“So I became the shepherd of the flock doomed to be slaughtered by the sheep traders. And I took two staffs, one I named Favor, the other I named Union. And I tended the sheep.”
- Zechariah 11:7
Throughout Zechariah, the topic of leadership has come up a lot. Even in previous chapters, they centered around two key leaders for Jerusalem’s restoration. Chapter 11 will be no different as Zechariah lives out an allegory by becoming a shepherd.
What’s difficult though is this chapter lacks a lot of historical contexts. We aren’t sure who this is necessarily to, or what leaders are being put into question for their bad shepherding. So I’m going to give you a broad explanation of where this falls and what that can mean.
Zechariah tends to be post-exilic, meaning the events and messages happen during Judah’s return from Babylon and in their rebuilding time. If you want the years, the Return happened approximately in 520 BC., the temple was rebuilt and completed in 515 BC., and Zechariah 9-14 are undated. The presumption being chapters 9-14 occur after their return but maybe before the completion of the temple. You would think a prophet would make mention in his writings that the temple was completed, cause its kind of a big deal, but since Zechariah doesn’t it makes it rather difficult to understand what’s going on.
At the core, this chapter is an acted-out allegory on leadership, where Zechariah plays and describes both the good and the bad shepherds and their interactions with the sheep (Judah). No doubt, an important message to Zerubbabel, Jeshua, and the rest of the people. Before we get into the significance of the two staffs, I want to point out the 3 bad shepherds.
“In one month I destroyed the three shepherds. But I became impatient with them (the sheep), and they also detested me.”
- Zechariah 11:8
Who do these three shepherds represent? Probably not Zerubbabel or Jeshua, but certainly other leaders raised by God but then failed as leaders. In this one verse, Zechariah depicts a God who cares so deeply for His people He will cast out awful leaders, but then also how the people come to detest God and challenge their very relationship.
With that, Zechariah breaks the two staffs named Favor and Union…
Favor:
When we talk about the Lord’s Favor, we are talking about how He has lovingly chosen a people to be His own. Jump all the way back to the days of Abraham. When God made His covenant promises with Abraham, Abraham and His family became God’s special possession, having Favor before all the families of the world.
The same would remain true throughout all the generations; Isaac, Jacob, Joseph, Moses, Joshua, and David. Through all the ups and downs of God’s relationship with Israel and Judah, He still favored them and would not turn His backs on them, He never held scissors to the wire that connected them.
The people, however, challenged it time and time again. We even challenge it today in many ways. Good shepherds though are to know their sheep deeply, and their sheep are to feel favored in the embrace of their shepherd. But leader after leader failed to make the people feel the Lord’s favor. So they rebelled and turned against God, so at some point, the Hebrew people lost the Lord’s favor.
When exactly? We aren’t sure. The 3 shepherds could have been 3 evil kings before the exile, it could be 3 leaders in the present time of Zechariah, or he could be revealing 3 leaders that are to come in the intertestamental period when the Romans would strike them down. Whatever the case may be, the point is that a Good Shepherd, a Good Leader helps the people live in God’s Favor.
Union:
Not only is the people’s connection to God severed, but so are their connections to one another. Israel and Judah were meant to be reunited. But in their returns, it almost seemed they returned and rebuilt separately, having lost sight of their shared special favor from God they also lost sight of their brotherly unity they had.
As a result over the next 400 years, Judeans would avoid Samaritans, turn on each other, and have an overall messy history. They never fought for each other, but even against each other. Their unity was destroyed to the point when the Romans came in, it was easy, then they spent many more decades revolting and turning on each other further.
With unity fractured, we can lose what makes being a community so important. Instead, we build up tribes and denominations because we disagree with our brother or our sister. When we divide, we hold a machete to the heart of God for His people.
Final Blessing:
Judea lost God’s favor and union with one another because of their self-interest and poor leadership. The Church, the Body of Christ, has the Lord’s Favor today, we are His special possession, and passage after passage commands us to unity, reconciliation, and oneness. If God through Zechariah is saying that Favor and Union are critical, then we should be listening and living into that. Whether you are a leader or not, as part of the Body we need to do all we can to maintain a strong relationship with God and with each other. God has already pledged His faithfulness. Now the challenge is our faithfulness. Seek out His grace which is His favor, and look to encourage your brother or sister in the Lord.
Now may the Lord of Life and Redemption be with you in every step, every breath, and every heartbeat of your journey.