Ezekiel 34:10a Thus saith the LORD God; Behold, I am against the shepherds; and I will require my flock at their hand.
Are You a Good Shepherd?
If I were to ask you to think about the politics of most any major American city, what one word would come to mind? Unfortunately, words like “corruption,” “fraud,” or “machine” would come to many a mind. Abuse of the public trust for personal gain is pretty much as old as politics itself, and from the beginning of time this has been an affront to God Almighty. To abuse what He has created is to sin against Him.
God spoke through Ezekiel a message of judgment to the leaders of the people of Israel in that day. Why? Because these shepherds fed themselves but not the flock. Ezekiel 34:4 says, “with force and with cruelty have ye ruled them.”
The shepherd’s one main responsibility is to care for the sheep. The only one that cares more for the sheep than a shepherd should is the one who owns the sheep. God repeatedly shows in this chapter that these sheep belonged to Him. Verse 10 brings all of this into focus when God says, “Thus saith the LORD God, Behold, I am against the shepherds; and I will require my flock at their hand.” God was against them because they fed themselves, and God was going to deliver his flock from these poor shepherds.
The point is that these shepherds or leaders did not own the people or sheep. God did. How do you think an owner of sheep would feel if he employed a shepherd who beat up the sheep, who fed himself instead of the sheep, and who was more concerned about his personal comfort than the safety of the sheep? Well, that is exactly how God feels about those who abuse their stewardship for their own selfish ends.
The fact is that every one of us shepherd or steward something. We’re servants of God who have something that God has placed into our hands. How you treat what you have depends on who you think owns it. If you’ll remember today that every moment, every dollar, every person, every project that is in your life belongs to God and has been entrusted to you as a steward, it will give you a greater sense of purpose and responsibility than you could ever have if you’re going it alone.