Fed by the Shepherd

“I have gone astray like a lost sheep; seek Your servant, for I do not forget Your commandments” (Psalm 119:176).

“For thus says the Lord GOD, ‘Behold, I Myself will search for My sheep and seek them out. As a shepherd cares for his herd in the day when he is among his scattered sheep, so I will care for My sheep and will deliver them from all the places to which they were scattered on a cloudy and gloomy day. I will bring them out from the peoples and gather them from the countries...I will feed them...I will feed them in a good pasture...I will feed My flock and I will lead them to rest,’ declares the Lord GOD...‘Then they will know that I, the LORD their God, am with them, and that they, the house of Israel, are My people,’ declares the Lord GOD. ‘As for you, My sheep, the sheep of My pasture, you are men, and I am your God,’ declares the Lord GOD” (Ezekiel 34:11-15,30-31).

Who is the Shepherd of the sheep promised through the prophet Ezekiel? He is Jesus, Son of God (Hebrews 1:1-13), Son of David (Ezekiel 34:24-26; Luke 1:32,33,69; Romans 1:3), Prince of life (Acts 3:15): “‘Truly, truly, I say to you, he who does not enter by the door into the fold of the sheep, but climbs up some other way, he is a thief and a robber. But he who enters by the door is a shepherd of the sheep. To him the doorkeeper opens, and the sheep hear his voice, and he calls his own sheep by name and leads them out. When he puts forth all his own, he goes ahead of them, and the sheep follow him because they know his voice...truly, truly, I say to you, I am the door of the sheep. I am the door; if anyone enters through Me, he will be saved, and will go in and out and find pasture...I came that they may have life, and have it abundantly. I am the good shepherd; the good shepherd lays down His life for the sheep...I am the good shepherd, and I know My own and My own know Me, even as the Father knows Me and I know the Father; and I lay down My life for the sheep. I have other sheep, which are not of this fold; I must bring them also, and they will hear My voice; and they will become one flock with one shepherd...My sheep hear My voice, and I know them, and they follow Me; and I give eternal life to them, and they will never perish; and no one will snatch them out of My hand. My Father, who has given them to Me, is greater than all; and no one is able to snatch them out of the Father's hand. I and the Father are one’” (John 10:1-4,7,9-11,14-16,27-30).

The Psalmist tells us the desired food of true sheep: “...I do not forget your commandments” (119:176). The Lord tells us the mark of true sheep: “...the sheep hear His voice...they know His voice...My own know Me...they will hear My voice...My sheep hear My voice” (John 10:3,4,14,16,27).

Hear the Word of God and hear the voice of the Shepherd-King as He gathers us together and leads us home.

He Preserves Through Hearing in the Gathering

“When wisdom entereth into thine heart, and knowledge delighteth thy soul, then shall counsel preserve thee, and understanding shall keep thee...and it shall deliver thee from the strange woman, even from the stranger which flattereth with her words. Which forsaketh the guide of her youth, and forgetteth the covenant of her God. Surely her house tendeth to death, and her paths unto the dead. All they that go unto her, return not again, neither take they hold of the ways of life. Therefore walk thou in the way of good men, and keep the ways of the righteous” (Proverbs 2:10,11,16-20, Geneva Bible).

The connection between hearing (2:10,11) and doing (2:20) is found in the assembly of the saints in Christ: Wisdom, knowledge, counsel, and understanding are to be found in fellowship with “good men” and “the righteous.” Gather with the Church today, friends, and hear of Him Who alone saves you from the one(s) who will only lead you away from Him (2:16-19). He preserves and keeps you through hearing in the gathering.

* * * * * * *

“My son, if thou wilt...cause thine ears to hearken unto wisdom...then shalt thou understand the fear of the Lord, and find the knowledge of God. For the Lord giveth wisdom, out of His mouth cometh knowledge and understanding” (Proverbs 2:1,2,5,6).

Discipline yourself to hear the Word of the Lord as it is proclaimed in the gathering of the saints. He speaks His wisdom in Christ through the Scriptures by the teachers He gives His Church: “My son, if thou wilt receive my words...” (2:1; cf. Acts 13:1; 1 Corinthians 12:28; Ephesians 4:11; 1 Timothy 3:2; 2 Timothy 2:2,24). This is the only means of His grace by which we “understand the fear of the Lord, and find the knowledge of God.”

* * * * * * *

“...He preserveth the way of His Saints” (Proverbs 2:8). Notice that though there are many “Saints,” there is only one “way.” Walk together.

Gather, Hear, Walk

“...the way of the righteous shineth as the light, that shineth more and more unto the perfect day...ponder the path of thy feet, and let all thy ways be ordered aright” (Proverbs 4:18,26, Geneva Bible).

To walk “the Way,” start by hearing: “HEAR, O ye children, the instruction of a father, and GIVE EAR to learn understanding. For I do give you a good doctrine: therefore forsake ye not my law. For I was my father’s son, tender and dear in the sight of my mother, when he taught me, and said unto me, ‘Let thine heart hold fast my words: keep my commandments, and thou shalt live. Get wisdom: get understanding: forget not, neither decline from the words of my mouth’...HEAR, my son: and receive my words, and the years of thy life shall be many. I have taught thee in the way of wisdom, and led thee in the paths of righteousness. When thou goest, thy gait shall not be strait, and when thou runnest, thou shalt not fall. Take hold of instruction, and leave not...my son, HEARKEN unto my words, incline thine ear unto my sayings. Let them not depart from thine eyes, but keep them in the midst of thine heart. For they are life unto those that find them: and health unto all their flesh” (4:2-5,10-13,20-22).

Lord, give us ears to hear, that we may walk by Your Way.

Church, gather and hear His Word together, that we may walk together in His Way.

Show Yourself to Be the Church

“Jesus answered them, ‘To you it has been granted to know the mysteries of the kingdom of heaven, but to them it has not been granted. For whoever has, to him more shall be given, and he will have an abundance; but whoever does not have, even what he has shall be taken away from him. Therefore I speak to them in parables; because while seeing they do not see, and while hearing they do not hear, nor do they understand. In their case the prophecy of Isaiah is being fulfilled, which says, “YOU WILL KEEP ON HEARING, BUT WILL NOT UNDERSTAND; YOU WILL KEEP ON SEEING, BUT WILL NOT PERCEIVE; FOR THE HEART OF THIS PEOPLE HAS BECOME DULL, WITH THEIR EARS THEY SCARCELY HEAR, AND THEY HAVE CLOSED THEIR EYES, OTHERWISE THEY WOULD SEE WITH THEIR EYES, HEAR WITH THEIR EARS, AND UNDERSTAND WITH THEIR HEART AND RETURN, AND I WOULD HEAL THEM [quote from Isaiah 6:9,10].” But blessed are your eyes, because they see; and your ears, because they hear’” (Matthew 13:11-16).

“And He was saying to them, ‘To you has been given the mystery of the kingdom of God, but those who are outside get everything in parables, so that WHILE SEEING, THEY MAY SEE AND NOT PERCEIVE, AND WHILE HEARING, THEY MAY HEAR AND NOT UNDERSTAND, OTHERWISE THEY MIGHT RETURN AND BE FORGIVEN [quote from Isaiah 6:9,10]’” (Mark 4:11,12).

“And He said, ‘To you it has been granted to know the mysteries of the kingdom of God, but to the rest it is in parables, so that SEEING THEY MAY NOT SEE, AND HEARING THEY MAY NOT UNDERSTAND [quote from Isaiah 6:9]’” (Luke 8:10).

“For this reason they could not believe, for Isaiah said again, ‘HE HAS BLINDED THEIR EYES AND HE HARDENED THEIR HEART, SO THAT THEY WOULD NOT SEE WITH THEIR EYES AND PERCEIVE WITH THEIR HEART, AND BE CONVERTED AND I HEAL THEM [quote from Isaiah 6:9,10].’ These things Isaiah said because he saw His glory, and he spoke of Him” (John 12:39-41).

“When they had set a day for Paul, they came to him at his lodging in large numbers; and he was explaining to them by solemnly testifying about the kingdom of God and trying to persuade them concerning Jesus, from both the Law of Moses and from the Prophets, from morning until evening. Some were being persuaded by the things spoken, but others would not believe. And when they did not agree with one another, they began leaving after Paul had spoken one parting word, ‘The Holy Spirit rightly spoke through Isaiah the prophet to your fathers, saying, “GO TO THIS PEOPLE AND SAY, ‘YOU WILL KEEP ON HEARING, BUT WILL NOT UNDERSTAND; AND YOU WILL KEEP ON SEEING, BUT WILL NOT PERCEIVE; FOR THE HEART OF THIS PEOPLE HAS BECOME DULL, AND WITH THEIR EARS THEY SCARCELY HEAR, AND THEY HAVE CLOSED THEIR EYES; OTHERWISE THEY MIGHT SEE WITH THEIR EYES, AND HEAR WITH THEIR EARS, AND UNDERSTAND WITH THEIR HEART AND RETURN, AND I WOULD HEAL THEM [quote from Isaiah 6:9,10].’” Therefore let it be known to you that this salvation of God has been sent to the Gentiles; they will also listen’” (Acts 28:23-28).

“I say then, God has not rejected His people, has He? May it never be! For I too am an Israelite, a descendant of Abraham, of the tribe of Benjamin. God has not rejected His people whom He foreknew. Or do you not know what the Scripture says in the passage about Elijah, how he pleads with God against Israel? ‘Lord, THEY HAVE KILLED YOUR PROPHETS, THEY HAVE TORN DOWN YOUR ALTARS, AND I ALONE AM LEFT, AND THEY ARE SEEKING MY LIFE’ [1 Kings 19:10]. But what is the divine response to him? ‘I HAVE KEPT for Myself SEVEN THOUSAND MEN WHO HAVE NOT BOWED THE KNEE TO BAAL’ [quote from 1 Kings 19:18]. In the same way then, there has also come to be at the present time a remnant according to God's gracious choice. But if it is by grace, it is no longer on the basis of works, otherwise grace is no longer grace. What then? What Israel is seeking, it has not obtained, but those who were chosen obtained it, and the rest were hardened; just as it is written, ‘GOD GAVE THEM A SPIRIT OF STUPOR, EYES TO SEE NOT AND EARS TO HEAR NOT, DOWN TO THIS VERY DAY [quote from Isaiah 6:10]’” (Romans 11:1-8).

Gather, Church, hear and be healed.

Gather, Church, hear and be forgiven.

Gather, Church, hear and understand.

Gather, Church, hear and see.

Gather, Church, hear and perceive.

Gather, Church, hear and show forth God’s gracious choice of you.

This is what shows the gathered Church to be God's true Church: they gather and hear.