Ezekiel 34:11-24 I Will Search
God tells Ezekiel; “Behold, I, I Myself will search for My sheep” and “I, I judge between sheep and sheep”. His sheep will be safe.
I LOVE how God says that HE will search for His sheep. He says this emphatically. There is NO question or need to fear being lost forever. HIS sheep are safe, no matter what comes. Even when they are lost, or scattered, or stray, are injured, or weak. He will seek them out and FIND them. Then He will tend to all their needs.
After He brings His sheep back, He will care for their daily needs and give them peace again. He will give them green pastures, plenty of food and clean water to drink. He will set ONE Shepherd over them. No longer will they fall prey to selfish shepherds or those out for their own special interest groups.
God also says He will “destroy” the “fat and strong” sheep. The reason for this is because the “fat and strong” sheep have become fat by pushing the others out. They have trampled the grass and muddied the waters instead of caring about their brothers and sisters. They were the “me, myself and I” sheep. They were also the ones the bad shepherds made sure were fed. Not simply because they were the BEST sheep but so they could benefit from them. The bad shepherds ATE them to fatten themselves. Justice will be done to both the bad shepherds and the fat and strong sheep. GOD’S justice. NOT man’s.
Another fact that I want to point out is that not all the sheep that come back will be HIS sheep. Some will join themselves to the flock for the good benefits the Good Shepherd is offering. They will gladly follow along for the food and drink. They may even be the sheep that trample the grass and muddy the waters after the fat and strong sheep are gone.
Even though these extras tag along, they will NOT fool God. He will judge between the sheep. He can tell His sheep from those of another shepherd. He knows their hearts and they know His. They listen to His voice and obey it. When He calls them to lie down, they DO IT. And if they start muddying the water or trampling the grass, He corrects them and they LISTEN to Him.
God is speaking to more than just the captives here. He is speaking to you and me too. We are His sheep just as surely as Ezekiel and the exiles were. We share that One Shepherd. And we share the responsibility to listen to our Shepherd.
We are to care for our brothers and sisters by not muddying the water or trampling the grass. By sharing the truth in His word and not perverting it to suit our purposes. When we take bits and pieces of His word and try to build a doctrine from it, we are certainly muddying the waters. HIS word is truth. We need to ask for His Spirit to guide us as we read it. Without His help, we WILL miss MUCH. Ask Him to open His word to you. Ask for HIS understanding and how it applies to your life. This is exactly what I ask of Him each time I come to sit at His feet and learn. And He ALWAYS answers that prayer.
“Trust in the LORD with all your heart, and do not lean on your own understanding. In all your ways acknowledge him, and he will make straight your paths” (Proverbs 3:5-6). This CERTAINLY applies to reading His word!
Father God, thank You for finding me. Thank You for bringing me to green pastures and fresh water. No. It’s not a blissful existence every day. I struggle to keep my ‘feet still’ at times. I wrestle with knowing for SURE it is YOUR voice speaking instead of my imagination at times. And I’m not always certain I understand what You have for me each day. But I KNOW that You love me and will lead me where You want me to go. I KNOW that I will NEVER be lost in a place where You can’t find me. I am YOURS for LIFE! And beyond!!!
