Today, I am reading and commenting on Ezekiel 34-36.

Every time I read Ezekiel 34 I think of Jesus’ Parable of the Lost Sheep from Luke 15.  Here Ezekiel prophesies against the shepherds of Israel, but the prophecy also applies to all too many of those who have been made pastors in the Church (Remember that the word pastor originally meant shepherd).  In this passage God says, “My sheep wandered over all the mountains and on every high hill. They were scattered over the whole earth, and no one searched or looked for them.”  Think about what that means in light of Jesus’ parable.  In fact, think of this whole passage about sheep and shepherds in light of Luke 15.  God condemns the pastors who care only for themselves rather than for God’s sheep; who feed themselves without looking for His lost sheep.  God will hold those pastors accountable and will search out His lost sheep Himself.  However, Ezekiel is not done.  He goes on to condemn those who are not pastors who trample down the grass after they have eaten and muddy the waters after they have drunk.  Those who drive away those sheep which are weaker.  God will hold those who drive others away from Him accountable as well.  This passage contains a question for you to answer after examining yourself.  If you are a pastor (and I do not think this is limited to those who have the job of pastor with a congregation, many of us have been called to shepherd God’s sheep in other ways), ask yourself, “Am I searching for God’s lost sheep?”  And, if you are not a pastor, ask yourself, “Am I driving the weaker sheep away from the flock? Or am I muddying the water for the other sheep?”

I use the daily Bible reading schedule from “The Bible.net” for my daily Bible reading.