Ezekiel 34

 Ezekiel 34

Prophecy Against the Evil Shepherds 

Verses 1-10 Then the word of the LORD came to me saying, 2 “Son of man, prophesy against the shepherds of Israel. Prophesy and say to those shepherds, ‘Thus says the Lord GOD, “Woe, shepherds of Israel who have been feeding themselves! Should not the shepherds feed the flock? 3 “You eat the fat and clothe yourselves with the wool, you slaughter the fat sheep without feeding the flock. 4 “Those who are sickly you have not strengthened, the diseased you have not healed, the broken you have not bound up, the scattered you have not brought back, nor have you sought for the lost; but with force and with severity you have dominated them. 5 “They were scattered for lack of a shepherd, and they became food for every beast of the field and were scattered. 6 “My flock wandered through all the mountains and on every high hill; My flock was scattered over all the surface of the earth, and there was no one 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 flock has become a prey, My flock has even become food for all the beasts of the field for lack of a shepherd, and My shepherds did not search for My flock, but rather the shepherds fed themselves and did not feed My flock; 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 demand My sheep from them and make them cease from feeding sheep. So the shepherds will not feed themselves anymore, but I will deliver My flock from their mouth, so that they will not be food for them.”’” 

God is very disappointed with the spiritual leaders of Israel. I guess even more than disappointment, He’s angry.   Israel’s leaders, (spiritual and otherwise) had been taking care of their own physical needs and disregarding their flock’s needs (spiritual and physical).  They were bilking the people and lining their own pockets. 

Matthew 23:1-12  Then Jesus spoke to the crowds and to His disciples, 2 saying: “The scribes and the Pharisees have seated themselves in the chair of Moses; 3 therefore all that they tell you, do and observe, but do not do according to their deeds; for they say things and do not do them. 4 “They tie up heavy burdens and lay them on men’s shoulders, but they themselves are unwilling to move them with so much as a finger. 5 “But they do all their deeds to be noticed by men; for they broaden their phylacteries and lengthen the tassels of their garments. 6 “They love the place of honor at banquets and the chief seats in the synagogues, 7 and respectful greetings in the market places, and being called Rabbi by men. 8 “But do not be called Rabbi; for One is your Teacher, and you are all brothers. 9 “Do not call anyone on earth your father; for One is your Father, He who is in heaven. 10 “Do not be called leaders; for One is your Leader, that is, Christ. 11 “But the greatest among you shall be your servant. 12 “Whoever exalts himself shall be humbled; and whoever humbles himself shall be exalted.

It was not new for Israel’s spiritual leadership to put their needs ahead of the peoples.

1 Samuel 1:9  Then Hannah rose after eating and drinking in Shiloh. Now Eli the priest was sitting on the seat by the doorpost of the temple of the LORD.

1 Samuel 2:22-24  Now Eli was very old; and he heard all that his sons were doing to all Israel, and how they lay with the women who served at the doorway of the tent of meeting. 23 He said to them, “Why do you do such things, the evil things that I hear from all these people? 24 “No, my sons; for the report is not good which I hear the LORD’S people circulating.

1 Samuel 4:17-18  Then the one who brought the news replied, “Israel has fled before the Philistines and there has also been a great slaughter among the people, and your two sons also, Hophni and Phinehas, are dead, and the ark of God has been taken.” 18 When he mentioned the ark of God, Eli fell off the seat backward beside the gate, and his neck was broken and he died, for he was old and heavy. Thus he judged Israel for forty years.

We’re given a bunch of things that the spiritual leaders should have been doing:

• Strengthening the weak

Matthew 11:28-30  “Come to Me, all who are weary and heavy-laden, and I will give you rest. 29 “Take My yoke upon you and learn from Me, for I am gentle and humble in heart, and YOU WILL FIND REST FOR YOUR SOULS. 30 “For My yoke is easy and My burden is light.”

• Healing the sick 

Matthew 4:23-24 Jesus was going throughout all Galilee, teaching in their synagogues and proclaiming the gospel of the kingdom, and healing every kind of disease and every kind of sickness among the people. 24 The news about Him spread throughout all Syria; and they brought to Him all who were ill, those suffering with various diseases and pains, demoniacs, epileptics, paralytics; and He healed them.

• Seeking the lost

Luke 19:1-10  He entered Jericho and was passing through. 2 And there was a man called by the name of Zaccheus; he was a chief tax collector and he was rich. 3 Zaccheus was trying to see who Jesus was, and was unable because of the crowd, for he was small in stature. 4 So he ran on ahead and climbed up into a sycamore tree in order to see Him, for He was about to pass through that way. 5 When Jesus came to the place, He looked up and said to him, “Zaccheus, hurry and come down, for today I must stay at your house.” 6 And he hurried and came down and received Him gladly. 7 When they saw it, they all began to grumble, saying, “He has gone to be the guest of a man who is a sinner.” 8 Zaccheus stopped and said to the Lord, “Behold, Lord, half of my possessions I will give to the poor, and if I have defrauded anyone of anything, I will give back four times as much.” 9 And Jesus said to him, “Today salvation has come to this house, because he, too, is a son of Abraham. 10 “For the Son of Man has come to seek and to save that which was lost.”

• Protecting the flock

John 10:10-11 “The thief comes only to steal and kill and destroy; I came that [you] may have life, and have it abundantly. “I am the good shepherd; the good shepherd lays down His life for the sheep.

What these leaders were doing was “ruling with force and cruelty”.  What was the result of this type of leadership? The people were scattered.

We have this same thing going on today.  People use Christian ministry as a means of financial gain.  It still goes on; we’ve all seen it.  So and so has a healing ministry.  You attend their revival or conference and they take how many offerings?  Or they just dispense with the formalities of offerings and charge for tickets.  All the while they are flying in their personal Lear Jets and staying in the best hotel.  How many people’s faith has been shipwrecked because either the healing never came or scandal followed the charlatan.

How should things work ideally?

1 Peter 5:1-4  Therefore, I exhort the elders among you, as your fellow elder and witness of the sufferings of Christ, and a partaker also of the glory that is to be revealed, 2 shepherd the flock of God among you, exercising oversight not under compulsion, but voluntarily, according to the will of God; and not for sordid gain, but with eagerness; 3 nor yet as lording it over those allotted to your charge, but proving to be examples to the flock. 4 And when the Chief Shepherd appears, you will receive the unfading crown of glory.

The Restoration of Israel (the Good Shepherd)

Verse 11-13 For thus says the Lord GOD, “Behold, I Myself will search for My sheep and seek them out. 12 “As a shepherd cares for his herd in the day when he is among his scattered sheep, so I will care for My sheep and will deliver them from all the places to which they were scattered on a cloudy and gloomy day. 13 “I will bring them out from the peoples and gather them from the countries and bring them to their own land; and I will feed them on the mountains of Israel, by the streams, and in all the inhabited places of the land. 

This was initially fulfilled when the Persian king Cyrus decreed that the Jews could return from Babylon in 538/537 BC.   It was also partially fulfilled on May 14, 1948.  This will be completely 100% fulfilled when Jesus returns to set up His Millennial Kingdom.

Verse 14 “I will feed them in a good pasture, and their grazing ground will be on the mountain heights of Israel. There they will lie down on good grazing ground and feed in rich pasture on the mountains of Israel. 

The main thing this verse is about is the spiritual nourishment of the people of Israel and how they will be completely provided for on that day, but there is another way this is being fulfilled in Israel today.  Israel has about 2,100 commercial sheep breeders and about 1,600 private breeders with small flocks of sheep for self-consumption.   Most of these private flocks belong to Bedouins and Arabs. In the year (2019), a total of about 580,000 sheep were vaccinated. An average commercial herd numbers about 330 head. Most of the flocks are raised in fully fed sheds (food is served), and about 200 herds graze, mostly sheep; some goats.

Verse 15 “I will feed My flock and I will lead them to rest,” declares the Lord GOD. 

There was a song that we used to sing back in the day very similar to this verse, but based on Isaiah chapter 40 verse 11

Isaiah 40:11  Like a shepherd He will tend His flock, In His arm He will gather the lambs And carry them in His bosom; He will gently lead the nursing ewes.

Psalm 23:1-6  A Psalm of David. The LORD is my shepherd, I shall not want. 2 He makes me lie down in green pastures; He leads me beside quiet waters. 3 He restores my soul; He guides me in the paths of righteousness For His name’s sake. 4 Even though I walk through the valley of the shadow of death, I fear no evil, for You are with me; Your rod and Your staff, they comfort me. 5 You prepare a table before me in the presence of my enemies; You have anointed my head with oil; My cup overflows. 6 Surely goodness and lovingkindness will follow me all the days of my life, And I will dwell in the house of the LORD forever.

There was a book from the 70’s called “a shepherd’s look at the 23 psalm”.   I can tell you from my experience living in an area of California called “The Inland Empire”, about 75 miles east of Los Angeles about shepherds and sheep. Shepherds had trailers that they would literally live in the fields with their sheep.   Those sheep attracted predators (like coyotes).

Verse 16-23 “I will seek the lost, bring back the scattered, bind up the broken and strengthen the sick; but the fat and the strong I will destroy. I will feed them with judgment. 17 “As for you, My flock, thus says the Lord GOD, ‘Behold, I will judge between one sheep and another, between the rams and the male goats. 18 ‘Is it too slight a thing for you that you should feed in the good pasture, that you must tread down with your feet the rest of your pastures? Or that you should drink of the clear waters, that you must foul the rest with your feet? 19 ‘As for My flock, they must eat what you tread down with your feet and drink what you foul with your feet!’” 20 Therefore, thus says the Lord GOD to them, “Behold, I, even I, will judge between the fat sheep and the lean sheep. 21 “Because you push with side and with shoulder, and thrust at all the weak with your horns until you have scattered them abroad, 22 therefore, I will deliver My flock, and they will no longer be a prey; and I will judge between one sheep and another. 23 “Then I will set over them one shepherd, My servant David, and he will feed them; he will feed them himself and be their shepherd. 

God Himself will feed the children of Israel.

Jesus did seek the lost and bring back the scattered.

Matthew 9:36 Seeing the people, He felt compassion for them, because they were distressed and dispirited like sheep without a shepherd.

God will bind up the broken and strengthen the sick, and yet, the people tread underfoot the good pasture that the Lord provided.  More than that, the people foul the pure water of the Word of God that the Lord provided.

God will judge between sheep and goats. And what will the judgement between the sheep and the goats look like according to Matthew 

Matthew 25:31-34 "But when the Son of Man comes in His glory, and all the angels with Him, then He will sit on His glorious throne. 32 "All the nations will be gathered before Him; and He will separate them from one another, as the shepherd separates the sheep from the goats; 33 and He will put the sheep on His right, and the goats on the left. 34 "Then the King will say to those on His right, 'Come, you who are blessed of My Father, inherit the kingdom prepared for you from the foundation of the world. 

Verse 24 “And I, the LORD, will be their God, and My servant David will be prince among them; I the LORD have spoken. 

What is the plain reading of this verse?  Does it mean what it says?   I say yes.   David himself will be a prince (ruler) during this time of the Millennium.

Verse 25-31 “I will make a covenant of peace with them and eliminate harmful beasts from the land so that they may live securely in the wilderness and sleep in the woods. 26 “I will make them and the places around My hill a blessing. And I will cause showers to come down in their season; they will be showers of blessing. 27 “Also the tree of the field will yield its fruit and the earth will yield its increase, and they will be secure on their land. Then they will know that I am the LORD, when I have broken the bars of their yoke and have delivered them from the hand of those who enslaved them. 28 “They will no longer be a prey to the nations, and the beasts of the earth will not devour them; but they will live securely, and no one will make them afraid. 29 “I will establish for them a renowned planting place, and they will not again be victims of famine in the land, and they will not endure the insults of the nations anymore. 30 “Then they will know that I, the LORD their God, am with them, and that they, the house of Israel, are My people,” declares the Lord GOD. 31 “As for you, My sheep, the sheep of My pasture, you are men, and I am your God,” declares the Lord GOD.

You can see how the jewish people will be tricked because they’re looking forward to a peace deal; a covenant to be confirmed. They will be tricked by the antichrist . 

During the millennium we have this description of peace and blessing and produce of fruit and the beautiful showers of blessing.   No harmful beasts (spiders, snakes, mountain lions, bears, crocodiles, alligators, sharks, etc.)    Deliverance of slaves.   This abundance of food.   This time of safety, security and protection.   “They will not endure insults of the nations anymore”.    Have you noticed how the Jewish people are some of the most insulted ethnicities throughout history?    No more insults directed at the chosen Jewish people.  All of this is to point to the fact that God is good and God is for the Jewish people.

WE WILL REAP THE BENEFITS OF ALL THIS!!!!