Jeremiah 23:1-6.               The Lord is my Shepherd              in tough times                  19/7/15

¹“Woe to the shepherds who are destroying and scattering the sheep of my pasture!” declares the Lord. ² Therefore this is what the Lord, the God of Israel, says to the shepherds who tend my people: “Because you have scattered my flock and driven them away and have not bestowed care on them, I will bestow punishment on you for the evil you have done,” declares the Lord. ³ “I myself will gather the remnant of my flock out of all the countries where I have driven them and will bring them back to their pasture, where they will be fruitful and increase in number. ⁴ I will place shepherds over them who will tend them, and they will no longer be afraid or terrified, nor will any be missing,” declares the Lord.

⁵ “The days are coming,” declares the Lord,
    “when I will raise up for David a righteous Branch,
a King who will reign wisely
    and do what is just and right in the land.
⁶ In his days Judah will be saved
    and Israel will live in safety.
This is the name by which he will be called:
    The Lord Our Righteous Saviour.

“The days are coming” and in fact are already here. The Good Shepherd has come. So we can have confidence as we face the future in an uncertain and deceptive world. As we look to him; trust him; and follow him we are able to go forward without fear and trembling.

Sure we are living at a time when our earthly shepherds are letting us down badly. In almost every aspect of life it seems that we are being let down. In church and state we do not find the leadership that is needed. Media, education, politics and science is all failing to give the care and direction needed. Even we as Individuals have lost our way and are simply focussing on self and selfish ideals. Again we surrounded by a society that seems to have lost its way and destined for troubled times ahead.

Yes we do have a lot of good all around us, and we are a ’lucky country’ to have all that we have. But we are seriously lacking in the leadership we are given and the direction that we are heading. Now that should not surprise us, for a club, church or nation is only as good as its leaders. And the leaders today are only representative of the people that they are leading.

Even in the church we are facing difficult and troubling times. The approach of many to God’s Word has shifted from taking it seriously as God’s inspired and inerrant word, to something that can be changed and altered to suit the culture of the day – to suit what ‘I’ think and want it to be.  In the western world we are now beginning to see the catastrophic result of this. As well, God’s word is clear about what happens when we do.

In the face of all of this, God’s Word, both here and throughout is clear and decisive. Leaders and peoples who do not take God and his word seriously will face harsh judgment. Those who seek to lead people away from God and his clear word will be punished. Also the nations and peoples will face difficult and troubling times.

However, even now we have God’s assurance and promise that he will still take care of those who remain faithful.  He will not, and has not, left those of us who look to and trust in him, without a shepherd.  He says: “I myself will gather the remnant of my flock out of all the countries where I have driven them and will bring them back to their pasture, where they will be fruitful and increase in number.  I will place shepherds over them who will tend them, and they will no longer be afraid or terrified, nor will any be missing,” declares the Lord.

God will continue to lead and guide his people even if many have gone astray and been led astray. Even when it gets to the point that God has to bring destruction on his nation, as he did to Israel when he had them taken off to Babylon, He is still there at work for the good of his faithful people. Even before the event happens he makes this promise to those who continue to look to and trust him.

We know that in the case of Israel, when they got to Babylon and came to their senses and remembered what the prophets had continually been saying, a good number of them repented. Then not too many years later God enabled them to return to Jerusalem and rebuild the temple. So God was true to his promises. His faithful people were returned and again for a period of time had faithful shepherds over them.

But here at the same time he is making an even greater promise to and for his faithful people, both back then, as well as for us today. No matter how bad things get and difficult the future may seem he gives this promise for his faithful people. And this promise is a reality for here and now.

We already have a faithful and true Shepherd to lead and guide us now, in light of his promise way back then.  So we no longer need to be afraid or terrified about what the future might be for us. Even if the church as we know it, or even our nation, faces very difficult times, we know that we have a Shepherd with us to guide us through.

But even if it does not come to that drastic point, and we pray that it doesn’t, we still have this Shepherd with us here and now. We still have one we can follow and that we can point others to and pray that they will all come under his leadership. He alone is the one who can get us through all of this. And he is the one who ensures us already that all those who are connected to him will have a great future, here and in eternity.

Remember what we were told in this reading that we have before us.

 “The days are coming,” declares the Lord,  “when I will raise up for David a righteous Branch, a King who will reign wisely and do what is just and right in the land.  In his days Judah will be saved and Israel will live in safety. This is the name by which he will be called:  The Lord Our Righteous Saviour.

Now of course we know who that is referring to: Jesus Christ. This is the Shepherd that God promised to come and lead his people in the right and good way. When we do not reject him and turn our back on him we find that he leads us wisely through the rough and tumble of life.

Now particularly at this time we need recognise and take seriously the fact that he knows what is just and right. That being the case we will allow his Word the Bible to be our guide in all the issues at hand. Even and especially when it goes against our culture and popular thinking of the day, we will follow it closely instead of bending and changing. Our Shepherd knows what is right so we will stick to what he says.

It is very interesting as to the name that he is given here: The Lord Our Righteous Saviour. He is Lord. Therefore he is God Almighty himself. He is the Creator and Supreme Being over all. So he is not someone that we can manipulate or ignore or think that we can use for our own whims and benefit. He is Lord over all, and knows what is good for all, for all time.

But he is also Righteous. He is holy; perfect; without sin; not able to accept anything that is sinful. So he is not one who bends and wavers to suit the whims of a sinful humanity. Nothing less than adherence to his perfect holy Word is acceptable.

However on the other hand that means that as we look to and follow him and his Word we that which is able us to see through any and every situation that is before us. We have something good and reliable to live by as we face all kinds of thinking that is seeking to be imposed on us from around about us. We are able to know what is right and wrong. And we are able to see that our sinful human nature will always get it wrong. So we ever want to stay close to this one who is truly righteous.

But then comes the most significant aspect to his name and being: he is Saviour. Thank goodness that he is one who has come into our midst as Saviour and not just as Lord and Righteous. All of us fall far short of what God expects of us, and justly deserve his punishment. However this Saviour takes that punishment on himself so that all may be saved. His love was such that he came into our world to give forgiveness, hope and a positive future.

So we now have one that we can fully submit to and follow. Here we have a Shepherd who truly has our best interests at heart. Even when we fail, we now know that we can repent: that is turn back to this one, and know that he forgives us and helps us to live new and better lives.

Therefore we can truly trust this Shepherd to lead and guide us through troubled and difficult times. As we remain under his watchful care we know that we have a Shepherd who is Lord over all and so will help us to live in safety. We also know that as the Righteous one he knows what is right and good, so we can look to him and follow what he has to say to us in his Word the Bible. And as Saviour we know that he has done everything necessary for us to be saved from the troubles and sin of this world and our own lives.

So we can go forward boldly and confidently: Holding firmly to him and his guidance, rather than giving way to shepherds who are dividing and scattering. The Lord Our Righteous Saviour is the Good Shepherd that we need to look to, trust and follow, in the difficult times ahead. To him be all glory and honour, now and always. Amen.

Pastor Roger Atze

Glandore/Underdale Lutheran Parish