When Leaders Fail (Isa 56:9-12)

This passage shows us plainly the failed leaders of God’s people. 

To help us understand this passage, we need to know its context. God’s people are in exile at this point. More than just a statement of geopolitics, this was statement of God’s judgement and rejection of His covenant people due to their disobedience. 

One reason that they are in exile is due to the failure of their leaders. 

These verses use a lot of symbolic language and metaphors, instead of direct, declarative statements by God. The God of the Bible does not always speak in a direct, declarative way. He does not always give the direct reason for this and that. Instead, He brings us into the story and asks us think about our role. He puts us in moments where we are called to reflect on our role and responsibilities and relationships to other things. 

The big idea of this study is: God’s people are unguarded and vulnerable when leaders are rebels, pleasure-seekers and ignorant of God. 

(A) God’s people are unguarded and vulnerable (Isa 56:9-10)

We begin in Isaiah 56:9, where the prophet calls for beasts of the field and forest to come forth. In Genesis 1, creatures are divided into those of the field, forest, sky and sea. Thus, he is calling forth 2 out of 4 groups here. They are called to come to devour, to come and eat their fill. There is a sense of uninhabited, complete destruction here. 

They can have unhindered access now because the watchmen, whose job is to keep watch for danger, are blind (Isa 56:10). Yet, they are silent, not barking, in such deep sleep that they are dreaming, lying down and love to slumber. The people who are to guard and watch are not doing their job. 

From these verses, what is the function of Israel’s leaders? What does God actually expect of His leaders? God expected them to be vigilant and actively keeping watch. They are not to be silent and to be vocal about the dangers. Notice that their job here is not to fend the threat off. Their job is to secure the people and spot threats when they come. 

These leaders are also said to lack knowledge (Isa 56:10a). This is the reason for their blindness. Is this a statement about the content that they have? As leaders, they mainly need to know what is true and right. This knowledge enables them to discern what’s true from what’s false. Their job is to have the right kind of spiritual knowledge so they can guard and secure the truth. They are blind without it. 

God’s people are unguarded and vulnerable when there is no one watching out for their spiritual wellbeing, spiritual orthodoxy and truth. 

(B) When leaders are rebels, pleasure-seekers and ignorant of God (Isa 56:11-12)

Isaiah develops his metaphor. He goes on to say that the dogs have a mighty appetite and ate too much (Isa 56:11). This accounts for their slumber in the earlier verse. We also see that they are shepherds who have no understanding, turning to their own way and to their own gain (Isa 56:11b). They have taken leadership from a position of stewardship to one of their own gain. They have profited from their standing and engorged themselves on their privileges.

Friends, realise that this is a temptation of all authority. Put power, influence and authority in the hand of a sinner and they are going to enjoy the perks of authority — the privilege, status and benefits that may come with it. These verses also serve as a warning to us. Notice what they say in Isaiah 56:12. Power always accumulates more power. Power corrupts. 

The description of these rebellious leaders in Isaiah 56:11b is similar to the description of sinners in Isaiah 53:6. They gather with others, presume upon their own comfort and indulge themselves. They serve their own agenda and do not serve God, nor His people. They consume God’s wine without thinking about where it came from. They do not think about God’s people at all. 

They seek their own pleasure and know nothing of Him. 

Earlier in Isaiah, we read of King Ahaz who faced the threat of invasion (c.f. Isa 7:1-2,11-13). His responsibility as king was to defend the nation. As the people of God, they have a storied and long history of experiencing God’s own deliverance. They had past examples of God manifesting His presence in the form of fire and cloud, and also how the ark was brought out in battle. Their king should have led them to cry out to God. Instead, in Isaiah 7:11-13, we see that Ahaz declared that he will not put God to the test. He did not say this sincerely as not long after, he makes an alliance with the nations. This is a man that refuses to pray. 

This is the kind of leader that Judah has. 

Isaiah 39 shows us another leader, Hezekiah. He was a foolish king. He desired the approval of the nations and showed them his entire treasure etc. When warned by God about the consequences of his folly, he did not turn to God in repentance. He was comforted that this is not going to happen in his. 

Sometimes, God allows His people to have leaders like this. What does this mean? It doesn’t mean God has given up on a church, nation or people. But it does mean that He is disciplining them. 

Good leadership must be seen as a blessing. Failed and wicked leadership must be seen as the discipline of God. 

Do you pray for your leaders? Do you remember them, and lift them up in prayer? Do you ask God to make them faithful and true, and not creative? Do you pray that poor leaders must be removed? Pray for the leaders that God appoint, that they will be the kind of men (and women, in some contexts) that He approves of. 

Read Ezekiel 34 slowly, and in its entirety. See how much the Lord cares for His sheep. He would take offence at the shepherds that feed themselves and not the sheep. 

(C) Godly leaders reject hypocrisy as accountable undershepherds

Years later, Matthew writes these words about Jesus’ ministry in Matthew 9:35-38. Jesus, as He looked out at the crowd with all their sins, ailments, weaknesses, what did He feel for them? He felt Isaiah 56 and Ezekiel 34. He looked upon them and as He preached, He did not deliver a dry, emotionless sermon. He told them that the Kingdom of God, lost by their forefathers in exile, is not lost. The way to Heaven is open through Him.

This is the same compassion that He has as He looked out at you and I. This is the Shepherd that God sets up, when the leaders of Israel had failed. 

In Matthew 23, Jesus speaks to the Scribes and Pharisees, and calls them out. Hear the voice of Jesus who is furious at these who would call themselves leaders of Israel who persist in living in hypocrisy and hold people back from the Kingdom of Heaven. 

Do we still have these today? If you are a church leader, tremble as you read Isaiah 56:9-12. Feel the weight of fear that you will have to give an account to God for how you lead and are responsible for the sheep He has entrusted to you. 

If you are not a leader and are a part of the church, know that there are men who are responsible for you. Pray that these men lead with the fear of God. Either they fear God here as they discharge their leadership duties, or they stand before Him in judgement eventually. 

If you are attending different churches, do you recognise the challenge you are making for the leaders in these churches? You are not allowing the leaders to know and be accountable for you. 

In contrast, Peter calls for godly leaders for the church of Christ in 1 Peter 5:1-5.

Godly leaders reject hypocrisy as accountable undershepherds before the Chief shepherds. 

Godly leaders know that they are a part of the flock (1 Pet 5:2). They are not above the flock. They know that they are accountable to one, the Chief Shepherd (1 Pet 5:4). They know that their authority is derived and not absolute or intrinsic to themselves. 

It is a great tragedy when leaders are rebellious and leave the flock unguarded. Let us pray that our leaders will be godly men who reject hypocrisy and guard God’s sheep.