Zechariah 10 & 11: The Shepherd

Ryan: 00:00:12

Welcome back to Ryan and Brian's Bible Bistro.

Ryan: 00:00:13

I'm Ryan.

Ryan: 00:00:14

And I'm Brian, and this is the Bible Bistro Podcast.

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All about the Bible theology, all things related.

Brian: 00:00:21

Oh, you're supposed to say it.

Brian: 00:00:22

Part.

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It doesn't matter.

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Related to the Christian faith.

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And as you said, this is the vacation.

Brian: 00:00:28

The Vacation edition.

Ryan: 00:00:30

Vacation edition, as we apologize to you faithful listeners.

Ryan: 00:00:34

Well, I was just going to say something.

Ryan: 00:00:36

This is Brian's Vacation Edition.

Ryan: 00:00:39

This is Ryan's Seminary edition in that while Brian's vacationing, I'm drowning.

Brian: 00:00:46

So you're getting ready to go.

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You're getting ready to go on a vacation with your kids, but it has been very busy.

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I was going to bring this up, too.

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Ryan is learning beginning Greek.

Brian: 00:00:58

He's continuing his seminary education, his master's degree.

Brian: 00:01:02

He has two classes this semester, and they are quite difficult.

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He's doing at least two chapters of a Greek textbook a week.

Ryan: 00:01:14

They are happening.

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And I am.

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You're diligently studying.

Brian: 00:01:19

You're diligently studying, and it probably feels like you're drowning.

Brian: 00:01:23

And this week I've told him this is the week where he learns third declension nouns and participles, which is where I always say, well, I feel, as my Greek instructor said, this is where you separate the.

Brian: 00:01:37

He said it back in the.

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In the battle days.

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But the men from the boys.

Brian: 00:01:41

Now he would say the adults from the children.

Ryan: 00:01:45

Well, I feel everything is clear up to this point.

Ryan: 00:01:48

So that should be no problem for.

Brian: 00:01:52

Anyway, if it was unclear at this point, then we would have problems.

Ryan: 00:01:56

Yes.

Ryan: 00:01:57

All right.

Ryan: 00:01:57

Well, we are back.

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We're continuing in Zachariah.

Brian: 00:02:01

Zachariah, I do want to say before we go any further, we do have some really exciting things coming up, though in the next few weeks.

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We've got a really major interview that we're going to be doing.

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So be looking forward to that.

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Listening to that.

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We have some other interviews we're putting together.

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So stick around.

Ryan: 00:02:16

It's going to be good.

Ryan: 00:02:17

We're going to get through these vacations.

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We're going to get through this Greek education, and then we're going to get back to the bistro in here.

Ryan: 00:02:25

So.

Ryan: 00:02:25

Yeah, Brian, so tell us, tell us where we're going today.

Brian: 00:02:28

Well, we're going into Zechariah, chapters 10 and 11.

Brian: 00:02:32

So chapter nine.

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And I didn't mention this last week.

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I may mention it this week.

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I guess we got a lot to get through, though.

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Chapter nine.

Brian: 00:02:39

We had the beginning of this prophecy, but the word that's used there an oracle or even, we said kind of this idea of a weightiness, a weight that's going to land on the people.

Brian: 00:02:48

These three chapters have for a long time been thought to be different in character than the rest of the book of Zechariah.

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I didn't mention that last week, but 9, 10, and 11 kind of form a unit.

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They're all this prophecy.

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So we looked at nine last week.

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We're going to look at 10, 11 this week.

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I think it belongs with Zechariah.

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But here's what I want you to notice.

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Some people, and this goes way, way back.

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Actually, this is a long thought, back even before what we would typically call them.

Brian: 00:03:16

Well, I guess the beginning of the modern era, there was a thought that this may fit better with Jeremiah than it does with Zechariah.

Brian: 00:03:24

And what we mean even here is historically, in terms of historical time.

Brian: 00:03:27

Now, last week, what I was suggesting is that Zechariah was using this language that was familiar even at that time, Jeremiah, the idea of exile, to talk about what's going to come in the future.

Brian: 00:03:39

But here again, in chapters 10, 11, we're going to see language that seems almost to sound like it's before the exile more than it sounds like after the exile.

Brian: 00:03:49

But anyway, I think, again, I think it's Zechariah.

Brian: 00:03:53

I think it fits.

Brian: 00:03:53

I think he's just using Jeremiah language.

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But I'll even show you a couple places where he does that.

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A major theme I want you to notice here, and it's actually one that picks up on Zechariah.

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One of the reasons that I think he's using this and then building on it is this theme of shepherd, idea of a shepherd.

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And we've talked before about the shepherdess leader.

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The metaphor of shepherd becomes the idea of a leader very clearly in the Old Testament, from the time of King David, continues on through the New Testament, on into the book of Revelation.

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We're going to see that kind of a theme here.

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So go ahead and start, if you would, with verses.

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Actually, let's go back into chapter nine.

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I'll read this real quick and then I'll have you read verses.

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Chapter 10, verses 1 and 2.

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So this is back at the very end of chapter nine, just to kind of get us back into this.

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It says the Lord God will save his people on that day, as a shepherd saves his flock.

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So there we have that kind of an idea of shepherd being introduced, and we're going to build on that.

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They will sparkle in his land like jewels in a crown.

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So the idea of bringing them back to the land, how attractive and beautiful they will be.

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Grain will make the young men thrive, and new wine the young women.

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So the idea is that God is going to rescue his people in the same way that a shepherd rescues his flock.

Brian: 00:05:07

So now go ahead with chapter 10, verses one and two, if you would.

Ryan: 00:05:10

Yeah.

Ryan: 00:05:11

Ask the Lord for rain in the springtime.

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It is the Lord who sends the thunderstorms.

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He gives showers of rain to all people and plants of the field to everyone.

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The idols speak deceitfully.

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Diviners see visions that lie.

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They tell dreams that are false.

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They give comfort in vain.

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Therefore, the people wander like sheep, oppressed for lack of a shepherd.

Brian: 00:05:32

So the idea of rain in the springtime is interesting.

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There's, as we mentioned before, a rainy season in Israel.

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Typically, we associate that with the fall, but sometimes this is called the second rain.

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It's a springtime rain.

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The only way that Israel is going to be bountiful, the only way it's going to produce is if God sends the rain.

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The big contrast probably here is that it is the Lord who sends the rain.

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This is the message.

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And if you think about the early days when Israel entered the Promised Land, this was one of the major issues.

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Does the rain come from BAAL because he was seen as a storm God, Right, the thunder God.

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Is he the one who rides on the clouds and brings the thunderstorms in the rain?

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Or is it Yahweh?

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Is it the Lord God?

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And so here Zechariah says it's not idols, but it is God who brings the rain instead.

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Idols.

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And here, this is interesting because this is the word teraphim, which is earlier in the Old Testament.

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This is a word that you remember the story of.

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Just as an example, Jacob and Rachel, the idea of the household gods, this idea of the teraphim are small idols that are usually portable.

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So we're not talking about here like a big temple, something along those lines.

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We're talking about small idols.

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This could even become, at this period of time.

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Some people think this is referring to something small that would be used in order to bring divination.

Brian: 00:07:00

So, you know, like we would not necessarily dice, but like, we would cast dice or, you know, cast lots, that kind of thing, something.

Brian: 00:07:08

So it's saying that.

Brian: 00:07:10

I like that because it's the idea these things that you are looking to for divination are lying to you.

Ryan: 00:07:17

These small things that you personally have, they're not speaking to you truth.

Brian: 00:07:22

Yeah.

Brian: 00:07:22

They're not telling you truth.

Brian: 00:07:24

Instead, God is the one who's going to be able to do that.

Brian: 00:07:28

But this leads the people then to wander like sheep without a shepherd.

Brian: 00:07:34

Which always reminds me then of Jesus statement in that regard.

Brian: 00:07:39

And this is the important thing about the shepherds being the leaders of God's people is that they need someone to guide them, to provide for them.

Brian: 00:07:47

God is often depicted in the Old Testament, famously Psalm 23 would be one example.

Brian: 00:07:52

Right.

Brian: 00:07:52

But in the prophets as well, we have God called a shepherd.

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But here in verses 30, this is Mark chapter 6.

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So it says they went away by themselves to a solitary.

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Or, I'm sorry, in a boat to a solitary place.

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But many who saw them leaving recognized them and ran on foot from all the towns and got there ahead of them.

Brian: 00:08:12

When Jesus landed and saw a large crowd, he had compassion on them because they were like sheep without a shepherd.

Brian: 00:08:20

So there's that kind of continuity with the Old Testament sheep without a shepherd here in Zechariah.

Brian: 00:08:26

So he began teaching them many things.

Brian: 00:08:29

It's interesting, Jesus reaction, I think, similar to God's when he sees the people who are being led in a way that they're, well, what's a sheep without a shepherd look like?

Brian: 00:08:40

Right.

Brian: 00:08:40

They're aimless, they're just wandering.

Brian: 00:08:44

And when God looks at us like that, when Jesus looks at us, he has compassion and he wants us to be cared for and provided for in Zechariah, going back to Zechariah, chapter 10, then God's reaction is anger.

Brian: 00:09:00

So it says here in verse three, my anger burns against the shepherds, and I will punish the leaders.

Brian: 00:09:06

For the Lord Almighty will take care of his flock, the people of Judah, and make them a proud horse in a battle.

Brian: 00:09:12

Like a proud horse in battle.

Brian: 00:09:13

So here's the idea that God is going to be the one to shepherd.

Brian: 00:09:17

He's angry against these other shepherds.

Brian: 00:09:21

Just quickly, two passages.

Brian: 00:09:23

This isn't an unusual thing in the prophets at all.

Brian: 00:09:26

Jeremiah 23, I have in Ezekiel 34, you go back to Jeremiah 23, if you don't mind.

Brian: 00:09:31

Can you find that real quick?

Ryan: 00:09:33

Yep.

Brian: 00:09:34

So he uses the same kind of an image about the wicked shepherds.

Brian: 00:09:40

Again, thinking about the leaders of God's people who are not doing their job.

Brian: 00:09:43

So go ahead and read that if you got it.

Brian: 00:09:45

Yeah.

Ryan: 00:09:45

Woe to the shepherds who are destroying and scattering the sheep of my pasture, declares the Lord.

Ryan: 00:09:50

Therefore, this is what the Lord, the God of Israel, says to the shepherds who tend my people.

Ryan: 00:09:54

Because you have scattered my flock and driven them away and have not bestowed care on them.

Ryan: 00:09:59

I will bestow punishment on you for the evil you have done, declares Yahweh.

Brian: 00:10:04

And then he goes on, he says, I'm going to gather the remnant of my flock and I'm going to shepherd them.

Brian: 00:10:08

So no longer am I going to trust these human shepherds who have done evil things.

Brian: 00:10:13

This is in chapter 34 of the book of Ezekiel.

Brian: 00:10:16

Similar thing.

Brian: 00:10:17

The word of the Lord came to me, son of man, prophesy against the shepherds of Israel.

Brian: 00:10:21

Now he's again not talking about literal shepherds.

Brian: 00:10:24

He's talking about the rulers of the people.

Brian: 00:10:26

Prophesy against the shepherds of Israel.

Brian: 00:10:28

Prophesy and say to them, this is what sovereign Yahweh says.

Brian: 00:10:31

Woe to you, shepherds of Israel, who only take care of yourselves.

Brian: 00:10:35

Should not shepherds take care of the flock?

Brian: 00:10:37

You eat the curds, clothe yourself with the wool, slaughter the choice animals, but you do not take care of the flock.

Brian: 00:10:44

You have not strengthened the weak or healed the sick or bound up the injured.

Brian: 00:10:48

You see that these are all things that a shepherd is supposed to do.

Brian: 00:10:51

The shepherd lives off the flock idea.

Brian: 00:10:53

But they should also care for the flock and take care of it.

Brian: 00:10:56

You've not brought back the strays or searched for the lost.

Brian: 00:10:59

You've ruled them harshly and brutally so.

Brian: 00:11:02

They were scattered because there was no shepherd.

Brian: 00:11:04

And when they were scattered because that they became food for all the wild animals.

Brian: 00:11:09

My sheep wandered over all the mountains and on every high hill.

Brian: 00:11:12

They were scattered over the whole earth, and no one searched for them to look for them.

Brian: 00:11:16

Of course, Ezekiel's writing in the period of exile, and he's talking about this in past tense.

Brian: 00:11:20

Jeremiah is looking forward to this, not looking forward to it.

Ryan: 00:11:26

It's not like I can't wait for our exile.

Brian: 00:11:30

But he's from a past position looking forward.

Brian: 00:11:34

And then Ezekiel's talking about, here's the reality of it, they've been scattered over the whole face of the earth.

Brian: 00:11:39

And that's again part of this idea.

Brian: 00:11:42

So the theme is that God is no longer going to trust these human shepherds, these human leaders, but he is going to be the one himself who's going to lead them.

Brian: 00:11:52

And one of my favorite passages, Zechariah, I don't want to get too far ahead, but in Zechariah 14, again, God's going to make clear I am the one who's going to shepherd him.

Brian: 00:12:02

Wasn't planning on saying this, but we have a whole episode where I've talked about this.

Brian: 00:12:06

In John, chapter 10.

Brian: 00:12:08

This is why it's so important, I think, to understand this Old Testament background.

Brian: 00:12:12

Because then when Jesus says, I am the good shepherd, all who came before me were thieves and robbers, but I'm the one who's going to care for the flock.

Brian: 00:12:21

I will lay down my life for the flock.

Brian: 00:12:23

Even it's the contrast against these evil rulers, these wicked rulers who are only looking out for themselves who came before.

Brian: 00:12:33

So thoughts on that or anything further you want to add, Ryan?

Ryan: 00:12:38

I don't think.

Ryan: 00:12:40

No, I don't think so.

Ryan: 00:12:41

I mean, it's.

Ryan: 00:12:42

Yeah, I mean, the shepherding is the leadership here.

Ryan: 00:12:45

It's not necessarily.

Ryan: 00:12:47

Is the metaphor here for us to drive?

Brian: 00:12:48

Yeah, I think it is.

Brian: 00:12:49

So then we're going to have three other metaphors that come in these next two verses, and they're about this ruler who God is going to raise up.

Brian: 00:12:57

Remember last week we saw the Messianic promise, this idea, God's going to send somebody who's going to straighten these things up.

Brian: 00:13:04

So here is verses four and five, I think, is what I have.

Brian: 00:13:09

Is that right?

Brian: 00:13:10

Yeah, four and five.

Brian: 00:13:11

Three different metaphors that it begins with.

Brian: 00:13:14

So go ahead and read that, if you would.

Ryan: 00:13:16

From Judah will come the cornerstone, from him, the tent peg from him, the battle bow from him, every ruler together they will be like warriors in battle, trampling their enemies into the mud of the streets.

Ryan: 00:13:29

They will fight because the Lord is with them and they will put the enemy horsemen to shame.

Brian: 00:13:34

So here's three different metaphors about this ruler who's going to rise, this shepherd who's going to rise, I think first is he's called the cornerstone, which is the idea of a foundation, the corner of the house, the first stone that you set in order to make sure everything else follows after it.

Brian: 00:13:53

So the foundation for God's house, you will foundation for his people.

Brian: 00:13:57

And of course, this is a phrase that we are a word that we use metaphor that we use to talk about Jesus in the New Testament.

Brian: 00:14:03

The second one is a tent peg, which is a little bit different.

Brian: 00:14:06

Or peg is the one that's used here.

Brian: 00:14:10

What I was thinking about is in Isaiah, it talks about the tents of Israel will once again be raised.

Brian: 00:14:15

Right.

Brian: 00:14:17

And no longer will they be fallen.

Brian: 00:14:19

Well, if you raise a tent, you've got to have the tent peg.

Ryan: 00:14:22

Right.

Brian: 00:14:23

It serves a similar purpose, I would say, to the cornerstone for a building, for an edifice.

Brian: 00:14:28

Right.

Brian: 00:14:28

If you're talking about a tent, though, the tent peg is what you use to keep the line taut so that the tent stands Another.

Brian: 00:14:38

I read a commentary on this as well that talked about this peg could simply mean it's translated tent peg here.

Brian: 00:14:44

But it could also be the kind of peg you would talk about in a wooden structure.

Brian: 00:14:48

So it may be like that.

Brian: 00:14:49

And kind of the thing that holds the whole house together in that sense could be the image that we're looking at.

Brian: 00:14:57

And then, of course, the third is the battle bow, that he's going to be the one who's going to be the warrior.

Brian: 00:15:02

And then that's the way that that image is taken on after it talks about that he is going to be the ruler.

Brian: 00:15:09

Let me forget to go back and say something about Judah here, but that we have this image of battle and that God's bringing salvation.

Brian: 00:15:19

Right.

Brian: 00:15:20

And salvation often had this military aspect to it that God's going to defeat through his people, going to defeat the enemies.

Brian: 00:15:29

Do notice that it begins with saying that the ruler is going to come from Judah.

Brian: 00:15:32

Right.

Brian: 00:15:32

That these are going to come from.

Brian: 00:15:34

From.

Brian: 00:15:34

These are going to rise from Judah.

Brian: 00:15:36

And all the way From Genesis chapter 50, Judah is called the tribe of the rulers.

Brian: 00:15:46

I guess, actually, technically, Genesis 49, I said 50, but it's Genesis 49 there it says, you are lion's cub, O Judah, and basically the scepter will never depart from you, the staff from between your feet.

Brian: 00:16:02

This idea that the ruler is always going to come from Judah, Judah was seen as the ruling tribe.

Brian: 00:16:09

And so that's what's being talked about.

Brian: 00:16:10

But the interesting thing is he goes on then verses six through eight.

Brian: 00:16:13

So go ahead and just read verse six.

Ryan: 00:16:16

First of all, I will strengthen Judah and save the tribes of Joseph.

Ryan: 00:16:20

I will restore them because I have compassion on them.

Ryan: 00:16:23

They will be as though I had not rejected them.

Ryan: 00:16:27

For I am the Lord, their God, and I will answer them.

Brian: 00:16:29

So we will come back to 7 and 8 here in just a minute.

Brian: 00:16:31

But the tribes of Joseph, what does that make you think about?

Brian: 00:16:37

What comes to mind when you hear the tribes of Joseph?

Ryan: 00:16:40

What do I think of when I think of the tribes of Joseph?

Brian: 00:16:44

Well, Joseph does not have a tribe, right?

Ryan: 00:16:46

Right.

Brian: 00:16:46

So the sons of Israel, the sons of Jacob, are the 12 tribes, right?

Ryan: 00:16:55

Right.

Brian: 00:16:56

So Joseph doesn't have one, but two of his sons.

Brian: 00:17:00

Do remember, Manasseh and Ephraim are the sons of Joseph who become tribes.

Brian: 00:17:06

And the really significant thing about this is that Ephraim, you might remember that even though he's the younger son, has prophesied that he'll become the greater Ephraim, becomes the most significant of the northern tribes.

Brian: 00:17:18

Right to the point that in the prophets we can talk about Judah and Ephraim.

Brian: 00:17:24

Right.

Brian: 00:17:24

And we're talking about the southern kingdom, Judah and the Northern Kingdom.

Brian: 00:17:28

Ephraim.

Brian: 00:17:29

Ephraim and all those other tribes.

Brian: 00:17:32

Ezekiel even says it this way.

Brian: 00:17:35

Ephraim and those tribes associated with him.

Brian: 00:17:38

So Joseph's tribe is talking about Ephraim and Manasseh, these northern tribes.

Brian: 00:17:42

You might remember Manasseh divided in half.

Brian: 00:17:45

They're the half tribe.

Brian: 00:17:46

Half of them stayed on the other side of the Jordan, came over onto the west side of the Jordan.

Brian: 00:17:52

But anyway, so the tribes of Judah or, I'm sorry, tribes of Joseph.

Brian: 00:17:59

I think we're thinking about Ephraim.

Brian: 00:18:00

We're thinking about the northern kingdom and the southern kingdom here.

Brian: 00:18:03

And we're talking about that division and that's part of what this prophecy is all about.

Brian: 00:18:07

So go ahead with.

Brian: 00:18:08

And we've been talking about that quite a bit lately.

Brian: 00:18:10

Go ahead and read verses seven through eight and I think you'll see what we're talking about.

Ryan: 00:18:13

Ephraimites will become like warriors and their hearts will be glad as with wine.

Ryan: 00:18:18

Their children will see it and be joyful.

Ryan: 00:18:21

Their hearts will rejoice in the Lord.

Ryan: 00:18:23

I will signal for them and gather them in.

Ryan: 00:18:25

Surely I will redeem them.

Ryan: 00:18:27

They will be as numerous as before.

Brian: 00:18:29

So he says.

Brian: 00:18:31

It'll be like I never rejected them.

Brian: 00:18:34

Do you remember that?

Ryan: 00:18:35

Oh, yeah.

Brian: 00:18:36

So when we had the division of the kingdoms, the northern and the southern kingdom, of course, the Northern kingdom very quickly went the wrong way.

Brian: 00:18:45

They were destroyed in 722 BC.

Brian: 00:18:47

You remember?

Brian: 00:18:48

They were scattered.

Brian: 00:18:50

The Assyrians took them and put them in all the nations surrounding.

Brian: 00:18:53

So they became scattered.

Brian: 00:18:54

And so God says, now I'm going to signal for them.

Brian: 00:18:56

It's kind of like when you whistle for your dog or your children.

Brian: 00:19:02

I don't know how I want to.

Ryan: 00:19:05

Whistle for the kids.

Brian: 00:19:06

You snap for them.

Ryan: 00:19:07

I don't know.

Brian: 00:19:08

The dinner bell.

Brian: 00:19:10

I know they're Sarver Ranch.

Brian: 00:19:13

You have a dinner bell that calls them all in from the neighborhood.

Ryan: 00:19:16

Yeah, it's very, very ranchy around here.

Brian: 00:19:20

Well, it's a ranch style house, but anyway.

Ryan: 00:19:23

Oh my gosh.

Ryan: 00:19:24

Dad jokes.

Brian: 00:19:26

Yeah, it's bad.

Brian: 00:19:27

I was gonna say something about the dressing too, but I won't.

Brian: 00:19:29

So anyway, he says I'm gonna signal and they're gonna be brought in from all of these nations around.

Brian: 00:19:35

They're gonna be brought back and made a people again.

Brian: 00:19:38

So here he's talking about this idea of a reunification.

Brian: 00:19:41

I think of the northern and the southern tribe.

Brian: 00:19:44

This promise that they're going to again be the people that they were supposed to be.

Brian: 00:19:48

Verses 9 and 10 though I scatter them among the peoples, yet in distant lands they will remember me.

Brian: 00:19:55

They and their children will survive and they will return.

Brian: 00:19:58

I'll bring them back from it.

Brian: 00:19:59

Now he lists Egypt.

Brian: 00:20:01

I'll gather them from Assyria, I'll bring them to Gilead and Lebanon.

Brian: 00:20:05

So instead of these foreign nations, they're going to be back in their home area Lebanon up to the north.

Brian: 00:20:10

Obviously in Gilead there will be no, there will not be room enough for them.

Brian: 00:20:16

So talking about how numerous they're going to be, they'll pass through the sea of trouble, the surging sea will be subdued and all the depths of the Nile will dry up.

Brian: 00:20:25

Assyria's pride will be brought down and Egypt's scepter will pass away.

Brian: 00:20:29

And again, you can kind of see how this fits in a more pre exilic, you know, it's talking about Assyria and all this kind of stuff.

Brian: 00:20:36

But Assyria is associated with the destruction of the northern kingdom.

Brian: 00:20:41

And that's why I think that they're the ones who are mentioned.

Brian: 00:20:43

These superpowers that surround Israel are going to be laid low as the idea and Israel as a people is going to again be reunited.

Brian: 00:20:53

Thoughts on that or comments or questions?

Ryan: 00:20:55

Yeah.

Ryan: 00:20:55

So you're saying because this is about Ephraim and the Assyrians are the primary ones who scatter, not the Babylonians that scatter the Ephraim, the northern tribes.

Ryan: 00:21:09

That's why you see this as not a separate thing but because it's context, it's talking about Ephraim and Ephraim's context is they were scattered by Assyria.

Brian: 00:21:19

So when you're talking about the enemies of God's people in the northern kingdom.

Ryan: 00:21:25

Assyria is on their mind.

Ryan: 00:21:27

Babylonia is not the Babylon's not the major aggressor towards them.

Brian: 00:21:31

I think so.

Brian: 00:21:32

And so you know, God's promising this power that undid you before is now going to be broken and you're once again going to be brought back and reunited again.

Brian: 00:21:44

We need to get this guy on.

Brian: 00:21:45

But a very interesting.

Brian: 00:21:47

There's a guy who has.

Brian: 00:21:48

You remember his name?

Ryan: 00:21:49

I can never remember Jason Staples.

Ryan: 00:21:51

Yeah, I barely remember it.

Brian: 00:21:55

But yeah, you're filling your mind with Greek.

Brian: 00:22:00

But this idea that we see the fulfillment of this prophecy in the Messiah but basically in God's people, in the followers of Jesus being reunited, we see that's maybe what even Paul's talking about in the book of Romans.

Ryan: 00:22:18

And it's partly because some of these smaller tribes seem to almost disappear during this time.

Brian: 00:22:26

They're scattered, right?

Ryan: 00:22:28

They're scattered, yeah.

Brian: 00:22:29

And so Ephraim and Judah kind of become shorthand or here.

Brian: 00:22:33

That was why I was doing that thing about Joseph.

Brian: 00:22:34

The tribes of Joseph is the way that they're talking about.

Brian: 00:22:38

So let's go ahead and finish up 12 here.

Brian: 00:22:41

I'm sorry, chapter 10, verse 12 says, I will strengthen them in the Lord and in his name they will live securely, declares Yahweh.

Brian: 00:22:52

So again, they're going to be brought together and they're going to be strengthened.

Ryan: 00:22:56

Yeah.

Ryan: 00:22:56

And again, this is an eschatological age, you know, like it's a.

Ryan: 00:22:59

Yeah, I think so.

Brian: 00:23:01

It's the kingdom.

Brian: 00:23:02

It's talking about, you know, God's kingdom being brought together.

Brian: 00:23:06

So chapter 11, then, verses one through three, I think, continues this to a certain extent.

Brian: 00:23:12

We looked at this in chapter nine the way we have an invader coming down from the north.

Brian: 00:23:18

And I think we see a similar thing here.

Brian: 00:23:19

It's going to mention Lebanon, which is up to the north.

Brian: 00:23:22

These mountains, they're known for their cedar trees.

Brian: 00:23:25

And then further south then is going to be Bashan.

Brian: 00:23:30

And I'll say more about Bashan here a little bit, but go ahead and read verses one through three there, if you would.

Ryan: 00:23:35

Yeah.

Ryan: 00:23:36

Open your doors, Lebanon, so that fire may devour your cedars, will you?

Ryan: 00:23:40

Juniper for the cedar has fallen.

Ryan: 00:23:42

The stately trees are ruined.

Ryan: 00:23:44

Whale oaks of Bashan.

Ryan: 00:23:46

The dense forest has been cut down.

Ryan: 00:23:48

Listen to the wail of the shepherds.

Ryan: 00:23:50

Their rich pastures are destroyed.

Ryan: 00:23:52

Listen to the roar of the lions.

Ryan: 00:23:54

The lush thicket of the Jordan is ruined.

Brian: 00:23:57

So he's picturing this invader coming down and cutting down the trees, which is probably more than just the trees, but also the people.

Brian: 00:24:03

Right.

Brian: 00:24:04

That are going to be taken in this way.

Brian: 00:24:07

Again, it maybe makes us think about before the exile, this invader from the north, but I think Zachariah is also pointing toward this future invader who's going to come from the north as well, like we talked about a bit last week.

Brian: 00:24:21

Notice Return to the shepherds.

Brian: 00:24:22

Listen to the wail of the shepherds.

Brian: 00:24:24

So these rulers are now going to suffer because the, you know, the punishment's coming upon them because they've not led the people well.

Brian: 00:24:33

And so the people receiving punishment and the.

Brian: 00:24:35

And the shepherds are losing.

Brian: 00:24:38

What do you want to say?

Brian: 00:24:38

This.

Brian: 00:24:39

This fertile plain that they've.

Brian: 00:24:41

They've enjoyed this Fertile area, this fertile field that they've enjoyed is now going to be destroyed.

Brian: 00:24:48

So I'll go ahead and read verses four through six.

Brian: 00:24:51

So what we're saying here in this image is the shepherd, the failure of the shepherd to properly lead the flock is going to result in their destruction.

Brian: 00:25:01

So verses four through six, this is what Yahweh, my God, says, shepherd the flock marked for slaughter.

Brian: 00:25:07

Now, the interesting thing here is Zechariah begins to play a role here, like he's the one who's going to shepherd them.

Brian: 00:25:17

But the idea is lead them, even though their destruction is already set, is kind of the idea.

Brian: 00:25:24

Even though they're marked for slaughter, their buyers slaughter them and go unpunished.

Brian: 00:25:29

Those who sell them say, praise the Lord, I am rich.

Brian: 00:25:32

Their own shepherds, do not spare them, for I will no longer have pity on the people of the land, declares the Lord.

Brian: 00:25:39

I will give everyone into the hands of their neighbors and their king.

Brian: 00:25:43

They will devastate the land, and I will not rescue anyone from their hands.

Brian: 00:25:47

So this is that prophecy of a future destruction that's going to happen because of their.

Brian: 00:25:53

The shepherds have not led them well, and so they've gone astray.

Brian: 00:25:58

And so here's what's happening.

Brian: 00:26:02

So now we have almost an enacted parable is the way I've called it here.

Brian: 00:26:09

So it's not unusual to see prophets do this.

Brian: 00:26:14

And I'll give you two examples.

Brian: 00:26:16

One is, well, I'll give you one example anyway.

Brian: 00:26:19

Do you remember when.

Brian: 00:26:20

And this is going to become important a little bit later on.

Brian: 00:26:23

Do you remember when God said to Ezekiel, you need to take two sticks and hold them in your hand as if they're one stick.

Brian: 00:26:28

But you're supposed to write on one belonging to Judah and the tribes associated with them, and the other belonging to Ephraim and the tribes associated with them.

Brian: 00:26:36

And then you're to carry them around and say, basically, these two sticks are going to be reunited.

Brian: 00:26:42

So it was a symbolic action, if you will.

Brian: 00:26:46

And this is kind of an enacted parable that Zechariah is doing here in this place.

Brian: 00:26:52

So go ahead and read verses seven through nine.

Brian: 00:26:54

So when it says, I hear we're thinking about Zechariah, but I think we're thinking about him kind of standing in.

Brian: 00:27:00

In this story.

Brian: 00:27:01

Right.

Brian: 00:27:02

It's personalizing it.

Brian: 00:27:04

It's making us think about how would we feel if we were in that situation.

Ryan: 00:27:09

Gotcha.

Ryan: 00:27:10

So I shepherded the flock marked for slaughter, particularly the oppressed of the flock.

Ryan: 00:27:14

Then I took two staffs and called one favor and the other union.

Ryan: 00:27:19

And I shepherded the flock, and one month I got rid of the three shepherds.

Ryan: 00:27:23

The flock detested me, and I grew wary of them.

Ryan: 00:27:26

And I said, I will not be your shepherd.

Ryan: 00:27:29

Let the dying die and the perishing perish.

Ryan: 00:27:32

Let those who are left eat one another's flesh.

Brian: 00:27:35

Okay, you stop right there.

Brian: 00:27:37

So kind of an interesting little story here, a little tidbit.

Brian: 00:27:41

So he says, I shepherded the flock.

Ryan: 00:27:42

This guy's great at parties.

Brian: 00:27:45

I shepherded the flock, and I got rid of these three shepherds.

Brian: 00:27:49

And I think we're probably talking about people who are not ruling correctly, who are not leading them correctly.

Brian: 00:27:55

I shepherd them.

Brian: 00:27:56

I took care of them.

Brian: 00:27:58

But it says in return, the flock.

Brian: 00:28:02

What was the word there?

Brian: 00:28:02

Detested, or you could say despised their shepherd.

Brian: 00:28:08

So put yourself in that situation.

Brian: 00:28:10

This is why I think Zachariah personalizes it.

Brian: 00:28:13

You are called to lead this people, and in turn, all you get is grief for it, right?

Brian: 00:28:19

All you get is their derision.

Brian: 00:28:22

And so basically, he says, well, enough of that.

Brian: 00:28:26

I'm just going to turn them over.

Brian: 00:28:28

And I think.

Brian: 00:28:30

I'll tell you what I think here is.

Brian: 00:28:31

I think what we have is God.

Brian: 00:28:34

Basically, we have this enacted parable, God saying, this is what it's like leading my people.

Brian: 00:28:41

I protect them, I save them, I get rid of the wicked rulers, and in turn, I get derision and I get disrespectful.

Brian: 00:28:50

Whatever word you want to put in disrespect.

Brian: 00:28:53

They despise me.

Brian: 00:28:55

They test me.

Brian: 00:28:56

And so he says, I'm going to turn them over.

Brian: 00:28:58

They're going to receive this punishment.

Brian: 00:29:00

So I think it has more to do with thinking about how I say what it feels like to be the shepherd.

Brian: 00:29:10

Feels like it's not exactly the right word, but what it is to be the shepherd and to have the flock not grateful for what they're receiving.

Brian: 00:29:22

These two staffs are.

Brian: 00:29:23

If you read different translations and commentaries, you're going to see all kinds of different names that are suggested for these words.

Brian: 00:29:34

I like the two that the new NIV has given us as well, Sanny.

Brian: 00:29:38

Favor and union.

Brian: 00:29:40

Favor sometimes is beauty, or there's all kinds of different grace.

Brian: 00:29:44

There's all kind of different words that can be associated with them.

Brian: 00:29:48

But I think favor and union fit well with what we're going to see enacted in what is to come.

Brian: 00:29:55

So go ahead and read verses 10 and 11.

Brian: 00:29:58

So after the flock says, ah, we.

Ryan: 00:30:02

And he is like, yeah, go be cannibal.

Ryan: 00:30:04

Yeah, right.

Ryan: 00:30:07

Then I took my staff called favor and broke it, revoking the covenant I had made with all the nations.

Ryan: 00:30:13

It was revoked on that day.

Ryan: 00:30:15

And so the oppressed of the flock who were watching me knew it was the word of the Lord.

Brian: 00:30:19

So he took the staff that was called favor and broke it.

Brian: 00:30:22

And basically, this is saying, this covenant is now broken.

Brian: 00:30:26

It goes all the way back to what God had said about his promise.

Brian: 00:30:29

Right?

Brian: 00:30:29

His covenant is that there are conditions that go along with it.

Brian: 00:30:34

His promise is unconditional.

Brian: 00:30:36

Right.

Brian: 00:30:37

But the conditions are if you keep these things, then you will live.

Brian: 00:30:41

These things I'm setting in front of you today, go back to Deuteronomy are life and death, right?

Brian: 00:30:46

And if you receive them, they're life, but if you reject them, they're death.

Brian: 00:30:50

So here's this idea.

Brian: 00:30:52

I've used this staff, this covenant to shepherd my people, but when they will no longer receive it, then he snaps it in half and the covenant is broken.

Brian: 00:31:05

Now, if you can think about it in the covenant way, it's kind of the opposite of the Ezekiel enacted parable I was talking about earlier.

Brian: 00:31:13

There he was putting the two pieces together, and this one is the two pieces are being broken apart.

Brian: 00:31:19

So then go ahead with verses 12 and 13.

Ryan: 00:31:21

I told him, if you think it best, give me my pay, but if not, keep it.

Ryan: 00:31:26

So they paid me 30 pieces of silver.

Brian: 00:31:29

And I'll remind you, this idea.

Brian: 00:31:30

Yeah, that sounds familiar, doesn't it?

Brian: 00:31:32

I'll remind you, this is the idea of the buyers of the sheep, that he shepherd them.

Brian: 00:31:35

And now he's basically saying, okay, I'm washing my hands of them.

Brian: 00:31:38

Give me what I deserve for this.

Brian: 00:31:40

So then go ahead with 13.

Ryan: 00:31:43

And the Lord said to me, throw it to the potter.

Ryan: 00:31:46

The handsome price at which they valued me.

Ryan: 00:31:49

So I took the 30 pieces of silver and threw them to the potter at the house of the Lord.

Brian: 00:31:54

Now, there's all kinds of echoes here of a story that we're familiar with that has to do with 30 pieces of silver.

Brian: 00:32:01

And you might remember those 30 pieces were thrown into the temple and ended up buying the potter's field, right.

Brian: 00:32:10

That where.

Brian: 00:32:11

Where Judas was buried was hanging around, if you remember those.

Brian: 00:32:16

That story.

Brian: 00:32:17

Yeah.

Brian: 00:32:18

So it could be a reference to that.

Brian: 00:32:20

Certainly it has to do with this idea of, you know, it basically it's like, hey, pay me whatever you think it's worth.

Brian: 00:32:27

And 30 pieces of silver would be a relatively small price, right?

Brian: 00:32:30

It would be.

Brian: 00:32:31

You know, if this is what you think I'm worth, is kind of the Idea, that's what you value me.

Brian: 00:32:38

It's an irony here that he takes it and he throws into the potter at the house of the Lord is what it says.

Brian: 00:32:45

So then verses 14, verse 14.

Brian: 00:32:48

Then.

Ryan: 00:32:49

Then I broke my second staff called union, breaking the family bond between Judah and Israel.

Brian: 00:32:55

So there you have it.

Brian: 00:32:56

This idea of the separation of my once united people is enacted in the breaking of this second staff.

Brian: 00:33:06

So then, verses 15 and 16.

Brian: 00:33:08

I'll go ahead and finish this chapter, probably.

Brian: 00:33:10

It says, then the Lord said to me, take again the equipment of a foolish shepherd, for I'm going to raise up a shepherd over the land who will not take care or, I'm sorry, not care for the lost or seek the young or heal the injured or feed the healthy that will eat the meat of the choice sheep tearing off their hooves.

Brian: 00:33:32

So going back to what we saw in the prophecy of Jeremiah and Ezekiel, there it's, I will care for my sheep, I will bind up my lambs.

Brian: 00:33:44

I will take care of them.

Brian: 00:33:46

So here, basically, because of their wantonness, because of their destruction, I'm going to hand them over to these shepherds.

Brian: 00:33:54

And again, I do think we're finding echoes of the Assyrian defeat and the Babylonian defeat here.

Brian: 00:34:01

Right.

Brian: 00:34:02

That I hand my flock over.

Brian: 00:34:03

They're divided.

Brian: 00:34:04

They're broken people.

Brian: 00:34:07

You know, they're no longer one united people, but they're a divided kingdom.

Brian: 00:34:11

And I'm handing them over to these.

Brian: 00:34:15

How do I say this?

Brian: 00:34:17

These shepherds who will take advantage of the flock, who will not look after the flock, but will only take what they can from the flock.

Ryan: 00:34:26

But isn't that what our shepherds are already doing at this point?

Ryan: 00:34:28

I mean, isn't that kind of.

Brian: 00:34:30

Yeah.

Ryan: 00:34:31

What's already happening?

Brian: 00:34:32

I think so.

Brian: 00:34:33

But he's handing them over.

Brian: 00:34:34

Yeah.

Brian: 00:34:34

Not to the.

Brian: 00:34:35

Not to their internal rulers.

Brian: 00:34:37

Right.

Brian: 00:34:37

Because of the way that they have led them.

Brian: 00:34:39

Now they're going to be handed over to the foreign kings who are going to strip them.

Brian: 00:34:44

Right.

Brian: 00:34:45

Take everything that they want off of them.

Brian: 00:34:47

And so here's the issue, and I didn't know whether to bring this up or not.

Brian: 00:34:54

Like I said, we have a whole thing on the good shepherd.

Brian: 00:34:58

When Jesus talks about and he says, I am the good shepherd.

Brian: 00:35:06

I lay down my life for the sheep.

Brian: 00:35:09

This is in John, chapter 10.

Brian: 00:35:10

I think it's against this whole background of all those.

Brian: 00:35:15

And here's what he says.

Brian: 00:35:16

All who came before me were thieves and robbers.

Brian: 00:35:21

And the way I always kind of describe the.

Brian: 00:35:23

I always get students to think about the Difference between thieves and robbers, Right.

Brian: 00:35:28

Thieves are motivated primarily by.

Brian: 00:35:32

I'm going to simplify it in a way, primarily by greed.

Brian: 00:35:36

Robbers are motivated more by violence.

Brian: 00:35:39

Right.

Brian: 00:35:39

Or characterized more by violence.

Brian: 00:35:41

A robber hits you over your head and takes the bag.

Brian: 00:35:44

The thief sneaks in in the middle of the night, takes your stash.

Brian: 00:35:48

Right?

Brian: 00:35:49

And so basically, those who have been ruling God's people in the past have been motivated by greed and violence or power.

Brian: 00:36:00

Let's call it power if you want greed and power.

Brian: 00:36:06

You know, Jesus comes and he says, I'm a different kind of ruler.

Brian: 00:36:10

I'm the kind of ruler who's going to lay down my life for the sheep.

Ryan: 00:36:15

And isn't John 10 in the context of, like, Hanukkah?

Brian: 00:36:19

Isn't that dedication.

Brian: 00:36:20

Feast of dedication.

Brian: 00:36:21

Feast of dedication, which is what I think he's saying.

Brian: 00:36:23

I think he's standing there on the day when they're remembering the Maccabean kings, right?

Brian: 00:36:29

They're the greatest heroes.

Ryan: 00:36:33

Who turned against them.

Brian: 00:36:36

And used them for their own purposes.

Brian: 00:36:38

This is my point.

Brian: 00:36:40

This is my point, is that's why I think it's so important to understand the history of the Maccabees.

Brian: 00:36:46

I talk about this a lot, and a lot of people like, oh, I can just sit down and read this.

Brian: 00:36:50

But the historical context here, understanding of the Maccabee and kings, who were the heroes of the people in Jesus day.

Brian: 00:36:58

My point is to understand this history.

Brian: 00:37:00

It helps us understand what Jesus means when he says, I am the good shepherd, right?

Brian: 00:37:05

I am this Promised One that we have all the way from the book of Zechariah, who is now coming in order to finally lead my people in the way that they were intended to be led, not for his own advantage.

Brian: 00:37:18

What does he need?

Brian: 00:37:18

Right.

Brian: 00:37:19

What does the Messiah need from us?

Brian: 00:37:22

But he's doing it for our good, right?

Brian: 00:37:24

And he's.

Brian: 00:37:25

He's giving us direction.

Brian: 00:37:27

He's giving us provision is the idea.

Ryan: 00:37:31

And that's what I mean.

Ryan: 00:37:32

Yeah.

Ryan: 00:37:32

And that's why he's so radical at the time.

Ryan: 00:37:34

I mean, it's in that contrast that everybody's seen him.

Ryan: 00:37:36

It's not like we might say, well, I'm a good shepherd.

Ryan: 00:37:38

No, no, it's not.

Ryan: 00:37:40

It.

Ryan: 00:37:40

It's.

Ryan: 00:37:41

I am.

Ryan: 00:37:42

And it's in that contrast, he's contrasting himself, which would have made the message that much more scandalous in some ways, because.

Brian: 00:37:48

Because the Maccabee, you know.

Brian: 00:37:50

Well, let's put it in our context, if you want, since we're leading up to the election, Right?

Ryan: 00:37:54

Oh, well, this should be fun.

Ryan: 00:37:56

I'm glad we're doing this.

Brian: 00:37:58

Well, here's the deal.

Brian: 00:38:01

Here's the deal.

Brian: 00:38:03

We're not talking about personalities.

Brian: 00:38:05

You can think about the best leaders that our nation has ever had.

Brian: 00:38:10

Okay?

Brian: 00:38:12

And I'm not gonna put a name with it.

Brian: 00:38:13

Cause it depends on who you are.

Brian: 00:38:14

Probably who you would say I'm talking about in history.

Brian: 00:38:18

You can talk about the greatest rulers that our nation has had.

Brian: 00:38:22

And at the end of the day, there is some kind of a motivation there, right, that they fail to be what ultimately we need.

Brian: 00:38:33

And that's been true.

Brian: 00:38:34

It's not just the United States.

Brian: 00:38:36

It's been true of whatever nation.

Brian: 00:38:40

You can go back to England.

Brian: 00:38:42

You can think about kings and queens if you want.

Brian: 00:38:46

You can think about strongmen in South America.

Brian: 00:38:49

I don't care what nation we're talking about here.

Brian: 00:38:53

I don't want to talk about Germany.

Brian: 00:38:55

Right?

Brian: 00:38:55

I don't care what nation we're talking about here.

Brian: 00:38:58

At the end of the day, rulers are going to disappoint us.

Brian: 00:39:03

They're going to fail us inasmuch as they're able to rule in a way that is keeping with the wisdom of God and his purposes.

Brian: 00:39:10

I think there are better and worse rulers, don't get me wrong.

Brian: 00:39:15

But at the end of the day, we need a shepherd.

Brian: 00:39:19

We need one who's going to be able to establish eternally a kingdom that will.

Brian: 00:39:25

That will unite us and keep us together.

Brian: 00:39:28

So anyway, you understand my point.

Brian: 00:39:31

There is.

Brian: 00:39:32

I don't think.

Brian: 00:39:33

I don't think we're talking.

Brian: 00:39:33

So when I talk about the election upcoming, I'm not talking about any individual.

Brian: 00:39:37

I'm talking about the system.

Brian: 00:39:39

And I'm not talking about, you know, the Republic of the United States of America and democracy.

Brian: 00:39:46

I'm talking about the idea of human rulers, at the end of the day, being unable to do everything that's necessary for us to be led.

Brian: 00:39:57

We need someone who knows us more intimately and who, frankly, has compassion on us.

Brian: 00:40:04

What ruler looks at his people and says, oh, I feel compassion.

Brian: 00:40:12

And it goes all the way back.

Brian: 00:40:14

The first shepherd was David.

Brian: 00:40:17

But, man, it didn't take long till you got Solomon, who was using his position in order to.

Brian: 00:40:23

How do I say this?

Brian: 00:40:26

Taking advantage of his position to make people work for his benefit.

Brian: 00:40:33

And don't get me.

Brian: 00:40:34

And he was a wise guy, right?

Brian: 00:40:35

He was supposed to be super wise.

Brian: 00:40:38

And he failed.

Brian: 00:40:39

At the end of the day, rulers will always disappoint us.

Brian: 00:40:43

Rulers will always disappoint us.

Brian: 00:40:45

I don't care.

Brian: 00:40:46

Well, I should say I don't care.

Brian: 00:40:48

But whoever's elected this November in the United States will disappoint us.

Brian: 00:40:55

I'm just saying.

Brian: 00:40:57

So that's why we trust in the good shepherd, the one who's going to lead us.

Brian: 00:41:01

Now, how was that?

Brian: 00:41:02

Was that better than you thought or worse?

Ryan: 00:41:04

That was better than I thought because I was, you know.

Ryan: 00:41:07

I don't know.

Brian: 00:41:07

Where are you going?

Brian: 00:41:08

Where's he going with this?

Brian: 00:41:09

Okay, verse 17.

Brian: 00:41:09

Let me finish this up.

Brian: 00:41:10

Woe to the worthless shepherd who deserts the flock.

Brian: 00:41:14

You remember what Jesus said again?

Brian: 00:41:18

John, chapter 10.

Brian: 00:41:19

The shepherd is not the hired man who runs away.

Brian: 00:41:22

So here you have that background for that.

Brian: 00:41:25

The worthless shepherd who deserts the flock, may the sword strike his arm in his right eye.

Brian: 00:41:30

That's a bad thing.

Brian: 00:41:31

May his arm be completely withered, his right eye totally blinded.

Brian: 00:41:35

So basically calling a curse upon the shepherd who fails to protect the flock.

Brian: 00:41:42

But Jesus says, I'm not the hired man.

Brian: 00:41:44

I'm the shepherd.

Brian: 00:41:45

I'm the one who will lay down my life for the sheep.

Brian: 00:41:50

So that's all I have.

Ryan: 00:41:51

Yeah, that's all you have for this Vacation edition.

Ryan: 00:41:54

Vacation edition.

Ryan: 00:41:55

Well, it's good, you know, I think it's, again, this context of shepherding, again, as you pointed out, it really helps us look ahead to John and other places where Jesus is referred to as the shepherd to get that clear picture of the contrast between what had been and what has.

Ryan: 00:42:15

What's been going on there.

Ryan: 00:42:17

And I love the staff, the breaking of the staff.

Ryan: 00:42:20

You know, we get this idea.

Ryan: 00:42:21

Yeah, A favor and union.

Ryan: 00:42:23

Like, they're living this.

Ryan: 00:42:25

They live the brokenness.

Ryan: 00:42:27

You know, there's the.

Ryan: 00:42:29

We got another temple in the north.

Ryan: 00:42:30

We've got, you know, the temple in Judah.

Ryan: 00:42:33

And we have, you know, wars between our kings.

Ryan: 00:42:37

Division and kings.

Ryan: 00:42:38

And the favor is left the building.

Ryan: 00:42:43

Yeah, that's good.

Ryan: 00:42:44

It's good to go through this and get this idea, especially as we continue to work through Zechariah in this kind of this eschatological age.

Ryan: 00:42:52

What is to come, what has been will not be.

Brian: 00:42:57

It's an amazing book.

Brian: 00:42:58

It really is.

Brian: 00:42:59

Zachariah is an amazing book.

Ryan: 00:43:00

Yeah.

Ryan: 00:43:01

Well, this is great, Brian.

Ryan: 00:43:02

I appreciate it.

Brian: 00:43:03

All right, well.

Brian: 00:43:04

And what do we want to say, people?

Brian: 00:43:06

Check out the website.

Ryan: 00:43:07

Yeah, check out the website.

Ryan: 00:43:09

And I'm gonna give a plug for something here, a book.

Ryan: 00:43:12

So I got a.

Ryan: 00:43:13

This was recommended to me in one of my classes.

Ryan: 00:43:15

It was just kind of.

Ryan: 00:43:16

Not just to me, but to the class.

Ryan: 00:43:18

It's Called the niv.

Ryan: 00:43:20

It's niv.

Ryan: 00:43:21

There's other versions, I think.

Ryan: 00:43:24

Cultural background Study Bible.

Brian: 00:43:26

Oh, yeah.

Ryan: 00:43:27

And it is fantastic because just as you were talking, I was looking at some of the notes here and it had some of this.

Ryan: 00:43:33

It's like it tapped right into the brine.

Ryan: 00:43:36

The brain of Brian Johnson because it talks about idols in 10, chapter two.

Ryan: 00:43:42

And it says the teraphim like it's bringing some of that cultural background.

Ryan: 00:43:47

And I've been reading it.

Brian: 00:43:48

You thought of just making all this stuff up, didn't you?

Ryan: 00:43:50

Well, maybe.

Ryan: 00:43:52

I'm just kidding.

Ryan: 00:43:54

No, but it's been really interesting.

Ryan: 00:43:57

I've showed it to a couple of people.

Ryan: 00:43:58

Just that background connotation of and understanding the ancient world and what's going on there really helps kind of open this up a little bit.

Ryan: 00:44:07

So it's.

Ryan: 00:44:08

I'm going to hold it up.

Ryan: 00:44:09

I got the bougie leather version.

Ryan: 00:44:12

You can't see it's not focusing.

Ryan: 00:44:14

I know it's not focusing.

Ryan: 00:44:16

It's my camera.

Brian: 00:44:16

Okay, we'll add a link.

Ryan: 00:44:18

I'll add a link to it.

Ryan: 00:44:19

But you can get a hardcover.

Ryan: 00:44:21

But it's really interesting.

Ryan: 00:44:22

I thought it's my favorite study Bible because I'm not.

Ryan: 00:44:25

I don't have a ton of study Bibles, but this one helps me get my mind around it.

Brian: 00:44:31

That's a good plug.

Brian: 00:44:32

And it reminds you that we do have several books that we've kind of curated on our website.

Brian: 00:44:37

And if you go through our affiliate link, we get a few cents for.

Ryan: 00:44:41

Each of the purchases.

Ryan: 00:44:43

Someone, a couple bought some 10 books from us.

Ryan: 00:44:47

10 books.

Ryan: 00:44:48

That's fantastic.

Brian: 00:44:49

And we got $5.

Ryan: 00:44:51

Thank you.

Brian: 00:44:52

Wow, that's pretty good.

Ryan: 00:44:54

Yeah, it was 50 cents on each book.

Brian: 00:44:57

Man, that's good.

Ryan: 00:44:58

We're living large.

Ryan: 00:44:59

That's a coffee.

Brian: 00:45:00

Yeah.

Brian: 00:45:00

Thank you.

Brian: 00:45:01

Thank you for that.

Brian: 00:45:02

Thank you.

Brian: 00:45:02

To buy, just go through that link and it'll help us out a little bit and you know, you can give through via Patreon.

Brian: 00:45:09

We do have some really interesting things upcoming.

Brian: 00:45:12

We've been busy.

Brian: 00:45:12

As we said, Ryan's back in school and so he's juggling even one more.

Brian: 00:45:17

Keeping one more of his clubs in the air.

Ryan: 00:45:21

Yeah, yeah, we appreciate it.

Ryan: 00:45:22

Well, Brian, thank you so much.

Ryan: 00:45:23

Thanks for being vacation.

Ryan: 00:45:25

I hope you enjoy the rest of your time there and I hope I enjoy my time.

Ryan: 00:45:29

Future tense.

Brian: 00:45:30

Anyway, so we'll have enjoyed by the time people are listening to this Future perfect tense.

Brian: 00:45:37

You'll need to get that future perfect.

Ryan: 00:45:38

Stop.

Ryan: 00:45:39

Let's not talk about Greek right now.

Ryan: 00:45:40

Intenses.

Ryan: 00:45:41

All right, Brian, thanks so much.

Ryan: 00:45:43

Appreciate you.

Ryan: 00:45:44

And we'll see you next Tuesday.

Brian: 00:45:45

Talk to you later.

Brian: 00:45:46

Bye.

Ryan: 00:45:46

Bye.

Brian: 00:45:48

SA.