ASSEMBLIES OF GOD, NIGERIA
ADULT SUNDAY SCHOOL LESSON 20
JANUARY-JUNE, 2023.
SUNDAY MAY 14, 2023.
ADULT SUNDAY SCHOOL LESSON 20
JANUARY-JUNE, 2023.
SUNDAY MAY 14, 2023.
Unit 3: Jeremiah And Ezekiel
Topic: THE GOOD SHEPHERD
Memory Verse: Ezekiel 34:16
I will seek that which was lost, and bring again that which was driven away, and will bind up that which was broken, and will strengthen that which was sick: but I will destroy the fat and the strong; I will feed them with judgement (KJV).
Central Truth
Jesus Christ is the Good Shepherd, who cares for His sheep.
The Lesson Outline
1. Wicked Shepherds Described and Judged - Ezekiel 34:1-10
A. Negligent Shepherds
Condemned
B. Negligent Shepherds
Judged
2. Wicked Sheep Described and Judged - Ezekiel 34:17-22
A. Not Only the Leaders Were Wicked
B. The "Fat" Sheep Judged
3. Good Shepherd Described - Ezekiel 34:11-31
A. The Divine Shepherd
B. The Davidic Shepherd
Learning Objectives
At the end of this lesson, students will be able to:
1. Understand that Christ, our Good Shepherd, is the true and perfect example of godly leadership.
2. Trust in Jesus to be the Good Shepherd of their lives.
3. Seek to exhibit Christlike justice through their words and actions.
Introducing the Lesson
In the previous lesson we learned that God holds all people individually responsible for their deeds. In this lesson, God takes the shepherds, or leaders, of Israel to task for abusing their positions of power. In doing so, we see God's great promise of the Good Shepherd, Jesus Christ, who will care
for His sheep.
The Holy Scriptures
Ezekiel 34:1-31
[1]And the word of the LORD came unto me, saying,
[2]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?
[3]Ye eat the fat, and ye clothe you with the wool, ye kill them that are fed: but ye feed not the flock.
[4]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.
[5]And they were scattered, because there is no shepherd: and they became meat to all the beasts of the field, when they were scattered.
[6]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.
[7]Therefore, ye shepherds, hear the word of the LORD;
[8]As I live, saith the Lord GOD, surely because my flock became a prey, and my flock became meat to every beast of the field, because there was no shepherd, neither did my shepherds search for my flock, but the shepherds fed themselves, and fed not my flock;
[9]Therefore, O ye shepherds, hear the word of the LORD;
[10]Thus saith the Lord GOD; Behold, I am against the shepherds; and I will require my flock at their hand, and cause them to cease from feeding the flock; neither shall the shepherds feed themselves any more; for I will deliver my flock from their mouth, that they may not be meat for them.
[11]For thus saith the Lord GOD; Behold, I, even I, will both search my sheep, and seek them out.
[12]As a shepherd seeketh out his flock in the day that he is among his sheep that are scattered; so will I seek out my sheep, and will deliver them out of all places where they have been scattered in the cloudy and dark day.
[13]And I will bring them out from the people, and gather them from the countries, and will bring them to their own land, and feed them upon the mountains of Israel by the rivers, and in all the inhabited places of the country.
[14]I will feed them in a good pasture, and upon the high mountains of Israel shall their fold be: there shall they lie in a good fold, and in a fat pasture shall they feed upon the mountains of Israel.
[15]I will feed my flock, and I will cause them to lie down, saith the Lord GOD.
[16]I will seek that which was lost, and bring again that which was driven away, and will bind up that which was broken, and will strengthen that which was sick: but I will destroy the fat and the strong; I will feed them with judgment.
[17]And as for you, O my flock, thus saith the Lord GOD; Behold, I judge between cattle and cattle, between the rams and the he goats.
[18]Seemeth it a small thing unto you to have eaten up the good pasture, but ye must tread down with your feet the residue of your pastures? and to have drunk of the deep waters, but ye must foul the residue with your feet?
[19]And as for my flock, they eat that which ye have trodden with your feet; and they drink that which ye have fouled with your feet.
[20]Therefore thus saith the Lord GOD unto them; Behold, I, even I, will judge between the fat cattle and between the lean cattle.
[21]Because ye have thrust with side and with shoulder, and pushed all the diseased with your horns, till ye have scattered them abroad;
[22]Therefore will I save my flock, and they shall no more be a prey; and I will judge between cattle and cattle.
[23]And I will set up one shepherd over them, and he shall feed them, even my servant David; he shall feed them, and he shall be their shepherd.
[24]And I the LORD will be their God, and my servant David a prince among them; I the LORD have spoken it.
[25]And I will make with them a covenant of peace, and will cause the evil beasts to cease out of the land: and they shall dwell safely in the wilderness, and sleep in the woods.
[26]And I will make them and the places round about my hill a blessing; and I will cause the shower to come down in his season; there shall be showers of blessing.
[27]And the tree of the field shall yield her fruit, and the earth shall yield her increase, and they shall be safe in their land, and shall know that I am the LORD, when I have broken the bands of their yoke, and delivered them out of the hand of those that served themselves of them.
[28]And they shall no more be a prey to the heathen, neither shall the beast of the land devour them; but they shall dwell safely, and none shall make them afraid.
[29]And I will raise up for them a plant of renown, and they shall be no more consumed with hunger in the land, neither bear the shame of the heathen any more.
[30]Thus shall they know that I the LORD their God am with them, and that they, even the house of Israel, are my people, saith the Lord GOD.
[31]And ye my flock, the flock of my pasture, are men, and I am your God, saith the Lord GOD.
Commentary and Application
1. Wicked Shepherds Described and Judged
A. Negligent Shepherds Condemned - Ezekiel 34:1-9
In the ancient world outside of the Bible, the term shepherd was often a royal title applied to kings, since they were responsible for the welfare of their nations. One example is the well-known ancient Babylonian king Hammurabi. It is not difficult to understand why this would be, and the fact that the people in general saw this connection is a good reminder of the value of the role of shepherd being filled by a leader.
Therefore, we ought not be surprised that the title, "shepherd," is applied to
David in his role as king: "The LORD told you, You will be the shepherd of my people Israel. You will be Israel's leader" (2 Samuel 5:2, NLT). The term "shepherd" applied to all the kings of Israel (nineteen kings) and
Judah (twenty kings). As shepherds, each king would be responsible for the spiritual and temporal welfare of God's people. By extension, this title applied to the entire ruling class of ancient Israel, including the royal bureaucracy, magistrates, tax collectors, priests, etc. These individuals were tasked with preserving justice and equity in the legal and social system.
Unfortunately, the behaviour of the Israelite ruling class was often characterised by injustice and oppression rather than justice and mercy (see Isaiah 5:7). Similarly, Ezekiel accused them of fattening themselves at the public trough while the sheep went poor and hungry (Ezekiel 34:1-9). These violations would carry consequences: "What sorrow awaits you shepherds who feed yourselves instead of your flocks" (Ezekiel 34:2, NLT). Ezekiel also charged them with ruling the people with undue harshness rather than with kindness and concern. "You have not taken care of the weak.
You have not tended the sick or bound up the injured. You have not gone looking for those who have wandered away and are lost. Instead, you have ruled them with harshness and cruelty" (Ezekiel 34:4, NLT).
As a result of misrule, the people had become scattered like sheep without a shepherd. This scattering is not just metaphorical. The delinquency of the shepherds had led to many of God's people (including Ezekiel) being sent into exile. Nevertheless, the shepherds did not seek the lost sheep like a good shepherd would. They cared about the sheep only to the extent that they could enrich themselves at their expense.
Questions for Application
How did the behaviour of these ruling shepherds of Israel differ from the model Shepherd described in Psalm 23?
In what ways does God condemn negligent "shepherds" in today's
culture?
B. Negligent Shepherds Judged - Ezekiel 34:10
God pledged to hold those who had neglected His people responsible for their actions (Ezekiel 34:10), He did not specify what kind of punishment would be applied to the shepherds, but the Scriptures indicate elsewhere that those who abuse and take advantage of His sheep will face severe consequences. In Luke's Gospel Jesus addressed the responsibility of those who have been entrusted with the welfare of His kingdom: "What if the servant thinks, 'My master Won't be back for a while,' and he begins beating the other servants, partying, and getting drunk? The master will return unannounced and unexpected, and he will cut the servant in pieces and banish him with the unfaithful. When someone has been given much, much will be required in return; and when someone has been entrusted with much, even more will be required" (Luke 12:45-46, 48. NLT).
Those of God's people who seek positions of power and responsibility in the church should do so with sober judgement, understanding that God will hold them accountable for the manner in which they exercise the offices with which they are entrusted. They must keep in mind that the Lord said He would remove the false shepherds from their positions, thus rescuing His sheep from corrupt rule.
Questions for Application
In what ways are leaders in the church held to a higher standard than those in their congregations?
Read 1 Peter 5:1-4. How do the instructions in these verses contrast with the behaviour of the shepherds of Israel?
2. Wicked Sheep Described and Judged
A. Not Only the Leaders Were Wicked - Ezeklel 34:17-19
Ezekiel's denunciation of Israelite society did not stop with his critique of the rulers and their conduct. He went on to condemn the manner in which the common people were treating one another. God promised to judge, "separating the sheep from the goats" (Ezekiel 34-17. NLT). Translated literally, the verse states, "Between the rams, and the male goats," but the wording is close enough for us to hear the echo of another passage where God is seen judging between sheep and goats. In Matthew 25:31-46, Jesus told us that, at the end of the age, God will separate the sheep from the goats. He explained that the sheep and goats are differentiated by the way they treated others. He stated in no uncertain terms, "When you did it to one of the least of these my brothers and sisters, you were doing it to me!" (verse 40, NLT; see verses 37-39). Through Ezekiel, God accused the "goats" of taking "the best of the pastures" for themselves (Ezekiel 34:18, NLT). That is, the rich were guilty of hoarding the best farmland, leaving whatever was left over to the poor.
The prophet Isaiah levelled similar criticism against the rich of his day: "What sorrow for you [or, "woe to you"] who buy up house after house and field after field, until everyone is evicted and you live alone in the land (Isaiah 5:8, NLT). God's heart is for the poor, and He takes note of any injustice perpetrated against them. Not only were the rich of Israel grabbing the best land for themselves, they were using the power that came with their superior economic position in ways that were harmful to the poor. Ezekiel cried out, "lsn't it enough for you to drink clear water for yourselves? Must you also muddy the rest with your feet? Why must my flock eat what you have trampled down and drink water you have fouled?" (verses 18-19, NLT). Through their greed and lack of care for the welfare of others, the rich in that society had increased the burdens and hardships of the poor.
Questions for Application
What is the Church's responsibility toward the poor in today's world?
What practical things can and should believers be doing to meet needs of the less fortunate in
their communities?
B. The "Fat" Sheep Judged - Ezekiel 34:20-22
In response to the brutal treatment of His sheep, God promised to judge "between the fat sheep and the scrawny sheep" (verse 20, NLT; "between the fat cattle and between the lean cattle"; KJV). Most likely, the "fat sheep" represented the rich people in Israelite society, while the "scrawny sheep" represented the poor. So, God would hold the rich accountable for their treatment of the poor and weak of society.
When we encounter those in need, whether or not we are in a position of spiritual leadership, we have a responsibility to express our love for Jesus by showing compassion toward those for whom He gave himself. We should imitate Christ's heart of compassion by defending those who are vulnerable to exploitation, including, but not limited to, the unborn, the aged and infirm, and the disabled. And we should never acquiesce in a system that allows people to be treated as expendable. Those who are strong "ought to bear the infirmities of the weak'' (Romans 15:1, KJV).
Questions for Application
What excuses have you heard for not caring for the needy, and how would you respond to those excuses?
In what ways will our attitude toward the needy reflect our attitude toward Christ (see Matthew 25:31-40)?
3. Good Shepherd Described
A. The Divine Shepherd - Ezekiel 34:11-16
Beginning in Ezekiel 34:11, the prophet focused on the plans of the true Shepherd of Israel, the Lord himself. Since the human shepherds had scattered the flock, God himself would take over their role. He would be the true Shepherd, gathering them from all the places to which they had scattered, to "give them a place to lie down in peace" (verse 15, NLT). Similar to the shepherd in Jesus' parable (Luke 15:3-7), the Lord stated to Ezekiel, "l will find my sheep and rescue them from all the places where they were scattered on that dark and cloudy day" (Ezekiel 34:12. NLT). "Scattered" in this passage alludes to God's people in exile (of which Ezekiel was one). It was the misconduct of the false shepherds that brought about the Babylonian exile, and now the true Shepherd of the sheep promised that He would gather them and restore them to their homeland. He spoke of giving them "good pastureland on the high hills of Israel," and of making them lie down in "pleasant places" and "lush pastures" (verse 14, NLT; see also Psalm 23).
This description is not unlike the good shepherd of whom Jesus said, "After he has gathered his own flock, he walks ahead of them, and they follow him because they know his voice" (John 10:4, NLT). God's good plans are never at the mercy of evil men. He will always see them through, and His chosen people can rest in the knowledge that, whatever may befall them, their future is not dependent upon luck or circumstances but, rather, is in the hands of their Great and Good
Shepherd.
Questions for Application
The imagery of a shepherd, depicted in various places in Scripture, was a powerful illustration because shepherding was a common occupation that the people of Bible times would understand. What other shepherds can you name from the Bible?
How does the image of Jesus as your Shepherd impact your relationship
with Him?
B. The Davidic Shepherd - Ezekiel 34:23-31
Beginning in Ezekiel 34:23, the prophet proclaimed another truth to God's people: The Lord would raise up, from the house of David, One who would serve as the Shepherd for His people. Indeed, the Lord would fulfil His promise to David, to "raise up one of your descendants, your own offspring, and I will make his kingdom strong" (2 Samuel 7:12, NLT). The New Testament makes it clear that this promise is fulfilled in Jesus, the "Good Shepherd" who 'sacrifices his life for the sheep" (John 10:11, NLT). In Ezekiel 34, God and David would both serve as shepherd. Thus, within the messianic ministry and reign of Jesus, the divine Shepherd and the human shepherd are merged together into one, in a manner of speaking. The Shepherd spoken of in Ezekiel is not just another in a long line of Davidic kings, since He will reign as "prince forever" (Ezekiel 37:25, NLT).
As a result of David's rule, Israel would live in peace and safety. In Ezekiel 34:25, God promised to "drive away the dangerous animals from the land" (NLT). And in verse 28, God further stated that Israel would no longer be prey for other nations, and wild animals will no longer devour them" (NLT). In prophetic writing, the imagery of nature is often Used to portray human society. As a result, in the Old Testament it is not unusual for foreign nations to be depicted as ravenous beasts, threatening God's people. Thus, these verses serve as promises of ultimate victory of God's people over their enemies. What marvellous word of hope to the exiles, as well as to us today.
Ezekiel 34 foresees a day in the future when Israel would not have to live in fear of aggressive and warlike Gentile nations. They would enjoy security and safety in their land, free from the oppression of foreigners. The image is similar to that of Isaiah 11, where the coming messianic kingdom is described as a time when the "wolf and the lamb will live together (Isaiah 11:6, NLT). Indeed, a day is coming when the strong will no longer threaten the weak, and the weak need not fear the strong (see 2:2-4).
Questions for Application
What does Ezekiel 34 tell us about events that are still in the future?
Does the futuristic nature of Ezekiel 34 cause you comfort, anxiety, or a combination of the two? Explain your answer.
Call to Discipleship
Because human leadership is prone to fall short in someway, we must put our ultimate trust in Christ rather than people. He is the Good Shepherd, the One who will always do what is best for the sheep. How do we know what the Good Shepherd's leadership looks like? We have His example to us in Scripture, the record of His life and ministry on earth. Both those who are leaders and those who are followers are called upon to Imitate the Good Shepherd who "sacrifices His life for the sheep" (John 10:11, NLT).
Ministry in Action
Plan a class project to minister to the community by assisting a homeless shelter or some other ministry to the poor in your neighbourhood or city.
Encourage someone going through a hard time that they can have hope for the future because of the Good Shepherd. Offer to pray with them and encourage them during the week.
Examine your life to see how much it compares to the example of a shepherd, then ask God to help you better reflect the Good Shepherd in the way you live and interact with others.
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