Have you ever been lost? I don’t mean just having taken the wrong turn on the road, which your GPS can quickly help correct. I mean really, seriously lost, maybe while hiking in the mountains or wilderness. Maybe you have had a young child wander off, maybe in a large mall, or wander from the yard, and you had no idea where they are. In these cases we hope that there are people who are looking for us, if we are the one lost, or for the child or other loved one who is lost. Our Scripture for today, this last Sunday before the start of Advent, tells of the lost flock of God, and how He will search for them. Let’s take a quick look at this passage.
Our Scripture comes from the book of the Prophet Ezekiel. Ezekiel was from the tribe of Levi, and of the priestly line of Aaron. He lived and ministered to the people during the time of the Babylonian captivity. This was a time of great hardship and distress for the people. Not only had they lost their homes and their homeland, they were taken away into captivity into the land of Babylon. Because they knew that this had happened to them because of the sins of the nation, many felt that the Lord had turned His back on them. Since the days of Moses, God had called them His sheep, but now they felt like they were lost sheep, sheep without a shepherd.
Ezekiel had some encouraging news for the people, words that the Lord had given him, and which he passed on to the people, words that can also be encouraging to us believers today. This passage speaks specifically to the people of Israel, and God’s message to them. However, it also can speak broadly to Christians, as the Lord Jesus, the Son of God, called His followers His sheep, and that He was their Shepherd (John 10:11-16).
Sheep need a shepherd who cares for them. The Israelites had been led by bad shepherds. Instead of the priests and religious leaders caring for their flock, they exploited them, profited from them, and left them to wild animals, just as a bad shepherd does with the sheep that he fails to care for. Many of the leaders had been self-indulgent, and took advantage of them. Because the people followed these false leaders, they ended up in the strongholds of sin, and were scattered from their land. However, Ezekiel prophesied and promised that the Lord God will come and gather His people again, meeting their needs, but also judging those who will not turn to Him (vs. 15-16).
God, the true Shepherd, will search out and find His sheep, in order to restore Israel to their land for the kingdom which the Messiah leads. This is a literal regathering and restoration of Israel to their land. Since the scattering was literal, the regathering will be literal, as well, and will be complete when Jesus returns to set up His kingdom.
Just as God is the true Shepherd to His people Israel, and has promised to search them out and restore them, Jesus is our Good Shepherd, and He also carefully watches over the Christians, who are His flock. Even though we cannot see Him, He can see us. He knows us by name, and knows everything about us. We are the sheep of His pasture. Jesus will seek us out, feed us in good pasture, and bind up the broken. He has tender care for us, the sheep of His flock He cares for each one of us individually.
Are you a sheep who has strayed somewhat away from the flock, from the Shepherd? God said He will seek what was lost, and bring back what was driven away. He will not allow His sheep to remain lost. He will search and find all of His children who may have wandered away, bringing them safely back into the fold.
Are you part of God’s flock today? If you are not sure, turn to the Lord Jesus, confess and repent of your sins, and call upon Him as your personal Savior. Then you can know that God is your Shepherd, and you are part of His flock.
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