And the word of the Lord came unto me, saying, Son of man, prophesy
against the shepherds of Israel, prophesy, and say unto them, Thus
saith the Lord God unto the shepherds; Woe be to the shepherds of
Israel that do feed themselves! should not the shepherds feed the
flocks? Ye eat the fat, and ye clothe you with the wool, ye kill
them that are fed: but ye feed not the flock. The diseased have ye
not strengthened, neither have ye healed that which was sick,
neither have ye bound up that which was broken, neither have ye
brought again that which was driven away, neither have ye sought
that which was lost; but with force and with cruelty have ye ruled
them. And they were scattered, because there is no shepherd; and
they became meat to all the beasts of the field, when they were
scattered. My sheep wandered through all the mountains, and upon
every high hill; yea, my flock was scattered upon all the face of
the earth, and none did search or seek after them (verses 1-6).
The shepherds of Israel were the kings and princes who ruled over the
nation and had authority over them. The prophet Jeremiah also received a
similar message against these evil shepherds who had spoiled the flock.
"Woe be unto the pastors (shepherds) that destroy and scatter the sheep
of my pasture! saith the Lord. Therefore thus saith the Lord God of
Israel against the pastors that feed my people; ye have scattered my
flock, and driven them away, and have not visited them; behold I will
visit upon you the evil of your doings, saith the Lord" (Jere. xxiii:
1-2). Shepherds are called to feed the flock; but these shepherds of
Israel fed themselves. They were responsible for the deplorable
condition of the flock. They ruled them with force and cruelty. There
was no strengthening for those diseased, no healing for the sick, no
recovery of them who were lost and driven away. Utterly selfish, they
cared not for the sheep of His pasture; they neither feared God nor
loved His people. They looked upon the people not as the flock of God,
but only as their own to spoil, misuse and domineer over. Therefore,
"They were scattered, because there is no shepherd; and they became meat
for all the beasts of the field, where they were scattered. My sheep
wandered through all the mountains, and upon every high hill; yea my
flock was scattered upon all the face of the earth, and none did search
or seek after them" (verses 5-6).
Such was the sad condition of the people Israel. And when the Lord Jesus
appeared in their midst to seek the lost sheep of the house of Israel,
He found them as sheep without a shepherd and He had compassion upon
them (Mark vi:34). But they rejected Him and the Shepherd was smitten.
Zechariah's prophecy was fulfilled. "Awake, O sword, against my
Shepherd, and against the man that is my fellow, saith the Lord of
hosts. Smite the Shepherd and the sheep shall be scattered, and I will
turn mine hand upon the little ones" (Zech. xiii:7). The false
shepherds, the Pharisees and the Sadducees, were a curse to the people
and the leaders were against the Shepherd. They delivered Him into the
hands of the Gentiles. And now for nearly 2,000 years the sheep have
been scattered and peeled, wandering among the nations of the earth
(Luke xxi:24). What is their hope and coming blessing we learn from this
great prophecy.[28]
[28] What is said in this chapter of the false shepherds who ill-treated
the flock of God, His ancient people, may also be applied to the false
shepherds, the hirelings in the professing church. See Acts xx:28-35 and
1 Peter v:2-3.