Beauty and Bands
As I mentioned before, with our upcoming ladies' meetings on the horizon, I've been knee-deep in fairy tale themes and decorations. I confess that even during my quiet time with the Lord this morning, my mind was still swirling with images of glass slippers and enchanted roses. So when I opened my Bible to Zechariah 11 and read about Beauty and Bands, I couldn't help but smile at God's sense of humor.
And I took unto me two staves; the one I called Beauty, and the other I called Bands; and I fed the flock. (Zechariah 11:7)
Beauty and Bands. It immediately transported me to the beloved tale of Beauty and the Beast. You know the story—a beautiful young woman, a cursed prince, a magical rose, and the power of true love. But as I continued reading, I realized God wasn't telling me a fairy tale. He was revealing something far more profound.
In this passage, Zechariah acts as a shepherd with two staffs named Beauty and Bands. Beauty (also translated as "Favor" or "Grace") represented God's covenant relationship with His people, while Bands (or "Union") symbolized the unity between Judah and Israel. As the chapter unfolds, both staffs are broken, signifying God's judgment on a people who rejected their Shepherd.
Unlike Beauty and the Beast, there's no enchanted castle or talking teacups here. Yet both stories revolve around covenant relationships. In the fairy tale, Beauty's promise to stay with the Beast transforms him back into a prince. In Zechariah, the breaking of God's covenant staffs reveals the consequences of broken promises.
But here's where the comparison falls short—and thankfully so. In the fairy tale, the Beast's salvation depended on someone else's love. In God's redemption story, our Good Shepherd never stops loving us, even when we reject Him. When we read further in Scripture, we discover that though these staffs were broken, God had a plan to restore what was lost through Jesus Christ.
The breaking of "Beauty" and "Bands" wasn't the end of God's story. Through Christ, He established a new covenant of grace and reunited what sin had divided. While Zechariah's prophecy shows the tragedy of covenant breaking, the cross shows God's commitment to covenant keeping.
Perhaps today you feel like one of your "staffs" has broken. Maybe it's a relationship that's fractured, a promise that's been betrayed, or a dream that's shattered. Take heart, dear friend. Our God specializes in restoration. The same Lord who planned to restore Israel's beauty and unity is working in your life right now.
Unlike fairy tales where "happily ever after" comes at the story's end, God's restoration work continues every day. He sees your broken places, and just as He had a plan beyond Zechariah's broken staffs, He has a purpose in your pain too.
The true Beauty in your story isn't found in perfect circumstances but in the perfect love of a Shepherd who laid down His life for His sheep. And the strongest Band in your life is His unbreakable promise that He will never leave you nor forsake you.