“I will shepherd the flock …”

The word of the LORD came to me: 2 “Son of man, prophesy against the shepherds of Israel; prophesy and say to them: ‘This is what the Sovereign LORD says: Woe to the shepherds of Israel who only take care of themselves! Should not shepherds take care of the flock? 3 You eat the curds, clothe yourselves with the wool and slaughter the choice animals, but you do not take care of the flock. 4 You have not strengthened the weak or healed the sick or bound up the injured. You have not brought back the strays or searched for the lost. You have ruled them harshly and brutally. 5 So they were scattered because there was no shepherd, and when they were scattered they became food for all the wild animals. 6 My sheep wandered over all the mountains and on every high hill. They were scattered over the whole earth, and no one searched or looked for them.

7 “‘Therefore, you shepherds, hear the word of the LORD: 8 As surely as I live, declares the Sovereign LORD, because my flock lacks a shepherd and so has been plundered and has become food for all the wild animals, and because my shepherds did not search for my flock but cared for themselves rather than for my flock, 9 therefore, O shepherds, hear the word of the LORD: 10 This is what the Sovereign LORD says: I am against the shepherds and will hold them accountable for my flock. I will remove them from tending the flock so that the shepherds can no longer feed themselves. I will rescue my flock from their mouths, and it will no longer be food for them.

11 “‘For this is what the Sovereign LORD says: I myself will search for my sheep and look after them. 12 As a shepherd looks after his scattered flock when he is with them, so will I look after my sheep. I will rescue them from all the places where they were scattered on a day of clouds and darkness. 13 I will bring them out from the nations and gather them from the countries, and I will bring them into their own land. I will pasture them on the mountains of Israel, in the ravines and in all the settlements in the land. 14 I will tend them in a good pasture, and the mountain heights of Israel will be their grazing land. There they will lie down in good grazing land, and there they will feed in a rich pasture on the mountains of Israel. 15 I myself will tend my sheep and have them lie down, declares the Sovereign LORD. 16 I will search for the lost and bring back the strays. I will bind up the injured and strengthen the weak, but the sleek and the strong I will destroy. I will shepherd the flock with justice.
(Ezekiel 34:1-16; NIV. Please read Ezekiel 33-37.)

I post these words from God to every pastor, preacher, counselor, teacher and deacon – who serve among the flock of God’s people … for we all would be included in Ezekiel’s definition of shepherds.

The word of God is spoken “against” the shepherds for two reasons: they take care of themselves at the sheep’s expense and they do not take care of the sheep. Woe to those shepherds who exalt their own wants, needs or interests above those of their brothers and sisters.

Because these shepherds were themselves predators – there is no one to watch over or protect the flock. Therefore, they scattered and became “food for the wild animals”. No one to search for them … no one to bring them safely home.

But the Good Shepherd will …

He will “search” for them and “bring back the strays” … 

He will “rescue” them from the psuedo-shepherds and from the wild animals …

He will “tend” to them, making them lie down in green pastures …

He will “bind up the injured” and “strengthen the weak” … 

He will “shepherd the flock” …

ON SECOND THOUGHT: It is obvious to those who know me – who know my past – that I would have been counted among those unfaithful shepherds. God forgive me … and may the rest of my life be spent in “searching” for the scattered and lost … “bringing back the strays” … “tending to” and “binding up” the weak and weary … “shepherding” His flock as He would.    

 

 

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