Jeremiah 50:4 In those days, and in that time, saith the Lord, the children of Israel shall come, they and the children of Judah together, going and weeping: they shall go, and seek the Lord their God.

5 They shall ask the way to Zion with their faces thitherward, saying, Come, and let us join ourselves to the Lord in a perpetual covenant that shall not be forgotten.

6 My people hath been lost sheep: their shepherds have caused them to go astray, they have turned them away on the mountains: they have gone from mountain to hill, they have forgotten their resting place.

Ezekiel 34:11 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 fold, 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.

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.

John 10:7 Then said Jesus unto them again, Verily, verily, I say unto you, I am the door of the sheep.

9 I am the door: by me if any man enter in, he shall be saved, and shall go in and out, and find pasture.

10 The thief cometh not, but for to steal, and to kill, and to destroy: I am come that they might have life, and that they might have it more abundantly.

11 I am the good shepherd: the good shepherd giveth his life for the sheep.

16 And other sheep I have, which are not of this fold: them also I must bring, and they shall hear my voice; and there shall be one fold, and one shepherd.

MEMORY VERSE: He shall feed his flock like a shepherd: he shall gather the lambs with his arm, and carry them in his bosom, and shall gently lead those that are with young. — Isaiah 40:11

CENTRAL THOUGHT: The Church of God is compared to a flock of sheep; loved, cherished and cared for by Jesus Christ, the good Shepherd, who laid down His life for the welfare and salvation of all who follow Him, and who preserves and sustains them all along the journey of life.

WORD DEFINITIONS

Jeremiah 50:5 “A perpetual covenant”: Everlasting and unfailing promise of allegiance and faithfulness.

LESSON BACKGROUND

From Isaiah and Ezekiel come beautiful prophecies concerning the Church of God as the flock of God, to be sought out and redeemed from their lost condition. Isaiah also said in 53:6, “All we like sheep have gone astray; we have turned every one to his own way…”

However, we can turn with a weeping and repentant heart to God, seeking the way to Zion, and joining ourselves to the Lord in a perpetual covenant. We do not “join the Church,” but we join ourselves to the Lord by way of being born again by the Word and Spirit of God.

God sends forth the Holy Spirit and seeks us out, drawing us unto Himself. Though we have been scattered and driven away from His blessings upon the mountains of sin in the cloudy and dark day of deception and confusion, He wants to bring us to our own land (the land of full salvation) so that we can go in through the door (Christ) and out into the spacious and rich pasture of His love.

We can lie down and not be afraid, resting in the bosom of love divine! Jesus proclaimed Himself as the good Shepherd, the door of the sheep to enter the fold of God. He has abundant spiritual life and victory for everyone. It is His blessed will and purpose to gather every soul who will believe, obey, and follow Him into the one, true Church of God. His sheep will hear His voice, and He knows them, and they will follow Him.

—Bro. Leslie Busbee

QUESTIONS

1. Does anyone find God without truly seeking Him with all their heart?
2. What should be the desire of the soul who seeks the Lord?
3. In what way have we all been lost sheep?

4. Who seeks out the lost sheep?
5. In a cloudy and dark day, what causes the sheep to be scattered?
6. What kind of pasture does the Lord have for His sheep?
7. Who is the good Shepherd of the sheep?
8. In what way is Christ the door?
9. What did Christ come to give us?
10. Does Christ want His sheep to remain divided and scattered? How can they all be gathered into one?

COMMENTS AND APPLICATION

Oh, how the devil has devised and worked to draw the souls of men away from the fold of God! By way of worldly attraction he deceives them; by way of pressure he drives them; and by way of confusion he discourages them. The result is a lost sheep wandering around in a cloudy and dark day. They are lost and do not know where they are or where they are going.

In the history of the Church there was a cloudy and dark day of about 350 years from the time of the Protestant Reformation up to the latter part of the 1800’s, during which many sects and movements arose in the name of Christianity. Man-rule and human machinery infiltrated the ranks of the people, and the saints were scattered on the hills of spiritual Babylon and sectism.

But, thank God, He did not leave His people in that condition! God is calling His people away from Babel confusion, back to the fold of God on mount Zion. There the Lord Jesus Christ is the Shepherd and He uses men and women who are called of God to serve as under- shepherds (or pastors) to feed His flock.

In the true Church of God, pastors are not big bosses or overlords who love preeminence and the praise of men. The true ministers of God are servants of God and humble servants to the people. They seek to serve through the ministry of the Word and prayer. Over all is Christ Jesus, the chief Shepherd. The flock is His. How sweet to be one of His own!

—Bro. Leslie Busbee

REFLECTIONS

One of my favorite works of music is George Frideric Handel’s Messiah, an oratorio that depicts in musical form excerpts from Scripture pertaining to Jesus’ birth, passion, resurrection, and eternal triumph as King of kings and Lord of lords. In the duet toward the end of the work’s first part, I have often found comfort in the soothing tones of the alto singing “He shall feed His flock like a shepherd,” words that evoke such a sense of safety and security in One who cares so lovingly for His people! I have also considered how fitting it is that the great composer paired that Old Testament promise with the words sung by the soprano, “Come unto me all ye that labor, and I will give you rest,” words spoken by Jesus, who is the fulfillment of Isaiah’s inspired prophecy as our Good Shepherd.

Shepherds are generally found in very remote and sometimes dangerous locations— places that aren’t conducive to the comforts and niceties of more advanced civilization, sacrificing their desires and needs for the safety and well-being of the flock. Similarly, God’s own Son was willing to leave the splendor of Heaven and condescend to humble earth, to walk among His own creation, to rescue those that are lost, and to give His life so that His sheep might live. No hireling would do this; only our dear Shepherd!

It should be understood, however, that once we are in His fold, there is no need to wander off as wayward sheep often do. Everything we need for our protection, our health, our needs, is right here in the fold of God. The verse found in Psalm 100:3 states, “we are His people and the sheep of His pasture.”

What a comfort it is to be cared for by such a kind and loving Shepherd!

—Bro. Fari Matthews