Ezekiel Part 39

Ezekiel’s Prophecy of Jerusalem’s Fall

Okay we are going to pray and then we're going to get into our study. Lord Jesus as we open up your word we ask your Holy Spirit to rightly understand what is revealed there so that we may properly believe confess and do all according to your holy word we ask in Jesus name amen.

All right we are in Ezekiel chapter 33 we're up to verse 21 and you'll note this is going to be a fulfillment of earlier prophecies in the book. You'll remember when Ezekiel was commanded by God to lay on his side cook bread over dung and basically set up a miniature of Jerusalem and the siege ramps and stuff like this and all of that was to prophesy that Jerusalem would eventually fall.

It hadn't fallen for good at up to this point and so it says in the 12th year of our exile in the 10th month on the fifth day of the month a fugitive from Jerusalem came to me and said the city has been struck down.

That would be prophecy fulfilled and you'll note Ezekiel did not give silly prophecies like God says in this next season there'll be breakthroughs and suddenlies. He actually gave for real prophecies with very specific details and things that God told him would happen have now occurred.

Covenant Unfaithfulness and the Right to the Land

So now the hand of Yahweh had been upon me and the evening before the fugitive came and he had opened my mouth by the time the man came to me in the morning so my mouth was opened and I was no longer mute.

The word of Yahweh came to me son of man the inhabitants of these waste places in the land of Israel keep saying Abraham was only one man yet he possessed he got possession of the land but we are many and the land has surely given us given us to possess therefore say to them thus says the Lord Yahweh.

You'll note what they're doing here is they're basically taking their logic and then flipping things to kind of talk about their misery so therefore say to them thus says the Lord Yahweh you eat flesh with the blood you lift up your eyes to your idols and you shed blood.

Shall you then possess the land. You know it sounds a lot like my mom hang on a second. Let's see if I can work this out. I told you that you needed to do your homework and you didn't do your homework.

And you're asking me if you can go to the movies with your friends. The answer is no. You want to go to the movies with your friends and you want to hang out with them. Do your homework. Okay she said it like that though she always sounded like she was passing a kidney stone.

But that's a whole other story. My mom needed psychological help after raising me. But you get the point here. So God is basically saying I told you guys going into the promised land. Okay you remember the book of Deuteronomy.

Okay second law. Very specific things God said if you do this you can stay. If you don't do this and you do these other things then you're going to have these things happen to you. And remember at the beginning of this study we went through that list of things that God said would happen to him including God all the way back at the time of Moses in the book of Deuteronomy said that he would send him into exile.

And the purpose of the exile was to do what. To punish them to get them to come to their senses again. The Mosaic covenant is a land lease agreement. It's God's land. He will let you lease the property.

But these are the rules. This is the which you are contractually obligated to do on the Mosaic covenant. No worshiping of false gods. That's off the table. What did Israel do. I think we'll worship all.

We'll worship a Shearer. We'll worship the starry host of heaven. So God basically you know. So they're complaining about the fact that the land has possessed them. And they are. They're no longer possessing the land.

They don't understand what's going on. So God basically is going back to like kindergarten. At this point you eat flesh with blood in it which you're not supposed to do in the Mosaic covenant. You lift up your eyes to your idols.

You shed blood. You're a bunch of murderous idolaters. And shall you then possess the land. Uh-huh. You rely on the sword rather than God. You commit abominations and each of you defiles his neighbor's wife.

You shall then possess. Shall you then possess the land. I would note that um internet pornography wasn't a problem. Back in Israel it was just straight up adultery. Okay now now we just have visual adultery.

It's just ridiculous. So you know what were they doing. They were a bunch of idolatrous murderers who were breaking the covenant and they were also adulterers. Okay. Shall you then possess the land. So say this to them.

Thus says the Lord Yahweh as I live. Surely those who are in the waste places shall fall by the sword. And whoever is in the open field I will give to the beasts to be devoured. And those who are in the strongholds and the caves shall die by pestilence.

So you'll note that these are people who fled Jerusalem before the army got there. They're hiding out in waste places. They're hiding out in. You know in places where there's strongholds they're hanging out in caves and stuff like this because they basically in doing so they're trying to preserve their life.

But in this particular case because God is the one who sent Nebuchadnezzar's army the reason why he sent them was to punish them for their sin. They got away for a time and God says it ain't gonna work.

I'm still I'm gonna hunt you down like dogs and y 'all gonna die. Okay. That's what he's saying. I will make the land a desolation a waste and and her proud might shall come to an end. And the mountains of Israel shall be so desolate that none will pass through.

Then they will know that I am Yahweh when I have made the land a desolation and a waste because of all of their abominations that they have committed. As for you son of man your people who talk together about you by the walls and at the doors of the houses say to one another each to his brother come and hear what the word is that comes from from Yahweh.

Hearing Without Doing, and Saving Faith

So you'll note that 12 years into the exile at this point remember when Ezekiel first got rolling they were thinking hey this guy's looney tunes. Okay. Well 12 years into it. Now God has taken notice of the fact and that is this that the people who are in exile with Ezekiel are believing that Ezekiel is bringing them the word of Yahweh and they themselves are going to hear it.

They want to hear it. Ah God's word is doing something. Right. So and they come to you as people come and they sit before you as my people. And they hear what you say but they will not do it. It's like okay we know that you're speaking the word of Yahweh and God says stop worshiping idols.

Stop murdering. Oh but I hate that guy. Okay. Stop sleeping with your neighbor's wife. Oh but she's hot. Right. So they're at least there's this. There's a slight improvement. They believe Ezekiel speaking the word of Yahweh.

They still aren't doing it. They're hearing. But they're not doing. Which means they don't really have faith. Remember when we talk about you know what is the difference between saving faith and demonic faith.

The demonic faith is a weird way of defining it. But you know people rightly point out. Listen. The devil knows that Jesus is the son of God and the demons know that too. That did you know. The demons believe in the doctrine of the trinity.

It's for them. They they've seen. They know they know that God is three and God is one. Um so the demons believe that how come they're not saved. They believe it. They know it's true. Okay. Because when it comes to saving faith there's a third part.

So we talk about the kind of the three things that make up saving faith. First part is notizia. This is the knowledge the facts. Okay fact when we when we confess the apostle's creed today. Okay we believe that um Jesus was born of the virgin Mary suffered under Pontius Pilate crucified died buried.

Those are all facts. Right. So part one is the facts itself. Part two is a scent that the facts are correct. Yes Jesus died. But that that does not make saving faith. Saving faith is the faith that says that God exists that Christ did these things and he did them for me for the forgiveness of my sins.

You get the idea there. Right. So you're going to note here here we have they are hearing they are hearing God's word from Ezekiel and they are assenting to the fact that these are the words of Yahweh.

They still don't have trust. They don't have faith. Yeah. Question. Do we Christ. No we do not. Okay. Um Christ did not die for angels. He died for human beings. Okay. And you know angels are not given to preach the gospel men are so kind of a fascinating thing.

You know all. Right. So continue on all right. So they came to you as one as as people come and they sit before you as my people and they hear what you say. But they will not do it. For with lustful talk in their mouths they act the heart is set on their game and behold you are to them like one who sings lustful songs with a beautiful voice and plays well on an instrument.

For they hear what you say but they will not do it. When this comes and it and come it will. Then they will know that a prophet has been among them. Interesting. So why are they listening to Ezekiel. It's part of part of what's going on here and we see this in what what the Lord says is that Ezekiel delivered the message in a very compelling way.

He delivered it in a way that they really thought man this guy can really bring it. Yeah there is that fact too that that's not mentioned in the text. It's just this just happens to be just a true statement.

But but you get the idea here and so i would note you we always have to be careful in that. And careful in this regard. Sometimes somebody comes to us and they are skillful in their ability to bring a message.

False Shepherds Who Feed Themselves

All right. So when if you were to ask me like who's like the most skillful heretic when it comes to bringing messages. Probably td jakes you've ever watched this fellow holy smokes one of the most gifted communicators i've ever seen in my life.

And i can see the appeal. I can legitimately see the appeal. This guy when he starts off he kind of sounds kind of weak and he kind of draws you in with the low voice and part way through you know he gets booming to the point where he's shouting and screaming and it just whoa you know it it'll it'll it holds the audience captive.

But you're gonna note that that even that isn't enough. Ezekiel clearly had skills like that. But faith doesn't come by a good performance. Faith comes by hearing hearing through the word of god. And they're hearing the word of god.

And god has identified. The problem is that although they are hearing it their hearts are still set on gain. Oh yeah. And ezekiel he can bring it. Oh i love listening to him. Man he's wow. He can really preach.

Oh but i just got to figure out how to make that next. Shekel. That's a problem. You see all right. Prophesy against the shepherds of israel. Son of man the word of yahweh came to me. Son of man. Prophesy against the shepherds of israel.

Now this is a word that seems out of place. Seems out of place. And let me do something really quick. Here we're going to do a word search in the scriptures. Okay rabbi if i do a word search for all of the bible and i look for the word rabbi.

Where's the first time it you know it shows up new testament. Is that interesting. That's interesting. According to the mosaic covenant who was tasked with the job of teaching israel god's word the priests.

More specifically it was actually the levites. Okay remember the 12 tribes of israel. You got 12 of them. One was set apart. One did not receive a land allotment. They did not receive a land inheritance.

And that was the levites. And in fact the the whole nation of israel from the other tribes had to pay a tithe for the purpose of redeeming them. You know basically as as part of this the whole rigmarole of them being set apart.

Well here's the thing. If you were if you were a levite what were the chances that your clan and your family will be called to do the priestly duties. If we're talking if you have hundreds of thousands of levites men they don't the chances that you would actually serve in the temple.

Minuscule very minuscule. So what were they with their primary task. Then they were tasked with teaching torah teaching the bible teaching the old testament to the people of israel. And they they were the ones responsible for setting up the synagogues and things like this.

But you'll note that the word rabbi does not appear here in the old testament. It's not. There weren't these itinerant rabbis and things like this running around at the time of ezekiel. Okay so here when we see prophesy against the shepherds of israel that sounds like god intended for the levites the men to be pastors overseers of their souls and things like this.

And they were. But my question is this how good of a job were they doing. You know if if israel ends up and judah ends up in exile because of idolatry. What. What's going on here. So i would note there's there's there's a a notable progression to heresy that i have noticed.

It's a repeating pattern. And um and unfortunately it's one you familiar with the concept of the law of diminishing returns. Is that it it never when things when the heretic is finally oh you're a heretic.

Things never go back to the way they were. It's a fascinating thing. So what happens is is that here the church is just trucking along and all of a sudden some someone shows up and says well you know we shouldn't believe in the doctrine of hell we don't need to believe in the virgin birth and things like this.

And it creates turmoil. And the church you know kind of spirals and goes downhill and stuff like this. And then by the time they sit there and go why were we even listening to that guy. Okay they don't go.

Wait we're all the way down here. We need to get back up here. This then becomes the new baseline and and so it's this whittling away effect that you see happening. And it's like one of the things i distinctly remember this early episodes of you go way back into our audio archives.

Or you know the back in the those days the seeker driven evangelical mega churches put some effort into making it appear that they were teaching biblical sermons. I can point you to mega churches now during the sermon the bible barely if at all makes an appearance.

It's crazy. And i just sit there and go. What has happened. So at the beginning of the whole mega church movement they still had congregational singing. Okay uh the worship praise worship time was really supposed to be congregational praise and worship time.

They still had that thing. I can point you to very very popular mega churches. Now there is no congregational the praise and worship time is basically a rock a rock and roll show and sure they might put the words up but who's singing along.

You can't even hear the congregation. So you know it's just this weird thing going on here. So so let's come back here. So the word of yahweh came to send a man prophesy against the shepherds of israel.

Why don't you prophesy. And even to the shepherds thus says the lord yahweh ah shepherds of israel who have been feeding yourselves. Oh that sounds like today. Okay. Okay but by the way just quick quiz here who are shepherds supposed to feed the sheep.

Sheep need. Sheep are stupid. Okay they're really dumb. Okay. And they take a lot of work. Okay i saw this one video i was scrolling through social media and this video pops up at random on my for you page.

And there's this sheep and it's stuck in a in a in a crack in the in the ground and this there's this guy there to rescue the sheep and he's working working but pull finally with a lot of effort pulls the sheep out puts it on the ground and the sheep goes bounding off and falls right into the same crack just 20 feet down the down farther.

It's like stupid sheep. Okay. Okay right right. I'm not saying you did that but anyway sheep have to be cared for. They have to be fed. They have to be sheared. Have you ever seen what happens to a sheep that hasn't been sheared.

Yeah it. It becomes really nappy and and and it it's a dangerous situation because they could overheat really quickly. Wool is a very good insulator. So you know they've got to be cared for. But false shepherds who are they in it for themselves.

Okay. This is a similar theme that we see by the way in the book of jude which is only one chapter long. Okay. Um jude half brother of jesus beloved. Although i was eager to write to you about our common salvation i found it necessary to write appealing to you to contend for the faith once for all delivered to the saints.

Well why do we need to contend for that. Well here's why certain people have crept in on notice who long ago were designated for this condemnation. They're ungodly people. They pervert the grace of our god into sensuality.

And they deny our only master and lord jesus christ. Now i want to remind you although i you once fully knew it that jesus who saved a people out of the land of egypt. What a great text that is jesus saved the people out the land of egypt.

Wouldn't jesus show up in exodus. He was one speaking from the burning bush. Right. Right. Jude affirms this. So afterward he destroyed those who did not believe. And the angels who did not stay within their own position of authority but left their proper dwelling.

He's kept in eternal chains under the gloomy darkness until the judgment of the great day. Just as sodom and gomorrah and the surrounding cities which likewise indulge in sexual immorality and pursued unnatural desire serve as an example by undergoing a punishment of eternal fire.

Yet in like manner these people these heretics they rely on their dreams huh. Rather than the word of god. Yeah. They defile the flesh. Oh yeah. They do reject authority. You betcha blaspheme the glorious ones.

And here's here's the funny thing. Okay i remember a few years back watching ken copeland. And you know this is before the whole covid19 thing. And uh you know he was he was he decided he was. He says we need to pray against the spirit that is trying to attack this part of the country.

And and and so. And evan is like all right. I'm waiting to hear copeland pray. And he he starts off with satan. I rebuke you. It's like that's not a prayer. It's like you know. And it's like have you heard these people talk this way.

All right. This is exactly what judas is talking against. Is okay. These people they blaspheme the glorious ones. But when they might. When the archangel michael contending with the devil was disputing about the body of moses he didn't presume to pronounce a blasphemous judgment.

But he said the lord rebuke you. But these people they blaspheme all that they do not understand. And they are destroyed all the day like unreasoning animals understand instinctively. Show me a false teacher.

And i'll show somebody. Show you somebody who follows their their heart follows their instinct. Right. Woe to them. They walk in the way of cain. They've abandoned themselves for the sake of gain the balams there.

They've perished in cora's rebellion. These are hidden reefs at your love's feast. They feast with you without fear. Shepherds feeding themselves. Ha has anything changed. There's nothing new under the sun.

They are waterless clouds swept along by winds fruitless trees and laid on twice dead uprooted wild waves of the sea casting up the foam of their own shame wandering stars for whom the gloom of utter darkness has been reserved forever you know.

So i would note i there have been two major spectacular falls in evangelical world in the last half a year. A little more than that. Mike bickle of international house of prayer. What did he do. Uh it involved a 14 year old girl.

Okay. And then robert morris gateway church largest church in america. What did he do. Well it involved a 12 year old girl. Right. And the church says oh if we can't put up with this they gotta go. And i would point out excuse me i've been saying for years these guys have got to go.

And they're bad because we actually listened to their words and to their preaching and compared it to god's word and found these guys aren't teaching the truth. Isn't that how this goes. So you guys are like you're like decades.

If you'd gotten rid of bickle when he started teaching false doctrine we would have never had the embarrassing bit about him him with a 14 year old coming to light and all these people going. Oh my goodness my whole faith is being rocked because mike bickle is the most popular charismatic in the whole world.

Not anymore. If he had. What. Yeah. Yeah. And this is an argument for stoning. Okay. That ain't gonna happen in the states. I'm just saying okay. But anyway you get the idea. So coming back to our text you'll note that.

The Good Shepherd, John 9–10, and Ezekiel 34

Okay all the way back in ezekiel's time same problem. Okay. And by the way if you have a shepherd who's feeding himself is that shepherd going to rightly teach god's word. Is he going to call you to repentance.

Is he. No none of these stuff. Here's the reason why is because the shepherd who's into feeding only himself he cares about one thing money fame power. Preaching the actual word of god is no way to become popular.

It don't work that way. It just doesn't work that way. Okay. You want to have the broadest appeal so that you can bring in the most money have the most influence and the most power. Here's what you got to do with god's word.

You take a large amount of this and you take god's word and you dilute it. Right. If this was alcohol they call it cutting. Okay. You got to cut the alcohol. Okay. But you're gonna note sound churches where pastors are supposed to be doing what they're doing.

They're giving you the biblical equivalent of everclear. Okay that that stuff is too unproof. Okay. I don't recommend drinking that for any reason whatsoever. It's just it's might as well drink lighter fluid.

I mean good grief. It's horrifying stuff. Okay. So thus says the lord yahweh ah the shepherds of israel who've been feeding yourselves should not shepherds feed the sheep. Oh there's god being all logical.

And stuff again. Isn't that what shepherds do. You eat the fat. You clothe yourselves with the wool. You slaughter the fat ones. But you do not feed the sheep. Which makes it makes the question how did they get fat in the first place.

Okay. The weak you have not strengthened the sick you have not healed the injured you have not bound up the strayed. You have not brought back the lost you have not sought. And with force and harshness you have ruled them.

Have any of you ever been to a church where if you asked a question you were this close to having a restraining order issued against you. Okay i i've. I've talked to many a person who's had restraining orders issued against them.

And what did they do. They started asking questions. How come you said this. And the bible says that. And you how do you explain that contradiction. You know. Oh you are under the influence of a jezebel spirit.

You know. You have a religious spirit there brother. And i doubt you're my brother. You know you keep this up you. You're. You're just too biblically minded. You're. You got too much head knowledge and not enough heart knowledge.

You know. Just you know. Oh yeah i i think of perry noble. You know perry noble sitting there going he he he is a more stronger term than this. He says the jackball in the church is the one who always says he wants to go deeper.

That's not the phrase he used. And you know. And he says deep. He says you know. Let's see how deep you are. Let's take a look at your tithing record. And basically said if you want more word of god then you're gonna have to give me more money and be more consistent in your tithing talk about harsh harsh.

Right. It's like that that that isn't borderline abusive. That's straight up abuse. And he was teaching other pastors to do the same. How many books have you written. Yeah. How many new york times bestsellers have you faked.

You're not really a true mega church pastor. Until you've done that. So let's see. You've you've you've. You've forced them with harshness. You've ruled them. So they were scattered because there was no shepherd.

They became food for all the wild beasts. My sheep were scattered. They wandered over all the mountains on every hill on high hill. My sheep were scattered over all the face of the earth with none to search or to see for them.

Therefore you shepherds hear the word of yahweh. This is gonna be fun. It's not gonna be good for shepherds as i live declares the lord yahweh. Surely because my sheep have become a prey and my sheep have become food for all the wild beasts since there was no shepherd.

And because my shepherds have not searched for my sheep but the sheep have fed themselves and have not fed my and they have not fed my sheep. Therefore you shepherds hear the word of yahweh. Thus says the lord yahweh behold i am against the shepherds.

I will require my sheep at their hand and put a stop to their feeding to their feeding the sheep. No longer shall the shepherds feed themselves. I will rescue my sheep from their mouths that they may not be food for them.

God Himself Will Search for His Scattered Sheep

Uh-oh for thus says lord yahweh behold i i myself will search for my sheep. And i will seek them out as a shepherd seeks out his flock when he is among his sheep that have been scattered. So will i seek out my sheep.

I will rescue them from all places where they have been scattered on a day of clouds and thick darkness. All right. Whenever we see those words what are we talking about. Day of judgment. Okay. I will bring them out from the peoples gather them from the countries and will bring them into their own land.

I will feed them on the mountains of israel by the ravines and in all the inhabited places of the country. So note here what's happening is is that god has issued a warning of judgment against the shepherds who feed themselves.

And now he's going to contrast himself with these these shepherds who care only about themselves. I'm going to go and seek for these lost sheep. I'm going to find them. I'm going to gather them on the day of judgment.

I'm going to bring them into the new earth. I am myself. I'm going to feed them. And rather than the abuse and the neglect and the manipulation and the control and the and the exploitation i'm going to feed them care for them.

And they're gonna have everything that you didn't give them. And god acting in this way christ acting in this way is being spoken of by ezekiel as an act of judgment against the actions of the false shepherds.

Do you remember when we were under pastor smith. And man that guy all he ever did was beat us up and tear us down and take advantage of us. All we ever heard from him sunday after sunday is how we're not given enough and we need to be tithing and right.

Well pastor smith's in hell. And christ is now treating his sheep the way they should have been treated all along. And here's the implication. Then every single pastor called to care for christ's sheep.

Y 'all are christ's sheep. You're not mine. Okay. Um we're under shepherds under the good shepherd. And any pastor who does not behave and treat you and feed you and care for you the way christ does get rid of him.

Just just get rid of him he needs he can go sell insurance. Okay. Maybe he can pick fruit or something you know drive a sugar beet truck. I'd anything other than being a pastor. Okay. That's kind of the point.

So the the fact that god says i'm going to do these things gives you the oh wow all this stuff that we haven't been receiving. This is what this is what we're going to receive. And we should be receiving that already.

Okay. Because this is a spoken of judgment against the false shepherds. I'll bring them out from the peoples gather them from the countries. I'll bring them into their own land. I will feed them on the mountains of israel by the ravines and in the inhabited places of the country.

I will feed them with good pasture. And on the mountain heights of israel shall be their grazing land. There they shall lie down rest in good grazing land and on rich pasture. They shall feed on the mountains of israel.

I myself will be the shepherd of my sheep. I myself will make them lie down declares the lord yahweh. I will seek the lost. I will bring back the strayed. I will bind up the injured. I will strengthen the weak and the fat and the strong i will destroy.

I will feed them injustice. And as for you my flock. Thus says lord yahweh behold i judge between sheep and sheep. Oh the judgment gets a little interesting now between rams and male goats. Is it not enough for you to feed on the good pasture.

That you must tread down with your feet the rest of your pasture and drink of the clear water. That you must muddy the rest of the water with your feet. So this is a warning against how sheep treat each other.

Okay. I've noticed that sheep bite. I've noticed that too. And you're going to note that sheep have a tendency to bite and devour each other. Beware. Okay. Beware. You know i i feel bad for anybody named karen today.

Because that that name has that has been sullied. I i think that it'll be a long time before anyone will name their daughters karen in the upcoming generations. But um we we all if i say to you you all know what a karen is.

Right. Okay church karens are the worst karens. Okay. Holy smoke. You're sitting in my pew. Oh i'm sorry. Um you know. And uh just yeah i'm. And this is this is what. And what. What's the male version of a karen.

Uh there's a name that i forget the name. The male version for the name of. Yeah there's also male karens. But that doesn't sound right. Because that makes them sound transgendered. Um no chad chad chad.

No that wouldn't be chad. Brad brad brad. Okay. Okay. So you don't want to be brad. Okay. If that if we'll have to fact check you later. But the idea then is these are people. They they they mistreat other sheep.

We're supposed to love each other. We're supposed to care for each other. We're supposed to have each other's back. Okay. But church karens and church brads. They no not interested in that at all. Okay.

And must my sheep eat what you've trodden with your feet and drink what you've muddied with your feet. You take for yourself and then you just ruin it for everybody else. Therefore thus says the lord yahweh to them behold i myself will judge between the fat sheep and the lean sheep.

Because you push with side and shoulder and thrust at all the weak with their horns till you've scattered them abroad. I will rescue my flock. They will no longer be a prey. I will judge between sheep and sheep.

And i will set up over them one shepherd my servant david. And he shall feed them. He shall feed them and be their shepherd. And i yahweh will be their god and my servant david shall be prince among them.

I am yahweh. I have spoken. What a great text right huh. So who's this servant david. Guy jesus. Right now let's let's take a look at a cross reference. Because christ invokes this very language. I'm gonna go with good shepherd.

And there we go. John 10 okay. John 10 oh crying out loud all. Right. John 10 truly truly i say to you he who does not enter the sheepfold by the door but climbs in by another way that man is a thief and a robber says jesus.

But he who enters by the door is the shepherd of the sheep to him. The gatekeeper opens the sheep hear his voice and he calls his own sheep by name and leads them out. Now i would note here this is the beginning of the gospel text for what we call good shepherd.

Sunday. And what's my big complaint about this text. What are the three rules that sound biblical exegesis. Context context context. Right. Jesus says truly truly i say to you he who does not enter the sheepfold by the door but climbs in another way that man is a thief and the robber.

Who's the he who climbed in false teachers. And we know this from the context. So i always as personal it's like a personal thing. I like to preach the full context of the story. The full context begins in chapter nine verse one and it it's such a great text that you can kind of see it.

And this this fits perfectly what we're seeing here these false shepherds these bad shepherds. They they abuse the sheep. They mistreat them. They they take and then they solely the rest of the nobody else can receive.

There's this completely selfish minded people. Well the context of jesus using the words i am the good shepherd is in the context of the healing of the man who was born blind. John 9 -1 as jesus passed by he saw a man blind from birth and his disciples asked him rabbi who sinned this man or his parents.

That he was born blind. Where did they get that question. Pharisees who who who was teaching that people born blind that it was because their parents had sinned or something. It's very. And it's not talking about sin in general.

It's the pharisees. Yeah i have to get ahead of it but it's kind of illustrated in chapter 10 when they say to the blind man um you were entirely born in sin and you're going to teach us yeah.

You're going to see that. Yep. Yep. Exactly. So the the disciples are taking up a question that isn't talking about the doctrine of original sin. You know why. Why are people born blind. Why are people born with you know with all kinds of problems.

Right. They're they're born with down syndrome and other things missing limbs and stuff like that answer in general we're talking about sin in general because this is a consequence of the fall. But the pharisees would take that general consequence and say no.

It was a specific sin. It was a specific thing. That was. You know their parents. They they they didn't tithe and so god caused them to have a child born blind. It was at one sunday i mean saturday for them.