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“I Myself will be the Shepherd of My sheep, and I Myself will make them lie down, declares the Lord GOD.” Ezekiel 34:15
SHEPHERD
Even after Nebuchadnezzar had seized captives from Jerusalem at two times prior to this, taking Daniel and his friends in the first siege, and taking Ezekiel and others in the second siege, the leaders in Judah, identified by Yehovah God as “shepherds,” sat luxuriously in Jerusalem while the sheep were starving (Ezek 34:2-3). They refused to believe Jeremiah of impending judgment. They refused the Word of the LORD from Ezekiel. They were such miserable, unfaithful failures that the Lord Yehovah said He, Himself, would be the Shepherd of His sheep. In the days of the Lord Jesus’ ministry, it was more of the same in Israel as in the days of Judah before its destruction in Ezekiel’s day; and in many ways, much worse. The scribes, Pharisees, Sadducees, and chief priests made a mockery of God’s grace and true faith. When the Lord Jesus said to them, “I am the Good Shepherd” (John 10:11), the savvy Bible student among their lot knew exactly what Jesus was saying by this. Jesus was saying that He was God incarnate. This is why many of them said, “He has a demon, and is insane; why listen to Him?” (John 10:20). The Lord Jesus is the Great I AM of Exodus and the Good Shepherd of Ezekiel. We are His sheep and we hear His voice (John 10:27). It is the Lord Jesus who teaches us, even as David prophetically utters the words of Messiah a thousand years before Christ:
Come, O children, listen to me; I will teach you the fear of the LORD. Psalm 34:11
Jesus teaches us through the indwelling Holy Spirit, who teaches us all things and reminds of those things He has said (John 14:26). While the wonderful design of God is that we learn from pastors, teachers, parents, fellow believers, etc., it is still the Lord Jesus who must reveal His truth from the Word through them— that is, through you and me. This is why it is never a foolish pursuit or waste of time to see, seek, and submit to the glorious pictures of Christ in Scripture. Hallelujah! What a Savior!
Lord Jesus is the Shepherd Good
Foretold from long ago;
Christ teaches so truth’s understood,
E’en prophecies of old.
Online Bible Audio/Readings Links (ESV)
10/1 Reading Portions: 1 Kings 3; Ephesians 1; Ezekiel 34; Psalm 83-84
AMEN! Love the "teachings"; for it is Christ in us revealing HIS secrets of LIFE! (Psalm 25:14)