Ezekiel 34:11-16, 20-24 - by Don Neuendorf
I myself will search for my sheep and look after them. As a shepherd looks after his scattered flock when he is with them, so will I look after my sheep.
To appreciate what God is saying here you really need to back up and read the chapters before. Ezekiel describes the unfaithfulness of the Jewish leaders - priests participating in or permitting pagan celebrations in his temple - the people wandering away to worship in the high places and sacred groves - injustice throughout the kingdom that was supposed to be a witness to God's righteousness. And then God says...
As surely as I live, declares the Sovereign Lord, because my flock lacks a shepherd and so has been plundered and has become food for all the wild animals, and because my shepherds did not search for my flock but cared for themselves rather than for my flock, therefore O shepherds, hear the word of the Lord: This is what the Sovereign Lord says: I am against the shepherds and will hold them accountable for my flock. I will remove them from tending the flock so that the shepherds can no longer feed themselves. I will rescue my flock from their mouths, and it will no longer be food for them.
And THEN he says that he himself will come and be the shepherd.
Now... stop and think about that situation. What did it mean that the flock was being "plundered" and was food for wild animals? It meant false doctrine - false worship - God's people wandering from the faith. Don't we see the same things happening, and in part at least also because of the unfaithfulness of the shepherds?
These shepherds used the flock for food. They were consuming the sheep - making their living from the flock - but not caring for it. Not searching for the lost. Are we guilty of the same thing?
At times I believe I have been. Even though I have been sometimes considered a "strict" pastor, I have sometimes, out of the fear of giving offense, failed to warn the sheep when they were wandering. Out of cowardice, fear of being considered narrow-minded, I have sometimes "pulled my punches" when I ought to have more vigorously attacked the lion or snake of false teaching.
You should be thankful, as I am thankful, that God himself came to be our shepherd. Jesus saw the people were "harrassed and helpless like sheep without a shepherd" and he came to be "the Good Shepherd."
Thank God even the shepherds now have a faithful shepherd who will not fail.