The prophets didn’t always say nice things about the pastors. In fact, God often rebuked the shepherds of Israel through His prophets (e.g., Jeremiah 23:1). There is a particularly pointed rebuke of pastors at the end of Isaiah 56, a prophecy of the new covenant age. The first half of this chapter proclaims the Lord’s blessing to people that were typically considered outsiders in Israel—foreigners and eunuchs—if they keep the Lord’s Sabbath, choose what pleases Him, and hold fast His covenant (Isaiah 56:4-6).
Isaiah 56 transitions in verse 9, in what seems like an abrupt change in subject—a rebuke of the “watchmen” and “shepherds” in Israel (Isaiah 56:9-12). However, if we understand the context of verses 1-9 being about outsiders in Israel, it makes sense that verses 9-12 turn to insiders in Israel. God promises blessings toward the faithful who are considered second-class among His people, including “a name better than that of sons and daughters” and joy in God’s presence (Isaiah 56:2, 5, 7). But God promises judgment toward the unfaithful leaders of Israel (Isaiah 57:3). As the last verse of the next chapter says, “‘There is no peace,’ says my God, ‘for the wicked’” (Isaiah 57:21). This brings us to God’s rebuke of Israel’s shepherds in Isaiah 56:
All you beasts of the field,
All you beasts in the forest,
Come to eat.
His watchmen are blind,
All of them know nothing.
All of them are mute dogs unable to bark,
Dreamers lying down, who love to slumber;
And the dogs are greedy, they are not satisfied.
And they are shepherds who have no understanding;
They have all turned to their own way,
Each one to his unjust gain, to the last one.
“Come,” they say, “let us get wine, and let us drink heavily of strong drink;
And tomorrow will be like today, only more so.” (Isaiah 56:9-12)
Who Are the Leaders that Isaiah Is Rebuking?
Who exactly are these leaders that God rebukes in Isaiah 56? They are called “watchmen” (צפה) in v. 10, a term used of Ezekiel’s position as a prophet (Ezekiel 3:17; 33:7). And they are called “shepherds” (רעה) in v. 11, a term used for various leaders, including kings (Isaiah 44:28).
The NET Bible notes say these leaders “are probably spiritual leaders, most likely prophets and priests.” However, this unnecessarily excludes Israel’s kings and political leaders from the definition of shepherds and spiritual leaders in Israel. We know Israel’s kings were to provide spiritual direction to the people—as the king was to write a copy of God’s law and observe His statutes (Deuteronomy 17:18-20). Thus, while prophets and priests were certainly in view in Isaiah 56, so were Israel’s political leaders. As John Calvin said of Isaiah 56:10:
By the word “Watchmen” he means not only the prophets, to whom was committed the office of teaching, but likewise judges, princes, and kings, who ought to have governed everything in a proper manner. He includes both kinds of government, that of princes, and that of the ministers of the word, whom the Lord has placed, as the two eyes in the body, to govern the Church. Consequently, if they are wicked or unfaithful, there cannot arise a more destructive plague to a commonwealth.
Calvin referred to “both kinds of government…as the two eyes in the body, to govern the Church”—referring to magistrates (“princes”) and ministers of the Word. In Old Testament Israel, the civil magistrates included kings, princes, judges, and tribal leaders, while ministers includes prophets and priests. In the new covenant age, ministers certainly refers to pastors (or teaching elders), though it would also include ruling elders.
However, some Christians today want to exclude the civil magistrate from having any governance over the church. This is not how the Reformers or Reformed orthodox saw things, as they considered civil magistrates to have the authority and duty “to take order, that unity and peace be preserved in the Church, that the truth of God be kept pure and entire; that all blasphemies and heresies be suppressed; all corruptions and abuses in worship and discipline prevented or reformed; and all the ordinances of God duly settled, administered, and observed” (WCF 23.3 [1646]).
Yet even the American revision to the Westminster Confession still affirms that civil magistrates are “nursing fathers” who have the “duty…to protect the church of our common Lord” (WCF 23.3 [1788]). The language of “nursing fathers” is from Isaiah 49:23, which says, “kings shall be thy nursing fathers” (KJV) or “guardians” (NASB 1995).
Isaiah’s Rebuke of Selfish and Ignorant Pastors
So Isaiah 56:9-12 is a rebuke of all of Israel’s leaders, both magistrate and minister. So as we apply this text, this means both political leaders and pastors are in view, though we will focus our application on the pastor. Isaiah uses strong language for these shepherds, calling them animals and insulting them throughout. We can summarize these three criticisms as follows.
First, these pastors are self-indulgent. Isaiah refers to them as “beasts” of the field and forest, and he calls them to “come to eat” (v. 9). They act like animals and seek their fleshly desires. These “dogs are greedy” and “not satisfied.” And instead of following the the Lord’s way, “They have all turned to their own way, each one to his unjust gain” (v. 11). They drink wine and strong drink, probably to the point of drunkenness, and they do not show concern for tomorrow (v. 12).
Second, these pastors are ignorant. Isaiah says the “watchmen are blind” and “All of them know nothing” (v. 10). They are “shepherds” who should guide and protect, but they “have no understanding” (v. 11). Calvin commented that “nothing is more inconsistent with that office than ignorance and blindness,” as “a good shepherd…understands the right method of governing the people.” This charge against the pastors brings to mind Christ’s words about the Pharisees: “Let them alone; they are blind guides of the blind” (Matthew 15:14).
Third, these pastors are slothful. They are supposed to be “watchmen” but are “mute dogs unable to bark,” meaning they are supposed to sound the alarm but don’t do so (v. 10). They are “Dreamers lying down, who love to slumber”—so they are lazy and don’t do their job (v. 10). They assume the next day “will be like today,” a life of ease (v. 12). Pastors have a duty to protect the sheep, but these are negligent in fulfilling their duty.
In summary, the pastors described in Isaiah 56 seek their own good at the expense of the sheep, they do not possess the knowledge needed to guide the sheep, and they do not do the hard work of warning and protecting the sheep.
A Word of Exhortation for Pastors
If you are a pastor and these words describe you, then God is calling you to repentance. If you are an incompetent pastor, then you should leave the ministry for the good of the sheep, but also for your own good. For as James says, “Let not many of you become teachers, my brethren, knowing that as such we will incur a stricter judgment” (James 3:1). Incompetent and unqualified ruling elders should also resign, as should incompetent and unqualified civil magistrates. For Isaiah 56 also applies to ignorant, self-serving, and lazy political leaders. We should fear God’s righteous judgment, seen in the subsequent chapter, which continues by speaking of the righteous man being taken away (Isaiah 57:1-2) and then picking right back up with a rebuke—“But come here, you sons of a sorceress, offspring of an adulterer and a prostitute…” (Isaiah 57:3-21).
Yet it may be that you are a competent and knowledgeable pastor who has drifted into sin. Your focus has turned inward instead of toward your family and your church members. This is a call to turn from your “own way” and from “unjust gain” (Isaiah 56:11), and instead turn toward the righteous ways of Christ. Christ forgives even pastors and grants them repentance. Take up your duty as a watchman and watchdog, and bark at the false teachings and sins taking place in the church.
Isaiah 56 also has words of instruction for future pastors. We know of the requirements for elders in 1 Timothy 3 and Titus 1. However, these passages are supplemented by Isaiah 56:9-12, which instructs us that pastors are not to be selfish, ignorant, and lazy. On the flip side, pastors should be selfless, knowledgeable, and diligent. The qualities of selflessness and diligence refer to character, meaning the pastor should be virtuous. Men who aspire to the ministry should cultivate Christian virtue.
However, the quality of being knowledgeable requires a natural gift in intellect but also training. Pastors should be wise, which begins with the fear of the Lord (Proverbs 9:10; Psalms 110:10). Yet it is also written that “The fear of the Lord is the beginning of knowledge” (Proverbs 1:7). Pastors must know a lot of things. They must know the Bible well, and Hebrew and Greek help significantly. Pastors must know theology, church history, their church’s confessional documents (e.g., the Westminster Confession), and their church’s governing documents (e.g., a Book of Church Order). Yet pastors must also know how to preach, how to give counsel, how to do visitation, how to write letters, and how to deal with people.
Wisdom may come with time. But a man cannot be wise beyond his knowledge. And how will a pastor acquire such knowledge? Through training. Some people think seminary is an unbiblical requirement for a pastor. Well, training is certainly a requirement. It’s just a question of how such training is attained (whether through formal seminary classes, internships and mentorship, or some combination of both). The fact is, the man seeking to serve Christ’s church as a shepherd must put in the effort over several years to acquire sufficient training for the work ahead. Otherwise he will be the blind shepherd who knows nothing and has no understanding (Isaiah 56:10-11).
A Word of Exhortation for the Sheep
Yet the existence of bad pastors does not mean lay people under their watch are innocent. As Calvin says, “We are not exempted from blame, if we follow blind guides, but, on the contrary, are justly punished for our transgressions; for the Lord takes away good guides from those whom he intends to punish for their ingratitude.” So those who follow bad pastors are guilty of lacking discernment.
Hebrews 13:17 commands us: “Obey your leaders and submit to them, for they keep watch over your souls as those who will give an account.” Calvin commented that “the Apostle speaks only of those who faithfully performed their office; for they who have nothing but the title, nay, who use the title of pastors for the purpose of destroying the Church, deserve but little reverence and still less confidence.” Calvin added, “when we are bidden to obey our pastors, we ought carefully and wisely to find out those who are true and faithful rulers; for if we render this honor to all indiscriminately...a wrong will be done to the good.”
Therefore, brothers and sisters in Christ, be aware that bad pastors certainly exist in the church. We must be on our guard. There are false shepherds who do not know Christ. But there are also self-centered shepherds, incompetent shepherds, and lazy shepherds. Do not follow them, but seek to follow faithful shepherds who lead you to the Lord. Such pastors love the brethren, are knowledgeable and wise, and are diligent in warning and protecting the sheep. The faithful pastor seeks to follow Christ’s Word and lead the sheep in faith and obedience to God. The faithful shepherd does and says hard things to bring this about—even at the risk of his own harm. Find such shepherds, and follow them as they follow Christ.