Awake, O sword, against my shepherd, and against the man that is my fellow, saith the Lord of hosts: smite the shepherd, and the sheep shall be scattered: and I will turn mine hand upon the little ones.
That what is here said refers to the person of Christ, we can need no other authority than Christ himself, See Matthew 26:31. And when we enter into the several things contained in it, nothing can be more decisive in proof, that none but God himself could have dictated this scripture, and none but God himself could have brought about the accomplishment of it. Here is a solemn call for a sword to awake; as if it had been long sleeping and inactive. And if we consider the flaming sword, placed after the fall at the east of the garden of Eden, as here called upon, we must allow it had been long in that state. For as none could enter there but Christ, and he only by blood, so now in its execution, it might well be called an awakening. I humbly conceive, that this might be the sword spoken of. For though I am inclined to believe, that the cherubim and flaming sword, placed at the entrance of Eden, were placed there to point to Christ, the Tree of Life, and not to keep sinners from Christ; yet I am equally persuaded, that Christ only could enter as our forerunner. It was his province, and his only, to open this new and living way by his blood, Genesis 3:24; Hebrews 10:19-20. The next striking passage in this verse, is the glorious person against whom this sword was called upon to awake; namely, my Shepherd: not the sheep, but the Shepherd; and not simply any one Shepherd, but one particular Shepherd, even Jehovah's Shepherd. Sweet thought by the way, and I beg the Reader not to overlook it; Jehovah's Shepherd is also the believer's Shepherd! David called Christ so; the Lord, said he, is my Shepherd. And, Reader! is he not your's, and mine also? Then learn to say as David did. See Psalms 23:1, every word of it. But to go on. This Shepherd is also said to be the Man; not a Man, simply as such, or any Man, but one identical Man; the Man that is my fellow, saith the Lord of Hosts. Reader! pause over the wonderful expressions, and mark them well. This Shepherd is a true, real, and proper Man, in his human nature. And he is no less in his divine nature, fellow to the Lord of Hosts. Can anything be more plain? Can anything be more blessed. Oh! my soul, I would say, (as Deborah did in her holy triumphs, and as I feel my whole soul fully grounded in the eternal truth;) O, my soul, thou hast trodden down strength; for so doth every faithful believer, whom God the Spirit hath given to believe, amidst the infidelity of the awful day in which we live, Judges 5:21. Here then is Jehovah the Father calling upon the sword to awake against Christ. For if Christ will be a surety, a sacrifice, then must this glorious Messiah be cut off; though not for himself. Daniel 9:26. And this being done, Jehovah promiseth, that though when the Shepherd is smitten, the sheep shall be scattered, yet he wilt turn his hand upon the little ones; that is, Jehovah undertakes that all the blessed consequences of his redemption shall follow to his Church and people. God the Father engageth so to do. Sweet thought to the poor, weak, and feeble little ones of Christ's fold. See those sweet promises to that amount, Ezekiel 34:11-16; John 10:28-29; John 10:28-29.