Israel Rejects the True Shepherd

Zech 11

Summary: Zechariah 11 portrays the rejection of God's shepherd by His people, symbolizing Israel's disobedience and the dire consequences of abandoning God's guidance.

Application: This sermon can help Christians understand the importance of recognizing and following God's leadership in their lives. It serves as a reminder of the dangers of turning away from God's plans, and the need for repentance and reliance on the Good Shepherd, Jesus Christ.

Big Idea: Our rejection of God’s divine leadership leads to our own suffering; however, through Christ, the Good Shepherd, we find redemption and hope.

Introduction: The passage here focuses on Israel’s rejection of Christ as the Messiah. When you reject and ignore God, disobedient living becomes the normal way of life.

Not only do they reject Christ, they ignore God’s truth. Israel had struggled with obedience to the leadership that God had placed over them. When you abandon God, there are dire consequences to come.

God is challenging His people to return to their obedience to Him and the leaders God placed over them. The shepherds are the leaders God had placed over them.

During the time of David and Solomon, Israel was the most powerful nation on the earth, with wealth and resources beyond measure. After Solomon died, the two kingdoms divided between Israel and Judah. Israel began to deteriorate because they ignored God’s Word.

Through the prophet, God shows what happened and what the results are of disobedience.

1. Rejecting God’s truth

Zechariah 11:1-6

A. God’s warning vv. 1-3

1. This is a description of the invasion by the Romans.

2. Key places like Jordan, Lebanon, and Bashan are mentioned.

3. The invading army is like a fire that burns the forests.

4. The howling shepherds are the rulers of the nation who have led the people astray and are now suffering the consequences.

5. Usually the shepherds are giving the sheep for slaughter but here the shepherds are led tot he slaughter.

Caiphas thought by killing Jesus, he would save the Jewish nation from destruction but just the opposite is true. By rejecting their Messiah, they opened the doors to judgement.

B. God’s shepherd vv. 4-6

1. God commanded Zechariah to be the true Shepherd.

2. He became a type of the messiah at the time when our Lord was ministering .

3. Zechariah carried a staff (crook) to guide the sheep and a rod to ward off enemies.

4. The Jewish leaders weren’t concerned about the sheep; they were only concerned about their power and position.

James 4:6 KJV 1900

But he giveth more grace. Wherefore he saith, God resisteth the proud, but giveth grace unto the humble.

5. To ignore wise counsel will lead to downfall.

6. To pasture the flock means not only feeding but also directing and defending.

2. Breaking blessings and unity

Zech 11:7-11

A. God’s care vv. 7-9

1. The two staffs: beauty-favor or grace which shows us how God looks out after us. Bands means union-or unity with the shepherd John 15:1

John 15:1 KJV 1900

I am the true vine, and my Father is the husbandman.

2. This unity is harmony or agreement as the outcome of leadership guided by divine favor.

3. He feeds the flock means caring for their needs and comfort—sheep have to trust in their shepherd so they can eat.

4. He got rid of three unfaithful shepherds.

5. Then He broke the staves-God’s favor to His people has come to an end. This union between God and His people was broken.

B. God’s plan vv. 9-11

1. When the staves are broken, it is used as a metaphor for lost fellowship and broken relationships.

2. God turned them over to their own fate which would means some would die or suffer annihilation or devour one another.

3. They will devour or in the sense of destroying one another.

4. When you consider rejecting Christ, the ultimate shepherd leads to disunity and loss of spiritual blessings.

3. Value of the Shepherd

Zechariah 11:12-14

A. The price vv. 12-13

1. Christ was betrayed for 30 pieces of sliver.

2. Since Zechariah is symbolically terminating His protection of the flock, he asked the sheep to pay him his wages or if they refused, to keep what they owed him.

B. The worth vv. 14-17

1. This was the price of a gored slave in the ancient Near East and was a small amount in the all the Shepherd had done for the sheep.

2. The price was 30 pieces of sliver which was the price of a slave Exodus 21:32

Exodus 21:32 KJV 1900

If the ox shall push a manservant or a maidservant; he shall give unto their master thirty shekels of silver, and the ox shall be stoned.

3. It is significant that the price of Jesus’s betrayal is 30 pieces of silver.

4. The question is how much value is God’s leadership in our lives?

5. In these closing verses, God is telling us to examine the consequences of following false shepherds. There will be no fruit and no help when you ignore the true Shepherd.

6. Christ is the Great Shepherd who never fails His people.