The Shepherd Leader

1 “Woe to the shepherds who are destroying and scattering the sheep of my pasture!” declares the Lord. 2 Therefore this is what the Lord, the God of Israel, says to the shepherds who tend my people: “Because you have scattered my flock and driven them away and have not bestowed care on them, I will bestow punishment on you for the evil you have done,” declares the Lord. 3 “I myself will gather the remnant of my flock out of all the countries where I have driven them and will bring them back to their pasture, where they will be fruitful and increase in number. 4 I will place shepherds over them who will tend them, and they will no longer be afraid or terrified, nor will any be missing,” declares the Lord. 5 “The days are coming,” declares the Lord, “when I will raise up for David a righteous Branch, a King who will reign wisely and do what is just and right in the land. 6 In his days Judah will be saved and Israel will live in safety. This is the name by which he will be called: The Lord Our Righteous Savior.

Woe to the Shepherd

Alright. Let’s get it out of the way.

This Passage is one that makes most leaders a little lets say Nervous.

Woe to the Shepherds who are destroying and scattering the sheep of my pasture.

Now the easy way that we can read this passage is seeing it as a direct reference go the leadership of God’s People.

For us that would be the church today.

This is why many pastors might be like oh boy my people are going to use this against me.

While these may be a good and appropriate way to read this passage because it is true that there are dangers in being a leader in the church and that Pastors and others who lead the church will answer to God some day this passage points us to other truths that we need to recognize.

The Context

The context of Biblical passages are important. This is why we can find out more about this passage than what is the easy surface level reading of the passage.

This passage written by Jeremiah is at a time in history of political turmoil. The lines of David were broken and not living up to their heritage.

In fact one of the defining features of this passage is the shepherd that Jeremiah is specifically addressing is the Last King of Judah Zedekiah and the nature of his reign. More on him later though.

The specific turmoil that was happening at the time was the exile to Babylon. The people were being scattered and sent away because of the failed leadership of the kings before them.

The Kings who did evil in the eyes of the Lord.

Evil in eyes of the Lord

This is a common phrase that you will see if you ever read books like Judges, 2 Samuel, 1 & 2 Kings, 1 & 2 Chronicles.

I have been reading through some of these books and if you watch for it you will see this phrase a lot. The Kings did what they wanted. They pursued their own agendas and it led to the people of God walking away from God.

The truth is that it is unlikely that a group of people will act any differently than there leader. Their leader has to set the example.

These leaders failure led to the failure of the people which lead to the punishment they recieved from God in Exile.

Let’s keep looking at this passage though together.

Jeremiah 23:3–4 NIV

3 “I myself will gather the remnant of my flock out of all the countries where I have driven them and will bring them back to their pasture, where they will be fruitful and increase in number. 4 I will place shepherds over them who will tend them, and they will no longer be afraid or terrified, nor will any be missing,” declares the Lord.

God’s Contradiction?

This passage can seem to create a contradiction.

Did the failure of the leadership lead to punishment or was it God’s doing all along?

It is important to note that this is not a contradiction but a recognition that there are both human and divine elements at play.

There is an element of God’s Judgement on the failed leadership but also the judgement of the flock who followed the failed leadership.

The promise and hope though is the fact that the divine elements of the plan are God’s and he is already working to return and gather his flock. He will give them shepherds. that will take care of their needs.

Davidic Dynasty

One of the problems that arose throughout this time is that there is a thought that these kings relied heavily on their heritage and the promise that God made to David.

The people and leadership looked to the idea of an uninterrupted Davidic dynasty instead of God’s covenant faithfulness.

In other words, they rested on the idea of a king of David and not on God as King. They relied on humanness instead of God’s holiness and righteousness.

It is here that the pains and the struggles of humanness and it failures comes into view.

The Church Today

The truth is that we have a lot to look back on in this passage and we can realize there is a lot of truth for us.

First, the church as a whole has become to dependent on how we have done church that we are losing sight of why we have church.

Now, this could be misheard as we need to change everything. That is not what I am addressing here. Instead, I am arguing that no matter if it is traditional understanding of church or even the new more contemporary view of church we are more worried about how we do church that we miss why we are gathered.

We come each week with a desire to be pleased with church. To enjoy our time here. We look to our pastor to feed us and to provide all the things we need.

First, I am human and far from perfect. I am to work diligently to be above reproach but I am also just like each of you. I fall short of the Glory of God.

Also, I heard this recently from another pastor that I thought was very powerful.

You are Adults...

Yeah, I know its a little blunt. I want you to come to church to gain new insight and to learn. Yet, I also want you to come to church with an attitude that is open to worship.

With a heart that is yearning for God to speak to you not Pastor Andy.

Think for a moment what your sunday morning looks like.

You get up.

Get some breakfast

Get ready to come to church.

Show up for sunday school or maybe not till service.

Let me ask.

Are you reading your bible.

Are you praying for God to speak to you?

Are you asking him to humble you?

Are you coming ready to praise his name and not worry about your preferences?

Are you coming to glorify and be in his Holy Presence?

I can get up here and preach till I am blue in the face but I can’t physically open your hearts and minds to hear the word of God. Only God can do that.

Ready, and you have to be willing.

The Church Today

We are busy looking for the Davidic line to save us.

If we just have a revival.

If we just change the music

if we just preach differently...

Instead of having an attitude of...

God lead us.

God help us.

God show us how to be more like you.

God I am nothing before you lead me.

God’s Promise

Thankfully we have hope though. We have joy still because we have the promise of God and he is faithful to his people.

Jeremiah 23:5–6 NIV

5 “The days are coming,” declares the Lord, “when I will raise up for David a righteous Branch, a King who will reign wisely and do what is just and right in the land. 6 In his days Judah will be saved and Israel will live in safety. This is the name by which he will be called: The Lord Our Righteous Savior.

God’s Promise

God promised that the line of David wouldn’t be broken.

Yes, than we are looking for the coming of a King of David but it isn’t on our time but it is on the timing of God.

The power lies in that we have received this coming King in Jesus.

Righteous Branch

Is a messianic reference. It is often looked to and is a reminder of the Kingship of Christ. This passage is a good reminder that he is coming and will fulfill the promise of God in ways the people of Israel had no idea were possible.

Verse 6 tells us his name will be The Lord of Our Righteous Savior.

It is an interesting dig at King Zedekiah.

King Zedekiah the last king of Judah name means

Yahweh is Righteous

This return to the idea that the coming King will come and actually fulfill role That Zedekiah was supposed to. He will rule in a righteous way. He will rule wisely and justly.

He will Honor God and bring him Glory!

This new King will be defined because he knows who God is and recognizes it is God’s leadership that matters.

The Secret

Once there was a conference for people to gather and attend. Everyone was excited for this conference because they saw one of the speakers and it was a well known actor and he was to open the night of speakers and welcome everyone and kick things off the right way.

The Actor got up to open the event that night. He decided he wanted to share the 23rd psalm and how it had impacted his life. He decided he wanted to add his dramatic flair to it as well.

He presented this well known passage of scripture dramatically and eloquently. As soon as he finished the room filled with applause and people stood for his presentation.

The next speaker was sitting in the wings and wasn’t sure what to do. He had planned to present the same thing. He was going to present the 23rd psalm.

Should he change his approach?

Should he do something Different?

All these questions and concerns were put to rest by the peace of God ad he walked out on the stage knowing that God called him to do this.

This next speaker stood before the crowd. They settled down. Many of them waiting to see how this man would top the great performance of the actor before him.

Then he began lifting his head to heaven and centering his thoughts on God.

Psalm 23 NIV

A psalm of David. 1 The Lord is my shepherd, I lack nothing. 2 He makes me lie down in green pastures, he leads me beside quiet waters, 3 he refreshes my soul. He guides me along the right paths for his name’s sake. 4 Even though I walk through the darkest valley, I will fear no evil, for you are with me; your rod and your staff, they comfort me. 5 You prepare a table before me in the presence of my enemies. You anoint my head with oil; my cup overflows. 6 Surely your goodness and love will follow me all the days of my life, and I will dwell in the house of the Lord forever.

The Room was silent. No one cheered or clapped. No one was standing ovation. Yet, there wasn’t a dry eye in the house.

This simple reading was so moving and so powerful that there wasn’t a dry eye in the house. For no explainable reason people were confessing and pooring their hearts out to one another about what they had just heard.

The Word of God had cut deep and they realized there need for God in the moment.

Later that night someone approached the actor who had shared the dramatic and entertaining 23rd psalm.

They said to him

“I don’t understand. You both said the same thing. Your presentation was perfect in every way. Yet, when he spoke in his halting, imperfect manner, people were moved too deeply for words. What made the difference”

The actor hesitated and replied, “the Answer is simple. I know the 23rd Psalm, and I know it well, but he knows the Shepherd!”

Do you know the Shepherd?

I can’t escape this question.

Do you know the Shepherd?

Are you here because you know the church or because you know the Shepherd?

We have to ask this question more and more today. We need to be reminded that why we are here. Why we are followers we can’t forget that He is the Shepherd and we are to know him. To be in relationship with him.

If we aren’t careful we may find ourselves outside his will if we don’t give into what he has for us.

I ask again.

Do you know the Shepherd?

Do you want to? Do you need to reconnect to who he is today?

Let’s Pray.

Related Media

Related Sermons