Shepherding

Steven’s Scribbles
“Shepherding”
Ezekiel 34
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    Often when we talk about “Shepherds” in the Lord’s church, it is in reference to elders. It is absolutely true that elders are described as shepherds (1 Peter 5:1-3; Acts 20:28), but there is much to learn about shepherding from the Old Covenant as well. There were “shepherds” responsible for Israel (Eze. 34:2) that were charged with dereliction of duty. In the same chapter, Ezekiel prophecies from the Lord, “Then I will set over them one shepherd, My servant David, and he will feed them; he will feed them himself and be their shepherd” (Eze. 34:23). Considering that Ezekiel was prophesying during Babylonian exile towards the beginning of the 6th century, he was obviously not speaking of King David who had been dead for hundreds of years. Rather, Ezekiel was prophesying of the one who was described as: the Good Shepherd (John 10:11), the Shepherd of our souls (1 Peter 2:25), the Chief Shepherd (1 Peter 5:4), and the Great Shepherd (Heb. 13:20) . Ezekiel was referring to a carpenter’s son, Jesus the Christ who was from the seed of David (Rom. 1:3). Jesus is our example for Godly living (1 Peter 2:21-22). Jesus is our example for how to shepherd. He is able to accomplish everything that was charged against the shepherd of Israel. He strengthens the sickly, heals the diseased, binds up the broken, brings back the scattered, seeks the lost, and serves with meekness (Eze. 34:4). It is only through Jesus that we have a shepherd who “gives rest to our souls” (Matt. 11:28-30). 


In His service,
Steven Hugley