“Woe to the shepherds who destroy and scatter the sheep of my pasture!” declares the Lord. Therefore thus says the Lord, the God of Israel, concerning the shepherds who care for my people: ‘You have scattered my flock and have driven them away, and you have not attended to them. Behold, I will attend to you for your evil deeds, declares the Lord.’”

This is a good example of seeing how God works with Israel, then using the principle in a New Testament context.

First, we see God’s anger at the priests and prophets (and, I would argue, kings) for scattering His sheep. In this context, sheep means the people of Israel. Rather than consistently guiding the sheep away from idolatry, they were allowing, or even pushing, them toward idolatry. This wickedness usually ran all the way up to the king. And this dereliction of duty angered the Lord. In fact, he called it evil and held them accountable for dereliction of duty.

For a New Testament application, most would naturally point to pastors. While that is a fair connection, what if I am not a pastor. God has given me a shepherding role in my family, which I must take seriously. And I can’t be passive. I must actively shepherd those God has put in my care. Shepherding means guiding others toward righteousness and away from danger. That may look a bit different for each family, but as a husband and dad, I have a critical shepherding role.

Father, please forgive me for the times I have been a passive shepherd for my family. Please help me see the urgency of being a good and active shepherd. Amen.