10:3
James talks about teachers being judged more strictly (James 3:1), and here we see an example of that. God’s anger burns against the shepherds and the leaders. Teachers and leaders are meant to guide the people in the ways of God, not in the ways of the world. If we are teachers or leaders in the church we should periodically question ourselves. Especially when contentious issues arise we should ask ourselves if we are seeking to please God or the world. Israel’s leaders were a disaster, so the Lord Himself would care for the flock. And He did this when He came to earth as Jesus. With Godly leadership people can be transformed and become “like a proud horse in battle”. With right teaching and leading the people can become truly effective for God.
10:4
Look at this! Despite the virtually unmitigated disaster that Israel had been, despite the disaster that was Judah up to this point, that was not the end of the story. The tent-peg, battle-bow and ruler would come from Judah! The Lord can transform any and every situation, and any and every person. We should also note God’s commitment to Judah, and this is expressed in other of the prophets as well. This is what makes me greatly worried about people who argue that Israel no longer has any special place in God’s plan, and has been supplanted by the church, the “true Israel”. Some of them argue that this was always God’s plan, so Israel was always those who trusted God, rather than an ethnic definition. I can see some point in this, but it also seems clear from Scripture that God loves Israel, and so one way or another (and it will be by them finally putting faith in Christ as their saviour) Israel will be saved.
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