30 “Therefore you shall prophesy against them all these words, and you shall say to them,
‘The Lord will roar from on high
And utter His voice from His holy habitation;
He will roar mightily against His [l]fold.
He will shout like those who tread the grapes,
Against all the inhabitants of the earth.
31 ‘A clamor has come to the end of the earth,
Because the Lord has a controversy with the nations.
He is entering into judgment with all flesh;
As for the wicked, He has given them to the sword,’ declares the Lord.”32 Thus says the Lord of hosts,
“Behold, evil is going forth
From nation to nation,
And a great storm is being stirred up
From the remotest parts of the earth.33 “Those slain by the Lord on that day will be from one end of the earth to the [m]other. They will not be lamented, gathered or buried; they will be like dung on the face of the ground.
34 “Wail, you shepherds, and cry;
And wallow in ashes, you masters of the flock;
For the days of your slaughter and your dispersions [n]have come,
And you will fall like a choice vessel.
35 “Flight will perish from the shepherds,
And escape from the masters of the flock.
36 “Hear the sound of the cry of the shepherds,
And the wailing of the masters of the flock!
For the Lord is destroying their pasture,
37 “And the peaceful [o]folds are made silent
Because of the fierce anger of the Lord.
38 “He has left His hiding place like the lion;
For their land has become a horror
Because of the fierceness of the [p]oppressing sword
And because of His fierce anger.”
This chapter shifts back once more to focus on God’s people, or at least those who are left, since Israel is already in captivity, and only the territory of Judah remains. In the latter half especially, there is a focus on the shepherds, the “masters of the flock”. They will wail and cry as God pours out His judgment on the wicked…
Wait, why would they be upset about the wicked? We need to backup a little, and remember that the prophets and priests were not leading the people in God’s ways, but had led them astray. They were the ringleaders of all the wickedness, or at the very least, integral participants in all of it.
So, perhaps their wailing is genuine, because they realize now the impact of their false teaching. Or, perhaps it is only the loss of their own position and power that they mourn. I wouldn’t be surprised if it was the latter, for if they really cared about the people, they would have listened to God instead. His voice had not been silent, and true prophets had been delivering God’s messages for decades (and more).
It is a wakeup call to any of us who are in leadership, to pay attention to where we are leading–and why… What is our motive, and where are we going? Are we listening for God’s voice in all of it, so that we could say, like Paul, “Be imitators of me, just as I also am of Christ.” Or do we find ourselves saying, “Do as I say, not as I do?”
Now, before you say, “Hey, I’m no leader, I’m just…” Take a good long look at your life, are there people who look up to you? For moms and dads, the answer is most certainly yes. Even if our kids don’t act like it sometimes, they look to us for guidance. Likewise, other family members are not off the hook, and even seemingly “unattached” individuals may have influence over others.
I’d think it hard to believe a mother could be as calloused as these “shepherds”, to only weep when she loses control. Maybe there are some that callous, but I think we all could take a cue from moms, for in them is found a mirror of the compassion found in God’s own heart. And for the moms specifically, do not take your position for granted. Your children need you, and even those beyond your family can learn from a good mom.
For the rest of us, may we strive daily to imitate Christ, so that anyone who imitates us will not be found a fool in the last days, but will be also following Christ, walking in His steps. There will be no weeping for good shepherds when they are faithfully following the Good Shepherd.