The Lord sent a message through his prophet Ezekiel to the leaders of Israel. Despite their status as a favored nation, these priests and kings took advantage of their positions to enrich themselves, ignoring those who suffered under their hands.

The weak you have not strengthened, the sick you have not healed, the injured you have not bound up, the strayed you have not brought back, the lost you have not sought, and with force and harshness you have ruled them.

These despots controlled through coercion and intimidation. Cruel in their ways and greedy for gain, they grew fat while their own people went hungry. All this while claiming to worship the one true God in a city filled with temples dedicated to demons.

The Lord would have none of it. He eventually removed the charlatans and cleaned the place out, and offered this beautiful promise:

I myself will be the shepherd of my sheep, and I myself will make them lie down, declares the Lord God. I will seek the lost, and I will bring back the strayed, and I will bind up the injured, and I will strengthen the weak, and the fat and the strong I will destroy. I will feed them in justice.

The Lord himself took the role of shepherd, searching for the lost, bandaging wounds, and bracing up the fatigued and exhausted. He made them lie down in green pastures. The Lord fed them with what they needed the most—justice. Finally, the oppressive leaders of Israel received a dose of the brutality they dished out, and insightful people knew the Lord took charge.

Leadership matters. Societies flourish or faint based on those who hold the reins. Trustworthy leaders understand this, and the best never lose sight of the fact that the Lord keeps track.

Ezekiel 34:4, 15&16

Photo by Michael Hamments