WOE TO THE SHEPHERDS

“Woe to the shepherds who destroy and scatter the sheep of My pasture!” says the LORD. (Jeremiah 23:1)

God has a special judgment for those who are unfaithful shepherds.  To whom much is given, much is required.  The degree of insight and influence which God grants to those who guide His people elevates the level of the pastor’s responsibility and accountability.  The more insight we have into the truth, the greater God holds us responsible for what we know.  The more influence we have, the graver God views our accountability for those we lead.

Jeremiah was a faithful shepherd.  It was not easy.  His message was hated by his generation.  His fellow shepherds were enjoying the favor of the people because they were telling them what they wanted to hear.  This is the theme of Jeremiah 23.

Woe is pronounced on those who scatter sheep rather than gather them (v.1-2).  Shepherds are meant to care for the flock—to lead, feed, guard, and care for the sheep.  It is not an easy job.  The faithless pastor is one who is focused on his concerns instead.  He is self-centered and not sheep-centered.

The Lord, our Shepherd, takes note.  He loves His sheep.  This is His nature.  God knows they are soon to be scattered in judgment when Jerusalem falls to the Babylonians.  It is not just the wicked in the city that will be taken, but when the city is sacked, the godly will be led away also.  God will not lose sight of His sheep, however, and will regather them and care for them (v.3).  His way of caring for them is to appoint over His flock some faithful shepherds who will feed them the Word of God (v.4).  I think of men like Ezekiel and Daniel—faithful shepherds to the exiles; Ezra, Haggai, Zechariah, and Malachi—faithful shepherds to those who returned to rebuild Jerusalem.  The ultimate gathering of the Jews to Israel and outpouring of grace awaits the coming of the Good Shepherd, Jesus Christ (v.5-8).

The end of time is a day of hope for those who are prepared to meet the Lord.  The Apostle would later write of his anticipation of reward for all faithful shepherds like himself (2 Tim.4:8).  Paul knew there would be false teachers also who would tickle the ears of the people (2 Tim.4:3-4).  The end of time is a day of horror for those who are unprepared.  Faithless shepherds will face some of the hottest fires of hell for they have not only rejected God’s Word, they have actively led others into torment with them!  Jeremiah was heartsick at the thought (v.9). 

The spiritual leaders’ model and message—fueled by the lusts in their own wicked hearts—fed the flame of depraved desire in the hearts of the people (v.10).  God assures them of His wrath (v.11-15).

Their kind is growing like a cancer in the churches of our land.  Apostasy is a malignant evil afflicting the pulpit and killing those in the pew.  As those of Jeremiah’s day, the source of their message is their own perverse heart and not the Word of God (v.16).  They preach a false promise of prosperity and rock them to sleep with the lullaby of the damned (v.17).  Such are not God called, but self-centered (v.18).  Their doom will come (v.19-40).

The faithful shepherd knows the power of God’s Word (v.28-29).  It will be a fire to consume the chaff and a hammer to break stony hearts.  The shepherd’s call is to, “Preach the Word!”  (2 Tim.4:2)

AS DIFFERENT AS NIGHT AND DAY

Now Adam knew Eve his wife, and she conceived and bore Cain, and said, “I have acquired a man from the LORD.”  Then she bore again, this time his brother Abel. Now Abel was a keeper of sheep, but Cain was a tiller of the ground.  And in the process of time it came to pass that Cain brought an offering of the fruit of the ground to the LORD.  Abel also brought of the firstborn of his flock and of their fat. And the LORD respected Abel and his offering, but He did not respect Cain and his offering. And Cain was very angry, and his countenance fell.  (Gen.4:1-5)

Anyone who has had more than one child can tell you that each one is unique.  Even in the case of “identical” twins, you will find distinctions among the similarities.  As no two snowflakes are identical, so each human is different.  Sometimes they are as different as night and day.  That was certainly true of two brothers—Cain and Abel.  One was faithful  (full of faith) and the other was faithless.

The results of sin’s curse became readily apparent.  When a bouncing baby boy named Cain emerged from the womb, Eve gave him that name because she saw Cain as the fulfillment of God’s prophecy that her seed would vanquish the Serpent (Gen.3:15).  Instead, Cain would prove to be of the Serpent’s spawn.  Another baby was born—Abel—and his name meant, “vanity,” suggesting that Eve was already disappointed by the way Cain was turning out.

The brothers were different in their choice of vocations—one becoming a tiller of the field and the other a tender of the flock.  But, the primary difference in the two was spiritual—seen in the fact that Cain’s offering was rejected, while Abel’s was received.  Hebrews 11 gives us the Holy Spirit’s explanation, “By faith Abel offered to God a more excellent sacrifice than Cain, through which he obtained witness that he was righteous, God testifying of his gifts; and through it he being dead still speaks.”  (v.4)  Abel was faithful and Cain was faithless.  Why did Abel have faith and Cain did not?  Again, we turn to the New Testament, “So then faith comes by hearing, and hearing by the word of God.”  (Rom.10:17)  Apparently, God had given His Word to Adam and Eve, when He clothed them in animal skins—that the work of man’s hands cannot atone for sin—it required the shedding of blood.  Cain might have purchased a lamb from his brother, but he rejected the Word of God and God rejected his offering.  Jude 11 speaks of “the way of Cain,” which is the way of false teaching—a religion of self-righteous works rather than the righteousness which comes by faith.  Cain’s angry response rather than humble repentance disclosed the depravity of his heart.  Cain saw no need to bring a blood sacrifice, but had no qualms about shedding his brother’s blood.

We could say more, but let me close with this—everyone reading these words is either faithful or faithless.  Your spiritual forebear is Cain or Abel.  None of us can be forgiven without responding in faith to the blood of the Lamb of God—the Lord Jesus Christ.  The two are as different as night and day—the faithful entering God’s Eternal Day, while the faithless is cast into, “outer darkness.”  (Matt.25:30).  We are the seed of the Serpent or sons of God.  Read 1 John 3:10-19 for further insight. Who is your spiritual father?