Zechariah Sermon Series: Sermon 30
3-16-25 – Jerry Mongello
Zechariah 11: Part 2
Prayer
- Russia, China, and Iran support efforts to revive the 2015 nuclear deal.
- The U.S. and Israel conduct joint air force drills, while Iran and Russia hold naval exercises.
- Syria’s new leader persecutes Christians and other religious majorities.
- Trump orders airstrikes on the Houthis.
Zechariah 11:4 (NKJV)
4 Thus says the LORD my God, “Feed the flock for slaughter.”
Unlike previous chapters where Zechariah received visions, here he hears the voice of the Lord. Jewish religious leaders and nobles were profiting from feeding the sheep for slaughter. The Lord considers us His sheep—domestic sheep need a shepherd to survive. They have no offensive or defensive abilities and are easy prey. If one walks off a cliff, others follow. They cannot find food or water on their own. Likewise, we cannot survive without the Good Shepherd.
Zechariah 11:5-6 (NKJV)
5 “Whose owners slaughter them and feel no guilt; those who sell them say, ‘Blessed be the LORD, for I am rich’; and their shepherds do not pity them. 6 “For I will no longer pity the inhabitants of the land,” says the LORD. “But indeed I will give everyone into his neighbor’s hand and into the hand of his king. They shall attack the land, and I will not deliver them from their hand.”
Zechariah is divinely instructed to act out this prophecy. Some believe he only spoke the words, but like Jeremiah and Ezekiel, he likely acted it out—dressing as a shepherd and literally feeding the flock.
Jeremiah 25:15-17 (NKJV) and Ezekiel 4:1-8 (NKJV) describe similar prophetic acts.
Zechariah 11:7 (NKJV)
7 So I fed the flock for slaughter, in particular the poor of the flock. I took for myself two staffs: one I called Beauty [grace], and the other I called Bonds [unity or united]; and I fed the flock.
Who is the shepherd in this prophecy? It is the Messiah, Jesus. He came for the lost sheep of Israel. The poor, brokenhearted, blind, deaf, lame, and enslaved believed, but the rich Jewish leaders, Pharisees, Scribes, and Sadducees rejected Him to protect their power.
Matthew 15:23-28 (NKJV), Isaiah 61:1-2 (NKJV) confirm this interpretation.
Zechariah 11:8 (NKJV)
8 I dismissed the three shepherds in one month. My soul loathed them, and their soul also abhorred me.
Who were the three shepherds?
- Prophets
- Religious leaders (Pharisees, Sadducees, Priests, and Scribes)
- Jewish royalty
Why were they dismissed? Matthew 13:36-43 (NKJV) explains that Israel’s national leaders failed due to corruption and infiltration by Satan. The same happens in the church today.
Isaiah 6:8-13 (NKJV), John 11:45-52 (NKJV) foretell this rejection.
Even today, many church leaders prioritize wealth over faith.
Romans 16:17-20 (NKJV) warns of false teachers. Here are the top 10 richest pastors in America (2024):
- Kenneth Copeland – $300 million
- Pat Robertson – $100 million
- Joel Osteen – $100 million
- Steven Furtick Jr. – $55 million
- Andy Stanley – Over $50 million
- Creflo Dollar – $30 million
- Rick Warren – $25 million
- Jesse Duplantis – $20 million
- T.D. Jakes – $20 million
Philippians 3:17-21 (NKJV) warns of those who serve their own interests rather than Christ’s.
Zechariah 11:9-11 (NKJV)
9 Then I said, “I will not feed you. Let what is dying die, and what is perishing perish. Let those that are left eat each other’s flesh.”
This prophecy was fulfilled in 70 AD when Rome besieged Jerusalem.
10 And I took my staff, Beauty, and cut it in two, that I might break the covenant which I had made with all the peoples. 11 So it was broken on that day. Thus the poor of the flock, who were watching me, knew that it was the word of the LORD.
The covenant broken here is not the Abrahamic covenant of Genesis 12:2-3 (NKJV), Genesis 15:18 (NKJV) but rather God’s protection of Israel. Without divine protection, Israel was vulnerable.
Hosea 5:15 (NKJV)
15 “I will return again to My place Till they acknowledge their offense. Then they will seek My face; In their affliction they will earnestly seek Me.”
This may seem cruel, but Hebrews 9:27 (NKJV), Deuteronomy 4:41-42 (NKJV), Luke 23:34 (NKJV), Hosea 6:1-3 (NKJV) show that God always provides a way to escape judgment while we are alive.
The message is clear: God is just, and His mercy is available to those who seek Him.
