Ezekiel 34:2, 4, 8, 10, 16 NIV “Son of man, prophesy against the shepherds of Israel; prophesy and say to them: ‘This is what the Sovereign Lord says: Woe to you shepherds of Israel who only take care of yourselves! Should not shepherds take care of the flock? You have not strengthened the weak or healed the sick or bound up the injured. You have not brought back the strays or searched for the lost. You have ruled them harshly and brutally. As surely as I live, declares the Sovereign Lord, because my flock lacks a shepherd and so has been plundered and has become food for all the wild animals, and because my shepherds did not search for my flock but cared for themselves rather than for my flock, This is what the Sovereign Lord says: I am against the shepherds and will hold them accountable for my flock. I will remove them from tending the flock so that the shepherds can no longer feed themselves. I will rescue my flock from their mouths, and it will no longer be food for them. I will search for the lost and bring back the strays. I will bind up the injured and strengthen the weak, but the sleek and the strong I will destroy. I will shepherd the flock with justice.” https://bible.com/bible/111/ezk.34.2-16.NIV
The Christian business owner is the shepherd of the city sheep. The failure of this group to perform their duty is the explanation for the poverty our cities are experiencing. This is the reality for the Christian, who is the priest of God wherever he lives. As a priest of God, he is a shepherd of God’s for seeking the lost and caring for the saved. This responsibility doesn’t belong to one group of people, like the Levites under the Old Covenant, but to all Christians under the New Covenant in which Christians are operating. Therefore, Christian business owners are especially liable for having people under their care to influence more and more in the ways of God, and they are the leaders of the cities for influencing more and more in the ways of God. Failure to impact the city is to take but not give. It is to leave the sheep for plunder to the evil ways of society that are normal unless we are born again of the Spirit. The Christian businessman is to shepherd his company and his community. He is to care for and encourage his employees, customers, and vendors toward obedience to Jesus as well as the city leaders when he takes his place in their meetings, and they seek his input for their objectives. The Kingdom of God is always the primary building objective on earth, as it is in heaven by the Christian businessman. To whom much is given, much will be required, and the Christian businessman has been given much in order to influence many toward obedience to everything Jesus commands. Christian business owners must embrace this role lest our societies continue to crumble, but know for certain God will hold them accountable for their efforts toward making cities whole and healthy through influencing everyone toward obedience to Jesus.
