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Lent Day 25

 

                                                                     Scripture Reading

    Ezekiel 34:1-24


Ezekiel was a prophet who lived during the time when Jerusalem was destroyed by the Babylonians and thousands of Israelites were taken back to Babylon to live in exile as refugees. In addition to the Jews who had been taken into captivity, other Jews had been scattered throughout the Middle East. 


This passage is both a critique of the leaders of Israel for their selfishness and poor leadership of the people of God, and a message of hope in the coming restoration of the people of God. The hope of this passage is that God will place a shepherd over them like David (vs.23). This does not literally mean David, because David has already come and gone in Israel's history but it is a leader who will not be self-serving and will tend to the sheep that God has entrusted to him. This is another reference to the coming Messiah. A shepherd who will gather all of his scattered sheep and bring love, healing, peace, and hope to their lives. The other leaders of Israel had been criticized for not caring for all of the needs of the people. This new shepherd who will come is coming to serve the sheep. 


It is only through this expectant leader that Israel's hopes and dreams can be fully realized (the hope of being God's people). God's covenant promise is renewed with them again in this chapter. "I the Lord will be their God, my servant David will be prince among them. I the Lord have spoken" (vs. 24). The promise of being God's people and God being their God is a reminder of his promise to Abraham, Isaac, Jacob, Moses, and David. It is part of God's sovereign plan to redeem a people for himself. He wants to live in relationship with his people so that they can experience his love and grace. 


For Ezekiel's audience the promise of returning to Israel with a new leader who was like David was the best news they had ever heard. Eventually they would return to Israel, but most of their descendants would reject rather than accept the promised shepherd, who is Jesus. The hope and promise held out by God was missed by Israel because they failed to understand what God was doing in the world. Are you aware of what God is doing in the world? Are you aware of what God is doing through his shepherd-king Jesus? Don't miss the opportunities for ministry that God has for you because you're too busy waiting around for some kind of grand sign or miracle. Learn to see God at work in the midst of the everyday circumstances of life. After all, when Jesus fed the 5,000 it was not because he wanted to perform a miracle to draw attention to himself, but it was because he saw a need that had to be met...hungry people. 


Prayer: Heavenly Father, you are the Good Shepherd who has gathered his sheep together and gives us the opportunity to love and serve you. Help us to be like Jesus and be aware of the needs and opportunities for ministry that are all around us. Amen.

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