Ezekiel 34 - ESV - Bible Reading / Study Notes

Ezekiel 34

Prophecy Against the Shepherds of Israel

34:1 The word of the LORD came to me: 2 “Son of man, prophesy against the shepherds of Israel; prophesy, and say to them, even to the shepherds, Thus says the Lord GOD: Ah, shepherds of Israel who have been feeding yourselves! Should not shepherds feed the sheep? 3 You eat the fat, you clothe yourselves with the wool, you slaughter the fat ones, but you do not feed the sheep. 4 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. 5 So they were scattered, because there was no shepherd, and they became food for all the wild beasts. My sheep were scattered; 6 they wandered over all the mountains and on every high hill. My sheep were scattered over all the face of the earth, with none to search or seek for them.

7 “Therefore, you shepherds, hear the word of the LORD: 8 As I live, declares the Lord GOD, 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 shepherds have fed themselves, and have not fed my sheep, 9 therefore, you shepherds, hear the word of the LORD: 10 Thus says the Lord GOD, Behold, I am against the shepherds, and I will require my sheep at their hand and put a stop 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.

The Lord God Will Seek Them Out

11 “For thus says the Lord GOD: Behold, I, I myself will search for my sheep and will seek them out. 12 As a shepherd seeks out his flock when he is among his sheep that have been scattered, so will I seek out my sheep, and I will rescue them from all places where they have been scattered on a day of clouds and thick darkness. 13 And I will bring them out from the peoples and gather them from the countries, and will bring them into their own land. And I will feed them on the mountains of Israel, by the ravines, and in all the inhabited places of the country. 14 I will feed them with good pasture, and on the mountain heights of Israel shall be their grazing land. There they shall lie down in good grazing land, and on rich pasture they shall feed on the mountains of Israel. 15 I myself will be the shepherd of my sheep, and I myself will make them lie down, declares the Lord GOD. 16 I will seek the lost, and I will bring back the strayed, and I will bind up the injured, and I will strengthen the weak, and the fat and the strong I will destroy.¹ I will feed them in justice.

17 “As for you, my flock, thus says the Lord GOD: Behold, I judge between sheep and sheep, between rams and male goats. 18 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 to drink of clear water, that you must muddy the rest of the water with your feet? 19 And must my sheep eat what you have trodden with your feet, and drink what you have muddied with your feet?

20 “Therefore, thus says the Lord GOD to them: Behold, I, I myself will judge between the fat sheep and the lean sheep. 21 Because you push with side and shoulder, and thrust at all the weak with your horns, till you have scattered them abroad, 22 I will rescue² my flock; they shall no longer be a prey. And I will judge between sheep and sheep. 23 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. 24 And I, the LORD, will be their God, and my servant David shall be prince among them. I am the LORD; I have spoken.

The Lord’s Covenant of Peace

25 “I will make with them a covenant of peace and banish wild beasts from the land, so that they may dwell securely in the wilderness and sleep in the woods. 26 And I will make them and the places all around my hill a blessing, and I will send down the showers in their season; they shall be showers of blessing. 27 And the trees of the field shall yield their fruit, and the earth shall yield its increase, and they shall be secure in their land. And they shall know that I am the LORD, when I break the bars of their yoke, and deliver them from the hand of those who enslaved them. 28 They shall no more be a prey to the nations, nor shall the beasts of the land devour them. They shall dwell securely, and none shall make them afraid. 29 And I will provide for them renowned plantations so that they shall no more be consumed with hunger in the land, and no longer suffer the reproach of the nations. 30 And they shall know that I am the LORD their God with them, and that they, the house of Israel, are my people, declares the Lord GOD. 31 And you are my sheep, human sheep of my pasture, and I am your God, declares the Lord GOD.”

Footnotes

[1] 34:16 Septuagint, Syriac, Vulgate I will watch over
[2] 34:22 Or save

Commentary

v1-4: A reminder of leaders' responsibilities; and Ezekiel's words "against" the shepherds of Israel.

They had neglected their responsibilities;

to feed the flock;
to strengthen the weak;
to heal the sick;
to bind up the broken;
to bring back what was driven away;
to seek the lost;

Not only had they failed to fulfil these things, but they had ruled with harshness and cruelty. The word is used in Deut 22.24, describing rape; and in Judg 8.1, where the Ephraimites criticised Gideon "sharply."

A significant proportion of the work of the shepherd is to care for the needy; weak, or sick, or broken; and this is true in a spiritual sense also. The leader, or prospective leader, must appreciate that many struggle.

Ezekiel criticises selfish shepherds, committed to feeding themselves, not the flock of God. The Nigerian Proverb reads; ‘A shepherd does not strike his sheep.’ The leaders in Israel had failed in this specific respect.

v5-6: The effect was that the sheep were scattered, wandering aimlessly, with no-one to care for them, leaving them vulnerable to wild animals. The children of Israel had been scattered throughout the world.

v7-10: The shepherds are held responsible for their wrong doing. The flock is rescued from the shepherds; this statement is quite ironic, given that shepherds are supposed to care for their flock.

v11-15: The true shepherd, pointing us to Jesus Christ;

I will search for, look after my sheep; Mark 10.45;
I will rescue them; Col 1.13;
I will gather them; Eph 1.10;
I will pasture, tend them; John 6.35.

Here is the good shepherd, caring for His own, John 10.13-14. His promise is that He will bring them out from there, and bring them into the land, as in Deut 6.23. It is significat that Jehovah God in the OT is clearly the same as Jesus Christ in the NT.

v16: The sleek and the strong are destroyed, not because they are sleek and strong, but because they are selfish and greedy, taking the best, and ruining the rest.

The good shepherd, in binding up the injured and strengthening the weak, does what the false shepherds fail to do.

Whilst we might find it easy to criticise those leaders who fall short, our responsibility is to lead in the character and spirit of Jesus Christ.

v17-19: The Lord will judge His flock, separating one from another. In appearance each looks much the same, but in attitude, there is great difference. He sees those who feed on good pasture, keeping the good from others, drinking clear water, and muddying the water for others. God uses rhetorical questions, powerfully exposing the sins of the leaders.

v20-22: The Lord will judge, making a distinction, saving a flock for Himself, His flock. The later verses explain wider blessings that would fall on Israel.

v23-24: One shepherd, David amongst them.

v25-29: The land of safety, rid of wild beasts. Blessings around "my hill," speaking of Jerusalem; reflected in Acts 3.19, "times of refreshing." The land will once more be fruitful (Ps 85.12). They will be safe from the other nations, "wild animals." They will no longer suffer in other lands.

v30-31: My people, my flock; one day these things will be fulfilled. The Lord's eternal claim upon Israel will be seen universally. These glorious promises motivate the people to passionately seek God. Future blessings fire us to present devotion.