The Good Shepherd

The Good Shepherd

(Ezekiel 34:1-31)

Yearly Theme:  “Kindness is… Advancement”

Series Title:  “Kindness in Exile”

July 16^th, 2023

Something to think about:

Web developer, Thomas Griffin, writes, “Good leaders lead by personal influence and example.  They don’t demand allegiance or unilateral loyalty but rather influence action from a humble-yet-confident posture.  Bad leaders lead by title and dictation.  They demand work done in their way and refuse to relinquish control.  They project outward confidence to mask deep insecurity.[1]

The nation Israel had a leadership problem.  And the problem was that the leaders (the kings, the priests, many of their prophets, and community leaders) had become consumed by the pursuit of wealth, social status, and selfish ambitions that they compromised the integrity of the whole nation.  The laws that they were supposed to be implementing and living by had become merely suggestions, or in some cases, hindrances to them in accomplishing what they desired rather than what GOD desired for them.  Their care and leadership of the people at large were neglected to the point that injustice was stacked upon injustice.  The poor became poorer not as a cause of their own fault, but as a result of the greed of their leaders. 

Those who remained faithful to GOD and obedient to the laws of GOD were often oppressed the most by the national leaders of Israel because they stood in the way of supposed “progress.”  As the national leaders compromised their worship of GOD by allowing pagan worship and cultic practices to enter into the land and the holy places, there was not only a loss of identity as the people of GOD, but a loss of purpose as a nation among nations.  Thus, as we read in Jeremiah and Ezekiel, the weakened nation of Israel/Judah succumbed to the physical attacks of foreign nations like Assyria and Babylon and ultimately sent into exile throughout their empires.  But GOD wasn’t through with them as we will see.  He had a plan to bring them home and establish them once more.  However, this time it would be different.  Let’s take a look…

Turn in your Bible to:  Ezekiel 34:1-31

Here's the takeaway this morning:

Key Point:  “Who you follow determines the course of your life.”

•   Leaders.

Ezekiel 34:2-6 (NLT),  ² “Son of man, prophesy against the shepherds, the leaders of Israel.  Give them this message from the Sovereign Lord:  What sorrow awaits you shepherds who feed yourselves instead of your flocks.  Shouldn’t shepherds feed their sheep?  ³ You drink the milk, wear the wool, and butcher the best animals, but you let your flocks starve.  ⁴ You have not taken care of the weak.  You have not tended the sick or bound up the injured.  You have not gone looking for those who have wandered away and are lost.  Instead, you have ruled them with harshness and cruelty.  ⁵ So my sheep have been scattered without a shepherd, and they are easy prey for any wild animal.  ⁶ They have wandered through all the mountains and all the hills, across the face of the earth, yet no one has gone to search for them.

•   Leaders.

Ezekiel 34:11-16 (NLT),  ¹¹ “For this is what the Sovereign Lord says:  I myself will search and find my sheep.  ¹² I will be like a shepherd looking for his scattered flock.  I will find my sheep and rescue them from all the places where they were scattered on that dark and cloudy day.  ¹³ I will bring them back home to their own land of Israel from among the peoples and nations.  I will feed them on the mountains of Israel and by the rivers and in all the places where people live.  ¹⁴ Yes, I will give them good pastureland on the high hills of Israel.  There they will lie down in pleasant places and feed in the lush pastures of the hills.  ¹⁵ I myself will tend my sheep and give them a place to lie down in peace, says the Sovereign Lord.  ¹⁶ I will search for my lost ones who strayed away, and I will bring them safely home again.  I will bandage the injured and strengthen the weak.  But I will destroy those who are fat and powerful.  I will feed them, yes—feed them justice!

Something to take home:

A new covenant of “peace.”

Philippians 4:4-7 (NLT),  ⁴  Always be full of joy in the Lord.  I say it again—rejoice!  ⁵  Let everyone see that you are considerate in all you do.  Remember, the Lord is coming soon.  6  Don’t worry about anything; instead, pray about everything.  Tell God what you need, and thank him for all he has done.  7  Then you will experience God’s peace, which exceeds anything we can understand.  His peace will guard your hearts and minds as you live in Christ Jesus.

When you follow a good leader, there is peace.  You don’t have to worry about anything because you trust that the One who is leading is not only competent but trustworthy.  When you follow a good leader, you know that the work you are doing is not in vain, but is a necessary part of the success of the whole team’s endeavor.

Jesus, our good leader – our Good Shepherd – is at the helm.  He is the one who is faithful and trustworthy.  He isn’t some dictatorial leader who demands His own way, but rather a humble leader who does the hard work to lead others to safety.  We must remember the words of Paul who explained that Jesus became sin – who knew no sin – so that we might become the righteousness of GOD.  Jesus is the leader we’ve been looking for!

Matthew 6:31-33 (NLT),  ³¹  “So don’t worry about these things, saying, ‘What will we eat?  What will we drink?  What will we wear?’  ³²  These things dominate the thoughts of unbelievers, but your heavenly Father already knows all your needs.  ³³  Seek the Kingdom of God above all else, and live righteously, and he will give you everything you need.

Key Point:  “Who you follow determines the course of your life.”

[1] Thomas Griffin. “The Better Leader Newsletter (Good Leaders vs. Bad Leaders).” Thomas Griffin, February 6, 2023. https://thomasgriffin.com/better-leader-newsletter/good-leaders-vs-bad-leaders/#:~:text=Good%20leaders%20lead%20by%20personal,and%20refuse%20to%20relinquish%20control.