As a shepherd seeketh out his flock in the day that he is among his sheep that are scattered; so will I seek out my sheep, and will deliver them out of all places where they have been scattered in the cloudy and dark day.
Ezekiel 34:2 says “Son of man, prophesy against the shepherds of Israel, …” The chapter develops that God would take the duties of the shepherd upon Himself. By the end of the chapter God said that Israel would have just one shepherd:
Ezekiel 34:23 (KJV)
And I will set up one shepherd over them, and he shall feed them, even my servant David; he shall feed them, and he shall be their shepherd.
I believe David to be prophetic of Jesus Christ, who came from the family of David and will rule from the throne of David in Jerusalem.
The shepherd, in this case, is a reference to the rulers of Israel. (I understand that the first reference to a ruler on cuneiform was the term “rui,” meaning shepherd.)
I made a quick study about the shepherd in the New Testament this morning. The term is only found, I think, eighteen times. Other than passages that are factual, such as the shepherds keeping watch over the flocks by night, every time it’s used in a spiritual connotation, it is either negative (such as the hireling), or it speaks of Jesus Christ. He is not only the chief shepherd, the good shepherd, and the great shepherd – he is the only shepherd.
As a pastor, this chapter is of concern to me. The three typical terms used for the pastor are: pastor (shepherd), bishop (overseer), and elder (wisdom and counsel). But the term pastor is only found once in the New Testament. (The function of feeding the sheep is abundant. The function of overseer is the most frequently used in the New Testament – one of the three times Jesus told Peter to feed the sheep, the word feed is a term for oversight. The term pastor may refer to a shepherd but also an overseer.)
I think 1 Peter 5:1-4 (KJV) sums up the ministry best
The elders which are among you I exhort, who am also an elder, and a witness of the sufferings of Christ, and also a partaker of the glory that shall be revealed:
Feed the flock of God which is among you, taking the oversight thereof, not by constraint, but willingly; not for filthy lucre, but of a ready mind;
Neither as being lords over God’s heritage, but being ensamples to the flock.
And when the chief Shepherd shall appear, ye shall receive a crown of glory that fadeth not away.
- We do feed
- We do watch over and guard but
- We do it not as leaders but as ensamples and
We mostly point others to the ONE and ONLY Shepherd, Jesus Christ.
To my readers:
Thank you! It is a great joy to me to know you read the thoughts and lessons God has given me in His word. I would love to hear from you. Please feel free to leave comments.
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