In Jeremiah Chapter 23 the spotlight of judgment is focused on "the shepherds." While actual shepherds were among the poor and lowly in ancient Near Eastern societies, "shepherd" was also a term used to refer to a king. It is kings -- specifically the kings of Judah -- who are the objects of judgment in Jeremiah 23:1.
Shepherds are responsible for protecting and providing sustenance for their flocks, keeping peace within the flock, defending against attackers, searching for sheep that have gone astray, and rescuing those who are in danger. The shepherd, and by analogy the king, is expected to act for the well-being of the sheep. Yet the opening verse of Jeremiah 23 accuses the shepherds of destroying and scattering God's sheep!
Shepherds are responsible for protecting and providing sustenance for their flocks, keeping peace within the flock, defending against attackers, searching for sheep that have gone astray, and rescuing those who are in danger. The shepherd, and by analogy the king, is expected to act for the well-being of the sheep. Yet the opening verse of Jeremiah 23 accuses the shepherds of destroying and scattering God's sheep!
He is the Great Shepherd. John 10:11 (NIV) ""I am the good shepherd. The good shepherd lays down his life for the sheep."
God's anger is aroused by the "evil doings" of the descendants of King David who ruled Judah. These shepherds likely include:
God vows to attend to the shepherds who have failed to attend to God's flock (Jeremiah 23:2). Injustice, inequity and oppression have become the way of the land and now shape the behavior of God's people. Divine judgment is presented as a necessary response to an intolerable situation.
One would expect God's condemnation of the shepherds to be followed by an announcement of consequences -- some description of how God will "attend to" the current leadership -- but none is mentioned. Instead, God vows to assume the role of shepherd personally and "gather the remnant of my flock out of all the lands where I have driven them" (Jeremiah 23:3).
Need not worry when others do you wrong. God will take care of things. He will settle the score. God is the just judge. He is not silent forever.
The chaos of injustice under the shepherds who cared only for themselves will be removed. God will be their shepherd, and then God will raise up shepherds who will care for the people.
Under new leadership the people will no longer fear or be dismayed. In these verses, through judgment and promise God announces "regime change" in Judah. The passage does not depict nor does it ponder the death, destruction and massive dislocation of the Exile. It attributes the Exile to royal malfeasance and to divine house-cleaning.
In verse 4, God promises to raise up new shepherds for the fold. Where will these leaders come from? Indeed, where will the shepherds come from in our own time? How will these shepherds be different from the former shepherds?
There is no special breed of human shepherd. It is ordinary men and women who must choose to be good shepherds. And it is up to ordinary men and women to flock to those shepherds whose attentiveness to justice, protection, mercy, and righteousness mirror God's shepherding.
God promises to continue working through the ages to raise up shepherds who will "deal wisely and ...execute justice and righteousness in the land" (Jeremiah 23:5). God promises the good shepherd for us all, His name is Jesus. We celebrate His birth this season.
Action Step: Remember the "Reason for the Season."
- Shallum/Jehoahaz (ruled 3 months in 609 BCE; Jeremiah 22:11-12)
- Jehoiakim (ruled 609-598 BCE; Jeremiah 22:18)
- Coniah/Jehoiachin (ruled 3 months in 597 BCE; Jeremiah 22:24-30).
- Zedekiah (ruled 597-587 BCE; Jeremiah 21:3-7)
- Each king has failed in his duty to "execute justice in the morning and deliver from the hand of the oppressor anyone who has been robbed" (Jeremiah 21:12a). In contrast to King Josiah (640-609 BCE) who "judged the cause of the poor and the needy" (Jeremiah 22:16), the "eyes and heart" of Josiah's heirs are set on "dishonest gain, for shedding innocent blood, and for practicing oppression and violence" (Jeremiah 22:17).
God vows to attend to the shepherds who have failed to attend to God's flock (Jeremiah 23:2). Injustice, inequity and oppression have become the way of the land and now shape the behavior of God's people. Divine judgment is presented as a necessary response to an intolerable situation.
One would expect God's condemnation of the shepherds to be followed by an announcement of consequences -- some description of how God will "attend to" the current leadership -- but none is mentioned. Instead, God vows to assume the role of shepherd personally and "gather the remnant of my flock out of all the lands where I have driven them" (Jeremiah 23:3).
Need not worry when others do you wrong. God will take care of things. He will settle the score. God is the just judge. He is not silent forever.
The chaos of injustice under the shepherds who cared only for themselves will be removed. God will be their shepherd, and then God will raise up shepherds who will care for the people.
Under new leadership the people will no longer fear or be dismayed. In these verses, through judgment and promise God announces "regime change" in Judah. The passage does not depict nor does it ponder the death, destruction and massive dislocation of the Exile. It attributes the Exile to royal malfeasance and to divine house-cleaning.
In verse 4, God promises to raise up new shepherds for the fold. Where will these leaders come from? Indeed, where will the shepherds come from in our own time? How will these shepherds be different from the former shepherds?
There is no special breed of human shepherd. It is ordinary men and women who must choose to be good shepherds. And it is up to ordinary men and women to flock to those shepherds whose attentiveness to justice, protection, mercy, and righteousness mirror God's shepherding.
God promises to continue working through the ages to raise up shepherds who will "deal wisely and ...execute justice and righteousness in the land" (Jeremiah 23:5). God promises the good shepherd for us all, His name is Jesus. We celebrate His birth this season.
Action Step: Remember the "Reason for the Season."
RSS Feed