Zechariah is being asked to play the part of an unfaithful shepherd to a flock that is doomed to destruction (v4-5). This is to show the unfaithfulness of the shepherds that Israel had but also the unfaithfulness of the people.

The shepherds wailed not because of the people’s suffering or sin but over forests and pastures being destroyed (v1-3). Their focus and motives were wrong and not on what the Lord was looking for in a shepherd.

Zechariah in the role of a shepherd takes two staffs, one called favour and the other called union (v7). This speaks of how God’s favour and them being united to the Lord go hand in hand.

Due to the unfaithfulness of the people both staffs are broken which speaks of the people being discarded by the Lord (v9-11, 14). We rejoice that the Lord is patient with His people, but we must never allow this faithfulness to make us complacent about sin.

The payment of the shepherd with 30 pieces of silver, which were then thrown into the temple and given to the potter (v12-13), has to point to Judas Iscariot. Judas betrayed Jesus, gave up his role as a shepherd for 30 pieces of silver. This was then thrown back into the temple and used to buy the potter’s field. Remember this is being prophesied about 550 years before it happened. God knows everything.