What makes a good leader? Some say a good leader is a person who gets things done. Others say it is a person who does what the people tell him to do. Still others say it is someone who is successful. But God’s Word gives us a much clearer picture. A good leader is someone who works for the good of the people, specifically to point them to the Lord. Throughout the Bible, the image of a shepherd leading sheep is used for leaders and people. Time and again, not only did the people wander from God, but their leaders encouraged this to profit themselves. The Lord declares these shepherds to be false, dooming their flock to slaughter. We need a true shepherd, one who will guide us to green pastures, who will show us the ways of peace and hope. But far too often we desire shepherds who will tickle our ears or do our bidding. This is the sad legacy of wandering from the Lord, for it leads to the “Rejection of the Shepherd” (Zechariah 11:1-17).

I. Dirge Against False Shepherds
A. History and Drama
B. Destruction of the Shepherd
C. Destruction of the People

II. Drama of the Good Shepherd
A. The Work of the Good Shepherd
B. The Rejection of the Good Shepherd
C. Our Good Shepherd

Questions for consideration: (1) Why do you think God’s people often choose bad shepherds? How has that kind of unwise choice shown itself in your life at times? (2) What does the story of the two shepherds tell us about our lives? (3) What is the hardest thing about being shepherded? In what ways have you been glad after the fact that you were not left to your own devices?