Jeremiah 23:1-2
“Woe to the shepherds who destroy and scatter the sheep of My pasture!” says the Lord. 2 Therefore thus says the Lord God of Israel against the shepherds who feed My people: “You have scattered My flock, driven them away, and not attended to them. Behold, I will attend to you for the evil of your doings,” says the Lord.

A wolf in sheep’s clothing is fatal to a few. But a wolf in shepherd’s clothing is fatal to the flock.

Jeremiah 23:9-10
My heart within me is broken because of the prophets; all my bones shake. I am like a drunken man, and like a man whom wine has overcome, because of the Lord, and because of His holy words. 10 For the land is full of adulterers; for because of a curse the land mourns. The pleasant places of the wilderness are dried up. Their course of life is evil, and their might is not right.

We should be grieved at the spiritual malpractice of so many spiritual leaders.

Jeremiah 23:11-14
“For both prophet and priest are profane; yes, in My house I have found their wickedness,” says the Lord. 12 “Therefore their way shall be to them like slippery ways; in the darkness they shall be driven on and fall in them; for I will bring disaster on them, the year of their punishment,” says the Lord. 13 “And I have seen folly in the prophets of Samaria: They prophesied by Baal and caused My people Israel to err. 14 Also I have seen a horrible thing in the prophets of Jerusalem: They commit adultery and walk in lies; they also strengthen the hands of evildoers, so that no one turns back from his wickedness. All of them are like Sodom to Me, and her inhabitants like Gomorrah.

All hell breaks loose when pulpits fail to preach truth.

Jeremiah 23:16-17
16 Thus says the Lord of hosts: “Do not listen to the words of the prophets who prophesy to you. They make you worthless; they speak a vision of their own heart, not from the mouth of the Lord. 17 They continually say to those who despise Me, ‘The Lord has said, “You shall have peace” ’; and to everyone who walks according to the dictates of his own heart, they say, ‘No evil shall come upon you.’ ”

The Gospel of Jesus Christ is not just about Him getting us but about us getting Him.

Jeremiah 23:3-4
3 “But I will gather the remnant of My flock out of all countries where I have driven them, and bring them back to their folds; and they shall be fruitful and increase. 4 I will set up shepherds over them who will feed them; and they shall fear no more, nor be dismayed, nor shall they be lacking,” says the Lord.

Jeremiah 23:5-6
Slide 10: “Behold, the days are coming,” says the Lord, “That I will raise to David a Branch of righteousness; a King shall reign and prosper, and execute judgment and righteousness in the earth. 6 In His days Judah will be saved, and Israel will dwell safely; now this is His name by which He will be called: THE LORD OUR RIGHTEOUSNESS.

Self-righteousness damns. Only Christ’s righteousness redeems.

Jeremiah 23:7-8
7 “Therefore, behold, the days are coming,” says the Lord, “that they shall no longer say, ‘As the Lord lives who brought up the children of Israel from the land of Egypt,’ 8 but, ‘As the Lord lives who brought up and led the descendants of the house of Israel from the north country and from all the countries where I had driven them.’ And they shall dwell in their own land.”

We are delivered out of the house of bondage to eventually dwell in the house of the Lord.

Discussion Questions

1. According to Jeremiah 23:1-2, what was the indictment upon the shepherds? How did these spiritual leaders divide and devour the sheep? (See verses 14, 16-17)
   

2. Using the context of the question above (wolves in shepherd’s clothing), how can we identify such deceivers? (See verses 25-27 and 30-31)
   

3. What is God’s remedy to the ill-repute of the previous shepherds? (See verses 5-6). How does this prophecy have dual fulfillment?
   

4. Discuss the Gospel as it pertains to the Name given of the Messiah in verse 6: THE LORD OUR RIGHTEOUSNESS (See 2 Corinthians 5:21).
   

5. How does verses 7-8 show us our conversion and continuum? (Hint: Delivered to Dwell)