By Madeleine Lingard
Read Ezekiel 34:1-24
Isn’t it frustrating when our human leaders let us down? We can be let down by our parents, boss, law enforcement or politicians. We all have an innate sense that this isn’t how things should be.
After being exiled to Babylon in 6th Century BC, the Israelites would have had plenty of time to focus on the failure of their leaders. For centuries, their leaders had encouraged them to violate God’s Covenant by worshiping foreign gods and idols. Now the Northern Kingdom of Judah had been exiled from the Promised Land and lost everything – their homes, king and temple. The dejected exiles likely wondered if they were still God’s people and if there was any hope for the future.
Many Old Testament Prophets offer hope in the form of future ideal leaders. The Prophet Ezekiel comforts the exiles through promising a leader who is a good shepherd and an ancestor of King David.
- How have the bad shepherds failed to lead God’s people?
- How is this different to the rule of the good shepherd?
- 3. What is the connection between the good shepherd in Ezekiel 34 and Jesus in John 10:11-18?
Spend some time in prayer thanking God for his perfect leadership and praying for our earthly leaders.