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And the Lord said unto me, Take unto thee yet the instruments of a foolish shepherd. 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. 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. "After Israel has compelled the good Shepherd to lay down his shepherd's office, in consequence of its own sin, it is not to be left to itself, but to be given into the hand of a foolish shepherd, who will destroy it. This is the thought in the fresh symbolical action" (Keil). The "foolish" shepherd means the charlatan, or fraudulent ruler. Here we have -

I. FRAUDULENT SHEPHERDS OF THE PEOPLE DESCRIBED. We learn here:

1. That their existence is a Divine permission. "I will raise." In biblical phraseology, the Almighty is frequently represented as doing that which he only permits. Thus he is said to have "hardened Pharaoh's heart." He here practically respects that freedom of action with which he has endowed the human soul. Here, in this scene of probation, he allows it ample scope. Whilst he does not originate aught that is bad in the worst of men, he permits the worst of men to work out the bad that is in them, and to rise sometimes even to the highest positions in human society. In doing this, three purposes are answered.

(1) He inflicts punishment here upon the guilty by the agency of wicked men. The Herods, the Neros, the Alexanders, the Bonners, and the most corrupt occupants of the papal chair become his instruments in the punishment of a guilty generation. For this purpose, it is intimated, these "foolish shepherds" were now raised up.

(2) He reveals to the universe the enormity of human depravity. When bad men are allowed to reach the highest offices in Church and state, and give free scope and unrestrained development to all that is bad within them, an opportunity is afforded to all moral intelligences of receiving such an impression of the enormity of moral evil as otherwise would be impossible.

(3) He furnishes the most powerful assurance of future retribution for mankind. To allow wickedness such liberty as this, liberty to rise to the highest positions, and to gratify its vilest propensities forever, would be to condemn him in the eyes of the universe as an unrighteous Ruler.

2. That under the profession of blessing their race, they are its greatest curse. There are three features of wickedness in the character here described.

(1) Negligence. "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;" or, as Keil translates it, "That which is perishing will he not observe, that which is scattered will he not seek, and that which is broken will he not heal; that which is standing will he not care for." The groans of the people affect them no more than the roar of the breaking billows affects the granite cliffs.

(2) Selfishness. "He shall eat the flesh of the fat." These fraudulent guides and guards of the people feed and fatten on their miseries.

(3) Cruelty. "And tear their claws [hoofs] in pieces." If the people yield not to their exactions, contribute not to their aggrandizement, they will pounce upon them like hungry hounds, despoil them of their property, rob them of their liberty, and persecute them even unto death. "This," says Dr. Wardlaw, "was not a just character of Herod only, there were many such negligent, selfish, cruel pretenders; false Christs and false prophets abounded, abounded then and abound now."

II. FRAUDULENT SHEPHERDS OF THE PEOPLE DENOUNCED. "Woe to the idol shepherd!" Here is the doom of those "idol shepherds" - idol because vain and worthless. "The woe pronounced," says an able expositor, "is striking and impressive." 'The sword shall be upon his arm and upon his right eye.' The sword is the sword, doubtless, of the invading foe. The faithless shepherd shall be among its surest victims. The 'arm,' which ought, as the emblem of power, to have been employed in defending the flock, shall be smitten and 'dried up:' he shall lose all power, not only for their protection, but, on account of his neglect of them, for his own. His 'right eye,' which, as the emblem of knowledge and vigilance and foresight, should have guided the flock, and been ever on the watchful look out after every member of it, shall be 'utterly darkened.' Visited by a righteous God with judicial blindness, he shall grope in the noonday as in the night, deceiving and being deceived, and shall utterly perish in his own delusions."

CONCLUSION. Beware of "wolves in sheep's clothing." "Believe not every spirit, but try the spirits, whether they are of God; because many false prophets are gone out into the world." - D.T.

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KJV: And the LORD said unto me, Take unto thee yet the instruments of a foolish shepherd.

WEB: Yahweh said to me, "Take for yourself yet again the equipment of a foolish shepherd.