Many centuries earlier, a young shepherd named David watched over his family’s sheep in the hill country of Bethlehem. The experience of shepherding instilled in David keen spiritual insights about God as the shepherd of His people. Those insights were beautifully memorialized in Psalm 23:1 when David wrote, “The Lord is my shepherd, I shall not want…”. God later called David to shepherd the nation of Israel as king for several decades. They proved to be some of the best years in the history of the Jewish nation. But tragically, many other kings and priests in the centuries that followed were dismal examples of “shepherds” over God’s people. Instead of leading God’s flock to green pastures, those unfaithful leaders abused God’s sheep through pride and avarice. After several centuries, God judged the unfaithful “shepherds” in Ezekiel 34:4-5 declaring, “with force and cruelty you have ruled [the sheep]. So they were scattered [for lack of] a shepherd…” I imagine that Jesus had such examples of unfaithful shepherds’ in mind when he cried out, “All who came before me are thieves and robbers, but the sheep did not listen to them.” (Jn. 10:8).
In Ezek. 34:22-24, God revealed that one day He would send a unique shepherd to watch over His people, promising that “…I will save My flock, and they will no longer be prey…I will establish one shepherd over them…He shall feed them and be their shepherd.” In the fullness of time, God sent His only begotten Son to fulfill this prophecy. Knowing he had come in fulfillment of Ezekiel. 34:22-24, Jesus declared, “I am the good shepherd; and I know my sheep, and I am known by My own.” (Jn. 10:14).
It’s a great comfort to know as believers that the Son of God shepherds us, loves us, protects us and continually leads us in paths of righteousness. If we follow Jesus wherever he leads, there’s no need to see what’s on the path ahead. Our shepherd goes before us and He has every possibility covered. As believers we can be eternally grateful that God has counted us to be part of the Good Shepherd’s flock!
Pastor Dave Korinek