What is the meaning of Isaiah 56:11? Like ravenous dogs, they are never satisfied Isaiah pictures leaders who devour rather than defend. The image of a hungry dog prowling for scraps (Matthew 7:6) conveys relentless appetite, never resting until the flock is picked clean. Paul later warns, “Beware of the dogs” (Philippians 3:2), echoing the same danger. • A shepherd-turned-dog consumes what he should protect, like the false prophets of Ezekiel 22:25 who “devour people and seize treasures.” • Unchecked appetite always spreads—Hosea 4:8 shows priests who “feed on the sins of My people” and grow fat on corruption. • The problem is spiritual hunger misdirected; instead of longing for God (Psalm 42:1), these leaders crave power, applause, and wealth. They are shepherds with no discernment A shepherd’s primary tool is discernment—seeing threats before sheep do (John 10:12-13). Without it, danger walks straight in. • Jeremiah 10:21 laments, “The shepherds have become senseless; they have not sought the LORD.” Loss of fellowship with God always dulls insight. • 1 Timothy 3:2 calls overseers to be “temperate, self-controlled,” underscoring spiritual perception as a qualification for leadership. • When discernment goes, flocks scatter (Zechariah 10:2). People wander to every wind of teaching (Ephesians 4:14) because their guides no longer differentiate truth from error. they all turn to their own way Instead of leading the sheep in paths of righteousness (Psalm 23:3), these shepherds chase personal agendas. Isaiah previously warned, “We all like sheep have gone astray; each one has turned to his own way” (Isaiah 53:6). Leaders who depart first encourage the flock to follow. • Proverbs 14:12 highlights the tragedy: “There is a way that seems right to a man, but its end is the way of death.” • In ministry settings, “own way” shows up as unilateral decisions, refusal of counsel (3 John 9-10), or ministries built around personality, not Christ (1 Corinthians 3:4-7). • God contrasts self-driven paths with His call to “stand by the roads and look... and find rest for your souls” (Jeremiah 6:16). each one seeking his own gain: Gain itself is not evil (1 Timothy 5:18), yet selfish pursuit of it corrodes shepherding. The leaders in Micah 3:11 “teach for a price” and “prophesy for money,” turning sacred service into a marketplace. • Peter warns elders: shepherd “not for dishonest gain but eagerly” (1 Peter 5:2). • Paul models the opposite, refusing to exploit the churches even when entitled to support (2 Corinthians 11:9; 1 Thessalonians 2:5). • Covetousness blinds the heart (1 Timothy 6:9-10). As gain becomes idol, truth gets bartered, justice withheld (Isaiah 5:23), and the vulnerable are priced out (Amos 2:6-7). summary Isaiah 56:11 exposes corrupt leaders whose appetites, blindness, self-willed paths, and greed unravel the safety of God’s people. Scripture calls shepherds to the opposite spirit: satisfied in God, spiritually alert, walking His way, and serving for the flock’s good. Such fidelity reflects the Chief Shepherd, Jesus Christ, who lays down His life rather than feed on the sheep (John 10:11). |
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