9.9.26 – The One-Eyed Man Is King

There is an old saying: "In the city of the blind, the one-eyed man is king." It was no different in Yeshua's day. The people were blind—desperate for leadership, longing to be led out of their captivity. In this week's Torah portion, Vayelech ("he went"), we see God's upright people in a painful dilemma: Jeshurun—the upright ones—had grown fat and rejected the covenant of their God (Deut. 32:15–18). And as a result, they were forsaken (Deut. 32:20–43).

Yeshua addressed this head-on in the parable of the two shepherds (John 10:1–21). What a contrast—and what a reality check, both for His generation and for ours! His parable laid bare the condition of the lost sheep of the house of Israel, and how they ended up as sheep without a shepherd (1 Kings 22:17; Ezek. 34:5; Jer. 13:20; Matt. 9:36; Mark 6:34). And if that was not bad enough, none of those shepherds went looking for the sheep they had scattered. So the flock became easy prey for predators. Without proper love and care, they faced judgment of their own (Ezek. 34:1–12; Jer. 23:1–2; 50:6, 17; Zech. 10:2–3; 11:17; Isa. 56:9; Acts 20:29–31; James 3:1–2).

Before Yeshua came, Israel had only known hirelings as their shepherds. Self-centered, power-hungry individuals who used the sheep for their own gain. They fed the people a poor spiritual diet—one that left them weak and vulnerable to the adversary, eventually scattering them throughout the nations. No wonder Yeshua pressed Peter so deeply, telling him again and again to feed His sheep—good spiritual food—in every stage of their growth (John 21:16–17)!

But what caused this? How could Yeshua say that every shepherd before Him was a hireling? People who would flee when wolves showed up? Who would not enter through the door but would climb over the walls into the sheepfold? And if sheep is a metaphor for Israel, then who are the wolves in sheep's clothing?

Scripture always uses the physical to teach us the spiritual (1 Cor. 15:46). The people of God—Israel, along with all the nations—are described metaphorically throughout the Bible in many ways: the Olive Tree, Jeshurun (the upright ones, as in this week's portion), the Fig Tree, the stars, the sand, mountains, wind, flood, bread, branches of the vine, Jerusalem, New Jerusalem, the Mighty Oak, sheep, lions, eagles, bears, and even a harlot. Specifically, the leaders who did not teach the Torah-based lifestyle from Genesis to Deuteronomy are likened to wolves. These are the leaders in the assembly (Ezek. 22:27), the lawless judges (Zeph. 3:3), the false prophets (Deut. 13:1–8; Matt. 7:15; 2 Pet. 2:1), and even church leaders appointed by the sheep themselves (Acts 20:29).

Yeshua makes it crystal clear: His purpose was to gather the lost sheep that had been scattered because of poor shepherding (John 10:12–16).

Now, in our own day, when so many leaders look like spineless jellyfish—manipulative, power-grabbing, and controlling—we have to ask some hard, realistic questions: Who are these hireling shepherds? How can we recognize them? And how do we keep from being devoured?

The prophets—from Moses to Zechariah—all speak to the same issue: leaders (pastors, prophets, priests, kings, judges, and teachers) who talk about the One True God and even about the One True Messiah, yet deceive the people because they are not feeding them the only source of food that can truly nourish, instruct, protect, heal, and bless—the Torah. It is the foundation of the fivefold ministry (Eph. 4).

And sadly, I think this is exactly why much of the church is in the condition it is in today. Hearts have grown cold toward one another because Torah-less teaching abounds (Matt. 24:12). That is why Yeshua warned us not to be deceived in these last days (Matt. 24:4–13).

So let me encourage you—and myself too—to take a hard, honest inventory of who is leading you in every area of life. There are a lot of thieves out there who want to kill, steal, and destroy, and sheep are their target. But at the same time, there are those who genuinely seek the Holy One of Israel.

Many people are desperate for the truth. But honestly, many are not (2 Thess. 2:7–12). He who is the Truth is coming soon (John 14:6)—and I believe it is closer than we think. Until He comes again, may our hearts turn fully to Him in spirit and in truth. These Ten Days of Awe? They are a good place to start. 😊 

Shalom,
Alan