Zechariah 11

V 1–3: DEVOURED AND DESOLATE Fire devouring the trees in Lebanon is symbolic of God’s dealing with Israel, making her desolate because of her sin. This chapter goes back to emphasising God’s judgement. V 4–14: ‘BEAUTY’ AND ‘BONDS’ During this period of judgement, God will no longer pity those sheep. They will be attacked and devoured. God dismisses their ‘three shepherds’ in one month. (This may refer to prophets, priests, and rulers then, or alternatively to later priests, scribes and Pharisees.) The two staffs that a shepherd uses, one as a baton against wild animals and the other as a crook to gather straying sheep to bring them into the fold, are both cut in two by Zechariah at God’s direction. They symbolise the breaking of the covenant between God and His people, consequent judgement, and the breaking of relationships between Judah and Israel which follows. Zechariah acts out the role of the rejected shepherd, whose value is only put at thirty pieces of silver. This is the price of a common slave and the price that the priests later will pay Judas for his betrayal of the Lord Jesus Christ. V 15–17: WORTHLESS AND WOEFUL Zechariah then acts out the part of a foolish shepherd who not only fails to care for the sheep or their needs but also treats them selfishly and cruelly. He will be an object of woe at God’s judgement. Great suffering will come upon him. Because he has used neither his eye nor his arm to fulfil a true shepherd’s duty, both will be smitten by God. Some see the false shepherd as a picture of the Antichrist to come.