Here is my outline from last week’s study on Jeremiah 23:1-8:

I. God will judge the unfaithful shepherds.  It is at this point that we view the present situation of Jeremiah’s day.  There is rampant wickedness, idolatry, and carnality.  And though the people are responsible for their own sin, the shepherds bear an even greater weight of judgment (Jer 23:1-2).
         A.  The shepherds are held responsible for the judgment coming.
               1.  Shepherds probably includes Kings, Prophets, and Priests.
                        a.  Recall the unfaithfulness of Jehoiakim and Coniah in ch.22.
               2.  Leaders hold a greater responsibility than all others.
                        a.  The people are certainly responsible for their own sin.
                        b.  It is God who is sending Babylon to Judah, which will cause the scattering of the flock.
                        c.  Yet, it is the shepherds who are held responsible.
               3.  The indictment is simple:
                        a.  “You have scattered my flock”
                        b.  You…”have driven them away”
                        c.  “you have not attended to them”
                              1)  Attended means cared for in this context.
                              2)  You have not watched over the sheep.
      B.  Therefore, these unfaithful shepherds will be judged.
              1.  “Behold, I will attend to you for your evil deeds, declares the Lord.”
                   a.  This is a very haunting statement.
                   b.  Reminds me of Luke 17:2: “It would be better for him if a millstone were hung around his neck and he  
                        were cast into the sea than that he should cause one of these little ones to sin.”
              2.  This is a promise of punishment!
                   a.  The word “attend” here is the same as the previous statement, with a different emphasis.
                   b.  Here it means to “visit with hostile intent or to punish”. 
                   c.  It is a play on words: “you have not attended to them…so I will attend to you”.
      C.  Surely the punishment of the shepherds has implications for the sheep who follow them.
II.  God will provide faithful shepherds.  God will restore a remnant and provide good shepherds, honorable shepherds, shepherds who actually shepherd…who actually care for the flock (Jer 23:3-4).
      A.   This is a dramatic shift from judgment to restoration.  It is a welcome shift in the midst of this challenging set
             of oracles.
            1.  We have read previously that God wasn’t going to completely destroy Israel.
            2.  But here we see the positive promise of a return!
            3.  The promise is made to “the remnant”.  Who are these people?  
                  a.  The remnant means, “the rest, the residue, or what is remaining.
                  b.  There are a number of places where the remnant are referred to.

31 And the surviving remnant of the house of Judah shall again take root downward and bear fruit upward. 32 For out of Jerusalem shall go a remnant, and out of Mount Zion a band of survivors. The zeal of the LORD of hosts will do this.  Isa 37:31-32

 18 Who is a God like you, pardoning iniquity and passing over transgression for the remnant of his inheritance? He does not retain his anger forever, because he delights in steadfast love. 19 He will again have compassion on us; he will tread our iniquities underfoot. You will cast all our sins into the depths of the sea. 20 You will show faithfulness to Jacob and steadfast love to Abraham, as you have sworn to our fathers from the days of old.  Micah 7:18-20

                           c.  Notice that in Isaiah 37, it is “The Zeal of the Lord of hosts” who sets apart a remnant.
                           d.  Calvin interchanges the word “elect” with remnant, recognizing this group as a people divinely 
                                elected and set-apart.  What do you think?
                           e.  Clearly this is a special group that God has special plans for…who belong in His fold.
                   4.  Here we see the promise of restoration and physical/earthly blessing. 
                           a.  “I will bring them back to their fold”
                           b.  “they shall be fruitful and multiply”
                           c.  “I will set shepherds over them who will care for them”
                                 1)  This is an incredible promise, considering the influence of the ungodly shepherds.
                                 2)  God is not simply promising a return to the fold, but godly leaders, as well.
                                 3)  These shepherds will “care for them” or literally, “pasture them…shepherd them…or feed 
                                       them.”
                                                “The lips of the righteous feed many, but fools die for lack of sense.” Prov 10:21
                          d.  “they shall fear no more, nor be dismayed”
                                 1)  It is hard to imagine a time of no fear…is this just an extended time of peace?  Is this looking
                                       forward to the Millennial Kingdom?
                                 2)  Even the remnant under Zerubbabel, Ezra, and Nehemiah (Godly shepherds), faced opposition
                                       and fear.
                             e.  “neither shall any be missing”
                                    1)  Incredibly, the word “missing is the same as the word for “attend” in verse 2.
                                    2)  It is has a wide domain.
                                    3)  Here it is variously translated as “missing,” or “lacking”.
                                    4)  It makes me wonder if Jesus was alluding to this in John 6:37-40:

All that the Father gives me will come to me, and whoever comes to me I will never cast out. 38 For I have come down from heaven, not to do my own will but the will of him who sent me. 39 And this is the will of him who sent me, that I should lose nothing of all that he has given me, but raise it up on the last day. 40 For this is the will of my Father, that everyone who looks on the Son and believes in him should have eternal life, and I will raise him up on the last day. 

III.  God will send the Chief Shepherd.  It appears that the faithful shepherds that the Lord blesses His remnant with, are mere shadows of the Righteous Shepherd…the Chief Shepherd. (Jer 23:5-6).
      A.   True restoration requires the Righteous Shepherd!  All the other shepherds would finally be insufficient to
             feed us, protect us, and deliver us in the manner we truly require.
             1.  We must ask, How can the remnant be truly restored?
                   a.  After all, they are guilty like the rest of the people, aren’t they?
                   b.  They deserve judgment, just like everyone else.
                   c.  That is why they need more than a faithful earthly shepherd. 
             2.  Here we find both an earthly and divine Shepherd!
                   a.  He is the Son of David, the Son of Man!
                   b.  He is a human shepherd.
                         1)  He is “a righteous Branch” from David.
                         2)  He will be faithful!
                         3)  He will “deal wisely”
                         4)  He will “execute justice and righteousness”, which is exactly what the kings were condemned for 
                               forsaking in chapter 22.
                    c.  But he is also the Son of God, God Himself.
                          1)  Only the Lord is truly able to save Judah.
                          2)  Only the Lord is truly able to secure Israel finally.
                          3)  Only the Lord is able to protect His remnant forever.
                          4)  So, we discover that this is: “The Lord our righteousness”.
                                 a)  The Lord is the word Yahweh…God’s holy name.
                                 b)  This is God Himself.
              3.  Here we find the remedy for remnant—righteousness! 
                    a.  Notice that He is “The Lord OUR righteousness”.
                          1)  God is certainly righteous.
                          2)  But Messiah is “our righteousness”.
              4.  This Shepherd’s deliverance is not first bound up in His sword, chariots, or massive armies…but in the 
                    righteousness He is able to bestow upon His remnant through faith.
                    a.  This looks forward to the sacrifice of Christ and the provision of His work.
                    b.  How else could we be secure, in right relationship with the God of this universe, in our filthy rags? 
                    c.  Only through the gift of Christ’s perfect righteousness.
IV.  God’s future deliverance will overshadow all others! (Jer 23:7-8)
      A.   Deliverance from Egypt will no longer be the focus of God’s people (v.7).
              1.  This is huge…because this was their corporate identity.
              2.  The calendar was built around the Passover and this monumental defining moment in Israel’s history. 
              3.  To speak of God as their deliverer would be to speak of the Exodus.
      B.  But there will be other deliverances that will overshadow the Exodus (v.8). 
              1.  Here we have an earthly example of the remnant returning from many corners of the world.
              2.  Yet, the nature of the passage reminds us that this is just a shadow of a final deliverance…from the Lord
                   our righteousness, which overshadows all others! 
Conclusions
1.  So, we have the Gospel here in Jeremiah…the Gospel of hope!
2.  The people were under oppressive, unrighteous, ungodly shepherds.
3.  Sin, idolatry, sensuality, and every base practice surrounded them.
4.  Yet…there was hope!  A glimmer of hope…a peak forward at final salvation.  For God was promising that He would deliver His remnant, restore them…ultimately to final glory…how?
5.  Through “The Lord our Righteousness”!