“And the word of the Lord came to me, saying: ‘Son of man, prophesy against the shepherds of Israel. Prophesy and say to those shepherds, “Thus says the Lord God: Woe to the shepherds of Israel who feed themselves! Should not the shepherds feed the flock?”’” (Ezek. 34:1-2, MEV).
As stated in Psalm 23, the Lord is your shepherd. This means the Lord God Himself is your shepherd. Jesus is your shepherd.
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I’ll break this down to show how God rebukes the shepherds in Ezekiel’s prophecy. The shepherds portrayed in this passage are not literal shepherds. They were the leadership of Israel, the priests and the teachers. They appeared to be shepherds but were after their own interests. They appeared to feed the flock but left the sheep destitute and hungry.
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God anoints Ezekiel, one of the priests of the Old Covenant, to prophesy against the shepherds of Israel.
The rebuke is for the shepherds who were in it for themselves. They were out for their own advantages, similar to what is going on today. Ezekiel says, “Woe to the shepherds of Israel who feed themselves!” (Ezek. 34:2b).
The Lord asks Ezekiel, “Should not the shepherds feed the flocks?” (Ezek. 34:2c). Feed the flock what? The Word of God. Not watered-down truths or half-truths or feel-good messages without proper nutrients and nourishment.
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Chris Garcia is the founder of Father’s Glory International. Father’s Glory is devoted to promoting God’s manifested presence and power through the proclamation of the gospel of Jesus Christ. Jesus Christ is Father’s glory, and it is through the unveiling of the Son that lives are transformed. Chris is also a revivalist with a heart for the local church and serves as the lead overseer at House of Glory in Fort Smith, Arkansas. House of Glory is a Spirit-filled, fivefold apostolic revival hub that exists to cultivate the presence of God and the power of the gospel regionally and internationally. God is looking for those who will give Him a place to rest and allow His people to interact with His presence, power and glory. Second Corinthians 3:18 says, “But we all, seeing the glory of the Lord with unveiled faces, as in a mirror, are being transformed into the same image from glory to glory by the Spirit of the Lord.” It is for His glory that we proclaim His name. Chris and his wife, Zuly, reside in the Fort Smith area with their three children.
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Stephen Strang