ESOCS Devotional 22 October 2026 – Bad Shepherd and Good Shepherd
MEMORY VERSE: “Son of man, prophesy against the shepherds of Israel, prophesy, and say unto them. Thus saith the Lord God unto the shepherds: Woe be to the shepherds of Israel that do feed themselves! Should not the shepherds feed the flocks?” Ezekiel 34:2 KJV
TEXT: EZEKIEL 34:1-16
And the word of the Lord came to me, saying,
2 Son of man, prophesy against the shepherds of Israel; prophesy and say to them, even to the [spiritual] shepherds, Thus says the Lord God: Woe to the [spiritual] shepherds of Israel who feed themselves! Should not the shepherds feed the sheep?
3 You eat the fat, you clothe yourselves with the wool, you kill the fatlings, but you do not feed the sheep.
4 The diseased and weak you have not strengthened, the sick you have not healed, the hurt and crippled you have not bandaged, those gone astray you have not brought back, the lost you have not sought to find, but with force and hardhearted harshness you have ruled them.
5 And they were scattered because there was no shepherd, and when they were scattered they became food for all the wild beasts of the field.
6 My sheep wandered through all the mountains and upon every high hill; yes, My sheep were scattered upon all the face of the earth and no one searched or sought for them.
7 Therefore, you [spiritual] shepherds, hear the word of the Lord:
8 As I live, says the Lord God, surely because My sheep became a prey, and My sheep became food for every beast of the field because there was no shepherd—neither did My shepherds search for My sheep, but the shepherds fed themselves and fed not My sheep—
9 Therefore, O you [spiritual] 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 cause them to cease feeding the sheep, neither shall the shepherds feed themselves any more. I will rescue My sheep from their mouths, that they may not be food for them.
11 For thus says the Lord God: Behold, I, I Myself, will search for My sheep and will seek them out.
12 As a shepherd seeks out his sheep in the day that he is among his flock that are scattered, so will I seek out My sheep; and I will rescue them out of all places where they have been scattered in the day of clouds and thick darkness.
13 And I will bring them out from the peoples and gather them from the countries and will bring them to their own land; and I will feed them upon the mountains of Israel, by the watercourses, and in all the inhabited places of the country.
14 I will feed them with good pasture, and upon the high mountains of Israel shall their fold be; there shall they lie down in a good fold, and in a fat pasture shall they feed upon the mountains of Israel.
15 I will feed My sheep and I will cause them to lie down, says the Lord God.
16 I will seek that which was lost and bring back that which has strayed, and I will bandage the hurt and the crippled and will strengthen the weak and the sick, but I will destroy the fat and the strong [who have become hardhearted and perverse]; I will feed them with judgment and punishment.
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Our elementary study of the subject Economics revealed that man is insatiable – he is always seeking more, working diligently Ezekiel prophesied against the religious leaders (the “shepherds”) of Israel who took care of themselves, while exploiting and even abusing their people (their flock). It is also a fact that Jeremiah accused these leaders of neglecting the people (Jeremiah 23:1-4).
Leaders in the church today must not fall into the trap of spending time and money to promote or enjoy themselves when they should use resources to provide for the needs of those they serve. To avoid this, leaders must stay close to their flock.
God will judge any religious leader who is like the religious leaders of Ezekiel and Jeremiah’s times. Spiritual leaders must be careful not to pursue self-development at the expense of their flocks. Christian leaders must heed this warning and care for their flocks, or total failure and judgment will be the result.
Good shepherds take care of their flock, strengthen the weak and sick, and search for the lost. Also, they rule lovingly, gather and protect the flock. They give their best to them. They feed them with the word of God same way shepherds feed their flock with pastures.
Three times, Jesus asked Peter if he loved Him, and each time He instructed him to feed His sheep (John 21:15-17). Leaders of churches must do the same.
Reflections
- Not all ‘shepherds’ are called to serve.
Prayer
- Father, rid your Church of greedy shepherds.
Further Reading: 1 Peter 5:1-4
ESOCS Devotional 22 October 2026
