The Shepherd Who Seeks

In the ancient Near East, kings were commonly called shepherds of their people. Ezekiel 34 indicts Israel's rulers for shepherding themselves. They ate the fat, clothed themselves with the wool, and killed the fatlings, but did not feed the sheep. They ruled with force and cruelty. The result was a scattered flock with no one to search or seek. God declared himself against the shepherds and said he would rescue his sheep from their mouth.

Then comes one of the great promises of Scripture. God would personally search for his sheep, as a shepherd seeks out his flock in the day of clouds and thick darkness. He would gather them, feed them, and make them lie down. He would seek the lost, bring back the driven away, bind up the broken, and strengthen the sick. He would also judge the strong sheep that trampled the pasture and pushed the weak with their horns.

God promised to set up one shepherd, his servant David, a future king from David's line. He would make a covenant of peace, send showers of blessing, and let his people live securely. The chapter ends with God's tender words that they are his sheep, the sheep of his pasture, and he is their God. In the New Testament, John 10:11 says: I am the good shepherd. The good shepherd lays down his life for the sheep.