Jeremiah 23:1-6: a reflection

1“Woe to the shepherds who destroy and scatter the sheep of my pasture!” says the LORD. 2Therefore the LORD, the God of Israel, says against the shepherds who feed my people: “You have scattered my flock, driven them away, and have not visited them. Behold, I will visit on you the evil of your doings,” says the LORD. 3“I will gather the remnant of my flock out of all the countries where I have driven them, and will bring them again to their folds; and they will be fruitful and multiply. 4I will set up shepherds over them who will feed them. They will no longer be afraid or dismayed, neither will any be lacking,” says the LORD. 5“Behold, the days come,” says the LORD, “that I will raise to David a righteous Branch; and he will reign as king and deal wisely, and will execute justice and righteousness in the land. 6In his days Judah will be saved, and Israel will dwell safely. This is his name by which he will be called: The LORD our righteousness.

Against the failure of the bad shepherds who scattered and neglected the flock, God promises to raise up a righteous King from David's line, who will shepherd his people rightly, the promise fulfilled in Christ. Woe to the shepherds who destroy and scatter the sheep of my pasture, God says; but I will raise to David a righteous Branch, and he will reign as king, and deal wisely, and execute justice and righteousness. Where the bad shepherds had scattered, neglected, and failed the flock, God promises to gather his people, set good shepherds over them, and above all to raise up a righteous King, the Branch of David, who will reign wisely and justly. His name will be called: The LORD our righteousness. Christians see this promise fulfilled in Christ, the good Shepherd-King. This shows God's promise of the righteous Branch, the good Shepherd-King, fulfilled in Christ. God promises a righteous King, the good Shepherd, to shepherd his people rightly. Where bad shepherds fail, God raises up the righteous Branch. Christ is the good Shepherd-King, The LORD our righteousness. Trust the righteous King who gathers and rightly cares for his people.

Notice the contrast and the promise. There were bad shepherds, leaders who destroyed and scattered the flock, who neglected the sheep, driving them away rather than caring for them; and God pronounces woe on them. But against their failure, God makes a promise: he will gather the scattered flock himself, set over them shepherds who will truly feed them, and above all raise up a righteous Branch from David's line, a King who will reign wisely, execute justice and righteousness, and under whom his people will be saved and dwell safely. And this King's name will be: The LORD our righteousness. Christians have long seen this promise fulfilled in Christ, the good Shepherd and righteous King, who gathers, feeds, and rightly cares for his people, and who is himself our righteousness. This is a hope for us. Human shepherds and leaders may fail us, scatter and neglect us; but God has raised up the righteous Branch, Christ, the good Shepherd-King, who does not fail his flock, but gathers, feeds, and rightly shepherds his people, ruling with justice and righteousness. In him, God's people are gathered and cared for by a King who is himself their righteousness. We do well to trust and rest under the righteous Branch, Christ, the good Shepherd-King, who gathers and rightly cares for his people. Trust the righteous King, Christ, the good Shepherd who rightly cares for his people. Where human shepherds fail, God has raised up the righteous Branch. Christ, the good Shepherd-King, is himself The LORD our righteousness. Rest under the King who gathers and truly feeds his flock.

That is worth taking to heart, for God has raised up the righteous Branch, Christ, the good Shepherd-King, who gathers and rightly cares for his people, as God promised against the failure of the bad shepherds. Human shepherds may fail and scatter us; but God promised a righteous King from David's line who would shepherd his people rightly, fulfilled in Christ. Trust the good Shepherd. Where human leaders fail you, rest under Christ, the righteous Branch and good Shepherd-King, who gathers, feeds, and rightly cares for his people, and is himself your righteousness. Trust and rest under the righteous Branch, Christ, the good Shepherd-King who gathers and rightly cares for his people, as against the failure of the bad shepherds who scattered and neglected the flock God promised to raise up a righteous King from David's line who would shepherd his people rightly, pronouncing woe on the shepherds who destroyed and scattered the sheep but promising to raise to David a righteous Branch who would reign as king, deal wisely, and execute justice and righteousness, whose name would be called The LORD our righteousness; for where the bad shepherds had scattered, neglected, and failed the flock, God promised to gather his people, set good shepherds over them, and above all raise up a righteous King, the Branch of David, who would reign wisely and justly, a promise Christians see fulfilled in Christ the good Shepherd-King, so that this is a hope for us, since human shepherds and leaders may fail us and scatter and neglect us, but God has raised up the righteous Branch, Christ, who does not fail his flock but gathers, feeds, and rightly shepherds his people, ruling with justice and righteousness and being himself their righteousness, so that in him God's people are gathered and cared for by a King who is himself their righteousness, and we do well to trust and rest under the righteous Branch, Christ, the good Shepherd-King.

Lord, against the failure of the bad shepherds who scattered and neglected the flock, you promise to raise up a righteous King from David's line, who will shepherd your people rightly, the promise fulfilled in Christ. Woe to the shepherds who destroy and scatter the sheep of my pasture, you say; but I will raise to David a righteous Branch, and he will reign as king, and deal wisely, and execute justice and righteousness. Where the bad shepherds had scattered, neglected, and failed the flock, you promise to gather your people, set good shepherds over them, and above all to raise up a righteous King, the Branch of David, who will reign wisely and justly. His name will be called: The LORD our righteousness. I see this promise fulfilled in Christ, the good Shepherd-King. Show me the contrast and the promise. There were bad shepherds, leaders who destroyed and scattered the flock, who neglected the sheep; and you pronounce woe on them. But against their failure, you make a promise: you will gather the scattered flock yourself, set over them shepherds who will truly feed them, and above all raise up a righteous Branch from David's line, a King who will reign wisely, execute justice and righteousness, and under whom your people will be saved and dwell safely. And this King's name will be: The LORD our righteousness. I see this promise fulfilled in Christ, the good Shepherd and righteous King, who gathers, feeds, and rightly cares for his people, and who is himself my righteousness. This is a hope for me. Human shepherds and leaders may fail me, scatter and neglect me; but you have raised up the righteous Branch, Christ, the good Shepherd-King, who does not fail his flock. Take that to my heart. Where human leaders fail me, help me rest under Christ, Lord, the righteous Branch and good Shepherd-King, who gathers, feeds, and rightly cares for his people and is himself my righteousness, trusting the King who gathers and truly feeds his flock.