In the Worldwide Church of God when ministers referred to Ezekiel chapter 34, they always applied it the Catholics, Protestants, Pentecostals and any other so-called Christian, religious denomination. Amazingly, they never applied it to themselves! I supposed it was much easier to point their fingers at other people, than to be introspective.
Yet, Ezekiel 34 is written to and about the ministers of God’s true church. Note the warning from God thus: “Prophesy against the shepherds of Israel, prophesy, and say unto them, Thus says the Lord God unto the shepherds; Woe be to the shepherds of Israel that do feed themselves! Should not the shepherds feed the flocks?”(Ezekiel 34:2). Jesus also enjoined Peter to feed his sheep, as proof of his love for him(John 21:15-18). And when Paul was about to leave Asia for good, “from Miletus he sent to Ephesus, and called the elder of the church.” And when they were come, among other things, he told them: “Take heed therefore unto yourselves, and to all the flock, over which the Holy Spirit has made you overseers, to feed the church of God, which he has purchased with his own blood”(Acts 20:28).
There is so much I could say on this topic, that it would require the writing of a book to do it justice. Suffice to say, the ministers of WCG, who actually turned out to be hirelings, feed themselves, instead of the sheep. Full time ministers had access to a house, a car, travel expenses, the best caravans or hotels at the feast of tabernacles and a exorbitant salary for preaching a meaningless sermon on the Sabbath, or writing articles for the Plain Truth or The Good News. Articles that did not contained the plain truth nor the good news!
While these evil men wallowed in the lap luxury, many of the poor sheep and their children were experiencing grinding poverty. I knew families who couldn’t pay utilities bills or buy a new pair of shoes for their children!
When the flock was sick, they were often sent a meaningless anointed cloth, as they were not judged to be important enough to warrant a visit from a hireling. In retrospect, they were probably better off not having a hireling in their homes.
But what does God have to say about the behaviour of these evil hirelings, who are operating in UCG, LCG, RCG, PCG, COG/Hulme, and all the other splinter groups? Anyone who is interested may read the rest of Ezekiel 34:4-10, but I shudder to think of the severity of the judgment of God, when it is visited upon these evil men, who place their welfare before the welfare of God people, for whom Christ died!
