There were a couple of comments made in my previous blog, The Leading, that struck a chord and begged for a response. It was about the bell some of the sheep were wearing. This bell was placed by the shepherd on their necks to distinguish them or (set them apart) from the others, letting the shepherd identify which ones actually would respond to his voice. The ringing of the bells, hopefully, drew the remainder of the sheep to follow the bell-ringing sheep.
My question, what bell or sound are we following?
There are so many sounds in this world today, it seems that everyone in the world wants you to follow them. Those sounds can be so enticing, promising to satisfy our every need and want, even some desires we didn't even know we had! So carefully crafted are these worldly sounds that masses flock to them. The media calls them trends, fads, and marketing. If you don't follow some of these sounds you might be labeled as out-of-touch, old-fashioned, or not keeping up. I remember when I was there, in my past, listening to those voices and wanting to keep up, and thinking there was something wrong with others when they didn't/wouldn't keep up. Then one day, without realizing it, I saw the falseness of a lot of those sounds; promises that never amounted to anything, answers that never came to pass. I had put a lot of time and energy into something that wasn't even real! They were lies that had no substance, like clouds with no rain. I felt drained. I was listening to the wrong sound and being led by something that was leading me down a spiraling path that seemingly had no end. With my wheels spun bald and still hoping I would find what I thought I needed. Maybe you can relate. Maybe you also have been searching for something but looking in wrong places, or maybe you have been listening to the "wrong" sound.
Now...back to those sheep. Can you see that grassy meadow with all those grazing sheep in it? Can you see the shepherd with a staff in his hand keeping a close eye on those sheep? What if the shepherd is not a good shepherd? What if he has only controlling ideas about how to keep "his" sheep because he has heard a sound that will satisfy his needs? Yes, it happens, and what?...not all shepherds are good ones? Well, dear one, here's the proof text:
The Warning
Jeremiah 23:1 “Woe to the shepherds who destroy and scatter the sheep of my pasture!” declares the Lord.
Ezekiel 34:10 "Thus says the Lord God, Behold, I am against the shepherds, and I will require my sheep at their hand and put a stop to their feeding the sheep. No longer shall the shepherds feed themselves. I will rescue my sheep from their mouths, that they may not be food for them."
Jeremiah 50:6 “My people have been lost sheep. Their shepherds have led them astray, turning them away on the mountains. From mountain to hill they have gone. They have forgotten their fold."
From these verses, we can see a description of shepherds who are not taking care of the Lord's sheep:
- They destroy the sheep
- They scatter the sheep
- There's no food for the sheep
- They feed themselves at the expense of the sheep
- They satisfy only their selfish desireThey lead the sheep astray, away from the Mountain of God, heading downward
- They have allowed the sheep to stray to other folds
The Sound
My sheep listen to my voice; I know them, and they follow me. John 10:27
Jeremiah 3:15 “‘And I will give you shepherds after my own heart, who will feed you with knowledge and understanding.
Jeremiah 23:4 "I will set shepherds over them who will care for them, and they shall fear no more, nor be dismayed, neither shall any be missing, declares the Lord."
Ezekiel 34:23 "And I will set up over them one shepherd, my servant David, and he shall feed them: he shall feed them and be their shepherd."
Ezekiel 37:24 “My servant David shall be king over them, and they shall all have one shepherd. They shall walk in my rules and be careful to obey my statutes."
- Place shepherds over His flock that have His heart
- They will graze on the food of knowledge and understanding (the Word/Torah)
- Place shepherds who have His heart and care more for the flock than themselves
- Remove fear from the sheep
- Remove dismay from the sheep
- Ensure none will be missing
- Be One King over them
- Ensure all shall walk in His rules
- Ensure all are careful to obey His statutes
- Ensure all will be given a heart to understand, eyes to see, and ears to hear (Deut.29:4)
Here's my short list of some of the lies bad shepherds propagate in the Name of the Lord:
- They teach that the Shabbat is on Saturday, but we should only worship on Sunday
- They teach that we can eat anything we want because that is what they want to eat
- They teach that Christmas and Easter replace Chanukah and Passover
- They teach that the Old Testament is done away with
- They teach that the "church" has replaced Israel
He said on the road to Emmaus with two of His disciples in Luke 24:25-27 "And he said to them, “O foolish ones, and slow of heart to believe all that the prophets have spoken! Was it not necessary that the Christ should suffer these things and enter into his glory?” And beginning with Moses and all the Prophets, he interpreted to them in all the Scriptures the things concerning himself."
Beginning with Moses and all the Prophets is an idiom that includes all of the Tanakh, which is Hebrew for the old Testament. So why would He do away with it, or abolish it, if He came to fulfill and demonstrate how to live it? Are the Ten Commandments done away with? No.
Then further on in verses 44-47: "Then he said to them, “These are my words that I spoke to you while I was still with you, that everything written about me in the Law of Moses and the Prophets and the Psalms must be fulfilled.” Then he opened their minds to understand the Scriptures, and said to them, “Thus it is written, that the Christ should suffer and on the third day rise from the dead, and that repentance for[ the forgiveness of sins should be proclaimed in his name to all nations, beginning from Jerusalem."
In Acts 3:19 says "Repent therefore, and turn back, that your sins may be blotted out"
Conclusion
So, if His sheep are repentant, they will turn from the lying ways they had been listening to because they hear His voice and turn to follow Him and His ways. This is a metaphor for hearing in order to study and do His commands.
This can be complicated to say the least. Maybe you thought you have been in the right place and say to yourself, "so what if I make a mistake, God knows my heart!" I know I did! But nowadays, it feels like we are running out of excuses. It is so important to really listen and discern what and who you are listening to. Maybe you have been fed a bunch of lies too. I dare say we all have as it has been passed down through our generations and now we call it truth. But today, God is raising up true Davidic shepherds who have His heart, who are discerning from His Torah what a true shepherd is, and how to feed His sheep.
- They cannot right themselves from certain positions and will need help to get upright or they can die
- They are prey animals and their natural instinct is to flee and not fight
- They would rather avoid and run away from danger
- Wild sheep evade predators better than domesticated ones. Domesticated ones rely on man for protection from predators
- They will band together for safety
- They never walk in a straight line, they produce winding trails
- They can perceive danger from predators
- They can direct their ears to the direction of the sound
- They have an amazing tolerance for pain
- They don't like to show pain and appear weak or injured for fear of predators
- They can respond to a trusted voice
- They can recognize faces
- They can recognize those who have abused them
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