#DailyDevotion The LORD Will Become Our Shepherd & Bring Us Home
Jeremiah 23:1–6 “Woe to the shepherds who ruin and scatter the flock of which I’m the Shepherd,” says the LORD. 2And so the LORD, the God of Israel, says to the shepherds feeding My people: “You have scattered My flock, driven them away, and not taken care of them, and now I’ll take care of you by punishing you for the evil you’ve done,” says the LORD. 3“I will gather what is left of My flock from all the countries where I’ve driven them and bring them back to their folds, and they will have lambs and be a large flock. 4Then I will appoint shepherds over them to feed them. They will no more be afraid or terrified, and none will be missing,” says the LORD.
Jeremiah prophesied during the time of the last kings of Judah. Judah had been following the ways of their sister in the north who had been carried off and conquered by Assyria. Israel (the northern tribes) had fallen into idol worship, the worship of false gods and the immorality which follows those things. Judah in the south did not take head of the LORD’s warning and double down on their sinning doing the same things and even worse.
Here the LORD is warning Judah’s rulers of the upcoming disaster coming upon them for the same things and worse that Israel did. Judah’s kings, princes, rulers, elder, prophets and priest are the shepherds the LORD is talking about. They are the ones who ruin and scatter the flock. They do this by teaching falsely, approving of sin, and not administering justice. As a result the people worship idols, false gods, take advantage of one another, forget the poor, and do all sorts of violence against one another, much like today (this got started today by teaching people all of the bible is not God’s Word, not inspired and not inerrant).
These shepherds were appointed by the Shepherd of Israel. The LORD God is the Shepherd of Israel. Who doesn’t know Psalm 23, “The LORD is my shepherd.” When Jesus says, “I am the Good Shepherd” he is identifying himself as Israel’s and Judah’s God, the God of Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob. The shepherds he appointed were also his sheep and he was merciful towards them hoping for them to repent, but no more. The time for judgment has come. The LORD, the Shepherd of Israel is going to punish these men for the evil they have done.
And now we get some Last Days (eschatological) talking here. The LORD, the Shepherd of Israel, Jesus Christ from Nazareth, is going to gather his people from the countries in which they have been scattered. He is sending new shepherds to preach the good news of the kingdom of God. The good Shepherd, Jesus Christ, has made atonement for them, indeed for the whole world, by shedding his blood on the cross. He has redeemed them. This message gathers his people, from every language, tribe, nation and people of the earth to Mt. Zion, the Holy City of God, which is the Church of Jesus Christ.
Though the preaching of this good news throughout the earth by Jesus’ servants, not one of his people will be missing. On the day we see visibly this gathering we will no longer be afraid or terrified. Our Good Shepherd will bring about justice on the earth.
Heavenly Father, grant that when we hear the good news of Jesus Christ we may be gathered unto Christ in faith and enter into his holy city Zion, the Church. In Jesus’ name we pray. Amen.