Leadership Matters - Ezekiel 31-36

Ezekiel 34:7-10 (ESV Strong's)
7 “Therefore, you shepherds, hear the word of the LORD: 8 As I live, declares the Lord GOD, surely because my sheep have become a prey, and my sheep have become food for all the wild beasts, since there was no shepherd, and because my shepherds have not searched for my sheep, but the shepherds have fed themselves, and have not fed my sheep, 9 therefore, you shepherds, hear the word of the LORD: 10 Thus says the Lord GOD, Behold, I am against the shepherds, and I will require my sheep at their hand and put a stop to their feeding the sheep. No longer shall the shepherds feed themselves. I will rescue my sheep from their mouths, that they may not be food for them.

Leadership Matters

Throughout Ezekiel’s prophecy he has identified cause after cause for the need for God’s wrath.  He has done this both for the nations around Israel and for God’s chosen people, specifically.   In the above passage he gives an additional cause for the discipline of God on His chosen people: Evil Leadership.   In the above passage we read about God pointing out that the “shepherds” of Israel (both spiritual and political leadership) have been concerned about one thing and only one thing: Feeding themselves and not the nation.   Selfish leadership is evil leadership.   Whenever leadership is self-centered we have evilness lurking in the corners and shadows.   This is what happened to Israel.  Perhaps one of the best examples of this is with a “good” king, Hezekiah.   When told of the wrath of God that would come down upon the nation, specially his sons for the evil actions he did, Hezekiah said this:

Isaiah 39:8 (ESV Strong's)
8 Then Hezekiah said to Isaiah, “The word of the LORD that you have spoken is good.” For he thought, “There will be peace and security in my days.”

His only thought was his own peace and security.   That is the way even the best kings were.  They were not concerned about the things of God and making sure the nation knew about the things of God.  They were concerned about their own world.    God expects leaders (especially those He puts in place to care for His people) to make sure the people know who God is.   If we went on to read chapter 35 of Ezekiel, God tells the nation He will give them a Shepherd to care for them that will truly care for them:

Ezekiel 34:23-24 (ESV Strong's)
23 And I will set up over them one shepherd, my servant David, and he shall feed them: he shall feed them and be their shepherd. 24 And I, the LORD, will be their God, and my servant David shall be prince among them. I am the LORD; I have spoken.

That Shepherd was Christ (See John 10).