“For thus says the Lord God: I myself will search for my sheep, and will seek them out.”
— Ezekiel 34:11 (NRSV)
Having opened the chapter with a scathing attack on Israel’s false shepherds, those who have led the flock astray, Ezekiel prophesies about the True Shepherd.
Oh, how it is that we are pursued by the love of God from that day, and beforehand, until this one, and in all chronological directions, eternally.
God, the True Shepherd, seeks out his sheep. And we may proudly declare we are not sheep; that we are more worthy than sheep. But in truth, we are more sheeplike, and God more our Divine Shepherd, than we could ever vindicate in the reality of our thoughts.
The nature of God’s shepherding work is comprehensive as much as it’s perfect.
Danger draws us back to the True Shepherd
Sheep are easily scattered, and so it is for the True Shepherd to draw back all lost sheep into the flock of the saved. And we’re not talking necessarily about those who don’t believe in God as the ‘lost’. More so these days, we’re talking about those who are disenfranchised — the de-churched — because of what church leaders or Christians have done; Jesus talks this in Matthew 18:6-9 — not just literally children, but vulnerable ones, for when Jesus says adults can be ‘children of God’, we also bear the inherent vulnerabilities of children.
While it is our character to scatter away from the Lord, to leave the Divine Presence, it is just the same character of the True Shepherd to draw us back into the fold. Even if wolves from within the flock, disguised as sheep, push us away or cause us to scatter, we may still feel wooed to God.
We may be confused about why God let it happen, and we may lose our faith. This is what Jesus spoke about when warning abusers: “Better a millstone be hung around your neck...”
In terms of grief that comes into our lives, we may wonder about the role of loss, hardship, pain, and every sense of what seems to be cursing. But these are designed, if nothing else, as a barb to cause us to return. Danger is the prod, the goad back to God.
Danger from Within the Sheepfold
God is drawing us away from danger from wolves as we return to the flock — the typical default answer would be the sanctuary of church.
But in such a pen, we’re not always safe. The goal of church, however, is we’re given our own lands of healing, of fellowship, of communion, having been drawn from pain toward God in the ecclesia.
But so many people have been wounded IN the church. How reprehensible that is! What do we do when people — (even just one) — are lost sheep because they were chewed up and spat out from the flock? Or, that they were spiritually mangled, mauled or mutilated, which cannot always be seen.
The moral safety of the church is the Divine destination in this life — despite many attacks from the wolves both from within and from without the church.
In church, we are supposed to be fed in good pasture, the mountain heights of Israel.
God’s words from the pulpit, caring fellowship-of-the-flock within small groups, worship in many ways, discipleship for growth, ministry within the needs of love by the Shepherd’s crook; by all these and more we are fed, nourished, and cared for as we care in the name of the Lord. Anything less is a blight on the concept of church.
The true character of the True Shepherd
The True Shepherd makes his sheep lie down and rest, having grazed the pasture.
Our Divine Shepherd seeks the lost, brings back the strays, binds up the injured, strengthens the weak, but also condemns the devourer, who is fed Divine justice!
The True Shepherd covenants a bridle of promises that protect the flock in every way from danger. It is a covenant of peace, beyond threat of wild animals that would otherwise freely devour parts of the flock. The True Shepherd is a Divine Protector.
The True Shepherd’s protection is an eternal possession, and we’re counselled to not lose heart in this fleeting life. (See 2 Corinthians 4:16-18)
The True Shepherd discerns sheep of right motive from wolves of wrong motive; he sorts out the true sheep from the sheep dressed up from a wolves’ origin.
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God has promised to save his flock, the true sheep of godly pasture, from the wolves of this dangerous life. Although this earth seems all there is, eternity is beyond our grasp, though we hold to its mystery by faith.
A day is coming when we shall no longer be ravaged, as God judges the wolves dressed in sheep’s clothing, the false shepherds of Israel. This is a direct invitation to go and imbibe Ezekiel 34.
The True Shepherd of Israel is seeking us, today, eternally, drawing us back into his Divine sheep fold.
The True Shepherd of Israel is our Gatherer, our Protector, our Provider, our Rest, our Healer, our Very Present Help in time of need, and our Saviour.
To know the true God is to know that God is beyond toxic church experiences; the true God will take you beyond the pain, to a community where the Spirit of God resides in peace. Yes, the church — if you can stomach the possibility.
The true church functions as a shepherd following after the one and only True Shepherd.
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