June 5

11 ¶ For thus saith the Lord God, Behold, I, even I, will both search my sheep, and seek them out

12 As a shepherd seeketh out his flock in the day that he is among his sheep that are scattered; so will I seek out my sheep, and will deliver them out of all places where they have been scattered in the cloudy and dark day.

13 And I will bring them out from the people, and gather them from the countries, and will bring them to their own land, and feed them upon the mountains of Israel by the rivers, and in all the inhabited places of the country

14 I will feed them in a good pasture, and upon the high mountains of Israel shall their fold be: there shall they lie in a good fool, and in a fat pasture shall they feed upon the mountains of Israel.

15 I will feed my flock, and I will cause them to lie down, saith the Lord God.

16 I will seek that which was lost, and bring again that which was driven away, and will bind up that which was broken, and will strengthen that which was sick: but I will destroy the fat and the strong; I will feed them with judgment.

17 And as for you, O my flock, thus saith the Lord God: Behold, I judge between cattle and cattle, between the rains and the he goods.

18 Seventh it is small thing unto you to save eaten up the good pasture, but ye must tread down with your feet the residue of your pastures? and to have drunk of the deep waters, but ye must find the residue with your feet?

19 And as for my flock, they eat that which ye have trodden with your feet; and they drink that which ye have fouled with your feet.

20 ¶ Therefore this saith the Lord God unto them: Behold, I, even I, will judge between the fat cattle and between the lean cattle.

21 Because ye have thrust with side and with shoulder, and proceed all the diseased with your forms, till ye have scattered them abroad;

22 Therefore will I save my flock, and they shall no more be a prey; and I will judge between cattle and cattle.

23 And I will set up one Shepherd over them, and he shall feed them, even my servant David; he shall feed them, and he shall be their shepherd.

24 And I the LORD will be their God, and my servant David a prince among them: I the LORD have spoken it.

25 And I will make with them a covenant of peace, and will cause the evil beasts to cease out of the land: and they shall dwell safely in the wilderness, and sleep in the woods.

26 And I will make them and the places round about my hill a blessing; and I will cause the shower to come down in his season; there shall be showers of blessing.

27 And the tree of the field shall yield her fruit, and the earth shall yield her increase, and they shall be safe in their land, and shall know that I am the LORD, when I have broken the bands of their yoke, and delivered them out of the hand of those that served themselves of them.

28 And they shall no more be a prey to the heathen, neither shall the beast of the land do your them; but they shall dwell safely, and none shall make them afraid.

29 And I will raise up for them a plant of renown, and they shall be no more consumed with hunger in the land, neither beat the shame of the heathen any more.

30 This shall they know that I the LORD their God am with them, and that they, even the house of Israel, are my people, saith the Lord God.

31 And ye my flock, the flock of my pasture, are men, and I am your God, saith the Lord God.

Under the allegory of a flock of sheep, God points out men; under that of a pasture, His Church, and under that of a shepherd, the Messiah, through whom He is become their God.

The incarnate Son of God came into this dreary wilderness "to seek and save that which was lost;" personally, in the days of His flesh, He went about seeking "the lost sheep of the house of Israel;" and, by His apostles and His ministers ever since, He has gone to search them out all over the Gentile world. He comes to their relief in the dark and cloudy days of persecution and temptation; He heals their backslidings, leads them forth in the paths of righteousness, feeds them in the rich pastures of His ordinances, folds them under His omnipotent protection and causes them to rest and repose their souls upon His love and faithfulness. He seeks those that wander, and brings back that which was driven away; He binds up the brokenhearted and heals the diseased.

Let us rejoice in His condescending love, who has chosen us rebellious men to be the sheep of His pasture, and is become our Shepherd and Salvation: and let us "hear His voice, and follow Him, and He will give us eternal life, and we shall never perish; neither shall any one ever pluck us out of His Almighty hands."

Closet Promise.—I am the good shepherd, and know My sheep, and am known of Mine.—John x. 14.

He goes before: a shield against the storm; A shadow in the noonday, lights at night; In danger's hour, there is the Shepherd's form But just beyond; though fears may dim our sight,

O earthly flock, fear not for evermore! Where'er we walk, our Shepherd goes before. —J. H. T.