SCRIPTURE: Zechariah 11
OBSERVATION/APPLICATION:
I told them, “If you think it best, give me my pay; but if not, keep it.” So they paid me thirty pieces of silver. And the LORD said to me, “Throw it to the potter”—the handsome price at which they valued me! So I took the thirty pieces of silver and threw them to the potter at the house of the LORD. [Zechariah 11:12-13]
Zechariah uses the analogy of a shepherd to describe how God cares for His people, how they do not follow Him, and how other ‘worthless’ shepherds abuse them.
In frustration, God breaks the special covenant relationship He has with them (the staff called Favor), and the nation breaks apart in civil war (the staff called Union).
This is what happens when they do not value the good shepherd.
The thirty pieces of silver are the “handsome price” that is set for His priceless love and devotion to them – throw it to the potter, it’s worth a few pots of clay!
That’s how much they love and value God.

Then one of the Twelve—the one called Judas Iscariot—went to the chief priests and asked, “What are you willing to give me if I deliver him over to you?” So they counted out for him thirty pieces of silver. [Matthew 26:14]
When Judas, who had betrayed him, saw that Jesus was condemned, he was seized with remorse and returned the thirty pieces of silver to the chief priests and the elders… So Judas threw the money into the temple and left. Then he went away and hanged himself. [Matthew 27:3-5]
Matthew notes an ironic parallel between how Israel ‘valued’ God, and how Judas valued Jesus – he exchanges Jesus for thirty pieces of silver, then realizes his mistake!
The chief priests picked up the coins and said, “It is against the law to put this into the treasury, since it is blood money.” So they decided to use the money to buy the potter’s field as a burial place for foreigners. That is why it has been called the Field of Blood to this day. Then what was spoken by Jeremiah the prophet was fulfilled: “They took the thirty pieces of silver, the price set on him by the people of Israel, and they used them to buy the potter’s field, as the Lord commanded me.” [Matthew 27:6-10]
(Note, Matthew mistakes these words as from Jeremiah).
They buy a potter’s field with thirty pieces of silver – how ironic!
Matthew is making the point that it’s just another example of how little people value and appreciate God and His love.

How much do you value God and His love?
Sometimes I think about our time or money offerings, and wonder whether they are a reflection of how much (or how little) we love God.
Is it whatever we have leftover, whatever happens to be in our pocket?
Is it but a token, a few minutes here and there, a few coins when needed to make my conscience feel better?
How we live and how we give is a reflection of our love – for God or for ourselves.
Will we one day be seized with remorse, when it becomes evident how little we valued the Lord?

PRAYER:
Lord, how much do You value me? How much do I value You? What does my living and giving say about how much You mean to me?