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4 This is what the Lord my God says: “Shepherd the flock marked for slaughter. 5 Their buyers slaughter them and go unpunished. Those who sell them say, ‘Praise the Lord, I am rich!’ Their own shepherds do not spare them. 6 For I will no longer have pity on the people of the land,” declares the Lord. “I will give everyone into the hands of their neighbors and their king. They will devastate the land, and I will not rescue anyone from their hands.” 7 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. 8 In one month I got rid of the three shepherds. The flock detested me, and I grew weary of them 9 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flesh.” 10 Then I took my staff called Favor and broke it, revoking the covenant I had made with all the nations. 11 It was revoked on that day, and so the oppressed of the flock who were watching me knew it was the word of the Lord.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 11:4-11
In today's text, God asks Zechariah to play a part in this unfolding grand true story of Israel's relationship with the Lord. God asks Zechariah to play the part of a shepherd who will provide a glimpse of the Great Shephard, the Lord Jesus Christ, to the people. Zechariah symbolically carries out certain actions that draw into focus the peoples rejection of the Lord Jesus Christ.
In v.4-6 of today's text we read, "4 This is what the Lord my God says: “Shepherd the flock marked for slaughter. 5 Their buyers slaughter them and go unpunished. Those who sell them say, ‘Praise the Lord, I am rich!’ Their own shepherds do not spare them. 6 For I will no longer have pity on the people of the land,” declares the Lord. “I will give everyone into the hands of their neighbors and their king. They will devastate the land, and I will not rescue anyone from their hands."
The Lord asked Zechariah to shepherd the flock for the slaughter. The word used here for shepherd has many meanings including "to tend", "to care for", "to feed", "to lead", and "to nurse." This word is also used in Psalm 23 to positively speak of the ministry of a shepherd.
In today's text, the Lord told Zechariah to teach the people knowing they would reject the teaching. While obeying the LORD, Zechariah gave to Israel a picture of the True Shepherd who daily feeds us His Word.
Notice the words, “the flock marked for slaughter.” This flock was the covenant nation of Israel, but the covenant nation was unfaithful to hear and to embrace God's culture. They had turned their backs on the Shepherd, and, as a result, they would pay for their sin. The Lord is here predicting what was coming in 70 AD when the Romans destroyed Jerusalem. This is why the Lord Jesus wept over Jerusalem. He said, "Jerusalem, Jerusalem, if only you would have known the things that make for your peace! But they are hidden from your eyes."
The "buyers" in v.5 were the Romans who took Israel into captivity, yet again. In Jeremiah 50:17 we read, "Israel is a scattered flock that lions have chased away. The first to devour them was the king of Assyria; the last to crush their bones was Nebuchadnezzar king of Babylon."
God had allowed the Assyrians and the Babylonians to judge Israel. And, in 70 AD the Romans would do the same. And, notice also that the Gentile nation sold them as slaves and made money off of them. The Romans sold literally tens of thousands of Jews into slavery. And, the Colosseum in Rome was built mostly by many of these Jewish slaves.
It was sad when foreigners made merchandise of Israel. It was even sadder when Israel's own leaders showed them no pity and mercy by not teaching them the truth of God and thereby protecting them. But, the saddest thing of all is when God Himself says in v.6, "I will no longer have pity on them."
In v.7 of today's text we read, "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."
Now, shepherds have two sticks or staffs: one was a rod and the other was the staff for guiding the sheep. The rod was for beating off predators to protect the sheep. The staff was primarily for keeping the sheep in line and out of danger. David wrote that both the rod and the staff of the Lord were a source of comfort to him. Metaphorically, the Lord directs and guides His people by His rod and staff. The rod was called "Favor" and the other was called "Union." But, when we do not know Him, or, if we know Him and do not walk with Him daily, we do not recognize His unique approach to life. By the way, that approach is truth.
In v.8-9 of today's text we read, "8 In one month I got rid of the three shepherds. The flock detested me, and I grew weary of them 9 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.'"
This probably is a reference to the Pharisees, the Sadducees, and the Scribes of the Lord Jesus' day. For some time, God's providential protection of His people, Israel, ended, in 70 AD. And, the people of Israel chose another king, they chose Caesar. Pilate brought the Lord Jesus out before the Jews and said, "Behold, your king." And the Jews screamed, "Away with Him. Crucify Him." And Pilate said, "Shall I crucify your king?" And the chief priests answered, "We have no king but Caesar." That day, they made their awful choice and just what Zechariah said would happen, came true. The people of Israel put themselves in Caesar’s hand and Caesar devoured them.
The irony of all of this is they killed the real King to avoid a Roman takeover. And the very thing they feared and killed brought the sentence of God upon their nation. The destruction that Rome brought should not have been a surprise to the people of Israel, but their hardened hearts could not see the truth. They were unwilling.
In v.10-11 of today's text we read, "10 Then I took my staff called Favor and broke it, revoking the covenant I had made with all the nations. 11 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."
With reference to those who will not turn their hearts toward God, His rod and staff are not beneficial. But, to those who have and who will turn to Him, His rod and staff are comforting. His rod and staff will lead them into the truth. The oppressed flock in v.12 is none other than that group who followed the Lord Jesus and were used by Him to write the New Testament.
Oswald Chambers once wrote, "There is nothing attractive about the gospel to the natural man; the only man who finds the gospel attractive is the man who is convicted of sin."
