What does Ezekiel 34:4 teach about leadership responsibilities in the church? The Setting That Shapes the Verse • Ezekiel speaks to Israel’s leaders, calling them “shepherds” responsible for God’s flock (Ezekiel 34:1-3). • Their selfish neglect becomes a timeless warning to every elder, pastor, deacon, or ministry leader today. The Verse Itself Ezekiel 34:4: “You have not strengthened the weak, healed the sick, bound up the injured, brought back the strays, or sought the lost; instead, you have ruled them with violence and cruelty.” Five Neglected Duties—Five Positive Mandates 1. Strengthen the weak → Provide solid biblical nourishment and encouragement. 2. Heal the sick → Apply gospel truth and compassion to spiritual, emotional, and physical hurts. 3. Bind up the injured → Restore the wounded with patience, confidentiality, and practical help. 4. Bring back the strays → Pursue drifting believers with loving confrontation and invitation. 5. Seek the lost → Evangelize actively, not passively waiting for the lost to come. The Forbidden Style of Leadership • “Violence and cruelty” describes domineering control, intimidation, or manipulative authority. • New-covenant shepherds must reject worldly power tactics (cf. 1 Peter 5:2-3; Matthew 20:25-28). Echoes in the New Testament • John 10:11—Jesus models self-sacrificial shepherding: “The good shepherd lays down His life for the sheep.” • Acts 20:28—Elders are to “be shepherds of the church of God, which He purchased with His own blood.” • Galatians 6:1-2—Restore the fallen “in a spirit of gentleness… bear one another’s burdens.” • James 5:14—Leaders pray over the sick, demonstrating pastoral care. Practical Takeaways for Today’s Leaders • Feed before you lead—robust teaching is the primary way to strengthen the weak. • Shepherds smell like sheep—effective leaders stay close enough to spot injuries early. • Pursue, don’t push—go after wanderers the way Christ pursued you (Luke 15:4-7). • Authority is stewardship—use influence to lift, not lord, over God’s people. • Measure success by health, not headcount—a flock flourishing in faith, hope, and love honors the Chief Shepherd (1 Peter 5:4). |
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