Ezekiel 34:11

The shepherds have failed completely, so the care of the sheep falls on Jehovah Himself. He undertakes not only to hold those set over the sheep to account for them, but to search for them and seek them out wherever they are scattered.

The evil lay in the shepherds — that is, in the kings and princes of Israel. They were not true shepherds; indeed there were none true. The flock was diseased, scattered, afflicted and ill-treated, and a prey to their enemies. But Jehovah now points it out to say that He Himself would seek out His poor sheep... Notice here how Jehovah Himself delivers His sheep, without calling Himself their shepherd. Then He raises up a plant of renown, the true David, as their shepherd.

God says, "Behold, I, I myself will... SEARCH for my sheep." They have been scattered, and they have wandered. But they are "mine," says God, and "I will SEARCH for them." May we never forget, whatever the condition of the sheep, they belong to Christ. He thought of them from all eternity, but we can only give them the odd moments of our lives. He left His home of glory to seek His sheep, and can we not leave our poor homes to seek them? He went to the uttermost distance of the cross to find His sheep, but we can hardly go into the next street to seek them.

The Lord declares that He will come in and search for His sheep and examine their condition. The language is human language... God speaks as if He did not know, so examining everything comes first... God takes care to expose in full the evil He is dealing with, so that all His creatures may own that His government is right... Their scatterings will cease when they hear the Voice His people know — a Voice that does not scatter, but brings together... Yet at times the scattering may be the very thing that is of God. He permits it to avoid worse evil. Still, He permits it only for a short time. What is in His heart is gathering, not scattering.

Jehovah arises on behalf of His scattered sheep. He will Himself carry out the office of a true shepherd, seeking out His flock... And all this has not yet come to pass. Some apply these words to the return of a remnant from the Babylonian captivity. They see no future fulfilment of these promises. It is clear that the returning remnant did not have these blessings. Others make a spiritual application. They claim it means the Church, and the blessing Gentiles will receive as the sheep of Christ.

In Matthew's Gospel we find the Shepherd-King viewing His poor sheep as they surround Him... "When he saw the crowds, he had compassion for them, because they were harassed and helpless, like sheep without a shepherd" (Matthew 9:36). The Lord had come to fulfil Ezekiel's prophecy. He came to bring them back to God — not only those who were Jews, but Gentiles also, forming "one flock" with "one Shepherd."

Having sought them, He tends them... His sheep are the objects of His tender care... But not only does the Lord tend His sheep, He does it in a very blessed way. It is not as one far removed in some high position giving directions for the care of the sheep, but as a shepherd "among his sheep that are scattered."... If we have driven them away, will He desert them? Never. If we have scattered them, will He forsake them? Never.