Jeremiah 23:1–6; Isaiah 9:6–7; Zechariah 9:9–10 (NKJV)
Summary:
- He prophesies a restoration of the scattered flock.
- What joy shall be in the midst of afflictions, by the birth and kingdom of Christ
- Zion is exhorted to rejoice for the coming of Christ, and his peaceable kingdom.
23:1. “Woe to the shepherds who destroy and scatter the sheep of My pasture!” says the Lord.
23:2. Therefore thus says the Lord God of Israel against the shepherds who feed My people: “You have scattered My flock, driven them away, and not attended to them. Behold, I will attend to you for the evil of your doings,” says the Lord.
23:3. “But I will gather the remnant of My flock out of all countries where I have driven them, and bring them back to their folds; and they shall be fruitful and increase.
23:4. “I will set up shepherds over them who will feed them; and they shall fear no more, nor be dismayed, nor shall they be lacking,” says the Lord.
23:5. “Behold, the days are coming,” says the Lord, “That I will raise to David a Branch of righteousness; a King shall reign and prosper, and execute judgment and righteousness in the earth.
23:6. In His days Judah will be saved, and Israel will dwell safely; now this is His name by which He will be called: THE LORD OUR RIGHTEOUSNESS.
9:6. For unto us a Child is born, unto us a Son is given; and the government will be upon His shoulder. And His name will be called Wonderful, Counselor, Mighty God, Everlasting Father, Prince of Peace.
9:7. Of the increase of His government and peace there will be no end, upon the throne of David and over His kingdom, to order it and establish it with judgment and justice from that time forward, even forever. The zeal of the Lord of hosts will perform this.
9:9. “Rejoice greatly, O daughter of Zion! Shout, O daughter of Jerusalem! Behold, your King is coming to you; He is just and having salvation, lowly and riding on a donkey, a colt, the foal of a donkey.
9:10. I will cut off the chariot from Ephraim and the horse from Jerusalem; the battle bow shall be cut off. He shall speak peace to the nations; His dominion shall be `from sea to sea, and from the River to the ends of the earth.’
Scripture taken from the New King James Version®. Copyright © 1982 by Thomas Nelson. Used by permission. All rights reserved.
Commentary
A shepherd’s role is to care for and protect sheep. A shepherd who scatters and drives away the flock is no shepherd at all. In Jeremiah 23, the “shepherds” God addresses represent the leaders of His people-kings, priests, and both civic and spiritual authority figures. When leaders lead people astray, they bear a heavy responsibility under God’s judgment. The same weight applies to church or ministry leaders today if they alter God’s Word and lead believers into error. A time is coming when God will hold unfaithful leaders fully accountable.
Yet, God promises to gather the “remnant”-those remaining believers who stay faithful despite poor leadership. Notice that He gathers them from the places where He allowed them to be driven. He leads them to places of spiritual protection to weather the storm, safe from the mistreatment of false leaders.
An Illustration: The Cowboy Roundup
Consider the traditional American cowboy “roundup”. Cattle often range freely across rugged country, finding their own shelter in underbrush and swamplands to protect themselves and their calves. Every year, cowboys go out into the brush to round up these stray cattle. They bring them together so the owner can place his mark of ownership upon them.
God’s gathering of His remnant is similar. As believers in the present age, we sometimes must find spiritual shelter wherever God leads us, relying on His grace to preserve our faith and pass it down to our children. A time is coming when we won’t have to hunker down and fend for ourselves. Our Master will gather us and claim us as His own-not for slaughter, but to share in His eternal kingdom.
The Promise of the Eternal King
God promises to raise up true leaders, pointing ultimately to the Good Shepherd and Messiah-a righteous Branch from the line of David. When Christ came, He bore the burden of human sin once and for all. Isaiah describes Him in incredible terms: Wonderful Counselor, Mighty God, Everlasting Father, Prince of Peace.
Some view Jesus merely as a wise teacher or a created human being. Yet Scripture assigns Him titles reserved only for God Himself. Jesus, the Son of God, is fully divine-one with the Father. While human logic cannot fully digest the mystery of the Trinity, John 1:1 reinforces this truth: Jesus reveals to us exactly who God is. Everything God is, Jesus was and remains.
A Kingdom of Peace
Zechariah prophesied that Israel’s King would arrive humbly, riding on a young donkey-an unridden colt. Jesus fulfilled this prophecy on Palm Sunday. In ancient tradition, riding a donkey signaled a king coming in peace, unlike a warrior riding a warhorse.
Jesus established His kingdom spiritually through His death and resurrection. Though He is not physically present on earth today, He will return. When He does, He will gather His remnant, bring an end to all warfare, and establish a kingdom of lasting justice and peace.
Up to this point in our survey, we have looked at human sin, God’s holy standards, and the repeated failures of earthly leaders. But God has not abandoned us. As we move forward, we will explore the arrival of this promised Messiah, the full forgiveness of our sins, and the hope of our inheritance in His eternal kingdom.
