The LORD my God said to me, “Act the part of the shepherd of a flock of sheep that are going to be butchered.
Zechariah 11:4 GNB
Zechariah was called to “act the part” of shepherding a disobedient flock. But there is more to the story than just what was asked of Zechariah. This was a prophecy about Jesus, the True Shepherd.
Then I said to them, “If it seems right to you, give me my wages; but if not, keep them.” So they weighed my wages, 30 pieces of silver. 13 “Throw it to the potter,” the LORD said to me—this magnificent price I was valued by them. So I took the 30 pieces of silver and threw it into the house of the LORD, to the potter.
Zechariah 11:12-13 HCSB
The thirty pieces of silver is a familiar number. This is the same amount of money that Judas accepted when he betrayed Jesus. Another interesting detail is that the money was given to the potter.
“The money to betray Jesus – His purchase price – went to buy a potter’s field (Mat 27:7). A potter’s field was a piece of useless land where he threw his broken, damaged, and rejected pots. Jesus really did purchase the potter’s field – the place where broken, rejected, and useless people like us are scattered.”
David Guzik
If you remember, Judas was filled with guilt and threw the money back onto the temple floor. The priests then gathered that money and used it to buy a potter’s field. These details are fascinating, but this is not where the prophecy ends.
“I am about to raise up a shepherd in the land who will not care for those who are going astray, and he will not seek the lost or heal the broken. He will not sustain the healthy, but he will devour the flesh of the fat sheep and tear off their hooves. 17 Woe to the worthless shepherd who deserts the flock! May a sword strike his arm and his right eye! May his arm wither away and his right eye go completely blind!”
Zechariah 11:16-17 HCSB
The worthless shepherd speaks of a time when the antichrist will rule over all people. He will survive a severe wound (Rev 13). He will not seek God’s Kingdom of seeking the lost or healing the broken (as Jesus did on Earth) but will devour others tearing them to pieces.
Just consider – the God we serve is not a God who is surprised. He doesn’t worry and He is never anxious. The future is in His hands. But also consider – He warns His faithful servants of the struggles they will face long before they happen. He reveals truth in His grace. He prepares us to go forward by giving us everything we need to walk in obedience. If we truly trust in such a God and Savior, whom should we fear?