Part 52 in on the book of Ezekiel.
Chapter outline:
1-10 Condemnation of Israel's shepherds.
11-16 The care of the divine shepherd.
17-22 A conflict within the flock. Sometimes the flock can be the source of trouble.
23-31 The covenant of peace with the flock.
Faithful shepherds will not please everyone. They are responsible to God to maintain His truth.
When Jesus sought his sheep they complained that he ate with sinners. The heart of God is revealed in the Lost Coin, Lost Sheep, and Prodigal Son parables.
A steward looks after something that does not belong to him.
We do not want to spiritualise these promises. The scattering was literal and the gathering will also be literal.
Since the days of Rhoboam there has not been a single shepherd over them. God is going to save his flock and then set a shepherd over them.
Videos of Mike's studies are at bible.mikeattwood.org (dedicated site) and mikeattwood.org (utube site). Audio formats of these talks can be found at jah.ca.