ZECHARIAH LESSON 11


     We will begin this lesson in Zechariah 11:1 "Open thy doors, O
Lebanon, that the fire may devour thy cedars."

     The cedars of Lebanon were famous for their beauty and strength.
This is speaking of judgement coming on the people.

     Zechariah 11:2 "Howl, fir tree; for the cedar is fallen; because
the mighty are spoiled: howl, O ye oaks of Bashan; for the forest of
the vintage is come down."

     This is a judgement coming upon God's people, because they have
rejected the Lord of glory. They have refused their Messiah. It
appears, this army cuts down the trees for its own use, and leaves the
land in a shambles.

     Zechariah 11:3   "[There is] a voice of the howling of the
shepherds; for their glory is spoiled: a voice of the roaring of young
lions; for the pride of Jordan is spoiled."

     Those who have been the leaders of God's people will be removed.
They will not be the authority in the temple anymore. The lions had
been hidden by this beautiful forest, but now they, too, are exposed.
The trees of Lebanon had been a point of pride among the people. They
will be no more. I believe this goes even deeper to the priest and the
high priest, who had much power over the people, and suddenly it is
gone. One of the reasons, that I believe the high priest and the
priests did not accept Jesus for who He was, is the fact they would
have lost control of the people.

     Zechariah 11:4 "Thus saith the LORD my God; Feed the flock of the
slaughter;"

     Zechariah is told by God in this Scripture to do the job of those
who had misused their authority. Zechariah is to feed the sheep that
are wounded. The people were headed for destruction, and God wanted
Zechariah to warn them ahead of time.

     Zechariah 11:5 "Whose possessors slay them, and hold themselves
not guilty: and they that sell them say, Blessed [be] the LORD; for I
am rich: and their own shepherds pity them not."

     The people, at the time of the Messiah, were almost the
possession of the high priest and the priests. They were to shepherd
the people, but instead they fleeced the sheep. The sheep were but
pawns in their hands. They almost had the power of life, or death,
over them. This is speaking of the priests and the high priest getting
wealthy off the people. They had changed God's law to the extent that
it was to their advantage, and not for the people's good. In the same
breath, they blessed the Lord, and cursed their own people. The
shepherds {religous leaders} had no pity on their congregation.  Read
chapter 34 of Ezekiel for a full picture.
     Zechariah 11:6 "For I will no more pity the inhabitants of the
land, saith the LORD: but, lo, I will deliver the men every one into
his neighbour's hand, and into the hand of his king: and they shall
smite the land, and out of their hand I will not deliver [them]."

     God the Father had sent them a Saviour, and they had rejected
Him. God will have no pity on those who rejected His Son. Psalms 50:22
"Now consider this, ye that forget God, lest I tear [you] in pieces,
and [there be] none to deliver."  Ephesians 5:6 "Let no man deceive
you with vain words: for because of these things cometh the wrath of
God upon the children of disobedience."  The specific Scripture above
may be speaking of the enemies of God's people in general, or it could
be Israel's neighbors who were there enemies. Israel's enemies are
God's enemies. He will destroy them.

     Zechariah 11:7 "And I will feed the flock of slaughter, [even]
you, O poor of the flock. And I took unto me two staves; the one I
called Beauty, and the other I called Bands; and I fed the flock."

     "Beauty" means grace. "Bands" means cords bound together. The
grace of God is for Jew and Gentile. The grace of God binds all
believers together, whether they be Jew or Gentile. They are bound
together in the One Jesus Christ. Beauty and Bands are works of Jesus
Christ. All of the flock is led by One Shepherd. Ephesians 2:13 "But
now in Christ Jesus ye who sometimes were far off are made nigh by the
blood of Christ." Ephesians 2:14 "For he is our peace, who hath made
both one, and hath broken down the middle wall of partition [between
us];" Ephesians 2:15 "Having abolished in his flesh the enmity, [even]
the law of commandments [contained] in ordinances; for to make in
himself of twain one new man, [so] making peace;" Ephesians 2:16 "And
that he might reconcile both unto God in one body by the cross, having
slain the enmity thereby:"  The two staves are like the two sticks in
Ezekiel. They come together in Christ.

     Zechariah 11:8 "Three shepherds also I cut off in one month; and
my soul loathed them, and their soul also abhorred me."

     We know that the wicked leaders will be cut off. We, also, know
that the shepherd is the leader of the sheep. This, then, is speaking
of three leaders. These three shepherds are evil, They could,
possibly, be the counterfeit of the Father, Word, and Holy Ghost, who
would be the antichrist, false prophet, and beast. It could, also
possibly, be speaking of the scribes, Sadducees and the Pharisees, who
all rejected Jesus. One month is just speaking of a short time. Since
this is spoken in the past tense, I would tend to believe these would
be evil forces in power, when Jesus was on the earth.

     Zechariah 11:9 "Then said I, I will not feed you: that that
dieth, let it die; and that that is to be cut off, let it be cut off;
and let the rest eat every one the flesh of another."

     The anger of God, to those who have rejected His precious Son,
will bring terrible punishment from God. This speaks of a famine so
great, they actually eat human flesh.
     Zechariah 11:10  "And I took my staff, [even] Beauty, and cut it
asunder, that I might break my covenant which I had made with all the
people."

     We remember from the verses above, that Beauty spoke of the grace
of God. God had been full of grace to His people through all of their
unfaithfulness, but now, they have rejected His Son. God will no
longer be their protection under all circumstances. He will no longer
remember His covenant with them. They have broken covenant with God.
Always in the past, God remembered Abraham, and forgave them. Now, He
would remember those no more who reject Jesus.

     Zechariah 11:11 "And it was broken in that day: and so the poor
of the flock that waited upon me knew that it [was] the word of the
LORD."

     The poor seemed to take more heed to the Word of the LORD. They
knew the saying was from God. The majority did not take heed, and the
covenant was broken.

     Zechariah 11:12 "And I said unto them, If ye think good, give
[me] my price; and if not, forbear. So they weighed for my price
thirty [pieces] of silver."

     This is speaking of the thirty pieces of silver that Jesus was
betrayed for. "Thirty" is ten times three. Ten symbolizes world
government, and three speaks of God. "Silver" speaks of redemption.
This then, is symbolic of God redeeming man from the sinful world
system.

     Zechariah 11:13 "And the LORD said unto me, Cast it unto the
potter: a goodly price that I was prised at of them. And I took the
thirty [pieces] of silver, and cast them to the potter in the house of
the LORD."

     This is speaking of the thirty pieces of silver that Judas
Iscariot was paid. He did not keep it, but threw it back. They did not
keep it in the treasury, but gave it to the Potter's field. Matthew
27:3 "Then Judas, which had betrayed him, when he saw that he was
condemned, repented himself, and brought again the thirty pieces of
silver to the chief priests and elders," Matthew 27:4 "Saying, I have
sinned in that I have betrayed the innocent blood. And they said, What
[is that] to us? see thou [to that]." Matthew 27:5 "And he cast down
the pieces of silver in the temple, and departed, and went and hanged
himself." Matthew 27:6 "And the chief priests took the silver pieces,
and said, It is not lawful for to put them into the treasury, because
it is the price of blood." Matthew 27:7 "And they took counsel, and
bought with them the Potter's field, to bury strangers in."

     Zechariah 11:14 "Then I cut asunder mine other staff, [even]
Bands, that I might break the brotherhood between Judah and Israel."

     This is showing that God has broken His relationship with those
who have rejected Jesus. Romans 9:6 "Not as though the word of God
hath taken none effect. For they [are] not all Israel, which are of
Israel:" God had not broken His covenant with Abraham. He just will
not keep covenant with them, because of blood lines. He recognizes
Abraham's seed, now, as those who accepted His Son. Galatians 3:29
"And if ye [be] Christ's, then are ye Abraham's seed, and heirs
according to the promise."

     Zechariah 11:15  "And the LORD said unto me, Take unto thee yet
the instruments of a foolish shepherd."

     It appears, that Zechariah, as a symbol, was to take the part of
the foolish shepherd.

     Zechariah 11:16 "For, lo, I will raise up a shepherd in the land,
[which] shall not visit those that be cut off, neither shall seek the
young one, nor heal that that is broken, nor feed that that standeth
still: but he shall eat the flesh of the fat, and tear their claws in
pieces."

     There are a number of people this could be. It could, possibly,
be that this is speaking of the shepherd of the apostate church. It
could very well be speaking of antichrist. It could, also, be speaking
of the Romans who ruled during the time of Jesus' crucifixion. We are
warned of the shepherd who is like the ravening wolf.

     Zechariah 11:17 "Woe to the idol shepherd that leaveth the flock!
the sword [shall be] upon his arm, and upon his right eye: his arm
shall be clean dried up, and his right eye shall be utterly darkened."

     The right side of the body represents the spirit. This, then, is
speaking of the shepherd that is spiritually blind. Luke 6:39 "And he
spake a parable unto them, Can the blind lead the blind? shall they
not both fall into the ditch?"  Matthew 13:13 "Therefore speak I to
them in parables: because they seeing see not; and hearing they hear
not, neither do they understand."  These spiritually blind shepherds
have a form of Godliness, but are not spiritual. II Timothy 3:5
" Having a form of godliness, but denying the power thereof: from such
turn away." The 34th chapter of Ezekiel speaks of this type of
shepherd.















                       Zechariah 11 Questions


1.  Open thy doors, O Lebanon, that the fire may devour thy _________.
2.  What were the cedars of Lebanon famous for?
3.  What is verse 2 speaking of?
4.  Why are the shepherds howling?
5.  There will be no authority in the _________ anymore.
6.  Why does the author believe the high priest and priests did not
    accept Jesus?
7.  Who is verse 4 telling to feed the sheep?
8.  What is verse 5 speaking of?
9.  The _________ had no pity on their congregation.
10. Quote Psalms chapter 50 verse 22.
11. Quote Ephesians chapter 5 verse 6.
12. Beauty means _______.
13. Bands means what?
14. Quote Ephesians chapter 2 verses 13 through 16.
15. The two staves are like the two ___________ in Ezekiel.
16. Who are the three shepherds, possibly?
17. What does verse 9 speak of?
18. What caused God to break His staff {Beauty}?
19. Who realized this was the Word of the LORD, that Zechariah spoke?
20. What is verse 12 speaking of?
21. Explain the symbolism in the thirty pieces of silver.
22. Quote Matthew chapter 27 verses 3 through 7.
23. Why does verse 14 say, He broke the other staff {Bands}?
24. Quote Romans chapter 9 verse 6.
25. Who are Abraham's seed?
26. Who are some of the possibilities the foolish shepherd could be?
27. Woe to the idol __________ that leaveth the flock!
28. The right side of the body represents the ___________.
29. What kind of shepherd is this, then?
30. Quote Matthew chapter 13 verse 13.