Zechariah 11:15
And the LORD said to me: "Take up once more the equipment of a foolish shepherd.
Again the LORD said to me
This phrase indicates a continuation of divine communication, emphasizing the ongoing relationship between God and the prophet Zechariah. The Hebrew root for "LORD" is "YHWH," the sacred name of God, underscoring His sovereignty and authority. Historically, prophets were seen as direct messengers of God, and this phrase reaffirms Zechariah's role as a conduit for divine revelation. The repetition of God's communication suggests persistence in His message, highlighting the importance of what follows.

Take up once more
The command to "take up once more" suggests a return to a previous action or role. In the context of Zechariah, this implies a symbolic act that the prophet is to perform, representing a deeper spiritual truth. The Hebrew verb here can also mean "to assume" or "to carry," indicating a burden or responsibility. This phrase invites reflection on the cyclical nature of God's dealings with His people, where lessons and roles may be revisited to impart wisdom or warning.

the equipment of a foolish shepherd
The "equipment" refers to the tools or instruments associated with shepherding, symbolizing leadership and guidance. In ancient Israel, shepherds were common metaphors for leaders, both secular and spiritual. The term "foolish" in Hebrew can imply not just a lack of wisdom, but moral deficiency or irresponsibility. This phrase is a stark contrast to the ideal shepherd, who is wise and caring. Historically, this could be seen as a critique of the leaders of Israel who failed in their duties, leading the people astray. The "foolish shepherd" serves as a warning against neglectful or self-serving leadership, urging readers to seek wisdom and integrity in those who guide them.

Persons / Places / Events
1. Zechariah
A prophet of the post-exilic period, Zechariah is the one receiving the message from the LORD. His role is to convey God's messages to the people of Israel.

2. The LORD
The covenant God of Israel, who communicates His will and plans through His prophets. In this context, He instructs Zechariah to take symbolic action.

3. Foolish Shepherd
Represents leaders who fail to care for their flock, symbolizing irresponsible and self-serving leadership. The term "foolish" in Hebrew ('ewil) implies moral deficiency and lack of wisdom.

4. Israel
The nation to whom Zechariah is prophesying. They are the recipients of God's messages and are often depicted as sheep in need of a shepherd.

5. Prophetic Symbolism
The act of taking up the equipment of a foolish shepherd is a symbolic gesture meant to convey a deeper spiritual truth about leadership and responsibility.
Teaching Points
The Responsibility of Leadership
Leaders are accountable to God for the care and guidance of those they lead. Neglect and self-interest are condemned by God.

Symbolism in Prophecy
Prophetic actions often carry deep spiritual meanings. Understanding these symbols helps us grasp the seriousness of God's messages.

The Danger of Foolishness
Foolishness, especially in leadership, leads to destruction and harm. Wisdom and moral integrity are essential for those in authority.

God's Sovereignty in Judgment
God allows certain leaders to rise as a form of judgment, but He also promises redemption and restoration through righteous leadership.

Christ as the Ultimate Shepherd
Jesus fulfills the role of the Good Shepherd, providing the perfect example of leadership and care for His people.
Bible Study Questions
1. What characteristics define a "foolish shepherd," and how can we identify such traits in leaders today?

2. How does the symbolism of the "foolish shepherd" in Zechariah 11:15 relate to the leadership failures described in Ezekiel 34 and Jeremiah 23?

3. In what ways does Jesus, as described in John 10, contrast with the foolish shepherds of Zechariah 11:15?

4. How can we apply the lessons of responsible leadership in our personal lives, whether in family, work, or community settings?

5. Reflect on a time when you experienced or witnessed poor leadership. How did it affect you, and what biblical principles can guide you in responding to such situations?
Connections to Other Scriptures
Ezekiel 34
This chapter also addresses the theme of shepherds and their responsibilities, contrasting good shepherds with those who neglect their duties.

John 10
Jesus describes Himself as the Good Shepherd, contrasting His care and sacrifice with the neglect of hired hands.

Jeremiah 23
Discusses the failure of Israel's leaders and God's promise to raise up a righteous Branch, a prophecy pointing to Christ.
The Instruments of a Foolish ShepherdJ. C. Philpot.Zechariah 11:15-16
Fraudulent Shepherds of the PeopleD. Thomas Zechariah 11:15-17
The Evil ShepherdW. Forsyth Zechariah 11:15-17
People
Zechariah
Places
Bashan, Jordan River, Lebanon
Topics
Equipment, Foolish, Implements, Instrument, Instruments, Keeper, Sheep, Shepherd, Worthless, Yet
Dictionary of Bible Themes
Zechariah 11:15

     8756   folly, examples

Zechariah 11:7-17

     7130   flock, God's

Zechariah 11:15-17

     9250   woe

Library
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:...
And again David says: They looked upon me: they parted my garments among them, and upon any vesture they cast lots. For at His crucifixion the soldiers parted His garments as they were wont; and the garments they parted by tearing; but for the vesture, because it was woven from the top and was not sewn, they cast lots, that to whomsoever it should fall he should take it. And again Jeremiah the prophet says: And they took the thirty pieces of silver, the price of him that was sold, whom they bought
Irenæus—The Demonstration of the Apostolic Preaching

In the House of his Heavenly, and in the Home of his Earthly Father - the Temple of Jerusalem - the Retirement at Nazareth.
Once only is the great silence, which lies on the history of Christ's early life, broken. It is to record what took place on His first visit to the Temple. What this meant, even to an ordinary devout Jew, may easily be imagined. Where life and religion were so intertwined, and both in such organic connection with the Temple and the people of Israel, every thoughtful Israelite must have felt as if his real life were not in what was around, but ran up into the grand unity of the people of God, and
Alfred Edersheim—The Life and Times of Jesus the Messiah

The Good Shepherd' and his one Flock' - Last Discourse at the Feast of Tabernacles.
The closing words which Jesus had spoken to those Pharisees who followed HIm breathe the sadness of expected near judgment, rather than the hopefulness of expostulation. And the Discourse which followed, ere He once more left Jerusalem, is of the same character. It seems, as if Jesus could not part from the City in holy anger, but ever, and only, with tears. All the topics of the former Discourses are now resumed and applied. They are not in any way softened or modified, but uttered in accents of
Alfred Edersheim—The Life and Times of Jesus the Messiah

Discourse on the Good Shepherd.
(Jerusalem, December, a.d. 29.) ^D John X. 1-21. ^d 1 Verily, verily, I say to you [unto the parties whom he was addressing in the last section], He that entereth not by the door into the fold of the sheep, but climbeth up some other way, the same is a thief and a robber. [In this section Jesus proceeds to contrast his own care for humanity with that manifested by the Pharisees, who had just cast out the beggar. Old Testament prophecies were full of declarations that false shepherds would arise to
J. W. McGarvey—The Four-Fold Gospel

The First Trumpet.
The first trumpet of the seventh seal begins from the final disturbance and overthrow of the Roman idolarchy at the close of the sixth seal; and as it was to bring the first plague on the empire, now beginning to fall, it lays waste the third part of the earth, with a horrible storm of hail mingled with fire and blood; that is, it depopulates the territory and people of the Roman world, (viz. the basis and ground of its universal polity) with a terrible and bloody irruption of the northern nations,
Joseph Mede—A Key to the Apocalypse

Remorse and Suicide of Judas.
(in the Temple and Outside the Wall of Jerusalem. Friday Morning.) ^A Matt. XXVII. 3-10; ^E Acts I. 18, 19. ^a 3 Then Judas, who betrayed him, when he saw that he was condemned [Judas, having no reason to fear the enemies of Jesus, probably stood in their midst and witnessed the entire trial], repented himself, and brought back the thirty pieces of silver to the chief priests and elders, 4 saying, I have sinned in that I betrayed innocent blood. [There are two Greek words which are translated "repented,"
J. W. McGarvey—The Four-Fold Gospel

Questions.
LESSON I. 1. In what state was the Earth when first created? 2. To what trial was man subjected? 3. What punishment did the Fall bring on man? 4. How alone could his guilt be atoned for? A. By his punishment being borne by one who was innocent. 5. What was the first promise that there should be such an atonement?--Gen. iii. 15. 6. What were the sacrifices to foreshow? 7. Why was Abel's offering the more acceptable? 8. From which son of Adam was the Seed of the woman to spring? 9. How did Seth's
Charlotte Mary Yonge—The Chosen People

The Shepherd of Our Souls.
"I am the good Shepherd: the good Shepherd giveth His life for the sheep."--John x. 11. Our Lord here appropriates to Himself the title under which He had been foretold by the Prophets. "David My servant shall be king over them," says Almighty God by the mouth of Ezekiel: "and they all shall have one Shepherd." And in the book of Zechariah, "Awake, O sword, against My Shepherd, and against the man that is My fellow, saith the Lord of Hosts; smite the Shepherd, and the sheep shall be scattered."
John Henry Newman—Parochial and Plain Sermons, Vol. VIII

The Fulfilled Prophecies of the Bible Bespeak the Omniscience of Its Author
In Isaiah 41:21-23 we have what is probably the most remarkable challenge to be found in the Bible. "Produce your cause, saith the Lord; bring forth your strong reasons, saith the King of Jacob. Let them bring them forth, and show us what shall happen; let them show the former things, what they be, that we may consider them, and know the latter end of them; or declare us things for to come. Show the things that are to come hereafter, that we may know that ye are gods." This Scripture has both a negative
Arthur W. Pink—The Divine Inspiration of the Bible

A Discourse of the House and Forest of Lebanon
OF THE HOUSE OF THE FOREST OF LEBANON. ADVERTISEMENT BY THE EDITOR. That part of Palestine in which the celebrated mountains of Lebanon are situated, is the border country adjoining Syria, having Sidon for its seaport, and Land, nearly adjoining the city of Damascus, on the north. This metropolitan city of Syria, and capital of the kingdom of Damascus, was strongly fortified; and during the border conflicts it served as a cover to the Assyrian army. Bunyan, with great reason, supposes that, to keep
John Bunyan—The Works of John Bunyan Volumes 1-3

Of the Incapacity of an Unregenerate Person for Relishing the Enjoyments of the Heavenly World.
John iii. 3. John iii. 3. --Except a man be born again, he can not see the kingdom of God. IN order to demonstrate the necessity of regeneration, of which I would fain convince not only your understandings, but your consciences, I am now proving to you, that without it, it is impossible to enter into the kingdom of God; and how weighty a consideration that is I am afterwards to represent. That it is thus impossible, the words in the text do indeed sufficiently prove: but for the further illustration
Philip Doddridge—Practical Discourses on Regeneration

Fifthly, as this Revelation, to the Judgment of Right and Sober Reason,
appears of itself highly credible and probable, and abundantly recommends itself in its native simplicity, merely by its own intrinsic goodness and excellency, to the practice of the most rational and considering men, who are desirous in all their actions to have satisfaction and comfort and good hope within themselves, from the conscience of what they do: So it is moreover positively and directly proved to be actually and immediately sent to us from God, by the many infallible signs and miracles
Samuel Clarke—A Discourse Concerning the Being and Attributes of God

The Covenant of Works
Q-12: I proceed to the next question, WHAT SPECIAL ACT OF PROVIDENCE DID GOD EXERCISE TOWARDS MAN IN THE ESTATE WHEREIN HE WAS CREATED? A: When God had created man, he entered into a covenant of life with him upon condition of perfect obedience, forbidding him to eat of the tree of knowledge upon pain of death. For this, consult with Gen 2:16, 17: And the Lord commanded the man, saying, Of every tree of the garden thou mayest freely eat; but of the tree of the knowledge of good and evil, thou shalt
Thomas Watson—A Body of Divinity

Seasonable Counsel: Or, Advice to Sufferers.
BY JOHN BUNYAN. London: Printed for Benjamin Alsop, at the Angel and Bible in the Poultry, 1684. ADVERTISEMENT BY THE EDITOR. THIS valuable treatise was first published in a pocket volume in 1684, and has only been reprinted in Whitfield's edition of Bunyan's works, 2 vols. folio, 1767. No man could have been better qualified to give advice to sufferers for righteousness' sake, than John Bunyan: and this work is exclusively devoted to that object. Shut up in a noisome jail, under the iron hand of
John Bunyan—The Works of John Bunyan Volumes 1-3

Covenanting Predicted in Prophecy.
The fact of Covenanting, under the Old Testament dispensations, being approved of God, gives a proof that it was proper then, which is accompanied by the voice of prophecy, affording evidence that even in periods then future it should no less be proper. The argument for the service that is afforded by prophecy is peculiar, and, though corresponding with evidence from other sources, is independent. Because that God willed to make known truth through his servants the prophets, we should receive it
John Cunningham—The Ordinance of Covenanting

Zechariah
CHAPTERS I-VIII Two months after Haggai had delivered his first address to the people in 520 B.C., and a little over a month after the building of the temple had begun (Hag. i. 15), Zechariah appeared with another message of encouragement. How much it was needed we see from the popular despondency reflected in Hag. ii. 3, Jerusalem is still disconsolate (Zech. i. 17), there has been fasting and mourning, vii. 5, the city is without walls, ii. 5, the population scanty, ii. 4, and most of the people
John Edgar McFadyen—Introduction to the Old Testament

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