The word of the Lord came to me: “Son of man, prophesy against the shepherds of Israel; prophesy and say to them: ‘This is what the Sovereign Lord says: Woe to you shepherds of Israel who only take care of yourselves! Should not shepherds take care of the flock? You eat the curds, clothe yourselves with the wool and slaughter the choice animals, but you do not take care of the flock. You have not strengthened the weak or healed the sick or bound up the injured. You have not brought back the strays or searched for the lost. You have ruled them harshly and brutally. So they were scattered because there was no shepherd, and when they were scattered they became food for all the wild animals. My sheep wandered over all the mountains and on every high hill. They were scattered over the whole earth, and no one searched or looked for them.
Therefore, you shepherds, hear the word of the Lord: 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, you 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.” (Ezekiel 34:1-10 NIV)
It seems that some things never change. These passages from the Book of Ezekiel date from the 6th Century B.C. (about 2,550 years ago, give or take a few). Today, leaders still use their positions for personal benefit, at the expense of those they have been given to care for. Ultimately, their misdeeds will lead to their destruction.
“For this is what the Sovereign Lord says: 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. I will rescue them from all the places where they were scattered on a day of clouds and darkness. I will bring them out from the nations and gather them from the countries, and I will bring them into their own land. I will pasture them on the mountains of Israel, in the ravines and in all the settlements in the land. I will tend them in a good pasture, and the mountain heights of Israel will be their grazing land. There they will lie down in good grazing land, and there they will feed in a rich pasture on the mountains of Israel. I myself will tend my sheep and have them lie down, declares the Sovereign Lord. I will search for the lost and bring back the strays. I will bind up the injured and strengthen the weak, but the sleek and the strong I will destroy. I will shepherd the flock with justice.” (Ezekiel 34:11-16 NIV)
As in the years following the Babylonian Exile, God has again gathered the Israelis back to the land He promised to Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob (a.k.a. Israel). Many believe that this is a sign that the Day of the Lord will soon begin. Jesus thought of Himself as The Good Shepherd, and of His people as His sheep. (John 10:1-18) The Book of Revelation (Chapter 20) promises that, at His Second Coming, Jesus will rule the world as Messiah for 1,000 years.
Do you want to be part of His Kingdom, a kingdom of justice and peace? Would you like to rule and reign with Him? You can bask in the Glory of God’s presence forever in a heavenly bliss that we are not now able to comprehend.
A righteous life is the result of salvation, not the cause of it. Eternal life in heaven cannot be earned. We are not able to be good enough to earn our salvation. Jesus paid the price of your admission to His Kingdom. You just need to believe that what He did was sufficient, repent of your old sinful way of life, and ask Jesus to be your Savior. He will live in you, and you will be in Him.
After that, find a good church that believes and teaches the Holy Bible and only the Bible. Learn His ways. Then, take up your cross daily and follow Jesus.
