Zechariah 11 (Worthless Shepherd)

[robin]

I have been reading and studying this little book recently, and Chapeter 11 is quite interesting because it speaks of Jesus as the Good Shephard who Carries two staffs to shephard his flock (Grace and Union). But after being rejected as the shepherd he breaks the staffs grace and Union, and is replaced by a worthless shepherd. This worthless shepherd is my focus.



15 And the Lord said to me, “Next, take for yourself the implements of a foolish shepherd. 16 For indeed I will raise up a shepherd in the land who will not care for those who are cut off, nor seek the young, nor heal those that are broken, nor feed those that still stand. But he will eat the flesh of the fat and tear their hooves in pieces.

17 “Woe to the worthless shepherd,
Who leaves the flock!
A sword shall be against his arm
And against his right eye;
His arm shall completely wither,
And his right eye shall be totally blinded.”

What I wanted to point out that that the right eye is blinded and not the left. Why would it be important that the right eye be blinded and not the left? Take a close look at the dollar bill and you will notice that the eye the sits atop the pyramid is a the left eye and not the right. The Freemasons who designed the dollar bill knew what the left eye stood for (think left eye of Horus).

Let me jump to the point. The left eye Connects with the right brain functions, and right eye with the left brain.

Now what kind of functions does the right and left brain control?

Right eye/Left brain Functions:
Logic
Details
Patterns
Math
Practicality
(Present/Past focused)

Left eye/Right brain functions:
Feeling
intuitions
Symbols
Images
Risk taking
Philosophy
Religion
(Present/Future focused)

Here is the sad story. Since the time of Charlemagne's early institution of public education, the church and most other forms of public education (and I don't know how this can be denied), has long oppressed right brain function among the general population by forcing children to right with their right hand, use of repetition, and reward instead for obedience, instead of research and discovery and free thinking. This continues into adulthood with the ways the the military and corporations reward production.

With this mass shift if humanities thinking over the last number of decades and centuries much of our ability to to explore deeply the things of religion and philosophy have be lost to history and we are becoming more and more worldly.

Any thoughts?

[Josh]

Well, first off, left-brain right-brain functionality theories like you're describing, though popularly held, are questionable and lack consistent data (en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Lateralization_of_brain_function).

But I think you got your list switched around, because logic is popularly associated with the left brain, not the right, etc...

Anyway, I imagine a typical commentary would probably say that Jews associated "right" with strength- this isn't the only instance in Scripture like this, for instance there are many references to the Lord's right hand and the Lord right arm (Psalm 44:3, etc..) So in this passage from Zechariah it's a way of saying that the Lord will take away the worthless shepherd's strength.

Do modern schools tend to prefer and reward one general skill set over another? Many make that argument, and there has been a concerted effort by educational theorists (such as Gardner and his "7 Intelligences) and teachers in the last 30 years to correct the imbalance in the classroom, with some success.

I don't know if you can make such a sweeping statement about humanities shift in this direction considering the enduring importance of artistic and religious expressions that have flourished in the west, and the free thinking associated with the scientific revolution, the rennaissance, etc..

Also, do you think there is a direct link between logic and worldliness? I mean, all aspects of humanity created in God's image, whether logic or intuition, can be used positively or can be corrupted. It's not like one of the above lists of skills is "good" and the other "bad". They are just different aspects of the wide human experience.

[robin]

Alright I modified my post to correct Logic because it turns out that I had list it under the wrong side. My mistake, but lets let toss out the baby with the bath water.

Also, do you think there is a direct link between logic and worldliness? I mean, all aspects of humanity created in God's image, whether logic or intuition, can be used positively or can be corrupted. It's not like one of the above lists of skills is "good" and the other "bad". They are just different aspects of the wide human experience.

You need both to be complete, and a blinding of one and focus on another will be harmful in the pursuit of truth.

"Well, first off, left-brain right-brain functionality theories like you're describing, though popularly held, are questionable and lack consistent data".

You skepticism has me scratching my head Josh.

Anyway, I imagine a typical commentary would probably say that Jews associated "right" with strength- this isn't the only instance in Scripture like this, for instance there are many references to the Lord's right hand and the Lord right arm (Psalm 44:3, etc..) So in this passage from Zechariah it's a way of saying that the Lord will take away the worthless shepherd's strength.

And according the Josh's commentary the Worthless Shepherd is?

Do modern schools tend to prefer and reward one general skill set over another? Many make that argument, and there has been a concerted effort by educational theorists (such as Gardner and his "7 Intelligences) and teachers in the last 30 years to correct the imbalance in the classroom, with some success.

I don't know if you can make such a sweeping statement about humanities shift in this direction considering the enduring importance of artistic and religious expressions that have flourished in the west, and the free thinking associated with the scientific revolution, the rennaissance, etc...

Sure I can. The Renaissance was a product of a small class of elites, and not the general public, as has been the case with most of our advancements in the last 2000 years in the areas of religion, science and art. As for the rest of us we are told what to believe about to events, and if you stray from the line in the text book you will FAIL!!!!

[Josh]

The lists you originally cited were the typical dichotomy between left and right brain, it's just that you had the brain sides mixed up.

So, logic is supposedly "left brained" and does tend to be associated with math, details, practicality, etc.. (for instance: www.funderstanding.com/brain/right-brain-vs-left-brain/)

This construction is probably helpful for psychologists, but still, from what I can see, most brain scientists don't hold to such a rigid construct. The brain is WAY more complicated than that. Did you read the wikipedia article? Also, look at this article in the Washington Post: voices.washingtonpost.com/answer-sheet/daniel-willingham/willingham-the-leftright-brain.html Or see this one: www.kurzweilai.net/creative-right-brain-myth-debunked

As to the worthless shepherd, I see it as false messiahs and political and religious leaders the Jews would have to endure because of their refusal of the Good Shepherd (Herods, Bar Kochba, Pharisees, etc..)

Also, are you questioning that "right" (hands, eyes, arms) are associated with power in the Old Testament?

[robin]

The lists you originally cited were the typical dichotomy between left and right brain, it's just that you had the brain sides mixed up.

So, logic is supposedly "left brained" and does tend to be associated with math, details, practicality, etc.. (for instance: www.funderstanding.com/brain/right-brain-vs-left-brain/)

This construction is probably helpful for psychologists, but still, from what I can see, most brain scientists don't hold to such a rigid construct. The brain is WAY more complicated than that. Did you read the wikipedia article? Also, look at this article in the Washington Post: voices.washingtonpost.com/answer-....ight-brain.html Or see this one: www.kurzweilai.net/creative-right-brain-myth-debunked

I'm not going to pretend to understand the brain in its totality, but the evidence suggests that I'm correct, despite any debunking articles. I can list more articles than you I bet, but it wont prove my point. I can't prove this, it is something that people like you and I have to settle our own minds on based on limited knowledge. I have seen all of these articles before today in my research. Its not new to me.

As to the worthless shepherd, I see it as false messiahs and political and religious leaders the Jews would have to endure because of their refusal of the Good Shepherd (Herods, Bar Kochba, Pharisees, etc..)

But this Worthless Shepherd comes after Jesus is given over for 30 shekels and the shekels are tossed to the Potter's field. The Good Shepherd breaks his staff, Grace and Union (Judah & Israel). So despite this you still see the worthless shepherd as referring to only the Jewish people and not all of Gods people?

Also do you believe the the final chapters of Zechariah were actually written by Zechariah?

Also, are you questioning that "right" (hands, eyes, arms) are associated with power in the Old Testament?

This is an interesting statement. I have not address this aspect that I can remember.

[Josh]

But this Worthless Shepherd comes after Jesus is given over for 30 shekels and the shekels are tossed to the Potter's field. The Good Shepherd breaks his staff, Grace and Union (Judah & Israel). So despite this you still see the worthless shepherd as referring to only the Jewish people and not all of Gods people?

After Jesus was handed over to death, faithless Israel was abandoned to the "worthless shepherding" of the Sandhedrin, the High Priests, the Zealots, the false Messiahs.

Also do you believe the the final chapters of Zechariah were actually written by Zechariah?

Why are you asking?

Also, are you questioning that "right" (hands, eyes, arms) are associated with power in the Old Testament?
This is an interesting statement. I have not address this aspect that I can remember.

I explained the reference to the "right eye" as a reference to power*, which you seemed to dismiss. So I was wondering if you disagreed with me.

I'm not going to pretend to understand the brain in its totality, but the evidence suggests that I'm correct, despite any debunking articles. I can list more articles than you I bet, but it wont prove my point. I can't prove this, it is something that people like you and I have to settle our own minds on based on limited knowledge. I have seen all of these articles before today in my research. Its not new to me.

Then I guess we're at an impasse I'm just not sure it's something we even can firmly settle our mind on.



*right=power to a Hebrew, and eye=intelligence possibly

[robin]

Regarding Chapters 9-14, the introduction to Zechariah reads as follow in my New Oxford Annotated Bible (NRSV).

"Chapters 9-14 which nowhere claim to be from Zechariah, portray nothing of the earlier Persian period, but speak rather of the Greeks (9.13). Instead of Joshua and Zerubbable, unnamed shepherds lead the community. Instead of peace and rebuilding there are expectations of universal warfare and the siege of Jerusalem. Style, vocabulary, and theological ideas differentiate these chapters from Zechariah's work. Though they may contain some pre-exilic bits, they were written during the Greek period, principally in the 3 and 4 centuries B.C., by unknown authors. Since the eschatological and messianic themes found in the first section are here further elaborated, the authors are spiritual disciples of Zechariah."

[robin]

I explained the reference to the "right eye" as a reference to power*, which you seemed to dismiss. So I was wondering if you disagreed with me.

I don't think I can except this general rule that when I see right eye it always means power in the Old Testament.

What if the focus is on what is remaining and not what has been blotted out. What about the eye of Horus which was and ancient Egyptian God symbolized by the left eye? Those of Zechariah's day would have been far more familiar with these eastern gods than we are today.

[Josh]

Elsewhere in scripture "shepherds" metaphorically refers to leaders of Israel (numerous times in Jeremiah for instance). Any reason to broaden the scope here?

[robin]

Yes. Because Jesus is not only a Shepherd to the Israel, but to the whole world, and after Jesus is betrayed, His new covenant is with both Jew and Gentile. There is the the braking of the two staffs (Union and Grace). The breaking of the staffs are symbolic of Jesus no longer shepherding with Grace Judah and Israel, which the two combined stand for Union, IMHO.

Also, as I pointed in a prior post, the Oxford commentary states that the latter chapters of Zachariah (9-14) have a Greek influence on them at a minimum, and may be written by another individual.