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Ezekiel 34:11-26

The Heart of a Shepherd

  • Rich Jones
  • Weekend Messages
  • August 30, 2026

In this chapter there is an amazing prophecy of the coming of the Messiah, the great king who would arise in the latter days as the son of David. He will have the heart of a shepherd and He Himself would lead them to green pastures that restores their soul. We know His name, it is Yeshua ha-Mashiach – Jesus the Messiah.

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The Heart of a Shepherd
Ezekiel 34:11-26
August 29-30, 2026

      In Ezekiel 34, God speaks through Ezekiel and gives a prophecy against the shepherds of Israel. By this he means the nation’s leaders – especially the kings, the princes, and other officials who were supposed to care for the people.

      The leaders of Israel held a spiritual responsibility because Israel was chosen by God to be a people who carry His name and are marked by an everlasting covenant between them and God. So God commissioned leaders to shepherd His people, Israel.

      But they did not serve the people, they did not shepherd them, they used them for their own advantage. They did not lead them to draw nearer to the Lord; they did not feed them so that they would be strengthened spiritually. No, they served themselves and took what they wanted from those under them.

      This first half of this chapter was written as a prophetic word against the shepherds, the leaders of Israel. The second half of this chapter is God revealing the heart of a shepherd – His heart. He Himself would be their Shepherd, God said.

      And God will raise up leaders after His own heart, that would follow the way of the great Shepherd, that they would build up and strengthen His people with His heart and His way.

      In fact, the greatest king in the history of Israel was a shepherd – David. In fact, David was out tending the sheep when the prophet Samuel came to the house of his father, Jesse, to anoint the future king of Israel.

      When Samuel first entered the house of Jesse, he saw the oldest son, Eliab; tall of stature and assumed that he was the one he should anoint, but the Spirit forbade him. He was not the one. “Do not look at his appearance or at the height of his stature, for God sees not as man sees. Man looks at the appearance, but the Lord looks at the heart,” the Lord said to Samuel. God was looking for the one who had the heart of a shepherd.

       One by one the sons were presented before the prophet Samuel, but God had chosen none of them. Finally, Samuel said, “The Lord has not chosen these; are these all the children?” Jesse replied, “Well, there is the youngest, but he is tending the sheep.” “Then send and bring him; we will not sit down until he comes.”

       God used those years when David was a shepherd. God was preparing him. When David was watching the sheep, a lion came to tear away one of the lambs from the flock, but David, with great boldness of courage, confronted the lion, snatched the lamb from its mouth and killed the lion. Then, later, a bear came, attacking the sheep, and again David confronted the bear; snatching the lamb out of its jaws, killing it. God was preparing David to one day face a giant.

       You can imagine all the hours David had to himself as a shepherd. Hour after hour, David would cast stones with his sling, not knowing that one day God would use him to save the nation with a sling and a smooth stone.

       David wrote Psalms while he was shepherding the sheep. You can imagine him putting the lyrics to music, playing beautifully on his harp, singing from the depths of his soul to his great King, his voice settling upon the ears of the sheep. A shepherd cares for his sheep, that is the heart of a shepherd.

       There is a loving and caring relationship between a shepherd and the sheep. They completely trust their shepherd; the sheep know the voice of the master.

During WW1 there is a story of when some Turkish invaders broke into a Jewish sheep fold and were driving away the sheep. The shepherd heard the commotion, stepped out into the field and began calling out to them. The invaders were powerless to stop the sheep as they ran back to the shepherd, following his voice.

       The leaders of Israel had lost their way. They were not caring for the sheep at all. Quite the opposite. They were taking advantage of the sheep and thought nothing of it.

       In this chapter there is also an amazing prophecy of the coming of the Messiah, the great king who would arise in the latter days as the son of David. He will have the heart of a shepherd and He Himself would lead them to green pastures that restores their soul. We know His name, it is Yeshua ha-Mashiach – Jesus the Messiah.             

I. Sheep Need a Shepherd

  • When God says that He Himself will be a Shepherd over His people, it says wonderful things about God.
  • However, when God uses the word ‘sheep ‘to describe us, you have to wonder if it’s a compliment.
  • Can you imagine sheep without a shepherd?

Illus – Phillip Keller wrote a book about lessons from a shepherd, “The strange thing about sheep,” he wrote, “is that because of their very makeup it’s almost impossible for them to lie down unless certain requirements are met. Owing to their timidity they refuse to lie down unless they are free from all fears. Sheep are so easily panicked that even a stray jackrabbit suddenly bounding from behind a bush can stampede a whole flock. When one startled sheep runs in fright a dozen others will bolt with it in blind fear. Not even waiting to see what frightened them in the first place.”

  • Sheep are weak and vulnerable. They are gripped by fear, often irrational fear.

Illus – The columnists Ann Landers and Dear Abby said that one problem dominated the letters they received – fear. People are afraid of losing their health, afraid of losing their wealth; afraid of losing their loved ones.

Matthew 9:36, Seeing the people, He felt compassion for them, because they were distressed and dispirited like sheep without a shepherd.

A. Wandering sheep are in danger

  • Sheep are absolutely prone to wander.

Illus – “Prone to wander, Lord, I feel it. Prone to leave the God I love. Here’s my heart, Lord, take and seal it; seal it for Thy courts above.”

  • Sheep are vulnerable; they can’t run fast; they have no natural defenses; they don’t have sharp teeth. Without a shepherd they’re easy prey for wolves.
  • When sheep wander, they are in grave danger; they are easy prey.
  • Verses 5-6 – “And they were scattered, and they became food for every beast of the field and were scattered. My flock wandered through all the mountains and on every high hill, and My flock was scattered over all the surface of the earth; and there is no one to search or seek for them.”
  • When you wander from the Lord, that’s when you get in trouble. You’re in danger because when you wander away from the Lord, you have turned away from His guiding hand and His guiding wisdom.

Hosea 4:6, My people are destroyed for lack of knowledge…

  • When you wander, you’re vulnerable to attack from the enemy…

1 Peter 5:8, Be of sober spirit, be on the alert. Your adversary, the devil, prowls around like a roaring lion, seeking someone to devour.

  • Lions prowl about looking for those who are weak, who are separated from the group. In other words, they prefer to attack those who are vulnerable. You are most vulnerable when you have wandered away from the Lord.

B. Wandering sheep must be found

  • Verses 11-12 – For thus says the Lord God, “behold, I Myself will search for My sheep and I will seek them out. As a shepherd cares for his herd in the day when he is among his scattered sheep, so I will care for My sheep and will deliver them from the places to which they were scattered on a cloudy and gloomy day.”
  • Wandering sheep must be searched for. They must be pursued.
  • I’m sure you’ve heard of stories of dogs who were lost and then climbed over hill and dale to find their way home.

Illus – One of the most famous of such stories took place right here in Oregon. The Brazier family of Silverton, Oregon went on a long road trip and took with them Bobbie, their two-year-old collie mix. When they were in Indiana, in the town of Wolcott, Bobbie got separated when he was being chased by a pack of local dogs. Despite great effort, they finally had to give up and take the long, sad journey home without their beloved, Bobbie.

Six months later, to the amazement of the whole town, Bobbie staggered into Silverton; thin, filthy, weak, and toenails worn to the nubs. The Oregon Humane Society investigated.  They collected witness reports along the route, and concluded that Bobbie had walked more than 2,551 miles, crossed the Rocky Mountains in winter, averaging 14 miles a day. He is buried at the Oregon Humane Society, and the town of Silverton still holds a pet parade in his honor to this day.

  • You can find many other such amazing stories. There are even stories of cats, trekking hundreds of miles through enemy territory, who have found their way home. But you can search for all eternity and beyond, and you will find no such stories about a sheep that trekked over hill and dale to find his way home.
  • No, sheep must be found.
  • This is the whole heart of the chapter. The false shepherds would not go after those who were lost, so the Lord says, “I myself will search for them and seek them out.”

Illus – When Jesus approached Jericho, there was a man called by the name of Zacchaeus; he was a chief tax collector and he was rich. Zacchaeus was trying to see who Jesus was but was unable because of the crowd. So he ran ahead and climbed up into a sycamore tree, for he was about to pass through that way. When Jesus came to the place, He looked up and said to him, “Zaccheus, hurry and come down, for today I must stay at your house.”

Luke 19:6-10, And he hurried and came down and received Him gladly. When they saw it, they began to grumble, saying, “He has gone to be the guest of a man who was a sinner.” Zacchaeus stopped and said to the Lord, “Behold, Lord, half of my possessions I will give to the poor, and if I have defrauded anyone of anything, I will give back four times as much.” Jesus said to him, “Today salvation has come to this house, because he, too, is a son of Abraham. For the Son of Man has come to seek and to save that which was lost.”

II. The Good Shepherd Cares for His Sheep

  • From verse 11 and onward, God declares the He Himself will be their Shepherd and He will be a shepherd like no earthly shepherd could ever be.
  • He will search for them. He will deliver them. He will bring them out of the places where they were scattered on a cloudy and gloomy day. And He will bring them to their own land.
  • But he will do much more. He is their good Shepherd and He will do what the false prophets of Israel did not – and would not do…

A. He will feed them in good pasture

  • Verses 14-15 – “I will feed them in good pasture, and the grazing ground will be on the mountain heights of Israel. There they will lie down in good grazing ground, and they will feed in rich pasture on the mountains of Israel. I will feed My flock, and I will lead them to rest,” declares the Lord God.
  • He will feed them by the Word of God. God reveals His heart through His Word. He feeds them with the Word which fills the soul with the heart of God.

Isaiah 55:10-11, “As the rain and snow come down from heaven, and do not return there without watering the earth, and making it bear and sprout, and furnishing seed to the sower and bread to the eater; so shall My word be which goes forth from My mouth; it shall not return to Me empty, without accomplishing what I desire, and without succeeding in the matter for which I sent it.”

  • God sends His Word to reveal His heart and to accomplish His desire; that you might know Him and take His word into your heart, for by His Word you will be transformed.

Luke 6:45, “The good man out of the good treasure of his heart brings forth what is good… For the mouth speaks from that which fills his heart.”

  • How does the Word of God become the treasure of your heart?

Job 23:12, “I have not departed from the command of His lips; I have treasured the words of His mouth more than my necessary food.”

  • Many do not understand the value of the treasure of what God’s Word is upon the soul. It is wisdom, it is life, it is glory.

Job 28:13-18, “Man does not know the value of wisdom… Pure gold cannot be given in exchange for it, nor can silver be weighed as its price… The acquisition of wisdom is far above that of pearls.”

B. He will lead them to rest

  • Verse 15 – “I will feed My flock and I will lead them to rest,” declares the Lord God.

Psalm 23:1-2, The Lord is my shepherd, I shall not want. He makes me lie down in green pastures; He leads me beside still waters, He restores my soul.

  • The idea of lying down in green pastures is that they have the freshest, most nourishing lush grass that feeds the soul. In other words, God wants you to be well fed – spiritually speaking of course.
  • In other words, God doesn’t want you to go to a church just because that church has Krispy Kreme doughnuts, dinners 3 times a week, fresh cookies after the Wednesday and Sunday evening services, and ice cream after the Saturday evening service; He wants you to go to a church that delights in the Word of God. Healthy sheep love to feed on the word of God!
  • And He leads them beside still waters; He brings your soul to peace, a deep residing peace in the soul.
  • A soul that rests is a soul at peace. That’s true.
  • But a soul at rest is also a soul that believes and because of that faith, he rests on His unchanging grace.

Psalm 71:1, 5, In You, O Lord, I have taken refuge; let me never be ashamed… For You are my hope; O Lord God, You are my confidence from my youth.

Illus – One on one, David never had a chance against Goliath. You might say, “I thought it was one-on-one, was someone else there?” That’s the point exactly; yes, God was there.

1 Samuel 17:45-46, Then David said to the Philistine, “You come to me with a sword, a spear, and a javelin, but I come to you in the name of the Lord of Hosts, the God of the armies of Israel, whom you have just taunted. This day the Lord will deliver you into my hands… that all the earth may know that there is a God in Israel.”

C. He will bind up the broken

  • Verse 16 – “I will seek the lost, bring back the scattered, bind up the broken, and strengthen the sick….”
  • This is the heart of the shepherd after you and me as well. He carries your burdens, He carries your hurts near to His heart.

Psalm 56:8, You have taken account of my wanderings; You have put my tears in Your bottle. Are they not in Your book?

Isaiah 40:11, Like a shepherd He will tend His flock, in His arms He will gather the lambs and carry them in His bosom.

Illus – When Nicole was nine-years-old she came down with a mysterious condition. She had a rash on the palms of her hands and the soles of her feet. She had a fever of 106.5. Every joint in her body hurt terribly and she could not move because of the excruciating pain….

D. God will send showers of blessing

  • Verses 23-26 – “Then I will set over them one shepherd, My servant David, and he will feed them; he will feed them himself and be their shepherd. And I, the Lord, will be their God, and My servant David will be prince among them; I, the Lord have spoken. And I will make a covenant of peace with them… And I will make them and the places around My hill a blessing. And I will cause showers and come down in their season; and they will be showers of blessing.”
  • Jesus is our Good Shepherd, who lays down his life for His sheep.

Psalm 23:6, Surely goodness and lovingkindness will follow me all the days of my life, and I will dwell in the house of the Lord forever.

The Heart of a Shepherd
Ezekiel 34:11-26
August 29-30, 2026

The book of Ezekiel. Welcome, everybody here. Welcome, everybody online. We're going to be in Ezekiel 34, and I said it's in verse 11, we're going to begin in verse 1. The title of our message, The Heart of a Shepherd. Let's pray and receive from God's word together. Lord, we are so thankful because we know that you send your word to reveal to us your heart's desire to bless our life, to show us the way of life, to stir up revival. God, we open our heart, pour out your Spirit through your word. Meet us in this place, we pray in Jesus' name. Everyone said, amen. Ezekiel 34, God is speaking through Ezekiel to the leaders of Israel that are there in Babylon.

He's going to give a prophecy against the shepherds of Israel. By that, he means the leaders, the princes, the officials who were supposed to be shepherding His people. It's an analogy that they would surely understand. Shepherding was certainly a very important part of the culture of their day, but he calls them out for not leading them, not shepherding them. He gives a prophecy against them. The leaders of Israel had a spiritual responsibility because Israel had been chosen by God to be a people who carry His name and marked by an everlasting covenant between them and God. He commissioned leaders to shepherd His people Israel. They did not shepherd them. They did not serve them.

No, they used them for their own advantage. They did not lead them to draw near to the Lord. They did not feed them so that they would be strengthened spiritually. If they had done that, they would not have been in all of this trouble. He lays it bare on them that they did not serve or shepherd the people. They served themselves, and they took what they wanted from those under them. Now, the first half of the chapter was written prophetically against the shepherds, the leaders of Israel. The second half of the chapter, God reveals the heart of a shepherd, His heart, and He says that He Himself would be their shepherd.

That also that God would raise up leaders after His own heart that would follow the way of the Great Shepherd, that they would build up and strengthen His people with His heart and His way. Reminds me of when Jesus was restoring Peter after he had faltered there. He came to Peter and says, "Do you love me? Then feed my sheep." It's the heart of the Lord in it. If you don't know, the word pastor actually literally means shepherd. God calls pastors to feed the sheep, to tend to the flock. In fact, the greatest king in the history of Israel was himself a shepherd. That's David. David, in fact, when the prophet Samuel came to the house of his father Jesse to anoint the future king of Israel, David wasn't even there.

He was out shepherding the sheep. When Samuel first entered the house of Jesse, he saw his oldest son, Eliab, who was tall and good-looking. He thought, "Oh, surely this must be the next king who will be anointed for Israel," but no, he was not the one. God said to him, "Do not look at his appearance. God sees not as man sees." He is looking for the heart of a shepherd. One by one, the sons were presented before the prophet Samuel, but God had chosen none of them. He said to Jesse, "Are these all of your sons? Are there none further? He says, "Well, there is one, but that's David, and he's a shepherd. He's out with the sheep." "Well, go and get him, and we will not sit down until he arrives."

What a powerful scene. God uses those years when David was a shepherd to prepare him. God was preparing David. He wanted that heart of a shepherd. When David was watching the sheep, one day a lion came and took one of the lambs. David, with great boldness and courage, confronted the lion, snatched the lamb from its mouth, killed the lion. Later, then a bear came attacking the sheep. David confronted the bear, snatching the lamb out of its jaws, killing it. God was preparing David to one day face a giant. You can imagine all of the hours David spent to himself as a shepherd over the flock. What do you do with all of those hours all by yourself, out shepherding the sheep?

Well, you start throwing stones. That's what you do. You start target practicing with your sling. That's what a young man would do. Now, the slings that David had in those days, by the way, were real dangerous things. When we were growing up, we had these wrist rocket things that we would have and little tubing things. You could maybe put someone's eye out with that thing. At least that's what my mom said. You couldn't really hurt somebody. The slings that David used, you could kill somebody with that. They would wind up with such speed. David, hour after hour after hour, was target practicing with that sling and those rocks.

God was preparing David that one day with that sling and a smooth stone, he would save the nation of Israel. David wrote Psalms and he was a musician. While he's out shepherding the sheep, you can just imagine him out there singing and worshiping unto the Lord. I had this picture in my mind that David's out there just singing at the top of his lungs and the voices of David just falling on the ears of the sheep. This beautiful picture of David's heart, a shepherd caring for his sheep. The heart of the shepherd. There's that loving relationship where the sheep completely trust the shepherd and they know the voice of their master.

Reminds me of the story that took place during World War I in the days of the Ottoman Empire. There's a conflict with Israel and some of the Turkish invaders broke into a Jewish sheep fold, of course, to drive away the sheep and steal them. The shepherd heard the commotion, went out into the field and called out to them, and the invaders were powerless to stop the sheep as they ran back to the shepherd following his voice. That is the heart that the leaders, the shepherds, ought to have had, but the leaders of Israel had lost their way. They were not caring for the sheep at all. Quite the opposite. They were taking advantage of the sheep and thought nothing of it.

There's a personal application for us to see in this chapter as well. Interestingly, in this chapter there is a prophecy fulfilled by the Lord Jesus that is so clear, a messianic prophecy, amazing, where he speaks that God would raise up a shepherd, His shepherd, and that that is the one who will arise as prince over His people. Of course, we know His name, Yeshua HaMashiach. Jesus is that Messiah who comes, Jesus says, "I am that good shepherd who lays down my life for his sheep." All right, let's read it. We're in Ezekiel 34. We're going to begin reading verse 1 and we're going to read just different verses through this chapter.

I. Sheep Need a Shepherd

We'll cover the other verses around it at our midweek verse-by-verse service. Verse 1, "Then the word of the Lord came to me saying, Son of man, prophesy against the shepherds of Israel. Prophesy and say to those shepherds, you say, Thus says the Lord God, woe, you shepherds of Israel who have been feeding themselves, should not the shepherds feed the flock? You eat the fat, clothes yourselves with wool, you slaughter the fat sheep without feeding the flock."

Then verse 11, "For thus says the Lord God, Behold, I myself will search for my sheep and I will seek them out as the shepherd cares for his herd in the day when he is among his scattered sheep. I will care for my sheep and I will deliver them from all the places to which they were scattered on a cloudy and gloomy day. I will bring them out from the peoples and gather them from the countries and I'll bring them into their own land and I will feed them on the mountains of Israel and by the streams and in all the inhabited places of the land. I will feed them in good pasture and their grazing ground will be on the mountain heights of Israel."

Beautiful picture. The land of Israel is the glory of all nations, he says. "And there they will lie down in good grazing ground, and they will feed in rich pasture on the mountains of Israel, and I will feed my flock and I will lead them to rest, declares the Lord God. And I will seek the lost. I'll bring back the scattered. I'll bind up the broken. I'll strengthen the sick. But in the fat and the strong, I will destroy, and I'll feed them with judgment."

Verse 23, "Then I will set over them one shepherd, my servant David," of course, Jesus is called the Son of David "and He will feed them. He will feed them himself and be their shepherd. And I, the Lord, will be their God, and my servant David will be prince among them. I, the Lord, has spoken. I will make a covenant of peace with them, eliminate harmful beasts from the land so that they may live securely in the wilderness and sleep in the woods. And I will make them and the places around my hill a blessing, and I'll cause showers to come down in their season, and there will be showers of blessings."

A wonderful, amazing chapter that God has much in store for us to see. I want us to really begin by seeing it from this perspective, that sheep need a shepherd. When God says that He Himself will be a shepherd over His people, it says wonderful things about God, but when God describes us and uses the word sheep, I'm not sure that it's necessarily a compliment. Sheep aren't necessarily the sharpest tool in the tool shed, mixing my metaphors.

Can you imagine a sheep without a shepherd? Phillip Keller some years ago wrote a book called Lessons from a Shepherd, and in it he wrote this. That the strange thing about sheep, he wrote, is that because of their very makeup, it's almost impossible for them to lie down unless certain requirements are met. Owing to their timidity, they refuse to lie down unless they are free from all fears. Sheep are so easily panicked that even a stray jackrabbit suddenly bounding from behind a bush can stampede the whole flock.

When one sheep is startled and runs in fright, a dozen others will bolt with it in blind fear, not even waiting to see what frightened them in the first place. Sheep need a shepherd. Sheep are weak and vulnerable. They're gripped by fear, often irrational fear. Some of you are old enough to remember when newspapers were a thing, and they would have a column in the newspaper called Dear Abby. Some of you remember Dear Abby. Later it was Dear Ann Landers. People would send in their letters describing their problems, and then Abby or Ann Landers would answer and give advice.

Interestingly, both wrote later that the one problem that dominated the letters they received, and they received thousands and thousands and thousands of letters, the one problem that dominated the letters they received was fear. People are gripped by fear. Fear of losing their health, fear of losing their wealth, fear of losing a loved one, all manner of fears.

In fact, it reminds me of Matthew 9:36, where it says, "Jesus, seeing the people, He felt compassion for them because they were distressed and dispirited like sheep without a shepherd." Sheep need a shepherd because wandering sheep are in danger. Oh, sheep are absolutely prone to wander. If sheep don't have a shepherd, they're just gone.

A. Wandering sheep are in danger

They'll see a tuft of grass, and they're just gone. Prone to wander. The analogy is meant to be seen personally, for people are prone to wander as well. Reminds me of that hymn that we've sung in the church, Come, Thou Fount of Every Blessing. It says in verse 3, "Prone to wander, Lord," I feel that "Prone to leave the God I love. Here's my heart, Lord, take and seal it. Seal it for thy courts above." Sheep need a shepherd. Sheep are vulnerable. They can't run fast. They have no natural defenses. They don't have sharp teeth, and without a shepherd, they're easy prey for being attacked. That's the point. When sheep wander, they are in grave danger. The application is easy to see in a personal application.

When you wander from the Lord and go into wilderness places, when you go into worldly places, it is going to end badly. You are in great danger when you wander away from the Lord and into wilderness places. There's a lot of people in this very room that can add their testimony to that great truth. Sheep wander, and they are in grave danger because they're easily attacked. Notice verses 5 and 6, "My sheep were scattered, and they became food for every beast of the field. My flock wandered through all the mountains and every high hill and were scattered over the surface of the earth, and there was no one to search for them or to seek for them."

See, when you wander from the Lord, you're in great trouble because you're in danger when you wander away. You have turned away from His guiding hand. You have turned away from His wisdom that you need to guide your steps. It's like Hosea 4:6, "My people are destroyed for lack of knowledge." See, when you wander into wilderness places, in the worldly places, you are vulnerable to an attack from the enemy, spiritual attack. Notice 1 Peter 5:8, "Be of sober spirit, be on the alert, for your adversary, the devil, prowls around like a roaring lion seeking someone to devour." Lions prowl about looking for those who are weak, who are separated from the group. They prefer to attack those who are vulnerable.

They are vulnerable because they've wandered away from the hand of their shepherd. They have wandered into wilderness places. One of the things He next shows us is that wandering sheep must be found. Notice verses 11 and 12, "For thus says the Lord God, Behold, I myself will search for my sheep. I will seek them out as a shepherd cares for his sheep in the day when he is among his scattered sheep. I will care for my sheep. I will deliver them from the places to which they were scattered on a cloudy and gloomy day."

B. Wandering sheep must be found

See, in other words, wandering sheep must be searched for. They must be pursued.

Now, I'm sure you've heard stories of dogs who have been lost and then climbed over hill and dale to find their way home. For example, one of the most famous of such stories actually takes place here in Oregon. One of the most amazing stories in the country takes place right here in Oregon. The story is that the Brazier family of Silverton, Oregon, one day went on a long road trip, and they took their two-year-old collie mix, Bobby, with them. When they were in Indiana- from Silverton, Oregon, they were on a road trip and they were in Indiana in the town of Wolcott, and Bobby got chased by a local pack of dogs. They went after Bobby, but they could not find Bobby.

They searched, and they searched, and they searched, and despite great effort, they could not find him. Finally, they had to give up and take the long, sad journey home without their beloved Bobby. Six months later, to the amazement of the whole town of Silverton, Bobby staggered into town, thin, weak, filthy, toenails worn to the nubs. The Oregon Humane Society investigated. They collected witness reports along the route and concluded that Bobby had walked 2,551 miles, crossing the Rocky Mountains in winter, averaging 14 miles a day. He is today buried at the Oregon Humane Society in the town of Silverton, Oregon, and Silverton still holds a pet parade in his honor to this day. That is an amazing story.

You'll even hear stories of cats. Even cats can find their way home, trekking sometimes hundreds of miles, but you will never hear of a story of a sheep.

You can search for all eternity beyond. You'll never hear a story of a sheep that trekked over hill and dale to find their way home. No, sheep have to be searched for. You got to go looking for them because they're never going to find their way home. That's the whole heart of the chapter. These false shepherds would not go after those who were lost. I myself will go after them. I myself will seek them out. I tell you, this is one of the most glorious truths of the gospel. It's in the gospel of the Lord Jesus Christ, and it's found right here in Ezekiel 34. It's such an important understanding because so many people don't understand this.

Many people have it the wrong way, and I mentioned this before, it bears repeating because so many people believe that God is offended at their sin, therefore, God rejects them. I have nothing to do with thee, you have offended me with your sin, and that God rejects them. That is not the gospel of the Lord Jesus Christ. No, I will seek out, I will go and search for them, and I will find them. I find them, I'll bring them home. That's the gospel. There are many stories, of course, in the gospels. One of the most famous, I think, is that of Zacchaeus. The story unfolds that one day Jesus is approaching Jericho, and there was a man by the name of Zacchaeus who was a chief tax collector and rich.

Now, I mentioned before that tax collectors were like the worst of sinners. He wasn't just a tax collector, he was a chief tax collector. He was despised. One day he heard that Jesus was coming through Jericho, and he wanted to get a look at him, but because of his small stature, he could not see because of the crowd. He ran on ahead, went up to a sycamore tree to get a look at Jesus. When Jesus passed by, of course, He called him by name, "Zacchaeus, come down. I'm going to your house today."

Story picks up in Luke 19:6-10, says, "He hurried and came down and received Him gladly. Now, when they saw it," who are the they? The Jewish, the leaders of Israel, the false prophets, the false shepherds, I should say, "they began to grumble, saying, Would you look at this? He has gone to be the guest of a man who's a sinner. Zacchaeus stopped and said to the Lord, Behold, Lord, half of my possessions I'll give to the poor, and if I have defrauded anyone of anything, I will give back four times as much. Jesus said to him, Today salvation has come to this house because he too is a son of Abraham. For the Son of Man has come to seek and to save that which was lost." The famous verse that declares the heart of the Lord so wonderfully and so clearly, for the Son of Man--

II. The Good Shepherd Cares for His Sheep

By the way, the same word described Ezekiel describes the Lord. The Son of Man has come to seek and to save that which was lost. Then we see this in Ezekiel 34, that the Good Shepherd cares for His sheep. Notice verse 11 and onward, God declares He Himself would be their shepherd and that he would be a shepherd like no earthly shepherd could ever be. He will search for them. He will deliver them. He'll bring them out of the places from where they were scattered, and he will bring them into their own land. He will do much more than that. He is the good shepherd who will do what the false shepherds of Israel did not and would not do. Number one, He will feed them in good pasture.

A. He will feed them in good pasture

Notice verses 14 and 15, "I will feed them in good pasture, and the grazing ground will be on the mountain heights of Israel. There they will lie down in good grazing ground, and they will feed in rich pasture on the mountains of Israel. I will feed my flock and lead them to rest, declares the Lord God." Now when He says he's going to feed them, He means He's going to feed them on the word of God. That which strengthens the soul, that nourishes the soul within, because God reveals His heart through His word. The word of God is not just pages or ink on a page. No, it is sent in power by the Holy Spirit. The word of God is alive, sharper than any two-edged sword.

He sends it with His heart to speak life, to revive, to build up, to strengthen, to accomplish by revealing His heart to His people through His word. Isaiah 55:10-11, "As the rain and snow come down from heaven and do not return there without watering the earth and making it bear and sprout, furnishing seed to the sower and bread to the eater, so shall my word be which goes forth from my mouth. It will not return to me empty or void without accomplishing what I desire, without succeeding in the matter for which I sent it." God sent His word in power. He sent it to reveal His heart and to accomplish His desire, that you might know Him and that you would take His word into your heart, and by that word you would be transformed.

It's like when Moses said to the Lord, "Show me your ways, I want to know you." God reveals Himself, His ways, His heart in His word. It's like what I mentioned before in Luke 6:45, where Jesus says, "The good man out of the good treasure of his heart brings forth what's good, for the mouth speaks from that which fills the heart." How do you get that treasure that he speaks of into the heart? It's like Psalm 119, "Your word have I treasured in my heart that I might not sin against you. Your word, Lord, is the treasure I take into my heart."

It's like what Job wrote in Job 23:12, "I have not departed from the command of His lips. I have treasured the words of his mouth more than my necessary food." Oh, what God does upon the soul." See, many do not understand the treasure of God's word, the value that God brings to the soul, the wisdom that comes with it. Wisdom, I say to you, is life. It is glory. It's more valuable than money. If you could choose between vast wealth and vast wisdom, which would you choose? I submit to you, you would choose wisdom. Amen. Because it is far more valuable than money. I can prove it to you. If you had to leave an inheritance to your children, would you rather leave to them great wealth or great wisdom?

Oh, wealth can ruin them, but wisdom would build them up. Wisdom would strengthen the soul. Wisdom would edify them. It's like what he wrote in Job 28:13-18, "Man does not know the value of wisdom." This is true. "Pure gold cannot be given in exchange for it, nor can silver be weighed as its price. The acquisition of wisdom is far above that of pearls." Then it says next that He will lead them to rest. Notice verse 15, "I will feed my flock. I will lead them to rest, declares the Lord God." That is the heart of a shepherd. David wrote this in Psalm 23. David understood, of course, the heart of a shepherd.

B. He will lead them to rest

He says, "The Lord is my shepherd, I shall not want. He makes me lie down in green pastures. He leads me beside still waters. He restores my soul." The idea, of course, of lying down in green pastures is that they have the freshest, most nourishing, lush grass that feeds the soul. It's a spiritual picture. God wants you to be well fed, spiritually speaking. The soul must be fed well, He says. In other words, God doesn't want you to go to a church just because that church serves Krispy Kreme donuts on Sunday, or serves dinner three times a week, or fresh cookie after the Wednesday service. No, He wants you to go to a church because that church delights in the word of God. Healthy sheep love to feed on the word of God, and that's why I love this church. There is a heart and a delight in the word of God here.

Amen. Amen. Amen. It says, "He leads them beside still waters." He brings the soul to peace, a deep residing peace. It's beautiful. The soul at rest, the soul that is at peace, he speaks of, is a soul that believes. Because of that faith, he rests on that grace. He believes. He takes confidence that he is under the protection and covering of his Great Shepherd. It's like what David wrote in Psalm 46:10, "Be still and know that I am God." Stop all this striving, be still. Let this be settled in your heart. I know in whom I have believed. I know my God. This matter is settled with me. I am resolved. There is no striving.

It's like what David wrote in Psalm 71:1, 5, "In you, O Lord, I have taken refuge. Never let me be ashamed- For you are my hope, O Lord God, and you are my confidence from my youth." There David speaks of it, such a wonderful truth, I know in whom I have believed. I am persuaded that my God is able to take that which I have committed to Him until that day. I know my God, and I rest in His hand over my life. One of the ways to say that, one of the ways to see that would be this. I submit to you that one-on-one David had no chance against Goliath. You say, "Wait, was there somebody else there? I think I read that story."

Was there somebody else there? I say to you, yes, there was. God was there. In fact, David makes this very clear in the answer that he gives to the taunts of the Philistine giant, Goliath. This is found in 1 Samuel 17:45-46, "Then David said to the Philistine, You come to me with sword and a spear and a javelin, but I come to you in the name of the Lord of hosts, the God of the armies of Israel, whom you have just taunted. This day the Lord will deliver you into my hands, that all the earth may know that there is a God in Israel." That is a great speech. He makes it clear that it was by God's help that this great thing was done. By my God, I can leap over a wall. By my God, I can run over a troop.

C. He will bind up the broken

It is the hand of God that moves in my life by which David had his confidence. That is the soul that rests. That is the soul that believes, I know my God and I know how He moves. Then we see this, the heart of the shepherd, and He will bind up the broken. Notice verse 16, "I will seek the lost. I'll bring back the scattered. I'll bind up the broken and strengthen the sick." Here, the beautiful heart of a shepherd that cares, meant to be personal, hurting, broken within, the heart that cares is revealed in these words. He carries your burdens.

He carries your hurt near to His heart. Like Psalm 56:8, "You have taken account of my wanderings. You have put my tears in your bottle. Are they not in your book?" That is a beautiful verse. My hurts, my tears mean so much to you, you put them in a bottle and write them in a book. How beautiful. It's like Isaiah 40:11, "Like a shepherd, He will tend His flock, and in His arms, He will gather the lambs and carry them in His bosom." The way a shepherd cares. There's an intimacy. There's a heart that's so beautiful. Carrying your burden in his arms. When I think of that, I'm reminded of a time when our daughter, Nicole, was nine years old, and she came down with this mysterious illness.

She woke up one day, and every joint in her body hurt with excruciating pain. She could not move. Every joint in her body hurt. Then she had rashes on the palms of her hands, soles of her feet, and her neck. She had a fever of 106.5. We called the doctor, and the doctor said, "Bring her in right away, but bring her in through the back door in case--" We don't know. The doctor looked at her and said, "I don't know. She needs to go to the children's hospital now. I will call ahead. You get her to Emmanuel Children's Hospital now. Don't wait for an ambulance. You go. Carry her up there yourself." I carried her like a board. She was so stiff. It hurt so bad. Brought her and put her there. The doctor started doing all these tests.

They had no idea what it was. By this point, the family was starting to come in and to gather in her room. At one point, the doctor says, "We really do not know what this is, but we're going to need to do a spinal tap in case it's meningitis." Which we said, "Of course, we understand." Then he said, "To do this, I would like to ask that everyone leave the room." I said, "Why?" "Because her body hurts so bad, this will bring so much pain to her, I'd rather you not see it. I'd like you all to leave the room." Everyone started to leave. I stayed behind. I said, "No, I don't want to leave. In fact, if anyone is going to bring this kind of pain to her, it should be me. I'm her father, and she will be in my arms. She will know that she is loved and that she is safe."

He said, "That's good." I came to her and whispered to her what we were going to do. I rolled her towards me. I put one arm around her knees, one arm around her neck, and I started to squeeze, and she started to scream. I just kept squeezing until I had her into a tight ball. The doctors did the spinal tap they needed to do. I released her and held her, held her, and held her. She cried and cried. She was in my arms, and she was loved, and she was safe. There's something about the intimacy, the Father's hand over us that He cares so deeply for us pictured in that story. By the way, I should tell you the end of it.

I told this story last night, and somebody said, "What was the end of the story?" She ended up, they believe, having Kawasaki syndrome, which is very, very rare. They treated it with gamma globulin, which is the antibodies from hundreds of people. She eventually got better. Interestingly, she was nine years old when she had this thing happen. She was 19 years old when, then, she got non-Hodgkin's lymphoma, went through cancer. She almost died from that. 9, 19, and then she was killed when she was 29. Very interesting. I know this, that she is now in the arms of the Good Shepherd, and we will be together again.

D. God will send showers of blessing

Amen. Amen. Then lastly, we'll close with this. He says, "And I will send showers of blessings." The heart of the shepherd, showers, showers of blessings. Notice verses 23-26, "I will set over them my servant David. Jesus is that servant, and He will feed them Himself, and He will be their shepherd. I, the Lord, will be their God, and my servant David will be prince among them. I will make a covenant of peace, and I'll make them and the places around my hill a blessing, and there will be showers of blessings."

He is that Good Shepherd, and because of His hand over your life, the favor of God rests. Stand in this. Dwell in this great truth. Abide in great peace, faith. I know in whom I have believed. Let faith arise. Rest in this great understanding of His care, His hand. It's like what David wrote in Psalm 23:6, "Surely goodness and lovingkindness will follow me all the days of my life, and I will dwell in the house of the Lord forever." I know in whom I have believed. Now rise in this. He is the shepherd who places His hand over your life.

Let's pray. Lord, we are so thankful for this great truth that you're the one who seeks, you're the one who pursues, you're the one who cares, and you pour out upon us blessings, showers of blessings. You feed us with the word that reveals the heart of God poured out. You bring us to peace that we can reside in that with such confidence. I know in whom I have believed, and I am convinced, I am persuaded that my God is able. Church, how many would say that to the Lord, as we are praying, how many would say to the Lord today, I put my trust in your hands for you are my good shepherd? I know in whom I have believed. I will reside in this truth. I will reside in the confidence of this because I know in whom I have believed. You are my good shepherd. Would you just raise your hand as a declaration of saying that to the Lord? God, I stand in this. I will reside in this. I will abide in this. I know in whom I have believed. Father, we love you, honor you, and praise your holy name for all that you are doing among us in Jesus' powerful name. Everyone said amen.

Give the Lord praise and glory and honor. Can we do that? Amen.

Ezekiel 34:11-26    NASB

11 For thus says the Lord God, “Behold, I Myself will search for My sheep and seek them out. 12 As a shepherd cares for his herd in the day when he is among his scattered sheep, so I will care for My sheep and will deliver them from all the places to which they were scattered on a cloudy and gloomy day. 13 I will bring them out from the peoples and gather them from the countries and bring them to their own land; and I will feed them on the mountains of Israel, by the streams, and in all the inhabited places of the land. 14 I will feed them in a good pasture, and their grazing ground will be on the mountain heights of Israel. There they will lie down on good grazing ground and feed in rich pasture on the mountains of Israel. 15 I will feed My flock and I will lead them to rest,” declares the Lord God. 16 “I will seek the lost, bring back the scattered, bind up the broken and strengthen the sick; but the fat and the strong I will destroy. I will feed them with judgment.

17 “As for you, My flock, thus says the Lord God, ‘Behold, I will judge between one sheep and another, between the rams and the male goats. 18 Is it too slight a thing for you that you should feed in the good pasture, that you must tread down with your feet the rest of your pastures? Or that you should drink of the clear waters, that you must foul the rest with your feet? 19 As for My flock, they must eat what you tread down with your feet and drink what you foul with your feet!’”

20 Therefore, thus says the Lord God to them, “Behold, I, even I, will judge between the fat sheep and the lean sheep. 21 Because you push with side and with shoulder, and thrust at all the weak with your horns until you have scattered them abroad, 22 therefore, I will deliver My flock, and they will no longer be a prey; and I will judge between one sheep and another.

23 “Then I will set over them one shepherd, My servant David, and he will feed them; he will feed them himself and be their shepherd. 24 And I, the Lord, will be their God, and My servant David will be prince among them; I the Lord have spoken.

25 “I will make a covenant of peace with them and eliminate harmful beasts from the land so that they may live securely in the wilderness and sleep in the woods. 26 I will make them and the places around My hill a blessing. And I will cause showers to come down in their season; they will be showers of blessing.

El corazón de un pastor
Ezequiel 34:11-26
29-30 de agosto de 2026

En Ezequiel 34, Dios habla a través de Ezequiel y profetiza contra los pastores de Israel. Con esto se refiere a los líderes de la nación, especialmente a los reyes, príncipes y demás funcionarios que debían velar por el pueblo.

            Los líderes de Israel tenían una responsabilidad espiritual porque Israel fue elegido por Dios para ser un pueblo que llevara su nombre y estuviera marcado por un pacto eterno entre ellos y Dios. Por eso, Dios comisionó líderes para pastorear a su pueblo, Israel.

            Pero no sirvieron al pueblo, no lo pastorearon, sino que lo utilizaron para su propio beneficio. No lo guiaron para que se acercara al Señor, ni lo alimentaron para que se fortaleciera espiritualmente. Al contrario, se sirvieron a sí mismos y tomaron lo que quisieron de quienes estaban bajo su mando.

            La primera mitad de este capítulo fue escrita como una profecía contra los pastores, los líderes de Israel. La segunda mitad revela a Dios con el corazón de un pastor: su propio corazón. Él mismo sería su Pastor, dijo Dios.

            Y Dios levantará líderes conforme a su propio corazón, que seguirán el camino del gran Pastor, para que edifiquen y fortalezcan a su pueblo con su corazón y su camino.

            De hecho, el rey más grande en la historia de Israel fue un pastor: David. En realidad, David estaba cuidando a las ovejas cuando el profeta Samuel llegó a la casa de su padre, Jesé, para ungir al futuro rey de Israel.

Cuando Samuel entró por primera vez en la casa de Jesé, vio al hijo mayor, Eliab, de gran estatura, y supuso que era a quien debía ungir, pero el Espíritu Santo se lo impidió. No era él. «No te fijes en su apariencia ni en su estatura, porque Dios no ve cómo ve el hombre. El hombre se fija en la apariencia, pero el Señor se fija en el corazón», le dijo el Señor a Samuel. Dios buscaba a alguien con corazón de pastor.

            Uno a uno, los hijos fueron presentados ante el profeta Samuel, pero Dios no había escogido a ninguno. Finalmente, Samuel dijo: «El Señor no ha escogido a estos; ¿son estos todos los hijos?». Jesé respondió: «Bueno, está el menor, pero está cuidando las ovejas». «Entonces, envíalo a buscar; no nos sentaremos a la mesa hasta que llegue».

            Dios usó aquellos años en que David fue pastor. Dios lo estaba preparando. Mientras David cuidaba las ovejas, un león se acercó para arrebatarle un cordero del rebaño, pero David, con gran valentía, se enfrentó al león, le arrebató el cordero de la boca y lo mató. Luego, un oso atacó a las ovejas, y de nuevo David se enfrentó al oso, arrebatándole el cordero de sus fauces y matándolo. Dios estaba preparando a David para que algún día se enfrentara a un gigante.

            Puedes imaginarte todas las horas que David tenía para sí mismo como pastor. Hora tras hora, David lanzaba piedras con su honda, sin saber que un día Dios lo usaría para salvar a la nación con una honda y una piedra lisa.

            David escribió los Salmos mientras pastoreaba las ovejas. Imagínenlo componiendo música para sus letras, tocando bellamente su arpa, cantando desde lo más profundo de su alma a su gran Rey, su voz resonando en los oídos de las ovejas. Un pastor cuida de sus ovejas; esa es la esencia de un pastor.

            Existe una relación de amor y cuidado entre el pastor y las ovejas. Confían plenamente en su pastor; las ovejas reconocen la voz de su amo.

Durante la Primera Guerra Mundial, se cuenta que unos invasores turcos irrumpieron en un redil judío y ahuyentaron a las ovejas. El pastor oyó el alboroto, salió al campo y comenzó a llamarlas. Los invasores no pudieron detener a las ovejas, que corrieron de vuelta hacia el pastor, siguiendo su voz.

            Los líderes de Israel se habían extraviado. No se preocupaban en absoluto por las ovejas. Todo lo contrario. Se aprovechaban de ellas sin remordimientos.

            En este capítulo también se encuentra una asombrosa profecía sobre la venida del Mesías, el gran rey que surgirá en los últimos días como hijo de David. Tendrá el corazón de un pastor y Él mismo los guiará a verdes prados que restaurarán sus almas. Conocemos su nombre: Yeshua ha-Mashiach, Jesús el Mesías.             

I .         Las ovejas necesitan un pastor.

  • Cuando Dios dice que Él mismo será el Pastor de su pueblo, dice cosas maravillosas acerca de Dios.
  • Sin embargo, cuando Dios usa la palabra “oveja” para describirnos, uno tiene que preguntarse si se trata de un cumplido.
  • ¿Te imaginas unas ovejas sin pastor?

Ilustración: Phillip Keller escribió un libro sobre las lecciones de un pastor. «Lo extraño de las ovejas», escribió, «es que, debido a su naturaleza, les resulta casi imposible tumbarse a menos que se cumplan ciertos requisitos. Debido a su timidez, se niegan a recostarse en el pasto a menos que estén libres de todo miedo. Las ovejas se asustan con tanta facilidad que incluso una liebre que sale repentinamente de detrás de un arbusto puede provocar una estampida de todo un rebaño. Cuando una oveja asustada huye despavorida, una docena más la seguirá presas del pánico. Sin siquiera esperar a ver qué las asustó en primer lugar ».

  • Las ovejas son débiles y vulnerables. Están dominadas por el miedo, a menudo un miedo irracional.

Ilustración: Las columnistas Ann Landers y Dear Abby afirmaron que un problema predominaba en las cartas que recibían: el miedo. La gente teme perder la salud, teme perder su patrimonio, teme perder a sus seres queridos.

Mateo 9:36, Al ver a la multitud, sintió compasión por ellos, porque estaban angustiados y desanimados como ovejas sin pastor.

  1. Las ovejas errantes están en peligro.
  • Las ovejas son muy propensas a deambular.

Ilustración: «Señor, soy propenso a extraviarme, lo siento. Propenso a abandonar al Dios que amo. Aquí está mi corazón, Señor, tómalo y séllalo; séllalo para tus atrios celestiales».

  • Las ovejas son vulnerables; no pueden correr rápido; carecen de defensas naturales; no tienen dientes afilados. Sin un pastor, son presa fácil para los lobos.
  • Cuando las ovejas deambulan, corren grave peligro; son presa fácil.
  • Versículos 5-6 – “Y se dispersaron, y se convirtieron en alimento para toda bestia del campo, y se dispersaron. Mi rebaño anduvo errante por todos los montes y por todas las colinas altas, y mi rebaño se dispersó por toda la superficie de la tierra; y no hay quien los busque ni los encuentre.”
  • Cuando te alejas del Señor, es cuando te metes en problemas. Estás en peligro porque, al alejarte del Señor, te apartas de su mano que te guía y de su sabiduría.

Oseas 4:6, Mi pueblo es destruido por falta de conocimiento…

  • Cuando uno vaga, es vulnerable al ataque del enemigo…

1 Pedro 5:8, Sean sobrios y estén alerta. Su adversario, el diablo, anda como león rugiente, buscando a quien devorar.

  • Los leones merodean buscando a los débiles, a los que se han separado del grupo. En otras palabras, prefieren atacar a los vulnerables. Eres más vulnerable cuando te has alejado del Señor.
  1. Hay que encontrar ovejas errantes
  • Versículos 11-12 – Porque así dice el Señor Dios: «He aquí, yo mismo buscaré a mis ovejas y las encontraré. Como un pastor cuida de su rebaño cuando está entre sus ovejas dispersas, así cuidaré de mis ovejas y las libraré de los lugares adonde fueron dispersadas en un día nublado y sombrío».
  • A las ovejas extraviadas hay que buscarlas.
  • Seguro que has oído historias de perros que se perdieron y que, tras trepar colinas y valles, consiguieron encontrar el camino de vuelta a casa.

Ilustración: Una de las historias más famosas de este tipo tuvo lugar aquí mismo, en Oregón. La familia Brazier, de Silverton, Oregón, emprendió un largo viaje por carretera llevando consigo a Bobbie, su perro mestizo collie de dos años. Cuando estaban en Wolcott, Indiana, Bobbie se separó de su grupo al ser perseguido por una manada de perros locales. A pesar de sus grandes esfuerzos, finalmente tuvieron que desistir y emprender el largo y triste viaje de regreso a casa sin su querido Bobbie.

Seis meses después, para asombro de todo el pueblo, Bobbie llegó a Silverton tambaleándose; delgado, sucio, débil y con las uñas de los pies desgastadas hasta los muñones. La Sociedad Protectora de Animales de Oregón investigó. Recopilaron testimonios a lo largo de la ruta y concluyeron que Bobbie había caminado más de 2551 millas, cruzando las Montañas Rocosas en invierno, con un promedio de 14 millas diarias. Está enterrado en la Sociedad Protectora de Animales de Oregón, y el pueblo de Silverton aún celebra un desfile de mascotas en su honor.

  • Puedes encontrar muchas otras historias asombrosas. Incluso hay relatos de gatos que, tras recorrer cientos de kilómetros por territorio enemigo, han encontrado el camino de regreso a casa. Pero puedes buscar eternamente y más allá, y no encontrarás ninguna historia sobre una oveja que haya recorrido colinas y valles para encontrar el camino de vuelta a casa.
  • Esto no es el caso de las ovejas. Cuando las ovejas se pierden, el pastor tiene que encontrar a la oveja.
  • Este es el meollo del capítulo. Los falsos pastores no iban en busca de los perdidos, así que el Señor dice: «Yo mismo los buscaré y los encontraré».

Ilustración: Cuando Jesús se acercaba a Jericó, había un hombre llamado Zaqueo, jefe de los recaudadores de impuestos y muy rico. Zaqueo quería ver quién era Jesús, pero no pudo debido a la multitud. Entonces corrió delante y se subió a un arbol sicómoro, pues iba a pasar por allí. Cuando Jesús llegó al lugar, levantó la vista y le dijo: «Zaqueo, baja pronto, porque hoy debo hospedarme en tu casa».

Lucas 19:6-10, Y él se apresuró a bajar y lo recibió con alegría. Al verlo, comenzaron a murmurar, diciendo: «Se ha hospedado en casa de un pecador». Zaqueo se detuvo y le dijo al Señor: «Mira, Señor, daré la mitad de mis bienes a los pobres, y si he defraudado a alguien en algo, le devolveré cuatro veces más». Jesús le dijo: «Hoy ha llegado la salvación a esta casa, porque él también es hijo de Abraham. Porque el Hijo del Hombre vino a buscar y a salvar lo que se había perdido». 

  1. El buen pastor cuida de sus ovejas.
  • Desde el versículo 11 en adelante, Dios declara que Él mismo será su Pastor y que será un pastor como ningún pastor terrenal podría ser jamás.
  • Él los buscará. Él los rescatará. Los sacará de donde fueron dispersados en un día nublado y sombrío. Y los llevará a su propia tierra.
  • Pero hará mucho más. Él es su buen Pastor y hará lo que los falsos profetas de Israel no hicieron, ni harían jamás…
  1. Él los apacentará en buenos pastos.
  • Versículos 14-15: «Los apacentaré en buenos pastos, y el pastizal estará en las alturas de los montes de Israel. Allí descansarán en buenos pastos, y se alimentarán en ricos pastos en los montes de Israel. Yo apacentaré a mi rebaño, y los haré descansar», declara el Señor Dios.
  • Él los alimentará con la Palabra de Dios. Dios revela su corazón a través de su Palabra. Los alimenta con la Palabra que llena el alma con el corazón de Dios.

Isaías 55:10-11: «Como descienden del cielo la lluvia y la nieve, y no vuelven allá sin regar la tierra, haciéndola producir y germinar, y dando semilla al sembrador y pan al que come, así será mi palabra que sale de mi boca; no volverá a mí vacía, sino que cumplirá mi propósito y tendrá éxito en aquello para lo cual la envié».

  • Dios envía su Palabra para revelar su corazón y cumplir su voluntad; para que lo conozcas y tomes su Palabra en tu corazón, porque por su Palabra serás transformado.

Lucas 6:45, “El hombre bueno, del buen tesoro de su corazón saca lo bueno… Porque de la abundancia del corazón habla la boca.”

  • ¿Cómo se convierte la Palabra de Dios en el tesoro de tu corazón?

Job 23:12, “No me he apartado del mandato de sus labios; he atesorado las palabras de su boca más que mi alimento necesario.”

  • Muchos no comprenden el valor del tesoro que la Palabra de Dios representa para el alma. Es sabiduría, es vida, es gloria.

Job 28:13-18, “El hombre no conoce el valor de la sabiduría… No se puede dar oro puro a cambio de ella, ni se puede pesar la plata como su precio… La adquisición de sabiduría es mucho mayor que la de perlas.”

  1. Él los guiará al descanso.
  • Versículo 15 – “Yo apacentaré a mi rebaño y lo haré descansar”, declara el Señor Dios.

Salmo 23:1-2, El Señor es mi pastor, nada me faltará. En verdes prados me hace descansar; junto a aguas tranquilas me conduce; restaura mi alma.

  • La idea de recostarse en verdes prados es que allí se encuentra la hierba más fresca y nutritiva, que alimenta el alma. En otras palabras, Dios quiere que estés bien alimentado , espiritualmente hablando, por supuesto.
  • En otras palabras, Dios no quiere que vayas a una iglesia solo porque tenga donas Krispy Kreme, cenas tres veces por semana, galletas recién hechas después de los servicios de los miércoles y domingos por la noche, y helado después del servicio del sábado por la noche; Él quiere que vayas a una iglesia que se deleite en la Palabra de Dios. ¡Las ovejas sanas se alimentan de la Palabra de Dios!
  • Y Él los conduce junto a aguas tranquilas; Él trae paz a tu alma, una paz profunda que reside en el alma.
  • Un alma que descansa es un alma en paz. Eso es cierto.
  • Pero un alma que descansa es también un alma que cree y, gracias a esa fe, descansa en Su gracia inmutable.

Salmo 71:1, 5, En ti, oh Señor, me he refugiado; que nunca sea yo avergonzado… Porque tú eres mi esperanza; oh Señor Dios, tú eres mi confianza desde mi juventud.

Ilustración: En un uno contra uno, David no tenía ninguna posibilidad contra Goliat. Quizás te preguntes: «Pensé que era un uno contra uno, ¿había alguien más allí?». Precisamente ahí radica la cuestión: sí, Dios estaba allí.

1 Samuel 17:45-46, Entonces David le dijo al filisteo: «Tú vienes a mí con espada, lanza y jabalina, pero yo vengo a ti en el nombre del Señor de los Ejércitos, el Dios de los ejércitos de Israel, a quien acabas de desafiar. Hoy mismo el Señor te entregará en mis manos… para que toda la tierra sepa que hay un Dios en Israel».

  1. Él vendará los heridos.
  • Versículo 16 – “Buscaré a los perdidos, traeré de vuelta a los descarriados, vendaré a los heridos y fortaleceré a los enfermos…”.
  • Este es el corazón del pastor, también el tuyo y el mío. Él lleva tus cargas, Él guarda tus dolores cerca de su corazón.

Salmo 56:8, Tú has tomado cuenta de mis andanzas; has puesto mis lágrimas en tu odre. ¿Acaso no están anotadas en tu libro?

Isaías 40:11, Como pastor apacentará su rebaño; en sus brazos recogerá los corderos y los llevará en su seno.

Ilustración: Cuando Nicole tenía nueve años, contrajo una misteriosa enfermedad. Tenía sarpullido en las palmas de las manos y en las plantas de los pies. Sufrió fiebre de 41,5 °C. Le dolían terriblemente todas las articulaciones y no podía moverse debido al dolor insoportable…

  1. Dios enviará lluvias de bendiciones
  • Versículos 23-26 – “Entonces pondré sobre ellos un pastor, mi siervo David, y él los apacentará; él mismo los apacentará y será su pastor. Y yo, el Señor, seré su Dios, y mi siervo David será príncipe entre ellos; yo, el Señor, lo he dicho. Y haré con ellos un pacto de paz… Y los bendeciré a ellos y a los lugares alrededor de mi monte. Y haré que llueva y descenderé a su tiempo; y serán lluvias de bendición.”
  • Jesús es nuestro Buen Pastor, que da su vida por sus ovejas.

Salmo 23:6, Ciertamente el bien y la misericordia me seguirán todos los días de mi vida, y en la casa del Señor moraré por siempre.

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