THE LORD SPOKE (November 20)

Daily Reflections from Scripture:

Ezekiel 33-34

The “shepherds” referred to in this passage are not spiritual leaders - prophets or priests - but rulers who sought in their government their own selfish ends, not the good of the people ruled. David, the first king of Israel is cited (Ezek. 34:23, 24) as a good example of how the job was intended to be done. God took him from the sheepfold to the palace in this capacity (II Sam. 5:2; Ps. 78:70, 71). Consequently, the job of a shepherd and his responsibility for a flock became an appropriate metaphor for biblical leadership. The office of ruler, like that of a shepherd for his flock, is to guard and to provide for the well-being of his people. Some are false and some are faithful in their job.

I. THE FALSE SHEPHERDS (34:1-6)
1. They feed and water themselves and ignore their flocks (vs. 1–3).
2. They refuse to care for the weak, sick, and injured sheep (vs. 4).
3. They allow the sheep to wander (vs. 4-6).
4. They let the wild animals devour the sheep (vs. 5).

II. THE FAITHFUL SHEPHERD (34:7-16)
1. His relationship with the false shepherds:
a. He removes them and holds them responsible (vs. 10).
b. He judges them (vs. 20-21).
2. His relationship with the sheep:
a. He rescues and regathers them (vs. 11-12, 22).
b. He feeds them (34:13).
c. He gives them good pasture (34:14-15, 26-27).
d. He binds up the injured and strengthens the weak (vs. 16).
e. He protects them (vs. 25, 28).
f. He adopts them as his own (vs. 29-31).

III. THE FUTURE OF THE FLOCK (34:17-31)
1. His relationship with the rams and goats (vs. 17).
2. His relationship with the naughty sheep (vs. 18-21).
3. His relationship with the under-shepherd (vs. 23-24).
4. His commitment to the flock (vs. 25-31)

We can find several applications to our day and our situation. (1) God still has the same standard for government leaders today. (2) He has established this model for local churches and gives them pastors/shepherds to guard and guide the flock. (3) Corporations and organizations at almost every level function best when they are set up on just this sort of paradigm. (4) A father’s role with his wife and children has many analogies.

In this way, God has provided for the weak, the naive, the indefensible, the errant ones, etc. It is His purpose that we each be part of some greater flock - for our own protection and productivity and for His glory.


Psalms 129-130

If you, O Lord, kept a record of sins,
O Lord, who could stand?
But with you there is forgiveness,
therefore, you are feared.
Psalm 130:3-4

Did you ever keep one of those little black books? Did you have a notebook or some place where you wrote everything down? Did you make annotations on all the nasty things other people did?

Did it ever do you any good? Did it make you a better person or sweeten your disposition in any way? Did it ever come to be truly useful for any positive outcome? If you ever shared it with anyone else (or they snooped and found it on their own), did it improve their character too?

Do you have one of those little black books now? Do you have a file folder of someone’s faults? Are you keeping those old e-mails just in case they might come in handy some day?

Instead of doing any good, they sour your spirit every time you see them. You don’t even have to open the book and read anything. Its mere appearance before you is enough to bring it all up again in your mind. It’s a vile regurgitation. It can mess up your whole day just remembering it.

Aren’t you glad God doesn’t do that? He has forgiven and blotted out all our sins. He has removed them, deleted them, and forgotten them by means of the cleansing blood of His dear Son.

• As far as the east is from the west, so far has he removed our transgressions from us. (Ps. 103:12)
• Blessed is he whose transgressions are forgiven, whose sins are covered. Blessed is the man whose sin the Lord does not count against him.... (Ps. 32:1-2; quoted in Rom. 4:7-8)
• You forgave the iniquity of your people and covered all their sins. (Ps. 85:2)

Rejoice in the cleansing forgiveness of a great God. And, please, get rid of that little black book. It is a liberating act of forgiveness.