"Take up a lament concerning the princes of Israel and say:

'What a lioness was your mother
    among the lions!
She lay down among them
    and reared her cubs.
She brought up one of her cubs,
    and he became a strong lion.
He learned to tear the prey
    and he became a man-eater.
The nations heard about him,
    and he was trapped in their pit.
They led him with hooks
    to the land of Egypt.

When she saw her hope unfulfilled,
    her expectation gone,
she took another of her cubs
    and made him a strong lion.
He prowled among the lions,
    for he was now a strong lion.
He learned to tear the prey
    and he became a man-eater.
He broke down their strongholds
    and devastated their towns.
The land and all who were in it
    were terrified by his roaring.
Then the nations came against him,
    those from regions round about.
They spread their net for him,
    and he was trapped in their pit.'"

— Ezekiel 19:1-8 (NIV)

This lament-parable describes the fate of two of Judah's last kings: Jehoahaz (taken to Egypt) and Jehoiachin (taken to Babylon). The lioness represents the nation of Judah, and her cubs are the royal sons who became kings.

Leadership Responsibility

Pride's Downfall

National Consequences

Parable of the Lion's Cubs

When Jotham was told about this, he climbed up on the top of Mount Gerizim and shouted to them:

"Listen to me, citizens of Shechem, so that God may listen to you. One day the trees went out to anoint a king for themselves. They said to the olive tree, 'Be our king.'

But the olive tree answered, 'Should I give up my oil, by which both gods and humans are honored, to hold sway over the trees?'

Next, the trees said to the fig tree, 'Come and be our king.'

But the fig tree replied, 'Should I give up my fruit, so good and sweet, to hold sway over the trees?'

Then the trees said to the vine, 'Come and be our king.'

But the vine answered, 'Should I give up my wine, which cheers both gods and humans, to hold sway over the trees?'

Finally all the trees said to the thornbush, 'Come and be our king.'

The thornbush said to the trees, 'If you really want to anoint me king over you, come and take refuge in my shade; but if not, then let fire come out of the thornbush and consume the cedars of Lebanon!'"

— Judges 9:7-15 (NIV)

Jotham delivered this parable after his brother Abimelech killed their other brothers to seize power. The parable warns about the dangers of choosing an unworthy leader and the consequences of poor leadership choices.

Jotham's Parable of the Trees

"Who then is the faithful and wise servant, whom the master has put in charge of the servants in his household to give them their food at the proper time? It will be good for that servant whose master finds him doing so when he returns. Truly I tell you, he will put him in charge of all his possessions. But suppose that servant is wicked and says to himself, 'My master is staying away a long time,' and he then begins to beat his fellow servants and to eat and drink with drunkards. The master of that servant will come on a day when he does not expect him and at an hour he is not aware of. He will cut him to pieces and assign him a place with the hypocrites, where there will be weeping and gnashing of teeth."

— Matthew 24:45-51 (NIV)

Jesus shares this parable while teaching about His second coming and the importance of faithful service during His absence. It emphasizes the responsibility of spiritual leaders and the consequences of their actions.

Faithful Service

Spiritual Watchfulness

The Faithful Servant

"Very truly I tell you Pharisees, anyone who does not enter the sheep pen by the gate, but climbs in by some other way, is a thief and a robber. The one who enters by the gate is the shepherd of the sheep. The gatekeeper opens the gate for him, and the sheep listen to his voice. He calls his own sheep by name and leads them out.

When he has brought out all his own, he goes on ahead of them, and his sheep follow him because they know his voice. But they will never follow a stranger; in fact, they will run away from him because they do not recognize a stranger's voice...

I am the good shepherd. The good shepherd lays down his life for the sheep. The hired hand is not the shepherd and does not own the sheep. So when he sees the wolf coming, he abandons the sheep and runs away...

I am the good shepherd; I know my sheep and my sheep know me—just as the Father knows me and I know the Father—and I lay down my life for the sheep."

— John 10:1-5, 11-12, 14-15 (NIV)

Jesus spoke this parable following His healing of a blind man and the subsequent controversy with the Pharisees. It contrasts His loving leadership with the false shepherds of Israel who failed to care for God's people.

leadership

Parable of the Lion's Cubs

Jotham's Parable of the Trees

The Faithful Servant

Parable of the Good Shepherd