Day 257, Chronological Bible Study
Timeline. Map. Go to today’s Bible reading (use your browser arrow to return): Zechariah 9-14 Excellent or Poor Leadership? Many, if not most, Americans think of Abraham Lincoln, not only as a great president but as the best leader we ever had. What makes an excellent or poor leader? Is it character, organizational expertise, people skills, or something more? The Bible often speaks of leadership in terms of shepherds leading and caring for their sheep. In the Old Testament, this referred to God, the leaders of nations, especially of Israel, or their spiritual leaders, and the priests and prophets. In the New Testament, it referred to Jesus, the apostles, and the leaders and ministers of the churches. Today, most of us also have leadership responsibilities, whether that means in our community, on the job, in our church, or in our homes. How will we care for those under our charge? In today’s Bible reading, we hear what God has to say about leadership. Zechariah 9-11 comprises one oracle, and Zechariah 12-14 comprises a second and final oracle to Israel. Oracles are words of blessing or judgment which God proclaims to his people. In these sayings, Zechariah speaks of judgment and blessing. Poor Leadership In the first oracle, Zechariah speaks of God as the chief shepherd keeping watch over his under-shepherds — the leaders of Israel and other nations (Zechariah 9-11). They are doing a poor job with their responsibilities. The LORD would punish Tyre and the other countries on the Mediterranean coast for abusive leadership (Zechariah 9:1-8, and 13 may be a reference to Greece conquering the area). He would also punish Israel for corrupt leadership (see the book of Malachi and Zechariah 10:2-3). Again, they were guilty of idol worship and deceiving the people with false prophecies. They were also guilty of irreverence, mistreating their wives, and the priests were offering injured, crippled, or diseased animals as sacrifices to God, the king of the universe. Appalling! Because of these things, God would remove his favor from Israel and the surrounding nations (Zechariah 11:10; 11:8b,14). This would bring war. Under the leadership of Alexander the Great, the Greeks would conquer the whole known world, including the mighty kingdom of Persia. After Alexander’s untimely death, his generals would devastate Jerusalem with wars between them as they would fight for control. Antiochus Epiphanes IV, another Grecian general, would later enter the conflict, but he would be a madman. After almost conquering Egypt, Rome would cause him to retreat. Then, as he passed back through Jerusalem, Antiochus would express his rage against the Jews and desecrate their temple. The Jews would fight against him in the Maccabean revolt (Zechariah 9:13). Afterward, Rome would crush all the nations with an iron fist of power and become the sole world leader. Then, because of God’s great compassion, Zechariah prophesies that the LORD would send his own shepherd, a gentle king (Zechariah 9:9). The king and shepherd are references to God’s Son, Jesus Christ (Zechariah 9:16; 10:3; Matthew 21:5; John 10:11). Jesus would become like a gentle shepherd king as he ministers on the earth. He would shepherd the Jews by preaching the kingdom of God, instructing and encouraging them, and healing their wounds. The Lord would also be kind to the poor, raise the dead, and give people hope. He would warn them about the wolves, the false teachers and religious leaders who only serve themselves. Jesus would then come into Jerusalem riding on a donkey, like a peaceful king, to the praises of his Jewish people. For those who might not know, Palm Sunday is an annual reminder of this event. The religious leaders would reject him as their king and sell him to Judas Iscariot for a mere thirty pieces of silver, the price of a slave gored by an ox (Zechariah 11:12; Exodus 21:32). He would lead them to Jesus. Soon after that, the religious leaders would arrest Jesus in the Garden of Gethsemane . All night long, they would hold illegal trials, falsely accuse him, and abuse him. After battering and bruising him, they would take him before Pilate, make false accusations, and apply crowd pressure so the Romans would crucify him . Three days later, Jesus would arise from the dead to give the hope of forgiveness and eternal life to anyone who wants to receive it (more). However, he wouldn’t take his throne. Instead, the Lord would leave parting instructions for his disciples to be witnesses to his grace and forgiveness. When he returned to his Father in heaven (Matthew 28:19-20; Acts 1:8), he would leave the Holy Spirit of God with the disciples. He would comfort them and empower them to do whatever God wants them to do. Because Israel rejected her gentle shepherd king, the Romans would destroy Herod’s temple in 70 A.D., and the Jews would scatter or face persecution and death. God promised , however, that Jesus would come again as a victorious king and reunify the nation (Zechariah 9:14-17; 10:6-12). We still await the fulfillment of this prophecy. Are we shepherd leaders ? How do we lead others under our responsibility? Are we abusive or kind? Do we shepherd like Jesus, or are we only concerned for ourselves? Will we give our lives for others or keep it? God rewards faithful shepherds who faithfully serve their flocks and protect them from wolves. What about our national and local leaders—what are their interests? Excellent Leadership In the second oracle, the LORD speaks of shepherding Israel for her good (Zechariah 12-14). God offers hope for Israel. Although she will go through a terrible time of trouble in the Great Tribulation, the Lord Jesus Christ will come back to save her(Zechariah 14:4; Revelation 20:7-9). Someday God will destroy all her enemies (Zechariah 12:1-6,9). Israel will mourn over her sins when she sees the Messiah whom she rejected, return to this earth. But, she will receive national forgiveness and cleansing of her sins (Zechariah 12:10-11; 13:1). All worship of idols will cease — we will only worship God when Jesus comes to rule and reign over his kingdom (Zechariah 13-14). Holiness will prevail, and wickedness (typified by Canaan) will cease. There will be worldwide peace. Do we shepherd others for their good? How do we handle our children, employees, citizens, or church members when they mess up? We may discipline them, but are we also compassionate? Do we forgive them? Do we speak words of hope to them? If we want loyalty and devotion, we must not only correct them but also give forgiveness and hope. How do we measure up? How do our national and local leaders measure up? End Notes: Herod's temple was the restored and expanded version of Solomon’s temple The time of trouble for Israel will be primarily the last 3 ½ years of the tribulation, after the peace treaty is broken, and the other nations threaten to annihilate her. Discussion What are the characteristics of poor leadership? Does God see, and does it matter? How do we know? Describe the characteristics of excellent leadership. Does God see, and does it matter? Why? Focus Verse Zechariah 10:3 (NIV) “My anger burns against the shepherds, and I will punish the leaders; for the LORD Almighty will care for his flock, the house of Judah, and make them like a proud horse in battle.” If He cares for Israel He will also care for you (John 10:10-16, more...)
Write a private prayer response to today’s Bible study: Enter your prayer here: Please send your comments to me, Rod Looking Ahead: There are times when God doesn't make sense and we wonder What's God Doing? This is what the Jews in Babylon want to know during the time of Queen Esther. Read about it in our Next Lesson. Previous Lesson  |  Next Lesson Back to top of page Return to Chronological Bible Studies main page Go to Scriptures main page Go to Topics main page Go to Home page page re-edited 10-4-2022

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