One Shepherd

Thus says the Lord GOD: I will take the children of Israel from among the nations to which they have come and gather them from all sides to bring them back to their land. I will make them one nation upon the land, in the mountains of Israel, and there shall be one prince for them all. Never again shall they be two nations, and never again shall they be divided into two kingdoms.

No longer shall they defile themselves with their idols, their abominations, and all their transgressions. I will deliver them from all their sins of apostasy, and cleanse them so that they may be my people and I may be their God. My servant David shall be prince over them, and there shall be one shepherd for them all; they shall live by my statutes and carefully observe my decrees. They shall live on the land that I gave to my servant Jacob, the land where their fathers lived; they shall live on it forever, they, and their children, and their children’s children, with my servant David their prince forever. 

I will make with them a covenant of peace; it shall be an everlasting covenant with them, and I will multiply them, and put my sanctuary among them forever. My dwelling shall be with them; I will be their God, and they shall be my people. Thus the nations shall know that it is I, the LORD, who make Israel holy, when my sanctuary shall be set up among them forever. (Ezekiel 37:21-28)

“Never again shall they be two nations, and never again shall they be divided into two kingdoms.”  Very unfortunately and tragically, our nation does not appear to be “one nation under God.”  We are two “nations” defined as opposing, uncompromising, and very antagonistic political parties.

We continue to defile ourselves with idols, abominations, and all transgressions.  If God could speak to us, God might say: “I will deliver them from all their sins of apostasy, and cleanse them so that they may be my people and I may be their God.”  Such is the state of our nation’s seeming rebellion against God and the commandments.   

Ezekiel said about God: “I will make with them a covenant of peace; it shall be an everlasting covenant with them, and I will multiply them, and put my sanctuary among them forever.”  Our nation must reaffirm this covenant of peace with God and with our neighbors regardless of their political positions.  

We must not want a servant David to be a prince over us. That sounds authoritarian.  Instead, the one shepherd for us all, must be Jesus our Christ, and we must be his servants.

Deacon David Pierce