“Watch out, I'm coming after you shepherds! I'm going to demand my sheep back from them and fire them as shepherds.” Ezek 34:10

Holds Them Accountable

Any highly privileged job comes with an equal amount of responsibility that can never be neglected. When the sovereign Lord set shepherds over Israel, He made sure to watch over them, and pointed their selfishness and failures: “Woe to you shepherds of Israel who only take care of yourselves! Should not shepherds take care of the flock? You eat the curds, clothe yourselves with the wool and slaughter the choice animals, but you do not take care of the flock. 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” (Ezek 34:2-4). One thing that God cannot take it light is His flock not maintained properly, hence an immediate action proceeds: “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” (Ezek 34:10). It is surprising and shocking to know how much God loves His sheep, that He takes personal responsibility toward their wellbeing: “I myself will tend my sheep and have them lie down, declares the Sovereign Lord” (Ezek 34:15). What a privilege it is to have the God of Israel as our own Shepherd.

 

Abba, thank You for taking us into Your personal care. Let Your Spirit make the world and the shepherds know how much You care for us. In Jesus’ Most Wonderful Name, Amen.