My Sheep Were Scattered

Tuesday, July 21, 2015
Ezekiel 34:1-6 NIV

1 The word of the LORD came to me: 2 "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? 3 You eat the curds, clothe yourselves with the wool and slaughter the choice animals, but you do not take care of the flock. 4 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. 5 So they were scattered because there was no shepherd, and when they were scattered they became food for all the wild animals. 6 My sheep wandered over all the mountains and on every high hill. They were scattered over the whole earth, and no one searched or looked for them.

OBSERVATION QUESTIONS
1) What happened to the Prophet Ezekiel, in this passage? (v.1)
2) What did the Lord tell the prophet to do? (v.2a)
3) What was the prophet to say to, and ask, the shepherds of Israel? (v.2b)
4) What were the shepherds doing to the Lord's people? (v.3)
5) What were the shepherds refusing to do for the Lord's people and how did they rule over them? (v.4)
6) What happened to God's people, as a result? (v.5-6)

APPLICATION QUESTIONS
7) If you are a leader in your local church, what are you doing to strengthen the members of the body of Christ?

LIFE LESSONS
8) The Lord expects His leaders to help those who are weak in the faith so that they will not be taken captive by "wolves in sheep's clothing"!
9) The people of God are strengthened by the Word of God and by His indwelling Spirit.