I want to focus on Chapter 34 and the contrast between bad shepherds and the Good Shepherd.
In his sermon Watchmen and Shepherds, Pastor David Legge speaks about the job of a shepherd or pastor - 'the unique combination of afflicting the comfortable, and comforting the afflicted.' Afflicting the comfortable, who are in a backslidden, lukewarm state - waking them up - but also comforting the afflicted. He confronts the fat sheep, that's what this passage talks about, he confronts the fat sheep and cares for the weak sheep. But the problem is that usually by upsetting the fat sheep, you're upsetting the people that support the church, that have sway in the church, that are influential in the extra-church society. Often the weak sheep are not comforted because it would just take too much time, and it's too demanding.
If you're sitting comfy in the pew every Sunday, either the preacher isn't preaching the Word, or your pride is refusing the Spirit access to your soul. I dare say the majority of North American Christians need to be awaken from their lukewarm state! Though times it is a painful process, it is also an exciting one, when you can see the hand of God at work in your life.
This passage confronts the bad shepherds of Israel who were fleecing their sheep instead of feeding them.
And then God speaks incredible words of comfort.
Can you imagine the comfort that that was to these people in captivity for their sin after Jerusalem had been destroyed in judgement, and God comes again after seven years silence and speaks to them 21 times: 'I will, I will, I will!'? What an assurance it was to their hearts, and what an assurance to our own. (David Legge)
Here are just a few of God's promises....
I will search for My sheep (v 11)
I will look after My sheep (v 11)
I will rescue My sheep (v 12)
I will gather My sheep together (v 13)
I will tend them, feed them and give them rest (v 14, 15)
I will search for the lost and bring back the strays. I will bind up the injured and strengthen the weak, but the sleek and the strong I will destroy. I will shepherd the flock with justice. (v 16)
I will judge between the rams and goats (v 17), between the fat sheep and the lean sheep (v 20)
I will place them under one shepherd - Jesus Christ (v 23)
I will make a covenant of peace with them (v 25)
I will bless them (v 26)
I will protect them, keep them safe, they will have no need to fear (v 28)
I will provide for them (v 29)
I will be with them and they will be My people (v 30)
What incredible promises! They also apply to us. Jesus, the Good Shepherd, is coming again and He will rule on the New Earth. But His reign begins already, in the heart of every believer, and we look forward to when His kingdom will come and last forever!
Tomorrow's passage: Ezekiel 37-39, 32:1-16
1 comment:
Healing promises for sure. I loved this:
"I will remove from you your heart of stone and give you a heart of flesh. And I will put my Spirit in you and move you to follow my decrees and be careful to keep my laws."
A real testiment of the Holy Spirits work to come done by God here in the OT. Doing for us what we cannot do. "move you to follow..." Is awesome.
I felt these passages were a good admonishment to pastors and fathers. From yesterday's passages too I was reading John Wesley's comments I think it was about how the men did not seem to know at first that their wives were worshiping the Queen of Heaven. They seem to have really fallen off the leadership roles. That seems to be the case as a nation too,or they are performing them apart from how God would have them to.
It's comforting to know that God cares enough for His sheep to make sure they are led properly by himself above any man.
Good stuff.
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