Zechariah 11:1-3
THE DESOLATION OF THE HOLY LAND... [ Continue Reading ]
THE DESOLATION OF THE HOLY LAND... [ Continue Reading ]
Open thy doors, O Lebanon, the district on the northernmost border of the Holy Land, THAT THE FIRE MAY DEVOUR THY CEDARS. Instead of describing the destruction of the land outright, the prophet calls upon its border to open its doors for the consuming fire.... [ Continue Reading ]
Howl, fir-tree, the cypresses which occupied second place among the trees of the Lebanon forests, FOR THE CEDAR IS FALLEN, because the mighty are spoiled. HOWL, O YE OAKS OF BASHAN, the northernmost district of the Holy Land east of Jordan, FOR THE FOREST OF THE VINTAGE IS COME DOWN, the high, the i... [ Continue Reading ]
There is a voice of the howling of the shepherds, those occupying the rich meadow-lands of Bashan, FOR THEIR GLORY, the fine pasture on which they depended, IS SPOILED; A VOICE OF THE ROARING OF YOUNG LIONS, FOR THE PRIDE OF JORDAN, the thickets along the river, which offered excellent opportunities... [ Continue Reading ]
Thus saith the Lord, my God, in formally engaging the prophet as His pastor with regard to the congregation of Israel, FEED THE FLOCK OF THE SLAUGHTER, those suffering with oppression at the present time,... [ Continue Reading ]
THE GOOD SHEPHERDS... [ Continue Reading ]
whose possessors slay them and hold themselves not guilty, the buyers and masters of the covenant people dealing with them as they pleased, without incurring blame; AND THEY THAT SELL THEM SAY, BLESSED BE THE LORD, FOR I AM RICH, the expression fitly describing the self-satisfaction felt by the hard... [ Continue Reading ]
For I will no more pity the inhabitants of the land, saith the Lord, no longer spare them after a last effort to save them; BUT, LO, I WILL DELIVER THE MEN EVERY ONE INTO HIS NEIGHBOR'S HAND, so that internal strife and dissension would ruin the country, AND INTO THE HAND OF HIS KING, the foreign em... [ Continue Reading ]
And I will feed the flock of the slaughter, rather, "I fed the flock," for the prophet here describes how he undertook the commission which the Lord gave him, EVEN YOU, O POOR OF THE FLOCK, those in his charge being in a very sad condition, lacking in spiritual knowledge. AND I TOOK UNTO ME TWO STAV... [ Continue Reading ]
Three shepherds also I cut off in one month, the wicked civil authorities, the priests, and the scribes of the Jewish nation being probably meant, who were removed from power in a very short time; AND MY SOUL LOATHED THEM, since he, the type of the one Good Shepherd and Ruler of His Church, became i... [ Continue Reading ]
Then said I, I will not feed you, he declared that he would no longer be their shepherd; THAT THAT DIETH, LET IT DIE, he would let them rush to their own ruin since they refused to be guided by him; AND THAT THAT IS TO BE CUT OFF, LET IT BE CUT OFF, destroyed. by the power of the oppressor; AND LET... [ Continue Reading ]
And I took my staff, even Beauty, and cut it asunder, to indicate the withdrawal of God's favor from His people, THAT I MIGHT BREAK MY COVENANT WHICH I HAD MADE WITH ALL THE PEOPLE. The person of the prophet here merges into that of his antitype, of the Good Shepherd Himself, for it is He who finall... [ Continue Reading ]
And it was broken in that day, the covenant being annulled by Israel's disobedience; AND SO THE POOR OF THE FLOCK THAT WAITED UPON ME, the lowly among the people, those who were Israelites in truth, KNEW THAT IT WAS THE WORD OF THE LORD. It was from among the poor and lowly that the Lord, even in th... [ Continue Reading ]
And I said unto them, to the flock that did, not recognize the things of its peace, IF YE THINK GOOD, if they desired to recognize and acknowledge the services rendered them, GIVE ME MY PRICE; AND IF NOT, FORBEAR. SO THEY WEIGHED FOR MY PRICE THIRTY PIECES OF SILVER, the value of a slave that had be... [ Continue Reading ]
And the Lord said unto me, Cast it unto the potter, thereby rejecting the insult which they offered. A GOODLY PRICE THAT I WAS PRIZED AT OF THEM! this being said in impressive irony. AND I TOOK THE THIRTY PIECES OF SILVER AND CAST THEM TO THE POTTER IN THE HOUSE OF THE LORD. This statement has no me... [ Continue Reading ]
Then I cut asunder mine other staff, even Bands, that I might break the brotherhood between Judah and Israel, so that, by the punishment of God, there might be lasting dissension in the Jewish camp, a peculiarity which, in the later history of the people, contributed much toward the rapid overthrow... [ Continue Reading ]
And the Lord said unto me, Take unto thee yet the instruments of a foolish shepherd, of a wicked hireling, who bears the insignia of a true shepherd, but cares nothing for the sheep.... [ Continue Reading ]
THE FOOLISH SHEPHERD... [ Continue Reading ]
For, lo, I will raise up a shepherd in the land, one assuming the functions of a true shepherd, WHICH SHALL NOT VISIT THOSE THAT BE CUT OFF, paying no attention to those who perish, NEITHER SHALL SEEK THE YOUNG ONE, those that have gone astray, NOR HEAL THAT THAT IS BROKEN, suffering with broken lim... [ Continue Reading ]
Woe to the idol shepherd, the worthless shepherd, THAT LEAVETH THE FLOCK, neglecting his chief duty toward its members. THE SWORD SHALL BE UPON HIS ARM, causing him to lose this important member of his body, AND UPON HIS RIGHT EYE, also a most precious possession; HIS ARM SHALL BE CLEAN DRIED UP, AN... [ Continue Reading ]