Eze 34:7 | KingComments | STEP | Israel’s sins and judgment are primarily due to a corrupt and selfish leadership. The first step toward the restoration of the people is to replace the worthless shepherds with the true Shepherd. This chapter deals with the situation of Israel after the fall of Jerusalem until the time the Lord Jesus returns. Thus, that situation also applies today (cf. ; ). The word of the LORD comes to Ezekiel ( ). He is commanded to prophesy to the shepherds of Israel, that is, to predict judgment on them ( ). The shepherds are the leaders of the people. To them he is to pronounce “woe” (cf. ). Without introduction, “the Lord GOD” gives the reason for His ‘woe’: these shepherds think only of themselves instead of the sheep. They should be there for the sheep, but they see the sheep as objects they can feast on. In there follows a whole list of accusations showing that the sheep are not in any way their concern, but that they are exploiting those sheep. The tense form in which appears shows that they do not do this only occasionally, but that they behave in this way constantly. The emphasis is on the fact that the shepherds are only after one thing and that is gain (cf. ): - “You eat the fat (i.e. the best, cf. ; ) - and you clothe yourself with the wool (cf. ); - you slaughter the fat [sheep] (cf. ), - without feeding the flock.” In , six crimes are described. Five of them are crimes of negligence, things they don’t do when they should be expected to. It is deliberate, culpable negligence. The sixth crime is what they do, when they should not. Instead of caring for the vulnerable sheep, they exploit those sheep: - “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.” In the LORD holds up the consequences of the unmerciful treatment of the sheep to the cruel, selfish shepherds: - “They were scattered for lack of a shepherd, - and they became food for every beast of the field and were scattered” ( ). - “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]” ( ). Instead of caring for the sheep, protecting them and keeping them together, the shepherds of Israel terrorize the sheep. Then they leave them to their own devices, making them prey for the predators, which are nations like Edom, Syria, Ammon, Moab, by whom they are scattered. All cohesion is gone. They are scattered sheep and therefore even more vulnerable. There is no one from the cruel leaders who pays any attention to them at all, let alone anyone who goes searching or seeking for them to help them. These shepherds, the leaders of the people, are not shepherds, but wolves and are in everything the opposite of the Lord Jesus, Who is the good Shepherd. When He sees the crowds, He is moved with compassion for them, “because they were distressed and dispirited like sheep without a shepherd” ( ). He has given His life for the sheep, He seeks for them, He saves them, He protects them ( ) and He makes them one flock. The good under-shepherds follow Him in this ( ). The heartless actions of the false shepherds call down God’s judgment on them ( ). The LORD calls them to listen to His judgment ( ). In saying, “as I live”, He implores that He will punish this evil. That is how seriously He takes their misconduct. The gravity of their sins concerns not only the sheep, but especially the fact that they are His sheep. Never does He give up the right to His sheep, even though He delegates the care of those sheep to under-shepherds. He blames the shepherds for making His sheep prey for themselves and also food for all the beasts of the field. What happens to the sheep is because there is no shepherd to care for them. And those shepherds are still “My shepherds”, as the LORD says. He has appointed them. But the shepherds have gone their own way, thinking only of themselves. They have fed only themselves and not the sheep of the LORD. Once again the urgent call to the shepherds to listen to the word of the LORD is heard ( ). It shows the deep indignation of the LORD. He says He is against the shepherds, He will call those shepherds to account and judge them ( ). He will demand the sheep from them – because they are His sheep – and He will remove the shepherds from their function. Then for the shepherds it is over and done with feeding themselves. He will rescue His sheep from their mouth, so that the sheep will no longer be their food.

‏ Ezekiel 34:7

Introduction

Israel’s sins and judgment are primarily due to a corrupt and selfish leadership. The first step toward the restoration of the people is to replace the worthless shepherds with the true Shepherd. This chapter deals with the situation of Israel after the fall of Jerusalem until the time the Lord Jesus returns. Thus, that situation also applies today (cf. Lk 21:24b; Jer 23:1-8).

‘Woe’ to the False Shepherds

The word of the LORD comes to Ezekiel (Eze 34:1). He is commanded to prophesy to the shepherds of Israel, that is, to predict judgment on them (Eze 34:2). The shepherds are the leaders of the people. To them he is to pronounce “woe” (cf. Mt 23:13 ; 15 ; 16 ; 23 ; 25 ; 27 ; 29). Without introduction, “the Lord GOD” gives the reason for His ‘woe’: these shepherds think only of themselves instead of the sheep. They should be there for the sheep, but they see the sheep as objects they can feast on.

In Eze 34:3-6 there follows a whole list of accusations showing that the sheep are not in any way their concern, but that they are exploiting those sheep. The tense form in which Eze 34:3 appears shows that they do not do this only occasionally, but that they behave in this way constantly. The emphasis is on the fact that the shepherds are only after one thing and that is gain (cf. Eze 33:31):

- “You eat the fat (i.e. the best, cf. Lev 3:3 ; Lev 3:14 ; Lev 4:8 ; Lev 7:30 ; Lev 7:31 ; Lev 8:25; 1Sam 2:15)

- and you clothe yourself with the wool (cf. Eze 44:17);

- you slaughter the fat [sheep] (cf. Zec 11:16),

- without feeding the flock.”

In Eze 34:4, six crimes are described. Five of them are crimes of negligence, things they don’t do when they should be expected to. It is deliberate, culpable negligence. The sixth crime is what they do, when they should not. Instead of caring for the vulnerable sheep, they exploit those sheep:

- “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.”

In Eze 34:5-6 the LORD holds up the consequences of the unmerciful treatment of the sheep to the cruel, selfish shepherds:

- “They were scattered for lack of a shepherd,

- and they became food for every beast of the field and were scattered” (Eze 34:5).

- “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]” (Eze 34:6).

Instead of caring for the sheep, protecting them and keeping them together, the shepherds of Israel terrorize the sheep. Then they leave them to their own devices, making them prey for the predators, which are nations like Edom, Syria, Ammon, Moab, by whom they are scattered. All cohesion is gone. They are scattered sheep and therefore even more vulnerable. There is no one from the cruel leaders who pays any attention to them at all, let alone anyone who goes searching or seeking for them to help them.

These shepherds, the leaders of the people, are not shepherds, but wolves and are in everything the opposite of the Lord Jesus, Who is the good Shepherd. When He sees the crowds, He is moved with compassion for them, “because they were distressed and dispirited like sheep without a shepherd” (Mt 9:36). He has given His life for the sheep, He seeks for them, He saves them, He protects them (Jn 10:11) and He makes them one flock. The good under-shepherds follow Him in this (1Pet 5:1-4).

The heartless actions of the false shepherds call down God’s judgment on them (Eze 34:7). The LORD calls them to listen to His judgment (Eze 34:8). In saying, “as I live”, He implores that He will punish this evil. That is how seriously He takes their misconduct. The gravity of their sins concerns not only the sheep, but especially the fact that they are His sheep. Never does He give up the right to His sheep, even though He delegates the care of those sheep to under-shepherds. He blames the shepherds for making His sheep prey for themselves and also food for all the beasts of the field.

What happens to the sheep is because there is no shepherd to care for them. And those shepherds are still “My shepherds”, as the LORD says. He has appointed them. But the shepherds have gone their own way, thinking only of themselves. They have fed only themselves and not the sheep of the LORD.

Once again the urgent call to the shepherds to listen to the word of the LORD is heard (Eze 34:9). It shows the deep indignation of the LORD. He says He is against the shepherds, He will call those shepherds to account and judge them (Eze 34:10). He will demand the sheep from them – because they are His sheep – and He will remove the shepherds from their function. Then for the shepherds it is over and done with feeding themselves. He will rescue His sheep from their mouth, so that the sheep will no longer be their food.