Chapter 1 · Encounter 3 of 48
The Shepherd's Justice
Prepare
In the ancient world, shepherds were a common image for kings and leaders responsible for the welfare of their people. Through Ezekiel, God confronts Israel's leaders for caring for themselves while neglecting those entrusted to them. As you read, notice the contrast between what these shepherds have done and what God promises to do himself.
Read Scripture
Open each passage here without leaving this Encounter.
Ezekiel 34:1–16; 34:23–24
Ezek. 34:1-16
The Lord Will Be Israel’s Shepherd
1The word of the Lord came to me: 2“Son of man, prophesy against the shepherds of Israel; prophesy and say to them: ‘This is what the Sovereign Lord says: Woe to you shepherds of Israel who only take care of yourselves! Should not shepherds take care of the flock? 3You eat the curds, clothe yourselves with the wool and slaughter the choice animals, but you do not take care of the flock. 4You have not strengthened the weak or healed the sick or bound up the injured. You have not brought back the strays or searched for the lost. You have ruled them harshly and brutally. 5So they were scattered because there was no shepherd, and when they were scattered they became food for all the wild animals. 6My sheep wandered over all the mountains and on every high hill. They were scattered over the whole earth, and no one searched or looked for them.
7“ ‘Therefore, you shepherds, hear the word of the Lord: 8As surely as I live, declares the Sovereign Lord, because my flock lacks a shepherd and so has been plundered and has become food for all the wild animals, and because my shepherds did not search for my flock but cared for themselves rather than for my flock, 9therefore, you shepherds, hear the word of the Lord: 10This is what the Sovereign Lord says: I am against the shepherds and will hold them accountable for my flock. I will remove them from tending the flock so that the shepherds can no longer feed themselves. I will rescue my flock from their mouths, and it will no longer be food for them.
11“ ‘For this is what the Sovereign Lord says: I myself will search for my sheep and look after them. 12As a shepherd looks after his scattered flock when he is with them, so will I look after my sheep. I will rescue them from all the places where they were scattered on a day of clouds and darkness. 13I will bring them out from the nations and gather them from the countries, and I will bring them into their own land. I will pasture them on the mountains of Israel, in the ravines and in all the settlements in the land. 14I will tend them in a good pasture, and the mountain heights of Israel will be their grazing land. There they will lie down in good grazing land, and there they will feed in a rich pasture on the mountains of Israel. 15I myself will tend my sheep and have them lie down, declares the Sovereign Lord. 16I will search for the lost and bring back the strays. I will bind up the injured and strengthen the weak, but the sleek and the strong I will destroy. I will shepherd the flock with justice.
Ezek. 34:23-24
23I will place over them one shepherd, my servant David, and he will tend them; he will tend them and be their shepherd. 24I the Lord will be their God, and my servant David will be prince among them. I the Lord have spoken.
Ponder
- What specific behaviors does God condemn in Israel's shepherds, and what do those failures reveal about what God values? As you consider his response, what do you discover about the kind of Shepherd he is?
- Compare what the failed shepherds have done with what God promises to do for his flock. How does this picture of God challenge or enlarge your understanding of his goodness, especially toward those who are weak, wounded, or overlooked?
Look Again
Did you notice how often God says “I will” in Ezekiel 34:11-16 11“ ‘For this is what the Sovereign Lord says: I myself will search for my sheep and look after them. 12As a shepherd looks after his scattered flock when he is with them, so will I look after my sheep. I will rescue them from all the places where they were scattered on a day of clouds and darkness. 13I will bring them out from the nations and gather them from the countries, and I will bring them into their own land. I will pasture them on the mountains of Israel, in the ravines and in all the settlements in the land. 14I will tend them in a good pasture, and the mountain heights of Israel will be their grazing land. There they will lie down in good grazing land, and there they will feed in a rich pasture on the mountains of Israel. 15I myself will tend my sheep and have them lie down, declares the Sovereign Lord. 16I will search for the lost and bring back the strays. I will bind up the injured and strengthen the weak, but the sleek and the strong I will destroy. I will shepherd the flock with justice.Ezek. 34:11-16
Then look at Ezekiel 34:23-24 23I will place over them one shepherd, my servant David, and he will tend them; he will tend them and be their shepherd. 24I the Lord will be their God, and my servant David will be prince among them. I the Lord have spoken.Ezek. 34:23-24
Practice
Pay attention today to someone who may be overlooked, burdened, or in need of care.
In light of God's promises in Ezekiel 34, choose one concrete way to reflect the Shepherd's concern for that person. It might be listening attentively, offering encouragement, providing practical help, or speaking up for someone who needs support.
Prayer
As you reflect on God's concern for his flock, bring before him someone who may be neglected, wounded, or in need of protection. Ask him to help you recognize his heart for that person—and to reflect his care in the way you treat others.