**The Shepherds and the Flock: A Story of Justice and Redemption**

The sun hung low over the hills of Israel, casting long shadows across the rugged terrain where scattered flocks of sheep grazed uneasily. The land, once green and abundant, had grown sparse under the neglect of those who were meant to tend it. The sheep wandered without direction, some weak from hunger, others wounded by the claws of wild beasts. The shepherds, who should have been their protectors, had grown fat and lazy, caring only for themselves.

In the midst of this desolation, the word of the Lord came to Ezekiel, the prophet, like a roaring wind. His heart burned with divine urgency as God spoke:

*”Son of man, prophesy against the shepherds of Israel. Prophesy and say to them: ‘This is what the Sovereign Lord says: Woe to you, shepherds of Israel who only take care of yourselves! Should not shepherds take care of the flock? You eat the curds, clothe yourselves with the wool, and slaughter the choice animals, but you do not take care of the flock. You have not strengthened the weak or healed the sick or bound up the injured. You have not brought back the strays or searched for the lost. You have ruled them harshly and brutally. So they were scattered because there was no shepherd, and when they were scattered, they became food for all the wild animals.”*

Ezekiel trembled as the weight of God’s judgment settled upon him. The Lord’s voice was not merely angry—it was grieved. These shepherds, appointed to guide His people, had abandoned them. Instead of leading with compassion, they had exploited the flock for their own gain. The weak were left to fend for themselves, the lost were forgotten, and the people of Israel had become prey to their enemies.

The prophet’s voice rose as he declared God’s condemnation:

*”Therefore, you shepherds, hear the word of the Lord: As surely as I live, declares the Sovereign Lord, because my flock lacks a shepherd and so has been plundered and has become food for all the wild animals, and because my shepherds did not search for my flock but cared for themselves rather than for my flock—therefore, shepherds, hear the word of the Lord: I am against the shepherds and will hold them accountable for my flock. I will remove them from tending the flock so that the shepherds can no longer feed themselves. I will rescue my flock from their mouths, and it will no longer be food for them.”*

A great silence fell over the land as Ezekiel’s words echoed. The people, who had long suffered under corrupt leaders, listened with a mixture of fear and hope. Could it be true? Would God truly intervene?

Then, like the first light of dawn breaking through the night, the Lord’s promise shone forth:

*”For this is what the Sovereign Lord says: I myself will search for my sheep and look after them. As a shepherd looks after his scattered flock when he is with them, so will I look after my sheep. I will rescue them from all the places where they were scattered on a day of clouds and darkness. I will bring them out from the nations and gather them from the countries, and I will bring them into their own land. I will pasture them on the mountains of Israel, in the ravines and in all the settlements in the land. I will tend them in a good pasture, and the mountain heights of Israel will be their grazing land. There they will lie down in good grazing land, and there they will feed in a rich pasture on the mountains of Israel. I myself will tend my sheep and have them lie down, declares the Sovereign Lord. I will search for the lost and bring back the strays. I will bind up the injured and strengthen the weak, but the sleek and the strong I will destroy. I will shepherd the flock with justice.”*

The promise was breathtaking. God Himself would become their Shepherd! No longer would they suffer under the hands of selfish leaders. The Lord would gather His scattered people, heal their wounds, and lead them to safety.

But the prophecy did not end there. The Lord also spoke of a day when He would judge between the sheep—between those who had oppressed their fellow Israelites and those who had been faithful.

*”As for you, my flock, this is what the Sovereign Lord says: I will judge between one sheep and another, and between rams and goats. Is it not enough for you to feed on the good pasture? Must you also trample the rest of your pasture with your feet? Is it not enough for you to drink clear water? Must you also muddy the rest with your feet? Must my flock feed on what you have trampled and drink what you have muddied?”*

The Lord would not tolerate cruelty among His own people. Those who had bullied the weak and taken advantage of others would face His justice. But for the humble, the broken, the lost—He would be their refuge.

And then, in a final, glorious declaration, the Lord promised a King—a true Shepherd who would reign forever in righteousness:

*”I will place over them one shepherd, my servant David, and he will tend them; he will tend them and be their shepherd. I the Lord will be their God, and my servant David will be prince among them. I the Lord have spoken.”*

The people knew this was no ordinary promise. David, their greatest king, had long since passed, yet God spoke of him as if he would return. They did not yet understand that this was a prophecy of the Messiah—the Son of David who would come to shepherd God’s people with perfect love and justice.

As Ezekiel’s words faded, a new hope stirred in the hearts of the faithful. Though the land was still broken, though the shepherds had failed, God had not abandoned His flock. He would come for them. He would be their Shepherd.

And so, the people waited, trusting in the promise that one day, the True Shepherd would arrive.