Tuesday - Zechariah 11 - The Good Shepherd & Some Very Bad Ones

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HE shepherds of Israel were kings. David was a shepherd. I mean, he was a simple shepherd of actual sheep - much like Peter was a simple fisherman catching actual fish.  God got ahold of both of those men. Peter became a great fisher of men. David became the shepherd of a nation (2^nd Samuel 24:17). He was a good one too. But, not many of the shepherds who came after him did as well with their keep. Still, there are a couple of superlative shepherds coming in the future for Israel.  One absolutely good; the other the most dangerous pretender of all time; the son of perdition; the antichrist. This chapter points to both men.

Messiah is found easily in vs. 12. We know from Matthew 26:15 that Jesus was betrayed by the first son of perdition (Judas) for 30 pieces of silver. Zechariah 11:16 then seems to point us toward that evil shepherd who will turn against Israel midway through the Tribulation period.

Now, even though God is using the enemies of Israel to accomplish some of His eternal purposes, the opponents of Jacob's offspring will someday pay dearly for how they have abused God's elect nation (vs. 17). Even Zechariah, with his 2 staves (Beauty and Bands) illustrated the great harm that was going to be Israel's. Yet we know that salvation will still come to them in the hands of their final Shepherd, someday. God bless the dawning of that day!