God's Rejection of Ethnic Israel

The Rejection of the Messianic Shepherd-King (Zechariah 11:1-17)

After the hopeful and assured future prophesied for God's people Zechariah picks up, again, the subject of the leaders.  

“Open your doors, Lebanon, so that fire may devour your cedars! Wail, you juniper, for the cedar has fallen; the stately trees are ruined! Wail, oaks of Bashan; the dense forest has been cut down! Listen to the wail of the shepherds; their rich pastures are destroyed! Listen to the roar of the lions; the lush thicket of the Jordan is ruined!” (Zechariah 11:1–3, NIV)  

Expositors debate whether this solemn forecast belongs to Chapter 10 or if this starts a new thought. I side with the latter.  As the commentary notes: "The names in the text—Lebanon, Bashan, and Jordan—seem to favor this approach. Part of the fulfillment would be the destruction and further subjugation of that whole area by the Romans, including the fall of Jerusalem in A.D. 70 under Emperor Vespasian and General Titus, as well as the later fall of Masada. This action quelled one of several Jewish rebellions against Rome." [1]

The prophet then turns to one shepherd (vv4-17), who previously appointed acts on behalf of the flock before abandoning them.  "Verses 4–14 (especially 8–13) describe the reason for the coming devastation—Israel rejects their Good Shepherd." [2]  

“So I shepherded the flock marked for slaughter, particularly the oppressed of the flock. Then I took two staffs and called one Favor and the other Union, and I shepherded the flock. In one month I got rid of the three shepherds. The flock detested me, and I grew weary of them and said, “I will not be your shepherd. Let the dying die, and the perishing perish. Let those who are left eat one another’s flesh.” Then I took my staff called Favor and broke it, revoking the covenant I had made with all the nations. It was revoked on that day, and so the oppressed of the flock who were watching me knew it was the word of the Lord.” (Zechariah 11:7–11, NIV)  

The two staffs, maintaining the shepherding metaphor obviously refer to covenants. "Favor or no'am symbolizes God’s blessing on His people (Psa 90:17) . . .  union (chovelim) is the outcome of leadership guided by divine favor." [3]  This likely refers to the lifting of God's protection over the nation and also predicts the dividing of the nation.  "God set aside His kind and gracious protection and His providential care for His people, allowing Rome to invade and destroy Israel (cf. Luke 19:41–44; 21:24)." [4]

“I told them, “If you think it best, give me my pay; but if not, keep it.” So they paid me thirty pieces of silver. And the Lord said to me, “Throw it to the potter”—the handsome price at which they valued me! So I took the thirty pieces of silver and threw them to the potter at the house of the Lord.” (Zechariah 11:12–13, NIV)  

Thirty pieces of silver was "according to Exodus 21:32, was the price to be paid to the master whose slave had been gored by an ox! A sound slave was considered to be worth twice that amount . . . To cast something unto the potter is idiomatic for throwing away something of little value to one who deals in things that are of insignificant value." [5]

This is the ultimate insult—Messiah, God’s Good Shepherd, rejected and worth only the price of a ruined and disabled slave.  Now, in this highly poetic chapter, Zechariah describes the foolish shepherd that will replace the Good Shepherd.  He will allow ungodly rulers to come in and destroy the nation, particularity pointing to the destruction of Israel at a future date; possibly in A.D. 70.

So the big picture is important.  Because Israel rejected the Messiah, in His place, God will send a Destructive Shepherd who will decimate the land.  But we need to remind ourselves of the previous prophecies: this Messiah will return and gather all who believe: both Jew and Gentile into one people who He will Shepherd and bring into His eternal kingdom. 

Jesus clearly spoke of this reality when He entered into Jerusalem for the last time.  Matthew 21:42–44 (NIV) records these solemn words:

⁴² Jesus said to them, “Have you never read in the Scriptures: “ ‘The stone the builders rejected has become the cornerstone; the Lord has done this, and it is marvelous in our eyes’? ⁴³ “Therefore I tell you that the kingdom of God will be taken away from you and given to a people who will produce its fruit. ⁴⁴ Anyone who falls on this stone will be broken to pieces; anyone on whom it falls will be crushed.”

Father, had not we received the hope of Your eternal Kingdom under the reign of King Jesus, this chapter would be emotionally crushing.  Thank you that you always give hope and grace, even in the view of decimating and debilitating news.  The physical nation of Israel had and has rejected You and You have rejected them.  But You have not rejected Your plan of redemption.  From the beginning You chose to draw out from Israel and the rest of the world a people -- a people who would bear fruit.  By the Spirit, through the blood of Christ and by means of faith in the Gospel, this people is being built.  Praise God.  Lord, may today prove, in my life, to be an enriching, Gospel-centered day that bears much fruit -- fruit that will remain.  For Your glory and Your Kingdom.  Amen.

_______________________________

1. Expositor's Bible Commentary, The, Pradis CD-ROM:Zechariah/Exposition of Zechariah/V. Two Prophetic Oracles: The Great Messianic Future and the Full Realization of the Theocracy (9:1-14:21)/A. The First Oracle: The Advent and Rejection of the Messiah (9:1-11:17)/2. The rejection of the messianic Shepherd-King (11:1-17)/a. The prologue (11:1-3), Book Version: 4.0.2

2. Believer’s Study Bible. 1991 (W. A. Criswell, P. Patterson, E. R. Clendenen, D. L. Akin, M. Chamberlin, D. K. Patterson & J. Pogue, Ed.) (electronic ed.) (Zec 11:4). Nashville: Thomas Nelson.

3. Barry, J. D., Heiser, M. S., Custis, M., Mangum, D., & Whitehead, M. M. (2012). Faithlife Study Bible (Zec 11:7). Bellingham, WA: Logos Bible Software.

4. The MacArthur Study Bible. 1997 (J. MacArthur, Jr., Ed.) (electronic ed.) (1353). Nashville, TN: Word Pub.

5. KJV Bible Commentary. 1994 (E. E. Hindson & W. M. Kroll, Ed.) (1833). Nashville: Thomas Nelson.

Self Is Essentially Selfish!

Galatians 5:15–16 (NIV),

¹⁵ If you bite and devour each other, watch out or you will be destroyed by each other. ¹⁶ So I say, walk by the Spirit, and you will not gratify the desires of the flesh.

Paul has moved from the truth of the Gospel: salvation is by faith in Christ -- alone, apart from works.  The Christian is free from the power of sin and the condemning demands of the Law.  This freedom is a "from-freedom" not a "to-freedom".  The Cross frees us to serve; to serve Christ and His Church.  Now Paul moves to some practical implications of the Gospel.  Gospel people do not “. . . bite and ravage each other . . ..” (Galatians 5:15a, The Message).

The picture is of a group "continually biting and devouring like wild animals in deadly combat, i.e., a picture of church strifes." [1]  "And when once the concord of the Church is broken, there is no measure nor end of the evil; for the authors of schisms, dissenting among themselves, do teach, one that this work, another that another work is necessary to righteousness." [2]

At this point we need to ask an important question.  Isn't Paul confused?  Hasn't he just written that the Church is free from the Law and now he imposes another law?  He answers that in the next sentence. "As if he should have said: I have not forgotten my former discourse concerning faith, neither do I now revoke the same in that I exhort you to mutual love, saying that the whole law is fulfilled through love, but I am still of the same mind and opinion that I was before. To the end therefore that ye may rightly understand me, I add this moreover: “Walk in the Spirit” &c." [3]

Paul equates the 'law of love' with the fulfilling of the Law.  And he equates all that with "walking in the Spirit."   This is profound. Luther argues that the reason this is not works righteousness is because none of us has the capacity to love as God would have us.  While here on earth we all have indwelling sin.  "Therefore when I teach you to observe the law, and exhort you to love one another, think not that I go about to revoke that which I have taught concerning the doctrine of faith, and that I now attribute justification to the law or to charity: but my meaning is that ye should walk in the Spirit, and that ye should not fulfil the lusts of the flesh." [3]

Fulfilling the Law does not justify someone, it is the natural outcome of justification and it can only be achieved in some manner as we walk in the Spirit.  "Wherefore Paul would have us to walk in the Spirit, lest we fulfil the lust of the flesh. As if he should say: Although ye be moved with wrath and displeasure against your brother, offending you or doing anything heinously against you, yet notwithstanding resist and repress these [violent] motions through the Spirit; bear with his weakness, and love him according to that commandment: “Thou shalt love thy neighbour as thyself.” [3]

"“Flesh” refers to the part of human nature that causes people to put their own selfish needs ahead of everything else." [4] "The double negative with the aorist subjunctive means you will never gratify the sinful desires originating in and overflowing from the lower nature . . . The Christian can conquer the self-life and have continual victory by walking by the Holy Spirit." [5]

Father the flesh in us is essentially selfishness.  That is the root diagnosis.  The power of selfishness has been removed by the Cross.  But Lord I know too well that the presence of selfishness is always rearing its ugly head in my life.  The accompaniment of saving faith is love for You and love for others. So suddenly I realize that as a Christian, Father, I am propelled into a war -- a battle.  I have in my a desire to do what I want and the answer isn't Law, it is the Spirit.  The answer isn't for me to do more, but for me to participant more fully in the life of the Spirit.  This is fundamentally what it means to live as a Christian -- to walk in the Spirit.  Now Father my heart is anxious for I long to know what all that means.  I am confident You will give me an answer.  For now, Lord, help me to know in part what it means to walk by the Spirit -- loving others today.  Amen!

______________________________________

1. KJV Bible Commentary. 1994 (E. E. Hindson & W. M. Kroll, Ed.) (2398). Nashville: Thomas Nelson.

2. Luther, M. (1997). Commentary on Galatians (Ga 5:15). Oak Harbor, WA: Logos Research Systems, Inc.

3. Luther, M. (1997). Commentary on Galatians (Ga 5:16). Oak Harbor, WA: Logos Research Systems, Inc.

4. Barry, J. D., Heiser, M. S., Custis, M., Mangum, D., & Whitehead, M. M. (2012). Faithlife Study Bible (Ga 5:16). Bellingham, WA: Logos Bible Software.

5. KJV Bible Commentary. 1994 (E. E. Hindson & W. M. Kroll, Ed.) (2398). Nashville: Thomas Nelson.