches. Zechariah continues, noting the hired hand is
paid “thirty pieces of silver“,
and he “took the thirty pieces
of silver and threw them to the potter at the house of the Lord“.
Jesus was rejected by His own disciples. Matthew 27:5 tells us in
guilt and shame “Judas threw
the money into the temple and left. Then he went away and hanged
himself“. But that is not the
end of the story! Do not forget Peter. Three times Jesus asked
Peter, “Do you love Me?”
and three times Peter answered “Yes”. Finally Peter is given one
simple request, “Follow Me!”
(John 21:19). Friend, have you been burned? Are you afraid to open
your heart again? Maybe it is time for your life to be restored.
Jesus is the Good Shepherd. That symbol of hope is waiting for you.
Will you say “yes” again?