Jeremiah 13:20
Lift up your eyes, and behold them that come from the north: where is the flock that was given thee, thy beautiful flock? Lift up your eyes, and behold them that come from the north: where is the flock that was given thee, thy beautiful flock?
To lift up the eyes toward those coming from the north is to face approaching judgment when the flock is carried away captive, and the question where is the flock is Christ the Chief Shepherd demanding a strict account for souls entrusted to each keeper. The flock given thee, thy beautiful flock, is God's own precious people committed as a sacred trust, especially the children and youth as the younger members of His family entrusted to parents and teachers and to the church school. That flock is lost through backsliding and rejecting light, when pride and harmful influences and leaders who turn people from truth draw them away from God. Neglect of those entrusted brings punishment and condemnation as if for doing evil, while those found faithful in their ministry will meet the reckoning with joy and receive a rich reward when the Chief Shepherd appears. Parents must train their little flock from infancy to serve God by instruction and example in home life, forming obedience and godly character and keeping of His commandments, in order to guard them and present them to God prepared for heaven and eternal life rather than leaving them to drift into the world. Teachers and shepherds of students and youth must faithfully feed, guide, and oversee Christ's purchased possession rather than deal harshly or corrupt them by defiling practices and sinful lust, for which they are responsible.
Accountability for Entrusted Flock
To lift up the eyes toward those coming from the north is to face approaching judgment when the entrusted flock is carried away captive. The keeper is summoned to look at what is coming and to answer for the flock placed in care, for the loss of God's people under backsliding and rejection of light is a lament over leaders whose pride and refusal of warning turned them from truth. That sorrowful demand applies to the church, whose leaders and members must consider what has become of those drawn away from Him by harmful influences, and to religious teachers who corrupt the young instead of guarding and feeding them.
The flock given to the keeper, the beautiful flock, is God's own precious people committed as a sacred trust to be faithfully tended. They are souls placed in charge, and in its particular applications children and youth are the Lord's flock and Christ's purchased possession entrusted to parents, teachers, and the church school for care and instruction. A shepherd who leads the young into corruption is held responsible for harming that beautiful trust.
The question where is the flock is the Chief Shepherd demanding a strict account from each keeper for souls entrusted, especially people in need of help and in need of the knowledge of Christ. The Lord calls teachers and parents to answer for how they have cared for children and youth as His flock, and the same reckoning extends to everyone for those committed to them. Neglect of those needing help will bring a reckoning when He asks where they are and what answer will be given under punishment.
The flock is lost through backsliding and rejecting light, when pride, refusal of warning, harmful influences, and leaders who turn people from truth draw them away from God. Its being carried away captive is punishment for that unfaithfulness, and the question over its whereabouts mourns the harm done by those responsible to guide.
Neglect of those entrusted brings punishment and judgment as surely as doing evil, for failing to work for perishing souls draws the same condemnation. The Master will put this question to every shepherd when all render a strict account of ministry for the beautiful flock in their care. Those found faithful in that trust will meet the reckoning with joy and receive a rich reward when the Chief Shepherd appears.
Charge to Parents and Teachers
The beautiful flock is the children and youth, the younger members of God's family entrusted to parents and teachers and to the church school. To ask where the flock is is to call those keepers to strict account for how they have cared for those placed in their charge. The little flock in a parent's keeping is to be trained to serve God and helped to share in eternal life, for which answer must be given at the judgment. That care looks to educating them faithfully so they can be presented to God prepared for heaven.
Parents are to begin in infancy to teach their children to keep God's commandments, to obey, and to form characters like the divine character. This is done by teaching God's words through both instruction and example in home life, including the children in religious life and training them in divine truth and godly character to serve Christ. It is a sacred duty that cannot be handed over to day-school or Sabbath-school teachers. Leaving children to drift into the world makes them unfit for heaven and for eternal life, while the aim is to guard and educate them so they are fit to be presented to God.
Teachers and shepherds of students and youth are likewise held to account by Christ the Chief Shepherd for the flock entrusted to them. They must feed, guide, oversee and care for those in their charge as Christ's purchased possession and precious people. They must not deal harshly with the flock nor treat minor, careless rule-breaking with inflexible severity that can turn the vulnerable aside. Still more are they responsible if instead of guarding the young they corrupt them, destroying modesty, leading into sin and defiling practices through sinful lust, for the finest members of God's flock must not be so harmed.