The Good Shepherd

By Joseph Daniel Quesada - www.abba-padre.org



A few months ago, the Lord put in my heart the passage from Ezekiel 34. At that time, I prepared a devotional for the college where I work. The Lord gave me the approach that as professors and teachers, we have to exercise a pastoral role. Work we have received from God, and the flock that He puts in each academic year in the hands of teachers.

But not only to teachers in schools and Christian schools, the Lord gives a herd. If we are true believers, no matter where we worked, a flock God has placed in our care. Whether co-workers, subordinates or not, fellow students, family, etc.. People around us are influenced by us in one way or another.

In Ezekiel 34 we find a prophecy against the shepherds of Israel, the reading of this chapter is very strong. The prophet declares that it is word of Jehovah came to him saying, "Son of man, prophesy against the shepherds of Israel, prophesy and say to the shepherds: Thus says the Lord GOD: Woe to the shepherds of Israel that do feed themselves! Do not shepherds feed the flocks? eat the fat and clothe yourselves with the wool, you slaughter the fat, but do not feed the sheep.

Not strengthened the weak, you have not healed the sick, have not bound up the injured, not the wayward back into the fold, or seeking the lost, but you have ruled them harshly and violently.

And they were scattered for lack of a shepherd, and they became meat to every beast of the field, and dispersed.

My sheep wandered through all the mountains, and on every high hill and across the face of the earth were scattered my flock, and none did search or seek ask for them.

Therefore, shepherds, hear the word of the Lord:

I live, saith the Lord, because my flock was to be stolen, and my sheep were to fall prey to all the beasts of the field, no shepherd, neither did my shepherds search for my sheep, but the shepherds fed themselves, and fed not my flock, therefore, O shepherds, hear the word of the Lord.

Thus saith the Lord: Behold, I am against the shepherds, and I will require my flock at their hand, and make them cease from feeding the sheep and the shepherds feed themselves anymore, for I will deliver my flock from their mouths, and not be meat for them.

For thus saith the Lord: Behold, I, I myself will both search my sheep and seek them out.

As a shepherd seeketh out his flock on the day he is among his scattered sheep, so I seek out my sheep, and deliver them from all places where they were scattered in the cloudy and dark.

And I will bring them out of peoples, and gather them from the land and will bring them to their own land, and feed them upon the mountains of Israel by the rivers, and in all the inhabited places of the country.

Feed them in good pasture, and in the high mountains of Israel shall their fold be: there shall they lie in a good fold, and in a fat pasture shall they feed upon the mountains of Israel.

I will feed my sheep, and I will give you fold, saith the Lord.

I will seek the lost and bring again the outcasts, bind up the injured and strengthen the weak, but the fat and the strong down; feed them with justice. "Ezekiel 34:2-16

The call of the Lord is strong, as I said before, if we put in place the pastor referred to in this prophecy, we realize the great responsibility we have. Not only are teachers or teachers if an institution of education, but as Sunday School teachers, as parents, as siblings, as leaders or as neighbors. Our herd is anyone who has a contact form or another us.

If we continue with the biblical account, the Lord takes care of his flock and says, "But as for you, my flock, thus saith the Lord: Behold I judge between sheep and sheep, between rams and goats.

Is it a little to eat the good pasture, but also with your feet holláis that your pastures and drinking the clear water with your feet enturbiáis the left?

And my sheep eat what trodden with your feet, and they drink that which ye have fouled with your feet.

Therefore thus says the Lord GOD: Behold, I, I will judge between the fat sheep and the lean sheep, for ye have thrust with side and with shoulder, and ACORN with your horns all the weak, till ye and scatters them.

I will save my flock, and never more be a prey, and judge between sheep and sheep.

Will place over them one shepherd, and he shall feed them, to my servant David, he shall feed them, and he shall be their shepherd.

I the Lord will be their God, and my servant David prince among them. I the LORD have spoken. "Ezekiel 34:17-24

The Lord says that will raise up a pastor who will shepherd the sheep in the right way. While appointing the King David as the servant of God who will occupy that position, of course David is not really, but Jesus Christ, who other prophecies in the scriptures called the son of David. Note that the book of Ezekiel was written in the captivity of Israel in Babylon, long after the reign of David. David's reign began approximately in 1010 a. of J.C. and Ezekiel began his ministry in July of 593 a. of J.C. or 417 years of the beginning of the reign of David. It is interesting to note also that David was the successor of King Saul, a man who had everything to have become great in the eyes of God and His people. But God discards it for their disobedience.

Consider some consequences of the disobedience of Saul, king of Israel, was also her pastor. In the biblical story found in the first book of Samuel, chapter 15 we read: "Then Samuel said to Saul, the Lord sent me to anoint you king over his people Israel: now therefore hearken to the words of Lord. Thus saith the Lord of hosts: I will punish what Amalek did to Israel to him in the way when he came up from Egypt.

Go therefore and smite Amalek, and utterly destroy all that he hath, and not spare them, kill men, women, children and suckling, ox and sheep, camels and donkeys. "I Samuel 15: 1-3

Clearly the desire of the Lord, Saul would completely destroy the Amalekites, the people had to disappear from the face of the earth. But Saul did not do so. All the people killed by the sword but spared the king of the Amalekites. "And Saul smote the Amalekites from Havilah to Shur reach, which is east of Egypt.

And he took Agag alive king of Amalek, but to all the people with the sword.

Saul and the people spared Agag and the best of the sheep and cattle, fattened animals, the lambs, and all the good, and would not destroy, but all that was vile and despicable destroyed. "I Samuel 15:7-9

For this act of direct disobedience to the Lord, God removed Saul's reign and gives it to David. Yet here is not just the consequences of this sin of the pastor of Israel. The Bible says that Saul was the son of Kish, of the tribe of Benjamin, Samuel 9:1-2 as I now see Esther 2:5-6 we find here another man named Mordecai, who also was from the tribe of Benjamin and a descendant of Kish. ... continue