Di Righteous Branch

One flock of sheep don scatter all over di hills. Some don lost. Some don wound. Wolf don carry some go. And di shepherds wey suppose dey look after dem, nobody fit find dem anywhere.

Di prophet Jeremiah live for Jerusalem for di last years of di kingdom of Judah, about six hundred years before Jesus. Na bad time. Babylon, di new empire wey get power well-well, dey press dem from outside. One king after another from David family sit for di throne, and most of dem just disappoint. Dem build fine palace for demself with forced labour. Dem no hear God warning. Dem burn Jeremiah scroll. And di last one, King Zedekiah, na weak man wey no fit make up im mind. For di chapters wey dey before our passage, Jeremiah talk to dis kings one by one. Then for chapter twenty-three, e talk about all of dem together.

For Bible, dem dey call kings and leaders shepherds, because dia work na to take care of God people. But dis shepherds don fail. Di Lord talk say: Woe to di shepherds wey dey destroy and scatter di sheep for my field! Una don scatter my flock, una drive dem comot, and una no visit dem. Dem no come find di ones wey don lost. Dem no take care of di ones wey wound. Na only demself dem dey care for. So God talk say: Look, I go visit una because of di evil wey una do. Because di shepherds no visit di sheep, God go visit di shepherds, to judge dem.

And then God talk wetin e go do instead. I go gather di remnant of my flock from all di countries where I drive dem go, and I go bring dem back to dia pen; dem go bear children and dem go plenty. God imself go be di shepherd wey go waka find dem. And e go give dem new shepherds, good ones, wey go feed dem. Dem no go fear again, dem no go dey shake, and none of dem go lost. Not even one go miss. Dem go count every sheep. Every sheep go dey safe.

Then di big promise come. Look, di days dey come, na wetin di Lord talk, wey I go raise one righteous Branch for David, and e go reign as king, e go use wisdom, and e go bring justice and righteousness for di land. Dem dey cut down David family tree. Im kings dey fail. But God go make new branch grow from am, one king wey go be everything wey di others no be. Wise. Fair. Good. For im days, Judah go dey saved, and Israel go live for safety. And then im name. Dis na di name wey dem go call am: Di Lord our righteousness. No be just righteous king, but king wey God imself go use make im people right. Jeremiah go live see Babylon capture Jerusalem. But e hold God promise of better King tight. Six hundred years after, for David line, dat King born. Jesus go call imself di good shepherd, wey go leave di ninety-nine to go find di one sheep wey don lost.

Di name for Jeremiah promise get one surprise inside. Di last king of Judah na Zedekiah, and im name mean: Di Lord na my righteousness. But e no live di way im name talk. Plenty scholars think say Jeremiah dey play with di king name on purpose. Di name of di king wey God promise, Di Lord our righteousness, use di same Hebrew words, but e turn dem around. Di true King go be wetin Zedekiah only dey claim say e be.

Di righteous Branch. Na Jeremiah chapter twenty-three be dat, verse five and six, with di warning to di shepherds wey dey just before am. When di shepherds fail, God promise say e go gather im sheep by imself and send one righteous King. So see one question wey you go carry dey go. Good shepherd dey find di ones wey don lost. Who fit dey feel lost or left out around you, and how you fit go find dem?