Listen to the wailing of the shepherds, for their glory is in ruins. Listen to the roaring of the young lions, for the thickets of the Jordan are destroyed. Sermons
I. BAD MEN IN HIGH OFFICE. The men referred to here are called "shepherds," which is a designation of men in power, men who politically and ecclesiastically presided over the people - the leaders. Communities of men everywhere and in all times have had "shepherds," men who guided and ruled them. These "shepherds" have sometimes reached their position irrespectively of the will of the people, sometimes with the will of the people, sometimes against the will of the people. In this country we have a number of "shepherds," politically from the mayor to the queen, ecclesiastically from the assistant curate to the archbishop. The "shepherds" referred to in the text had unfortunately what, alas! the leaders of the people in all ages have too frequently had - an ambitious character. Hence they are here called, "young lions," "a voice of the roaring of young lions;" or, as Keil has it, a "loud roaring of the young lions." They were hungry, ravenous, and rapacious, fattening upon the people of their charge. Elsewhere they are represented as "ravening wolves." How often have men in high office, both in state and Church, been of this character! Such as they care nothing for the people, only so far as they can make use of them, feed and fatten on them. Observe: 1. That a man in high office who has a bad character is of all men the most contemptible. A bad character in a pauper makes him contemptible; but a bad character in a king makes him ten times the more contemptible. When God commands us to honour our parents, and to honour the king, it implies that the parents and the king are honourworthy; if they are corrupt in character, they should be die, honoured and denounced. 2. That it is the duty of all peoples to promote those alone to high office who have a high moral character. Alas! they have not done so; hence they have often had unworthy magistrates, judges, kings, bishops. II. BAD MEN IN HIGH OFFICE GREATLY DISTRESSED. "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." "The glory of these shepherds being spoiled," says Wardlaw, "signifies the brining down of all their honour and power, and the wealth and luxury which, by the abuse of their power they had acquired, all becoming a prey to the sacking and pillaging besiegers. The pride of Jordan lay in it,'s evergreens and brushwood with which its banks were enriched and adorned; and these being the covert and habitation of the young lions, the two parts of the figure are appropriate. As the lions howl and roar in dismay and fury when dislodged from their refuges and dwelling places, whether by the swelling flood sweeping over their lairs, or from the cutting down or the burning of their habitations, so should the priests and rulers of Jerusalem be alarmed and struck with desperation and rage, when they found their city, within whose walls they had counted themselves secure from the very possibility of hostile entrance, laid open to the outrage of an exasperated enemy, and all its resources given up to plunder and destruction - country as well as city thrown into confusion and desolation!" Such rulers may well be distressed. Let them howl: 1. Because all the keen-sighted and honest men over whom they preside despise them. Though the hordes of miserable sycophants worship them on account of the glitter and pageantry of their elevated position, the Carlyles, the Thackerays, and the unsophisticated millions regard them with ineffable disdain. 2. Because the righteous Governor of the world has denounced them. "Woe unto you, scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites! for ye devour widows' houses, and for a pretence make long prayer: therefore ye shall receive the greater damnation Woe unto you, scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites! for ye pay tithe of mint and anise and cummin, and have omitted the weightier matters of the Law, judgment, mercy, and faith: these ought ye to have done, and not to leave the other undone. Ye blind guides, which strain at a gnat, and swallow a camel. Woe unto you scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites! for ye make clean the outside of the cup and of the platter, but within they are full of extortion and excess" (Matthew 23:14, etc.). - D.T.
For their glory is spoiled Homilist. I. THE MEN HERE REFFERED TO called "shepherds," which is a designation of men in power, men who politically and ecclesiastically presided over the people, the leaders. The "shepherds" have sometimes reached their positrons irrespective of the will of the people. The "shepherds" referred to here had an ambitious character. Likened to "young lions."1. That a man in high office who has a bad character is of all men the most contemptible A bad character in a pauper makes him contemptible; but a bad character in a king makes him ten times the more contemptible. 2. That it is the duty of all peoples to promote those alone to high office who have a high moral character. II. Bad men in high office GREATLY DISTRESSED. "There is a voice of the howling of the shepherds," etc. "The glory of these shepherds being spoiled," says Wardlaw, "signifies the bringing down of all their honour and power and the wealth and luxury which, by the abuse of their power, they had acquired, all becoming a prey to the sacking and pillaging besiegers. The pride of Jordan lay in its evergreens and brushwood with which its banks were enriched and adorned; and these being the covert and habitation of the young lions, the two parts of the figure are appropriate. As the lions howl and roar in dismay and fury when dislodged from their refuges and dwelling places, whether by the swelling flood sweeping over their lairs, or from the cutting down or the burning of their habitations, so should the priests and rulers of Jerusalem be alarmed and struck with desperation and rage, when they found their city, within whose walls they had counted themselves secure from the very possibility of hostile entrance, laid open to the outrage of an exasperated enemy, and all its resources given up to plunder and destruction — country as well as city thrown into confusion and desolation!" Such rulers may well be distressed — 1. Because all the keen-sighted and honest men over whom they preside despise them. 2. Because the Righteous Governor of the world has denounced them. (Homilist.) People ZechariahPlaces Bashan, Jordan River, LebanonTopics Crying, Despoiled, Destroyed, Excellency, Flock, Glory, Hark, Honour, Howling, Jordan, Jungle, Keepers, Laid, Lions, Listen, Loud, Lush, Pastures, Pride, Rich, Roar, Roaring, Robe, Ruined, Shepherds, Spoiled, Thicket, Thickets, Voice, Wail, Wailing, WasteOutline 1. The destruction of Jerusalem.3. The elect being cared for, the rest are rejected. 10. The staves of Beauty and Bands broken by the rejection of Christ. 15. The type and curse of a foolish shepherd. Dictionary of Bible Themes Zechariah 11:1-3Library Inspiration of Scripture. --Gospel Difficulties. --The Word of God Infallible. --Other Sciences Subordinate to Theological Science. All Scripture is given by inspiration of God. BUT that is not exactly what St. Paul says. The Greek for that, would be He graphe--not pasa graphe--theopneustos. St. Paul does not say that the whole of Scripture, collectively, is inspired. More than that: what he says is, that every writing,--every several book of those hiera grammata, or Holy Scriptures, in which Timothy had been instructed from his childhood,--is inspired by God [330] . It comes to very nearly the same thing but it is not quite … John William Burgon—Inspiration and Interpretation And Again David Says:... In the House of his Heavenly, and in the Home of his Earthly Father - the Temple of Jerusalem - the Retirement at Nazareth. The Good Shepherd' and his one Flock' - Last Discourse at the Feast of Tabernacles. Discourse on the Good Shepherd. The First Trumpet. Remorse and Suicide of Judas. Questions. The Shepherd of Our Souls. The Fulfilled Prophecies of the Bible Bespeak the Omniscience of Its Author A Discourse of the House and Forest of Lebanon Of the Incapacity of an Unregenerate Person for Relishing the Enjoyments of the Heavenly World. Fifthly, as this Revelation, to the Judgment of Right and Sober Reason, The Covenant of Works Seasonable Counsel: Or, Advice to Sufferers. Covenanting Predicted in Prophecy. Zechariah Links Zechariah 11:3 NIVZechariah 11:3 NLT Zechariah 11:3 ESV Zechariah 11:3 NASB Zechariah 11:3 KJV Zechariah 11:3 Bible Apps Zechariah 11:3 Parallel Zechariah 11:3 Biblia Paralela Zechariah 11:3 Chinese Bible Zechariah 11:3 French Bible Zechariah 11:3 German Bible Zechariah 11:3 Commentaries Bible Hub |