July 17, 2018
Jeremiah 23:4-6…“The days are surely coming, says the Lord, when I will raise up for David a righteous Branch, and he shall reign as king and deal wisely, and shall execute justice and righteousness in the land.” vs. 5
Even though Jeremiah was relentless in pointing out the sins of Judah and the inevitability of its destruction, he remained hopeful about future prospects. He believed that, having gotten rid of the old kings, the Lord would raise up a new one, and that new shepherd would execute justice and righteousness in the land. He was right to be an optimist but he was wrong in thinking that the new leader would be like David. Of course he wasn’t alone in thinking that. Nearly all the Jews believed that the coming messiah would be a conquering ruler and restore the ancient kingdom. People continue to have those old notions about leaders. We can’t stop thinking that our politicians are going to be our salvation. Every election we go through the same process by attaching totally unreal expectations to our candidates and thinking that somehow they’re going to fix things. And it doesn’t work, and we’re reminded once more that the Lord had bigger things in mind. The new Shepherd would be different. This leader, who we’ve come to know as Jesus, passionately cared about all humanity and would be willing to lay down his life for his sheep. In his kingdom of love and mercy, God’s righteousness would actually become a reality. The Good Shepherd is the one leader totally worthy of our trust and allegiance.
Thought for the Day: Where do I experience the Good Shepherd?
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