One of the glorious pictures the God shows us in Scripture is His choosing, calling, gathering, and tending to His beloved people, who He lovingly refers to as His sheep. According to His sovereign will, infinite wisdom, and care God calls and places shepherds in their midst to tend to them, feed them, and protect them. However, such men don't do so as autonomous agents. They don't do so as those who can do whatever they want around the sheep, or to the sheep, as if they would never be called to account.

For indeed, as the Lord pronounced a "Woe" against the negligent shepherds, or literally "rulers or pastors" in Hebrew, in Jeremiah 23:1, He clearly communicates accountability as He announces judgment against them for the evil they had done. Now, who were the negligent shepherds God confronted? The Lord likely rebuked the last four kings of Judah, as the kings were to provide pastoral care to their people and failed to do so. What evil had they done? They were destroying and scattering God's people, instead of gathering, caring for, feeding, and protecting them as they ought. The kings were hurting the people through both oppression and neglect. They were harming and scattering the sheep God dearly loved and had provided good pasture for.

These negligent shepherds were sinning against Him as they sinned against, and did evil against His people by failing to keep their divinely appointed charge. The sheep weren't the kings' sheep. They belonged to the King of kings. They belong to the Good Shepherd. How dare they scatter God's flock that was entrusted to them! How dare they drive the sheep away! How dare they not attend to them and neglect them! They were acting like hirelings who cared about their own interests, and not about the sheep (John 10:13).

Therefore, notice that God would take action in a two-fold manner- 1) Towards the wayward shepherds, He would attend to them! He would inspect and examine them closely. God would call them to account for their sins in judgment. 2) Towards His beloved, He would gather the remnant of His flock. Remember, the term remnant in Scripture refers to God's spiritual people, the church. God has always had His remnant according to the election of grace (Romans 11:5). God will fulfill His covenant promises and purposes.

In Jeremiah 23:3, God promised that He would bring His sheep back to their folds. He would cause them to grow and flourish. By what means would He use to do this? Replacing the negligent shepherds with faithful shepherds (v. 4), with shepherds who would feed them the pure milk of the Word (1 Peter 2:2), attend to them, encourage them, and provide for their needs.

Beloved, give much thanks to the Lord your God for what He has ordained in the governance of His church! As there continues to be much neglect and scattering of sheep by clown shepherds today, give thanks for His provision of faithful under shepherds, faithful ministers and elders, who know and love the One we serve, and seek to be faithful in carrying out the charge Christ gives us regarding His flock. This passage in Jeremiah 23 should not only grab the attention of and humble, by God's grace, any and all negligent shepherds who read it, but it also must be an eye-opening call to examination and zeal for dutiful obedience to all faithful shepherds. Fellow ministers and elders, in obedience to Christ, may we all seek to be consistent in our love, care, discipline, and visitation of His precious lambs.

Praise God that King Jesus, the foretold Branch of righteousness has come. All glory and honor be to the Good Shepherd for our salvation, for His righteous rule, as well as His loving care and protection of His church!