Ezekiel speaks to God's judgment on Judah's shepherd leaders. And while there is judgment, Ezekiel also offers words of hope for a future that brings in themes from the Exodus and the wilderness. Ezekiel's words do not leave Israel off the hook; they call out their disobedience from the days of the exodus and Moses. And with hope, he depicts a future age of peace, security, and blessing, beginning with a change in leadership. He gives an image of an ideal leader.
I have sat in chapter 34 for many months as it transitions from the judgment on evil shepherds to the new era and a good shepherd. This chapter dominates the prophetic understanding of leadership. He depicts the current shepherds of Israel and their incongruous behavior. It begins with sheep that are abused by the evil shepherds. Shepherds are supposed to be self-sacrificing to tend to the needs of the flock. Instead, they are oblivious to their role as shepherds who were placed in charge by the Ultimate Shepherd. They assume they have the control and authority to shepherd people who are not their own but are God's people. God has been highlighting how prevalent such shepherds are in today's world. This has been breaking my heart. That sometimes God's people chose leaders, shepherds, who do not care for their interests but for their own. Whether it is for financial, security, comfort, or other reasons. Churches begin to lose sight of the gospel and turn inward as their shepherds are inward and self-centered. What strikes me about this passage, though, is that Ezekiel says a prophet will come to speak against these false shepherds. And that the sheep will scatter because there is no shepherd, and will be as food for wild animals.
The good news is that, as quickly as Ezekiel describes this, He also shares that God will be against those shepherds and hold them accountable. He will remove them and rescue his flock. YHWH will remove them from office and let them suffer death. And now He steps in to search for his sheep and look after them. Hope is given to the lost and scattered sheep. The Lord will seek and save the lost! He will tend to his sheep. He will shepherd the flock.
I am seeing a church that just sent its shepherd away, and while they still have pastors on staff, none of them are shepherds. Some would define them as shepherds who are interested in their own self-interest. What ultimately gives me hope is that God declares His role as the shepherd who fulfills the call perfectly. Lord, my prayer is that I may be (though an imperfect shepherd) a shepherd who seeks to live out verses 11-16 and not the first half of chapter 34.
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