Shepherds and Sheep (Ezekiel 34)

In this chapter, God gives Ezekiel words for the leaders of Israel, whom he calls “shepherds,” and to the people, who are the “sheep,” but this can hold true for us today. Many of us are leaders in some capacity—leaders at work, leaders at church, leaders of a club or school activity, leaders of our friend group, leaders in our community, or leaders of our homes.

This passage tells us what we should not do. Here, the shepherds were not only neglecting their people, but they were using them for their own benefit. We need to be sure that we are not taking credit for others' work and to encourage those whom we lead so they do not feel taken advantage of.   

The evil shepherds eat the meat and fat and use the wool of the sheep, but do not feed them.  Feeding our flocks can take many forms.  Do we provide helpful feedback and opportunities for our flocks to succeed, or only point out their downfalls?  Do we reward our people with adequate paychecks, support, time off, and recognition, or do we cut corners on salaries to make more profits? Do we acknowledge our volunteers and their work, or do we expect them to fill their roles year after year as unsung heroes? Do we point out the good that our children do, or do we emphasize their shortcomings?

We learn that the shepherds did not strengthen the weak, heal the sick, or help the injured.  The sheep were scattered because the lost weren’t sought after, and the ones who strayed weren’t brought back.  Do we look for opportunities to help the weak in our flocks, or do we focus on the strong and the talented?  When we have someone broken, do we rush to their aid, or do we stand back, out of awkwardness and not knowing what to say to help them in their grief?  If someone strays, do we hunt them down, or do we give up on them- maybe even thinking, “Good riddance?”

As leaders, we can all learn from this passage, but we are also all members of a flock of some sort.  Somewhere, there is a leader over us, and the shepherd has probably let us down at some point.  This passage also gives the sheep hope! God declares that He Himself will make the sheep lie down, seek the lost, bind the injured, strengthen the weak, and bring back the strayed. 

When you are broken because you have been let down by your family, friends, work, pastor, government, or others, God Himself will take care of His sheep, and they will follow Him.  He is the Good Shepherd.  If you are not a member of His flock, call out to Him now, follow Him, and be His sheep.

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