This Week with the Word

The Uniform Lesson for March 8
Background & Commentary by Sam E. Stone

Living in exile in Babylon, the people of Israel learned that the city of Jerusalem had fallen (Ezekiel 33:21). With this news, Ezekiel’s tone changed. Now, while still declaring God’s judgment on the wicked, the prophet Ezekiel also held out the promise of new life for the hurting people. Today’s text is especially encouraging since it assured God’s people that a new and perfect shepherd would care for them.

Chapter 34:1-22 reveals several things. For much too long those considered to be the “shepherds of Israel” (Ezekiel 34:2) had taken care of themselves, not their flock. The kings and priests had ignored the needs of the very people they were to feed and lead, to direct and protect. God was determined to hold them accountable for their actions (v. 10). At the same time, he promised to replace the bad shepherds with a good one.

The Lord himself is described as a shepherd in the beautiful 23^rdPsalm. This metaphor is used of Jesus as well (John 10:11-18; Luke 15:4-6). It is a familiar picture in the Old Testament. Isaiah prophesied of the Messiah, “He tends his flock like a shepherd: He gathers the lambs in his arms and carries them close to his heart; he gently leads those that have young” (Isaiah 40:11). In the New Testament we also read about “the great Shepherd of the sheep” (Hebrews 13:20) and “the Chief Shepherd” (1 Peter 5:4).

The Shepherd/Exodus 34:23, 24

Verse 23. “I will place over them one shepherd, my servant David, and he will tend them: he will tend them and be their shepherd.” One shepherd implies one flock, not two, as before with the divided kingdom (see Ezekiel 37:24; Jeremiah 23:6; John 10:16). The shepherd will be another David through whom God will rule (see Ezekiel 37:25; Psalm 89:4, 20, 29).

Verse 24. “I the Lord will be their God, and my servant David will be prince among them. I the Lord have spoken.” This refers to a descendant of David, as other prophets confirm (see Jeremiah 23:5; 30:9; Hosea 3:5). The prince will fulfill the Lord’s will, not mistreat the sheep like the previous shepherds had done.

The Kingdom/Ezekiel 34:25-29

Verse 25. “I will make a covenant of peace with them and rid the land of wild beasts so that they may live in the desert and sleep in the forests in safety.” The covenant made on Mt. Sinai included curses that were brought when the people came under divine judgment (Leviticus 26:14-35). The wild beasts represent the enemy nations that had attacked Israel. God’s chosen people would now experience the blessings of the covenant—safety, rain, fruitfulness, and peace (see Leviticus 26:4-13). When people live in harmony with God’s plan, they can enjoy peace.

Verses 26, 27. “I will bless them and the places surrounding my hill. I will send down showers in season; there will be showers of blessing. The trees of the field will yield their fruit and the ground will yield its crops; the people will be secure in their land. They will know that I am the Lord, when I break the bars of their yoke and rescue them from the hands of those who enslaved them.” Everything God had intended for his people to enjoy since the creation can now be theirs. Humanity lost this peace and rest through sin (Genesis 3:15-20). Through the mediation of the new David in the Messianic age, all that had been lost in Eden will be restored. With their return from captivity, they would finally receive the “showers of blessing” they had longed for.

Verses 28, 29. “They will no longer be plundered by the nations, nor will wild animals devour them. They will live in safety, and no one will make them afraid.” No longer will their enemies be able to enslave them. In confident trust they can say with David, “Even though I walk through the valley of the shadow of death, I will fear no evil, for you are with me” (Psalm 23:4). “I will provide for them a land renowned for its crops, and they will no longer be victims of famine in the land or be the scorn of the nations.” When the people of Israel worshiped idols, God let them become a laughingstock to those around them (see Ezekiel 22:3-5). Not all of the promises Ezekiel announced were fulfilled in the first return of Israel from captivity. In the Messianic kingdom, however, all that God has spoken will come to pass. Then the promised redemption will be fully enjoyed.

The Flock/Ezekiel 34:30, 31

Verses 30, 31. “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 Sovereign Lord.” This is covenant language (see also 11:20; Exodus 6:7; Hosea 1:9). “You my sheep, the sheep of my pasture, are people, and I am your God, declares the Sovereign Lord.” This harmonious relationship was also described by the psalmist (see 95:7; 100:3). Such a covenant had been promised earlier (Ezekiel 16:60), confirming a bond between God and his people. One day the complete restoration of God’s people and the eternal covenant of peace will evidence the fulfillment of Ezekiel’s prophecy. He spoke not only about the return of some exiles to Jerusalem, but also looked forward to the ultimate restoration of Jerusalem in the future messianic kingdom. |L

Sam E. Stone is the former editor of Christian Standard. He continues his writing and speaking ministry from his home in Cincinnati, Ohio.