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  2. Wed: 2 Samuel 1-6
  3. Thu: Galatians 4-6
Friday · Week 18
The Later Prophets

Ezekiel 34-35

Week 18 · about 9 min
  1. Sat: Psalms 37-41
  2. Sun: Exodus 29-30
  3. Mon: Mark 14-16

God condemns Israel’s leaders and promises to shepherd his people himself. Then he speaks against Edom.

God Fires the Bad Shepherds

I will seek that which was lost, and bring again that which was driven away, and will bind up that which was broken, and will strengthen that which was sick: but I will destroy the fat and the strong; I will feed them with judgment.

Ezekiel 34:16 (KJV)

Israel’s leaders were supposed to be shepherds. Instead they ate the sheep, wore the wool, and ignored the sick and the lost. The flock scattered, and no one went looking. So God says, “I, even I, will both search my sheep, and seek them out.” He’ll also judge between the fat sheep and the thin ones, the strong ones who push the weak aside with shoulder and side. Then he promises “my servant David” as their shepherd, even though David had been dead for centuries. That points to a coming son of David. In John 10, Jesus calls himself the good shepherd.

Reflect: Who has God put in your care, and are you feeding them or yourself?

Ezekiel 34

1And there is a word of Jehovah unto me, saying,

2‘Son of man, prophesy concerning shepherds of Israel, prophesy, and thou hast said unto them: To the shepherds, thus said the Lord Jehovah: Wo to the shepherds of Israel, Who have been feeding themselves! The flock do not the shepherds feed?

3The fat ye do eat, and the wool ye put on, The fed one ye slaughter, the flock ye feed not.

4The weak ye have not strengthened, And the sick one ye have not healed, And the broken ye have not bound up, And the driven away have not brought back, And the lost ye have not sought, And with might ye have ruled them and with rigour.

5And they are scattered from want of a shepherd, And are for food to every beast of the field, Yea, they are scattered.

6Go astray do My flock on all the mountains, And on every high hill, And on all the face of the land have My flock been scattered, And there is none inquiring, and none seeking.

7Therefore, shepherds, hear a word of Jehovah:

8I live -- an affirmation of the Lord Jehovah, If not, because of My flock being for a prey, Yea, My flock is for food to every beast of the field, Because there is no shepherd, And My shepherds have not sought My flock, And the shepherds do feed themselves, And My flock they have not fed.

9Therefore, O shepherds, hear a word of Jehovah:

10Thus said the Lord Jehovah: Lo, I am against the shepherds, And have required My flock from their hand, And caused them to cease from feeding the flock, And no more do the shepherds feed themselves, And I have delivered My flock from their mouth, And they are not to them for food.

11For thus said the Lord Jehovah: Lo, I -- even I, have required My flock, And I have sought it out.

12As a shepherd's searching of his drove, In the day of his being in the midst of his scattered flock, so I do seek My flock, And have delivered them out of all places, Whither they have been scattered, In a day of cloud and thick darkness.

13And brought them out from the peoples, And have gathered them from the lands, And brought them unto their own ground, And have fed them on mountains of Israel, By streams, and by all dwellings of the land.

14With good pasture I do feed them, And on mountains of the high place of Israel is their habitation, There do they lie down in a good habitation, And fat pastures they enjoy on mountains of Israel.

15I feed My flock, and cause them to lie down, An affirmation of the Lord Jehovah.

16The lost I seek, and the driven away bring back, And the broken I bind up, and the sick I strengthen, And the fat and the strong I destroy, I feed it with judgment.

17And you, My flock, thus said the Lord Jehovah: Lo, I am judging between sheep and sheep, Between rams and he-goats.

18Is it a little thing for you -- the good pasture ye enjoy, And the remnant of your pasture ye tread down with your feet, And a depth of waters ye do drink, And the remainder with your feet ye trample,

19And My flock the trodden thing of your feet consumeth, And the trampled thing of your feet drinketh?

20Therefore, thus said the Lord Jehovah to them: Lo, I -- even I, have judged between fat sheep and lean sheep.

21Because with side and with shoulder ye thrust away, And with your horns push all the diseased, Till ye have scattered them to the out-place,

22And I have given safety to My flock, And they are not any more for prey, And I have judged between sheep and sheep.

23And have raised up over them one shepherd, And he hath fed them -- my servant David, He doth feed them, and he is their shepherd,

24And I, Jehovah, I am their God, And My servant David prince in their midst, I, Jehovah, have spoken.

25And I have made for them a covenant of peace, And caused evil beasts to cease out of the land, And they have dwelt in a wilderness confidently, And they have slept in forests.

26And I have given them, and the suburbs of my hill, a blessing, And caused the shower to come down in its season, Showers of blessing they are.

27And given hath the tree of the field its fruit, And the land doth give her increase, And they have been on their land confident, And they have known that I am Jehovah, In My breaking the bands of their yoke, And I have delivered them from the hand of those laying service on them.

28And they are no more a prey to nations, And the beast of the earth devoureth them not, And they have dwelt confidently, And there is none troubling.

29And I have raised for them a plant for renown, And they are no more consumed by hunger in the land, And they bear no more the shame of the nations.

30And they have known that I, Jehovah, their God, am with them, And they -- the house of Israel -- My people, An affirmation of the Lord Jehovah.

31And ye, My flock, the flock of My pasture, Men ye are -- I am your God, An affirmation of the Lord Jehovah!'

Ezekiel 35

1And there is a word of Jehovah unto me, saying:

2‘Son of man, set thy face against mount Seir, and prophesy against it,

3and thou hast said to it: Thus said the Lord Jehovah: Lo, I am against thee, O mount Seir, And have stretched out My hand against thee, And made thee a desolation and an astonishment.

4Thy cities a waste I make, and thou art a desolation, And thou hast known that I am Jehovah.

5Because of thy having an enmity age-during, And thou dost saw the sons of Israel, By the hands of the sword, In the time of their calamity, In the time of the iniquity of the end:

6Therefore, I live -- an affirmation of the Lord Jehovah, Surely for blood I do appoint thee, And blood doth pursue thee, If blood thou hast not hated, Blood also doth pursue thee.

7And I have given mount Seir for a desolation and an astonishment, And have cut off from it him who is passing over and him who is returning,

8And filled his mountains with his wounded, Thy hills, and thy valleys, and all thy streams, The pierced of the sword fall into them.

9Desolations age-during I make thee, And thy cities do not return, And ye have known that I am Jehovah.

10Because of thy saying: The two nations and the two lands are mine, and we have possessed it, And Jehovah hath been there;

11Therefore, I live -- an affirmation of the Lord Jehovah, And I have done according to thine anger, And according to thine envy, With which thou hast wrought, Because of thy hatred against them, And I have been known among them when I judge thee.

12And thou hast known that I -- Jehovah, I have heard all thy despisings that thou hast spoken Against mountains of Israel, saying: A desolation, to us they were given for food.

13And ye magnify yourselves against Me with your mouth, And have made abundant against Me your words, I -- I have heard.

14Thus said the Lord Jehovah: According to the rejoicing of the whole land, A desolation I make of thee.

15According to thy joy at the inheritance of the house of Israel because of desolation, So I do to thee -- a desolation thou art, O mount Seir, and all Edom -- all of it, And they have known that I am Jehovah!

Young’s Literal Translation (YLT). Public domain.