Ezekiel 34:1-31

Read the Chapter and develop your own notes

Introduction

There is a formula put in place by God to shepherd his people. This chapter enlightens one about how
God expects his sheep to be taken care of and guided so that good results will come out of the sheep.

Shepherds of God’s people should walk in a way of love when it comes to taking care of the sheep.
Based on the word of God, Shepherds have been empowered with knowledge on how to manage the
sheep in alignment with God’s plan and expected result. As a Shepherd of God’s sheep, a high amount of
understanding is required of you in order to guide the people; God did not place you in charge of his
people unequipped. There is always a reference to fall back on when there is a hitch. God makes it clear
to his Shepherds that they are to walk in a particular way when it comes to how his people are being
taken care of, how they are being fed, what they are being fed and how the Shepherd works with
them.

The upcoming note will explain these guidelines put in place by God , and how they help us keep God’s
people together. It also spells out our reward based on the way we walk as Shepherds leading God’s
sheep.

Notes

1. The lack of Good Shepherds

God needs a shepherd for his people as people need to interact with a human that they can go to for
direction. God is the overall Shepherd of all of his people, but uses man as his direct human contact
with his sheep.

According to Ezekiel 34, there is a certain lack in the availability of Good Shepherds to shepherd God’s
people. A Shepherd that is place over God’s people should have developed certain characteristics to be
able the lead God’s people correctly and set certain examples for them to live by. Those characteristics
are:

A. Shepherd should not be greedy.

Ezekiel 34: 2-3 / Jer 23:1

When you are leading God’s people, you should know at all times that the sheep comes first in
everything. The flock should be taken care of satisfactorily. As a Shepherd you should not take
every good thing for yourself, think only of yourself or benefit from all of the good that comes
along. Instead you should be able to be a blessing to God’s people in the best possible way that
will enable you keep the sheep together.
 B. A good Shepherd should care for the sick and the weak.

Ezekiel 34: 4 / Luke 15:4

A good Shepherd should at all times know how to care for God’s people. Gods people need care
at all times and in every way but most especially when they are sick. When they are placed in
your care you have to give them extra care. God places the responsibility of their being healed
on you. It is your duty to strengthen them even if they are sick for a long time. You are also
expected to go and look for those that have left from your care and to encourage them to come
back to the fold to be guided. If a person falls alongside the way or becomes lost for whatever
reason, a good Shepherd goes after that sheep and brings them back.

C. A good Shepherd does not rule with force

Ezekiel 34:4b
God’s people are lead with love, patience and understanding and not force. Ruling them with
force and cruelty scatters the sheep. They have to be lead not ruled and it has to be done with
love

When a Shepherd lacks all of these qualities, the sheep scatters. When the sheep scatters they become
prey to other vices that are negative and it takes them away from God. God holds the Shepherd
responsible when the sheep scatters or when they are lost as if they feel safe they will remain in the
fold, but when they are not content they will begin to go from place to place.

2. God will judge his Shepherds

Ezekiel 34:7-10

The condition of God’s people is widely depended upon the shepherd’s faithfulness and his walk with
God. God will judge the Shepherds that he has placed over his people. He does not take for granted the
loss of any one sheep.

God does not look to the complaints and reasons given by the Shepherd for his lack of action toward
caring for the sheep. What God is concerned about is on his sheep being whole in every sense of the
word. God expects his sheep to be tended regardless of any conditions. There is a judgment awaiting of
a shepherd abandons God’s sheep, if they are scattered and become vulnerable to others.

When the sheep can no longer get be tended properly by a shepherd, God makes decisions that will
preserve his people. He takes them away from shepherds that cannot maintain them and tends to them
himself and places them under other Shepherds. When the sheep is scattered, God brings them
together himself but places them under another shepherd that is able to tend to them. He does not give
them back to the same shepherd but rather to another and brings judgment on the bad Shepherd.

3. God will judge his people

 Ezekiel 34:16b-22

God will also judge his people when he brings them together. There is also a certain responsibility that is
given to his sheep and God expects them to guide themselves in a particular way to help them remain in
the fold.

It is important how people live and deal with each. God expects people to lean towards the good and
side step the bad. It is not enough to be placed under a shepherd. A certain amount of responsibility lies
with the people in maintaining themselves in the fold and in maintaining others also.

God expects the stronger sheep to help the weaker one to stand until they can become strong to stand
on their own. It is not right to do things that will break a person who is not so strong. People are
expected to play their own part in tending to others and not just leave it all on the shepherd. People are
likened to wild animals when they prey against the weaker ones and it is based upon this that God will
judge them.