Zechariah 9:16 When that day arrives, the LORD their God will rescue his people, just as a shepherd rescues his sheep. They will sparkle in his land like jewels in a crown. That’s a beautiful image! We sparkle like jewels in a crown. Jewels are precious, and so are we. God rescues us because we are precious. We are like His sheep… we wander off a lot, but He seeks us out and sets us free from the briers and the brambles that we get caught up in. He picks us up and places us on our feet when we fall over (sheep fall over and have a hard time getting up – a lot like me…). The metaphors here are awesome! It’s kind of sad just how much, metaphorically, we’re like sheep, but it’s really a great image of what we’re like. We go our way instead of God’s and get stuck in bad situations. We fall down because of our mistakes and can’t get back up, and God is the only one who can save the day. We tend to move in a herd, somewhat blindly following the leader. It’s comical when it’s not so sad. But contrast that with being a jewel – expensive, precious, something that is displayed and boasted about. Think about the crown jewels in England. They’re guarded carefully because they are priceless. That lady on the Housewives of Orange County who has a 30-carat (or something like that) diamond ring has a very sparkly, showy ring. All the other housewives envy her (or it). Beautiful jewels, in our society, show off their wearer and make them look good. I’m not sure how often we show off God or make Him look good, but that’s implied if we’re jewels in His crown. It’s a good metaphor, too. Two metaphors, two images, two very different messages about who we are. Whichever you relate to more, God loves you and me infinitely – as a sheep and as a jewel, because no matter how often we act like a sheep, He sees us as a jewel, too.
Ezekiel 34:31 You are my flock, the sheep of my pasture. You are my people, and I am your God,” says the Sovereign Lord. The Lord is angry at how the leaders of Israel have abused the flock, not caring for the sick or the injured or the weak. He promises that He Himself will search for and find His sheep, caring for them and healing them. And He also promises to judge between the sheep and the goats. But, finally, amidst all the promised terror and destruction, there is a glimmer of hope. God clearly loves His people, and He states several times that the purpose of his destruction is not to crush the people. He truly hopes that they will turn from their sin so He can hold back the tide of death. But he does warn them earlier that “the good works of righteous people will not save them if they turn to sin, nor will the sins of evil people destroy them if they repent and turn from their sins.” (Ez 33:12) Repent, repent, come back to Me, cries the Lord over and over. What I loved about this is the personal touch. He isn’t going to send an angel to find His people and care for them. He isn’t going to send another human. He’s coming Himself to find His sheep. Although He is the God of the universe and has untold resources, He still cares enough about us to come Himself. That’s pretty cool! You, I, everyone, we all matter that much to God! Makes me feel pretty special!