As I have written before in some of these posts, I used to teach first grade.  Early in my years of teaching, I acquired a tall paper mâché rabbit made by my husband for one of his college classes for his elementary degree.  In teaching young ones, it is very hard to step away, even for a moment, to answer a question of another teacher or the principal without stern directions to the children to behave and stay on task.  But as soon as they cannot see your eyes, their minds turn immediately to mischief.  Even though you are just outside the door and can hear them. 

So, I had the idea to use the new rabbit sitting on the shelf that they all admired as a “listener.”  (This was before Elf on the Shelf was invented!  I was ahead of my time!)  I stepped outside the door to talk briefly with the teacher, then walked back in, went right over the rabbit and put my ear next to him.  “How did they behave; what happened?” I asked the rabbit.  “They did what?”  Then I named a few names of people I knew would most likely be “guilty” with certain behaviors.  I almost laughed out loud at their eyes growing wide with wonder as I related exactly what happened!  From then on, I had the quietest class who stayed on task every time I stepped in the hall.  This may be trickery but it seems all humans need a “watcher” to hold them accountable for their actions.

At the end of the school year, a young little man came up to me and whispered, “I know it works…how the rabbit knows.”  Uh oh, he has figured it out, I thought.  Then he said, “There’s a tape recorder in his belly.”  All I could say was, “That’s a good observation!” 

Seriously, who are we when we think no one is watching?  Isn’t that part of growing up, doing the right thing simply because it is the right thing to do?

The following verses describe the invasion of the Holy Land by the Romans. Key places like the Jordan Valley, Lebanon, and Bashan are mentioned. The invading army is like a fire that burns the forests. The wailing shepherds are the rulers of the nation who have led the people astray and are now paying for their sins. 

God commanded Zechariah to play the role of the true Shepherd. He became a type of the Messiah at the time when our Lord was ministering on earth. The flock of Israel was destined for slaughter because of their wicked rulers, but he was to do his best to rescue them. The Jewish leaders weren’t concerned about the sheep; they were concerned only about their own position and power.  Recall Jesus preaching the difference the difference between good and evil shepherds as we read. 

“I am the Good Shepherd”—Jesus (See John 10)

Zechariah 11, The Message

^1-4 Open your borders to the immigrants, proud Lebanon!
    Your sentinel trees will burn.
Weep, great pine trees! Mourn, you sister cedars!
    Your towering trees are cordwood.
Weep Bashan oak trees!
    Your thick forest is now a field of stumps.
Do you hear the wailing of shepherds?
    They’ve lost everything they once owned.
Do you hear the outrage of the lions?
    The mighty jungle of the Jordan is wasted.
Make room for the returning exiles!

Breaking the Beautiful Covenant

^4-5 God commanded me, “Shepherd the sheep that are soon to be slaughtered. The people who buy them will butcher them for quick and easy money. What’s worse, they’ll get away with it. The people who sell them will say, ‘Lucky me! God’s on my side; I’ve got it made!’ They have shepherds who couldn’t care less about them.”

⁶ God’s Decree: “I’m washing my hands of the people of this land. From now on they’re all on their own. It’s dog-eat-dog, survival of the fittest, and every person for themselves. Don’t look for help from me.”

^7-8 So I took over from the crass, money-grubbing owners, and shepherded the sheep marked for slaughter. I got myself two shepherd staffs. I named one Lovely and the other Harmony. Then I went to work shepherding the sheep. Within a month I got rid of the corrupt shepherds. I got tired of putting up with them—and they couldn’t stand me.

⁹ And then I got tired of the sheep and said, “I’ve had it with you—no more shepherding from me. If you die, you die; if you’re attacked, you’re attacked. Whoever survives can eat what’s left.”

^10-11 Then I took the staff named Lovely and broke it across my knee, breaking the beautiful covenant I had made with all the peoples. In one stroke, both staff and covenant were broken. The money-hungry owners saw me do it and knew God was behind it.

¹² Then I addressed them: “Pay me what you think I’m worth.” They paid me an insulting sum, counting out thirty silver coins.

¹³ God told me, “Throw it in the poor box.” This stingy wage was all they thought of me and my work! So I took the thirty silver coins and threw them into the poor box in God’s Temple.

¹⁴ Then I broke the other staff, Harmony, across my knee, breaking the family ties between Judah and Israel.

^15-16 God then said, “Dress up like a stupid shepherd. I’m going to install just such a shepherd in this land—a shepherd indifferent to victims, who ignores the lost, abandons the injured, and disdains decent citizens. He’ll only be in it for what he can get out of it, using and abusing any and all.

¹⁷ “Doom to you, useless shepherd,
    walking off and leaving the sheep!
A curse on your arm!
    A curse on your right eye!
Your arm will hang limp and useless.
    Your right eye will go stone blind.”

WHAT DO WE LEARN—HOW DO WE RESPOND?

Sin as consequences.  Sin still has consequences.  Jesus pays our sin-debt and His Holy Spirit can help us live through the consequences of our own behaviors.  We must ask for forgiveness from those we have hurt by our sins.  We must forgive ourselves for Jesus as forgiven us completely.  And we must forgive those who sin against us. Humbled, sincere hearts are restored and renewed by the power of God’s Holy Spirit.

Zechariah was commanded to adopt the role of a “foolish shepherd.” The word doesn’t mean “stupid” but “morally deficient, corrupt” because he doesn’t receive God’s truth. He’s “a worthless shepherd” because he doesn’t care for the sheep. Unlike the Good Shepherd, he doesn’t seek the lost, care for the young, feed the flock, or heal the injured. All he does is slaughter the flock to feed himself!  Zechariah plays a role to accentuate Truth telling. 

Zechariah is foretelling what Jesus will experience while on earth.  That God’s chosen people, who possess the inspired Scriptures, should reject Him who is “the truth” (John 14:6) and has come from the Father, and follow one who is a liar and is energized by Satan, is incredible to comprehend, but it will happen just as the Scripture says. 

And does the “thirty pieces of coins” sound familiar?  “They counted out for him thirty pieces of silver. From then on Judas watched for an opportunity to hand him (Jesus) over. — Matthew 26:14-16 Aren’t the prophets’ messages from God amazing?!  Don’t be a Judas!  Don’t sell out to evil!

Pause to reflect…do I really believe that what God says is really real? 

Do I need a “watcher” to keep focused on the one who loves me most?  Yes, I do—we all do.  We cannot be “good” on our own.  Tap into the power God gives us!  The work of God’s Holy Spirit living in us is all we need to know and do what is right.  Jesus knew we would need a Helper.  Listen to Him.  He is always with us, helping us to mature in our faith.  Obey His direction. 

Lord,

Thank you for your Holy Spirit who convicts, challenges, comforts, teaches, guides, and encourages us in our walk with you.  Without you, we fail miserably trying to be “good”.  We need you every hour.  Thank you for watching over us.  We depend on you and trust what you say.  You are indeed the Good Shepherd to follow.

In Jesus Name, For Your Glory, Amen