Looking for a Better Pastor
Ezekiel 34:1-31
Ezekiel lived in a time of deep distress among the Jews. At the beginning of Ezekiel, part of them, including Ezekiel, had been exiled to the river Chebar in Babylon. The remaining Jews in Jerusalem would rise up in one last rebellion against Nebuchadnezzar who was King of Babylon. As a result the city and Temple were destroyed, and most of the remaining population joined the rest of the Jews in the Babylonian captivity. Huge numbers had died in the fall of the city.
When disasters like these strike, people cry out, “Why?” Had not Yahweh chosen Jerusalem as His symbolic but real dwelling place? Why would God abandon the people whom He said He had loved? The people had presumed upon their being Yahweh’s people, and that He had looked after them in the past. The people of Israel and Judah had been unfaithful to Yahweh for a long time. He had sent many prophets calling them to repentance. Yet, the LORD had not abandoned them. Ezekiel, as well as Jeremiah answer these agonizing questions.
In Ezekiel 34 which we are studying today zeroes in on the problems of bad leadership. Although, this isn’t the only cause, it was certainly significant in the judgment of Israel. Israel was born out of a tribe of shepherds. And the LORD reveals Himself as a shepherd to Israel. The shepherd is responsible for the welfare of the sheep. They have to be led to water and pasture as they are so nearsighted that they can only see the grass under them. Without the shepherd, they would soon die of hunger and thirst. They also have to be protected from predators as well. In other words, sheep are helpless without the shepherd. If the sheep fil to obey the voice of the shepherd, they are doomed.
The LORD raised up people as under shepherds of the flock. He raised up governmental leaders like David the King. He also raised up priests and prophets. These were to serve to feed, water, warn and defend the sheep. This text shows how abysmally these pastors had failed the people. They were supposed to watch for the enemy and warn the people. Too many shirked their responsibility. Ezekiel graphically shows the degree of failure. The shepherds were looking out for themselves. They were making themselves rich off the sheep. They were fattening them for the slaughter and stealing their wool. They totally neglected the care of the sheep. The ones which were not fattened for slaughter they left to find forage for themselves. They neglected caring for the health of the sheep. The sheep which were driven away they let die. There was nothing in it for these evil pastors. They did not want to be burdened. The last insult is that they muddied the water after they drank and left it for the sheep to drink the residue.
In verse 10, the LORD said He was going to fire these pastors who had shamefully treated the flock. Not only this, He was also gong to call them to severe judgment. The LORD also said he would take up the leadership of the sheep directly. For since the kings, prophets, and priests of Israel had abdicated their responsibility, the LORD would personally seek out His sheep and care for them. He would personally gather them from all the nations that they had been scattered. In part, we see this fulfilled in the return of the exiles to Jerusalem at the end of the captivity. But the LORD had a far greater fulfillment in mind. He was going to set up one shepherd over them. We see this fulfilled in Jesus of Nazareth. He calls Himself the Good Shepherd. He is the same I AM who spoke to Moses at Sinai from the burning bush. Jesus, the Son of God became flesh and was born of the Virgin Mary. It is He whom the Father had appointed to care for His sheep. He would show His care for the sheep by laying down His life for them. He fed His people with the Word of God. He healed their infirmities. He left the ninety and nine to find the lost sheep. After his sacrificial death, resurrection, and ascension, He is at the Father’s right hand caring for us. He is prophet, priest and king. In the past, the LORD ruled through shepherds. Noe He rules as the Shepherd. The invisible Shepherd of the Old Testament is now the Shepherd who revealed Himself personally to His chosen witnesses.
When Jesus returns, the promise of the LORD through Ezekiel will reach its complete fulfillment. It is then we shall see the promised showers of blessing. As we get ready for the season of Advent in which we are reminded of the day in which Jesus will return and gather us into Himself, we remember that this hope sustains us here in the wilderness in which we find ourselves today. The fullness of the Reign of Christ will be realized.
In the meanwhile, Jesus has appointed pastors in the church, just as He did in ancient Israel. He is also responsible for the rise and fall of world governments as well. This places a great deal of responsibility upon those whom he has called and equipped for this purpose. I have heard it said that the leaders in the church should not call themselves “shepherds” but “sheepdogs.” It needs to be said that dogs were not used for the most part in the Ancient Near East to manage the herds. When dogs are used, the shepherd talks or whistles to the dogs and not the sheep. The sheep then act instinctively to the movement of the dogs. They react and do not think. This is why I feel the sheepdog analogy is a poor one. The Shepherd speaks to the sheep and not dogs. The sheep hear the voice of the shepherd and obey. God has chosen leaders in the church to speak His word to His people. As prone as human shepherds are to fail in the church, even as they did in ancient Israel, we wonder sometimes why God wouldn’t just call sheepdogs who are totally loyal and obedient and have us simply react. Why doesn’t God just appoint angels to this task like he appointed an angels to mediate the Old Testament covenant? I will just have to say that God is God, and that He is able to accomplish what He wills. He has appointed people in His Church to be apostles, prophets, pastors, teachers and to execute various other administrative functions. These are gifts of the Holy Spirit.
The Bible tells us that there ought not to be many teachers (leaders) in the church because these will face greater scrutiny. There is much false in the Church. There are pastors who have large mansions and private jets while their supporters have trouble making their bills. There are those who try to poison their flocks and scatter the flock with false teaching. There are far too many abuses of power among the “clergy.” But the Word says that sectarians exist in the church to prove what is genuine. True sheep will not be led astray by these false shepherds. But those who rule, must rule in the fear of God, in much prayer and soul searching. Jesus has set Himself as the example every pastor should follow. We must be quick to repent of our failings of leaders as ones who will have to give account to One who is even greater than the church council.
We have been given a tremendous task. Not only do we search for wolves in sheep’s clothing, we are tasked to find sheep in wolves’ clothing. We are called to gather Israel together. This means we are to make sheep out of the wolves who surround us. Only the Word of God can make this transformation. It is not in the nature of the wolf to be sheepish. But nothing is impossible with God. When we go and rescue one of God’s sheep from the mouth of the wolves, not only do we rescue the lost sheep, but we proclaim the good news of Jesus Christ to the wolves as well.
The work of the Shepherd is the work of every Christian, not just the ones who are pointed as leaders. We are to all care for one another and look after each other’s welfare. Let us keep in mind that we are all our brother’s keeper, even to the point of the laying down of our lives. Not only were the Apostles soulwinners, the seven deacons the church appointed for serving tables and caring for the physical needs of the congregation were also soulwinners. Stephen paid for this with his earthly life. But we can also see in the death of Stephen the seeds planted in one Saul of Tarsus who kept the cloaks of those who stoned Stephen. God made a magnificent change in that rabid wolf who became a great soul winner for Jesus as the Apostle Paul. Jesus took care of Stephen even in His death agony. He stood up to receive His sheep home to Him. Even if we perish in this life, we are not lost. One way or another until the Lord returns, we shall all die. But we are eternally safe. Through the last of the dangers, toils, and snares is our entrance into a Kingdom that has no more wolves that attack. The lion shall lie down with the lamb. We shall have arrived into the eternal kingdom of Christ the King.
