“For the idols speak delusion; the diviners envision lies, and tell
false dreams; they comfort in vain.
Therefore the people wend their way like sheep; they are in trouble
because there is no shepherd.’”
Through Zechariah, God was plainly stating the utter
uselessness of the idols and their diviners in their attempts to prophecy whether
rain would come and when. “He shows them
the folly of making their addresses to idols as their fathers had done (v. 2): The
idols have spoken vanity; the teraphim, which they courted and consulted in
their distress, were so far from being able to command rain for them that they
could not so much as tell them when they should have rain. They pretended to
promise them rain at such a time, but it did not come. The diviners, who
were the prophets of those idols, have seen a lie (their visions were
all a cheat and a sham); and they have told false dreams, such as the
event did not answer, which proved that they were not from God. Thus they comforted
in vain those that consulted the lying oracles; all the vanities of the
heathen put together could not give rain. “Are there any among the idols of the nations that can cause rain? Or can the heavens give showers? Are You not He, O LORD our God? Therefore we will wait for You, since You
have made all these.” (Jeremiah
14:22). Yet this was not
the worst of it; they not only got nothing by the false gods, but they lost the
favour of the true God, for therefore they went their way into captivity
as a flock driven into the fold, and they were troubled with one
vexation after another, as scattered sheep are, because there was no
shepherd, no prince to rule them, no priest to intercede for them, none to
take care of them and keep them together. Those that wandered after strange
gods were made to wander, into strange nations.” (Matthew Henry)
God wants us to trust Him, to turn to Him, to talk to Him,
and to read His Word. He wants a
personal relationship with us. He wants our
devotion and He is jealous that way.
Many of us will say, ‘but I do love God and I do not worship
idols!’ An idol can present itself in
forms other than pagan worship. Anything
that comes between you and your personal relationship with God is an idol. Should we venture to name a few? How about money, a career, politics, a
personal goal, a bucket list, even family members can become more important
than your relationship with God. At the
exclusion of God, these very things can give comfort in vain. Many who seek after money think they will
finally be happy when they have it.
Comfort in vain. Those who put
their trust into politicians and say that all will be better when that person
is elected. Comfort in vain. Those who seek after a goal at all costs
think they will have ‘arrived’ once the goal is achieved. Comfort in vain. Ones who seek to please family members at the
expense of their relationship with God.
Comfort in vain. Why do we put
things between us and God? We do it
because the world deceives us into believing that things like money, career,
politics and bucket lists are admirable, and…we do it because we choose to do
it.
God is the only One Who can truly comfort us. Jesus is the Good Shepherd. When sheep are left to their own devices
scripture describes their movement as ‘wend.’
‘Wend’ is defined as “go in a specified direction, typically slowly or
by an indirect route.” When the people have
no godly leader, God notes that the people wend their way like sheep, and the
result is that they get into trouble. God
loves us so much that He wants to shepherd us.
A shepherd’s livelihood is the flock.
The care, leading and protection of the flock is of utmost importance to
a good shepherd. Jesus tells us what
lengths a good shepherd would go to in protecting his flock. “I am
the good shepherd. The good shepherd
gives His life for the sheep.” (John
10:11)
Friend, are you in trouble? Are you wending your way like sheep because
you have no shepherd? Are you in trouble
because someone has spoken lies in an attempt to comfort you in vain? Are you tired of trying to make it on your
own? Jesus wants you to be in His flock. He will never lie. He stands at the door of your heart and
knocks. He is polite, He will not
insist. You must ask Him into your heart. It is up to you to ask Him to be your Good
Shepherd.
Once you have asked Jesus to be your Great Shepherd, you can
count on this promise: “My sheep hear My voice, and I know them,
and they follow Me. And I give them
eternal life, and they shall never perish; neither shall anyone snatch them out
of My hand.” (John 10:27-28)
“Now may the God of peace who brought up our Lord Jesus from the dead,
that great Shepherd of the sheep, through the blood of the everlasting
covenant, make you complete in every good work to do His will, working in you
what is well pleasing in His sight, through Jesus Christ, to whom be glory
forever and ever. Amen.” (Hebrews 13:20-21)
May you grow in the grace and knowledge of our Lord and
Savior Jesus Christ.
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