Mon.’s Devo - The Shepherd

Read: Zechariah 10:1-11:17; Revelation 18:1-24; Psalm 146:1-10; Proverbs 30:33 Zechariah urged the people to ask the Lord for the rain in the season they needed rain instead of doing all their pagan rituals they did to get it to rain. God was the author of the rain and the director and creator of the seasons. He is the source. Instead, they went to their fake gods who gave worthless advise and their fortune tellers who predicted only lies. God was angry at the leaders who led their people to idolatry. They were suppose to shepherd the people but instead they had used them as commodities to get rich. God would send his army to fight for his people to overthrow their enemies. Their enemies would scatter them to distant nations but God would one day bring them back where they would grow and prosper as a nation. They will be led through the sea of distress and crushed by the pride of Assyria, but when the time comes, they will be led home. God told Zechariah to be their shepherd and care for the ones intended for slaughter. He took two shepherd’s staffs and named one “Favor” and the other “Union.” He got rid of the three evil leaders in one month. But the people hated Zechariah, so the told them he was not going to be their shepherd and they would be left to their own demise. He took the staff labeled “Favor” and broke it in two showing that he was breaking his covenant with them. Some of the people watching understood what he was doing. Zechariah asked for his payment for being their leader and they gave him thirty pieces of silver. God told Zechariah to throw them to the potter in the Temple. (Judas sold Jesus for the same amount and threw his money to the potter in the Temple also.) Then Zechariah took the other staff named “Union” and cut it in two to show that Judah and Israel were not one. God told Zechariah to go back and play the part of the worthless shepherd and show no care for the fact that they were running to their demise. He declared that sorrow awaits the leaders who don’t care for their sheep. In Revelation, an angel came to proclaim that Babylon had fallen. She had been the headquarters for all the evil done on the earth. The plagues were coming to overtake her in a single day. She would experience death, turning and famine and be completely consumed by fire. Kings who allied with her would see the smoke of her remains and mourn in terror at her demise. Merchants will mourn for they will have no one to sell their wares. Babylon will never rise to slaughter God’s people and deceive the nations again. Lord, thank you for being our Great Shepherd who cares for us and leads us beside still waters. You restore our soul. You never leave us or forsake us.