Jeremiah 23:1-4 – Being godly leaders and shepherds

Leaders play a vital role in the well-being of the people of Judah. Who were the leaders that the Prophet Jeremiah was addressing here in chapter 23 verses 1-4? They were the religious leaders such as the priests and the prophets as well as the political leaders, kings, and princes. They were the shepherds God had assigned to take care of His people, the sheep.

Here God was rebuking them for their neglect in discharging their responsibilities. Instead of caring for the people they exploited them. They were a key cause of why the people were driven into captivity. Here God was calling them into accounting. As for the people, they were still God’s very own. And because they belonged to  Him, God would never forget them. He promised to bring them back from captivity to their homeland no matter where they were scattered. He would also provide them with good and competent leaders who would take care of them and rebuild the community.     

Historically, what God had promised came to pass. The people were scattered over time. Some were taken to Egypt and some to Assyria. The largest deportation was when Judah fell to Nebuchadnezzar and many of the leaders and citizens were taken into captivity in Babylon. While it was the people's disobedience that led to their predicaments, it was undeniably the failure of the leaders, the shepherds - the political leaders as well as the religious leaders. They did not do their part rightly and responsibly. They did not set examples of godliness. Their unfaithfulness like cancer spread widely. Besides, they were also exploiting the people for personal aggrandizement. In a real sense, they had led the people astray and what they had done necessitated the dealing of God.

Praise God! He did not just promise discipline but also promise that He would raise up godly shepherds to guide a remnant home and help them to rebuild the community. He did raise godly leaders such as Zerubbabel, Ezra, and Nehemiah who led the remnant back to rebuild the temple, the walls, and the city of Jerusalem. They restored true worship and sought to help the returnees to align with God's stipulation in the Law. Those good shepherds tended to them and helped the community reconnect with God.

While the shepherds in these verses refer to the kings, prophets, and priests of Judah they have a lesson for us modern-day church leaders. Whether we are pastors, vocational workers or lay leaders in the Christ’s church, the call is for us to be good leaders. We must set examples of a godly life. We must rightly and responsibly discharge our assignments and care for God’s flock entrusted to us. We must never exploit the people whom God had entrusted to our care. Most importantly, we must help to always make God the focus of their lives. All these we can do efficiently when our own lives are rightly connected to God as we live moment by moment for His glory.