In the Old Testament, the Bible says that we are the sheep of
God's pasture. Jesus calls Himself the Good Shepherd,
which is a reference back to places in the Old Testament where
God talks about good and bad shepherds over His people.
(See, for example, Jeremiah 23 and Ezekiel 34.)
God knows that religious and political leaders are not always
what they should be. And while this fact does not excuse
us as God's people when we choose to do the wrong things, it is
a concern that God has. he wants us to have good spiritual
leadership, and he wants us to have good examples to follow in
the everyday practical affairs of life.
God will one day deal with all the bad shepherds who have led
people in the wrong ways. He will also deal with the sheep
who have chosen to misbehave, taking what belongs to others and
mistreating others.
The best thing we can do is try to be good sheep. Stay
close to the true Shepherd, Jesus Christ. And listen for
His voice. Real sheep can do some amazingly stupid things
which usually bring them into harm's way. We might not
want to follow their example. Let's try to do what the
lord calls us to do, and to be good sheep for the Good Shepherd. |