ZECHARIAH 11
We have seen in chapter 10 how Jehovah visits His flock for restoration, and makes them overcomers as having all strength in Himself. But chapter 11 shows the solemn consequences of His grace being refused. There is still a flock in view, but it can only be regarded as a “flock of slaughter”; that is, as a subject of judgment. Nationally this was the state of the people when the Lord came to them in the days of His flesh. John the baptist [p. 128] declared that the axe was laid to the root of the tree. Their possessors slew them, as Pilate did the Galileans. Their own shepherds did not pity them; the scribes and priests did nothing to help them; and they were in that state by the judgment of God. That was the state of things when Christ came, but He came to feed them all in grace if they would receive Him. But He discriminated between the flock of Slaughter, and those whom He speaks of as “the poor of the flock”, though, indeed, all were involved in the judgment which was imminent upon the nation. But “the poor of the flock” are distinguished in verse 11 as those “that gave heed to me”. They represented the godly remnant, who had owned the state of the nation by submitting to John’s baptism, and who, as repentant, gave heed to the true Shepherd, though He was rejected by those who were in the place of shepherds. As to those shepherds He says, “my soul was vexed with them, and their soul also loathed me”, verse 8. The three shepherds destroyed in one month would suggest that in the ministry of the Lord full testimony was given to the true character of the religious leaders of the people. They were morally destroyed by His exposure of them; He was vexed with them, and they loathed Him. They were left to perish, and to destroy one another; by their rebellion against the Roman power they brought destruction upon themselves and their city. But their rejection of the true Shepherd involved solemn consequences in the ways of God which are set forth symbolically in the two staves, Beauty and Bands. In the Lord’s ministry here He had before Him to take up the covenant with all the peoples of which the Scriptures had spoken. If Israel had received Him He would have become in Israel the gathering Centre for all the Gentiles also. He would have united Judah and Israel in brotherhood. His ministry to the flock had this in view, but the Soul of the shepherds loathed Him, so that His staff Beauty was cut asunder, and the covenant with all peoples which would have come into effect through Israel was broken. Nor was there any uniting of Judah and Israel in brotherhood; the staff Bands was cut asunder also. At the present time blessing has been secured for the Gentiles on quite different ground; that is, on the ground of the death and resurrection of Christ, and the present casting away of Israel through unbelief.
Our object at this time is to see if there is any present application of what comes out in this chapter. I think we shall find that there is, for there is now, as there was when the Lord was here.
[p. 129] a large body of people who profess to have relations with God, Christ is serving them, as He did Israel, for the present service of Christ is available for all in Christendom. All that is ministered publicly, both in the glad tidings and in the ministry to those who take Christian ground, is for the benefit of all in the Christian profession, but the present service of Christ is bringing to light that many loathe Him. He is still asking people what they think His service is worth; He says, “If ye think good, give me my hire; and if not, forbear”, verse 12. 1 believe we are all being constantly asked what price we prize Him at. The chief priests decided that it was worth thirty silver-pieces to get rid of Him, and Judas agreed that it was a fair price! He says, “a goodly price that I was prized at by them”. If Christ becomes loathsome to the shepherds, instead of valuing Him they will pay money as the price of His blood. But it is very striking that, though this scripture was fulfilled by the priests and Judas, as given in the prophet it has a permanent application. It is the Lord saying to each one of us, ‘What do you think Me worth? What is My service worth in your estimation?’ The setting of it in the prophet is not exactly the price of His blood, but what did they think His service in Israel was worth? That is how He looked at the matter. It was their unworthy valuation of His service.
“And Jehovah said unto me, Cast it unto the potter: a goodly price that I was prized at by them. And I took the thirty silver-pieces, and cast them to the potter in the house of Jehovah”, verse 13. It was impossible that Jehovah should allow Him to accept such a “hire”. It was to be cast to the potter to show, I think, how Jehovah resented such an unworthy estimate of Christ, but as being in His house it was there as a testimony. Everybody in Christendom is putting some estimate on the worth of Christ, and the worth of His service, and that estimate is before God in His house. If any of us have an unworthy estimate of Christ, how can God regard it otherwise than as calling for His judgment? Christendom is being judged at the present time by God on account of its unworthy estimate of Christ, and the staff Bands is being cut asunder. There is from time to time a thought of Christendom being re-united, but this can never be so long as Christ is “cast aside as worthless”. That is what the religious builders — the shepherds of that day — thought of Him, and it is so still though His name is professed. There is little “brotherhood” today because Christ is not valued; divisions [p. 130] amongst Christians would all disappear if Christ were more valued. Paul said, “Is the Christ divided?” If Christ and His precious service were more precious to every heart, how the walls which divide saints would crumble away!
If people do not value Christ they will get Antichrist, who is referred to in verses 15 - 17. They will get one who will do nothing for them; he will be a destructive shepherd, eating and tearing in pieces. John tells us that there were many Antichrists in his day; we may be sure that they have not diminished in number since.
It is for us now to see that we are among “the poor of the flock” who give heed to Christ. He is ready to speak to, and feed, those who value Him. Such have their own gathering Centre in the true Shepherd, and as following Him they become one flock. This is another character in which Christ is presented in this precious part of Scripture. We have seen Him as the Branch, the Builder, the King, the Priest, and now the Shepherd. May we value Him more in every way in which God brings Him before us!