DAY 305

FAILED SHEPHERDS

Jeremiah 22 & 23 and Titus 1

The prophets, their writing and time: we have for most of the Bible been experiencing time in a very linear fashion as we have been reading…but that is not true for the prophets. The prophets have no problem moving back and forth in time.

Chapter 22:1-9 seems to be an example of this moving back-and-forth in time. These first 9 verses seem to proclaim a message to a king, that if he listens, will result in God relenting…in other words there is still time. This is a move backward in time from where we have been in the previous few chapters. In some ways it sets up a “parade of kings—of bad kings.” Following King Josiah we know that the subsequent kings did evil in the sight of God, and this parade of kings continues through the balance of chapter 22.

In chapter 23 God condemns the bad shepherds and again proclaims that He, himself will make things right. In fact, He will raise up a righteous branch from David…a King. He we get another image of Messiah. In Isaiah he is the suffering servant and savior, and now he is king!

The balance of chapter 23 again critiques the false prophets in the land, in a precious moment God cries out, “I am a God who is near and not far off.” In other words, “I can hear you!”

I am struck by the critique of the shepherds today, probably because I am a priest, and probably because of the kind of days I have been having. I have been busy. The question I find myself asking is whether or not I am being a good shepherd. I know I am working hard, but am I working right? I imagine some of the priests really did evil and knew they were doing evil. I also suspect that some were just blindly doing what they thought they were supposed to be doing. Today I can feel God’s plan marching forward; marching by the failed shepherds. My prayer is that I be about God’s business.