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This Chapter Verse Commentaries:
And the word of the Lord, etc. As no date is given, we may infer that what follows came as an almost immediate sequel to that which precedes it. The kernel of the chapter is found in the Messianic prophecies of Eze_34:23, Eze_34:24, as the first stage in the restoration of Israel which is beginning to open to the prophet's gaze. We can hardly avoid seeing in it the deliberate expression of words that had been spoken by Ezekiel's master (Jer_23:1-4), and which in his case also were followed by a directly Messianic announcement. In Mat_9:36, still more in Joh_10:1-16, we can scarcely avoid recognizing the distinct appropriation of the words to himself by him of whom they both had spoken. So far as we may venture to speculate on the influence, so to speak, of the words of the prophets of the Old Testament on our Lord's human soul, we may think of these as having marked out for him the work which he was to do, just as we may think of Psa_22:1-31. and Isa_53:1-12. as having pointed out to him the path of suffering which he was to tread.
Eze_34:2
Prophesy against the shepherds of Israel, etc. Our modern associations with the words, our use of terms like" the pastoral office," "the pastoral Epistles," lead us to think of the priests and prophets, the spiritual guides of the people, as being those whom the prophet has in view. In the language of the Old Testament, however, as in that of Homer, the shepherds of the people are always its kings and other civil rulers (1Ki_22:17; Psa_77:20; Psa_78:71; Jer_23:1-6), and those whom Ezekiel had in his thoughts were the tyrannous rulers of the house of David, like Jehoiakim and Zedekiah and their satellites. Our Christian thoughts of the word are the outcome of the leading of Joh_10:1-16; Joh_21:15-17; 1Pe_5:2-4; Act_20:28; but it is probably true that even there the original thought is still dominant. Christ is the "good Shepherd," because he is the true King. His ministers are shepherds as being officers in his kingdom. Should not the shepherds feed the flocks? The question is an appeal to the universal conscience of Israel and of mankind. No shepherd was worthy of his name who did not do that which the very name implied. He that neglects that duty is simply as a hireling or a robber (Joh_10:10, Joh_10:12).
Eze_34:3
Ye eat the fat. The LXX. and the Vulgate, following a different reading, give milk, and, as "killing" comes in the next clause, this is probably preferable.
Eze_34:4
The diseased have ye not strengthened. The verbs indicate the difference between the "diseased," i.e. the weak sheep (comp. Isa_40:11; Psa_78:71) and the sick, that were suffering from more definite maladies. So the broken are the sheep that have fallen from a rock and thus maimed themselves. Each case required its appropriate treatment, and none had met with it.
Eze_34:5
And they were scattered. The words are an echo of 1Ki_22:17, and are, in their turn, echoed by Mat_9:36. The words that follow paint the sufferings of the exiles who left their homes and were scattered among the heathen in the days of Jehoiachin and Zedekiah. Of these the kings took no heed, and shut themselves up in the luxurious seclusion of their palace.
Eze_34:7-10
As I live, saith the Lord God, etc. The sentence of the Supreme Judge, of the "chief Shepherd" (1Pe_5:4), that follows, is naturally preceded by a recapitulation of the guilt of the tyrannous rulers—the "idol" or sham shepherds of Zec_11:17 (comp. also Zec_10:3). Both chapters should be studied as throwing light on the teaching of the earlier prophet. It may be noted also how the thought enters into Ezekiel's vision of the restored Israel (Eze_45:8-10).
Eze_34:11
Behold, I, even I, etc. The words, as the last reference shows, and as we find in Eze_34:23-31, do not exclude, rather they imply, human instrumentality, just us our Lord's do in Mat_18:12 and Luk_15:4-7; but they reveal the truth that Jehovah is the true Shepherd of his people. Not the sweet psalmist of Israel only, but the lowest outcast, might use the language of Psa_23:1-6; and say, "The Lord is my Shepherd." He will gather the sheep that have been scattered in the "cloudy and dark day," the day of the Lord's judgment (Eze_30:3). For the prophet the words pointed to that vision of a restored Israel, which was dominant in the expectations both of Isaiah (or the Deutero-Isaiah) in Ezekiel 40-48; and in Jeremiah (Jer_33:12-18), which floated before the minds of the apostles (Act_1:6), and to which even St. Paul looked forward as the solution of the great problems of the world's history (Romans 9-11.).
Eze_34:13-15
On the mountains of Israel by the rivers. The picture of the pleasant pasture-lands of Judah, almost, as it were, an expansion of Psa_23:1-6; of the mountains which are not barren and stony, of the streams that flow calmly in the inhabited places of the country, serves as a parable of that which is to follow on the restoration of Israel. The sheep that had been wandering so long in the wilderness should at last lie down in a fat pasture (verse 15), and the tender care of the Shepherd should watch with an individualizing pity over each sheep that had been brought back. Every broken limb should be bound up. Every sickness should be treated with its appropriate means of healing.
Eze_34:16
I will destroy the fat and the strong. What follows introduces another feature into the parable, and is hardly less than an anticipation of the great scene of judgment in Mat_25:32. The "fat and the strong," as contrasted with the "broken" and the "sick," are, when we interpret the Darable, the noble and wealthy who, under the kings of Judah, had been allowed to work their evil will upon the people. Of these he says that he will feed them with (better, in) judgment, that for them there must be the discipline of punishment. They too are his sheep, but they require a different treatment from the others.
Eze_34:17
Behold, I judge between cattle and cattle. It may be worth while to note, as modern English usage tends to limit the range of the word, that it is commonly used in the Old Testament of sheep rather than of kine (Gen_30:34-42; Gen_31:8-12). In Gen_30:32 we have the same Hebrew word as that which Ezekiel uses. Between the rams and the he-goats. The words, at first, seem to point to a division like that of Mat_25:32, and may, perhaps, have suggested it. Here, however, the contrast lies, not between the sheep and goats as such, but between the strong and the weak of each class. The "rams" are as much the object of the shepherd's discipline of judgment as the "he-goats." Both stand as the representative of the rapacious self-seeking classes who oppressed the poor and needy, and, not content with being the first to feed on the pastures and to drink of the waters, trampled on the former and defiled the latter. So in the next verse the contrast lies between the "fat cattle," whether sheep or goats, and the "lean."
Eze_34:23
And I will set up one Shepherd over them. Here, more than ever, we have an anticipation of our Lord's teaching in Joh_10:1-18. He claims to be the Fulfiller, as of the prediction of Isa_40:11 and Jer_23:1-3, so also of this. He, the "Son of David," is the David that inherits that among other promises. It has to be noted, however, that Ezekiel's words paint, less distinctly than those of the earlier prophets, the picture of an individual Messianic king, and seem rather to point, as do those of Zec_12:10 (I do not now discuss the date of that prophecy), to a line of true rulers, each faithfully representing the ideal David as the faithful Ruler, the true Shepherd of his people (Psa_78:71; comp. Eze_37:24; Eze_45:8, Eze_45:9).
Eze_34:25
I will make with them a servant of peace. The whole verse is an echo of Le Eze_26:6, in part also of Hos_2:20 [English version, Hos_2:18]. The words are less definite as to the nature of the covenant than those of Jer_31:31, but probably the same thought underlies both. Sins are pardoned, the capacity for righteousness, righteousness itself, are given. In bright contrast with the picture of a country haunted by the lion, the jackal, and the wolf—the "evil beasts" of Eze_14:15—so that no man could pass through without risk, we have that of a land from which such evil boasts have been cleared out, so that men may sleep safely even in the wilderness and the woods. The language, however, is figurative rather than literal. As the "sheep" are the people of the true Israel, so the evil beasts must, at least, include the enemies, Chaldeans, Edomites, Philistines, and others, that had before made havoc of them.
Eze_34:26
Round about my hill. Ezekiel's thoughts, like those of Mic_4:1 and Isa_2:2, cluster round the hill of Zion, the mountain of Jehovah, as the center of the restored Israel. In that land, as the prophet saw it here, and still more in the closing vision of his book (Eze_47:12), there were, outwardly as well as spiritually, to be showers of blessing (the phrase is peculiar to Ezekiel), and the land should yield its fruits.
Eze_34:27, Eze_34:28
When I have broken the bands of their yoke. The underlying meaning of the figurative language of Eze_34:25 is now utterly explained. Israel is to be delivered from its Chaldean and other oppressors. The "yoke shall be broken." They shall no more be a prey to the heathen. None shall make them afraid.
Eze_34:29
A plant of renown. The words at first suggest the thought that Ezekiel was reproducing the ideal picture of the "branch," the "root," the "stem," the "plant." of Isa_11:1; Jer_23:5; Zec_6:12. Here, however, the word is collective, and is translated "plantation" in Eze_17:7, "planting" in Mic_1:6; Isa_60:21; Isa_61:3. It can hardly be taken as speaking of more than the general fertility of the land. The rendering of the LXX; "a plant of peace," obviously implies a different reading (shalom instead of shem), and this Cornill has adopted in his text. So taken, the words naturally lead on to what follows—the promise that men should no more be consumed with hunger.
Eze_34:31
And ye my flock. The great utterance, we might call it the "ode of the shepherds," comes round to the point from which its second portion started (Eze_34:11). All blessings were summed up in the thought that, behind every representative of the Father's care, the ideal David and his house, there was the eternal relationship between Jehovah and his people, even that of the Shepherd and his sheep. The LXX. omits the words "are men," and here also is followed by Cornill.
1. Privilege. The shepherds have the honor of being set over the flock. Position is a privilege; it brings a responsibility.
2. Power.
(1) There is the natural power of superior gifts. The shepherd is higher in mental power than his sheep. Great intellectual gifts bring with them a sort of pastoral responsibility in regard to weaker minds.
(2) There is the superadded power of office. The shepherd is appointed over the sheep. All who are placed in positions of influence are made especially responsible.
II. THEIR WICKEDNESS.
1. Positive wrong-doing.
(1) Self-seeking. The shepherds feed themselves instead of feeding the flock. They are mere hirelings, not true shepherds (Joh_10:13). All who undertake public office for the sake of private gain belong to this disgraceful category. It would be hypocritical to suppose that the shepherd should not consider his wages. But his fault is when he puts his profit above his duty.
(2). Cruelty. The shepherds "kill them that are fed." They are worse than hirelings; they behave like robbers and wolves. So was it in the Middle Ages, when bishops preyed on their flocks. The same is true of all tyrannous governments under which rulers oppress the people for their own advantage. It applies to the use of power and influence for selfish advantage to the injury of others, as in making a living out of pernicious literature, etc.
2. Negative negligence. Looking after themselves, the wicked shepherds neglect their flock.
(1) The flock is not fed. It is the duty of the preacher to feed Christ's sheep (Joh_21:16). If he is making his own profit to the neglect of this duty the people may starve for lack of the bread of life.
(2) The sick are not tended. Care for the sick sheep is an especial duty of the true shepherd. Sick souls need sympathy and help. The poor, the unfortunate, the sorrowful, the fallen, are all neglected by self-seeking leaders.
(3) The sheep are scattered. There is no bond of union. The sheep do not listen to the voice of the bad shepherd. He forgets to call them, or does so in a listless, unattractive manner, or makes himself uninteresting to them, so that they will not respond. Bad leaders scatter the Church.
(4) Wild beasts ravage the flock. David delivered his flock from a lion and a bear. "The good shepherd giveth his life for the sheep" (Joh_10:11). But the hireling fleeth at the sight of the wolf (Joh_10:13). With bad leaders men are a prey to evil and error.
III. THEIR DOOM.
1. God's opposition. "Behold, I am against the shepherds." They may be stronger than the sheep, but God is stronger than they are. Faithlessness in office provokes God's great wrath.
2. Hopeless requirements. "I will require my flock at their hand." But it is lost!
3. Loss of office. The bad shepherds are dismissed. The unfaithful servant is deprived of his talent (Mat_25:28). Disgrace, dismissal, ruin, are the punishments of unfaithful service.
Eze_34:11-13
1. They were originally in the fold. This refers to Jews rather than to heathen, to backsliding Christians, to children of Christian homes; but also in a general way to all, because all men begin life in innocent childhood not far from the besom of God.
2. They have gone into distant places. Israel was driven abroad locally; souls depart from their homes spiritually,
(1) in thought, when the old beliefs are abandoned for the wilderness of doubt;
(2) in life, when the old ways are left, and God and duty are neglected. Heaven then recedes into the background.
3. They were scattered. No bond of union remains. The flock, which was a unit, becomes broken, and there are now only separate sheep. Error and sin disintegrate society.
4. They were lost in darkness. The disaster happened "in the cloudy and dark day." The time of doubt, trouble, or temptation is one of danger. Then souls may be cast adrift for want of wise and tender shepherding.
5. They suffered through the neglect of the shepherds. The great sin is that of the faithless leaders.
II. THEY ARE SOUGHT. The shepherds lost them; God seeks them. God himself desires that the lost should be restored. For he values them as the farmer values his flock. It is not a matter of indifference to God that souls should perish. He does not leave the sheep to come home, prepared to welcome them on their return; he seeks them. He does not only hold himself ready to welcome the returning penitent. He goes forth to seek him. The housewife sweeps the house to find her lost piece of silver (Luk_15:8). The father goes to meet the prodigal son (Luk_15:20).
1. God seeks by his providence. The movements of life should bring us back to God.
2. He seeks by his prophets. Ezekiel was seeking the lost sheep. The Bible is sent forth as God's means of seeking the lost. So is all true preaching of the gospel.
3. He seeks by his Son. Christ came first to seek "the lost sheep of the house of Israel" (Mat_15:24), and then all lost sheep. Christianity is a search for the lost.
III. THEY ARE FOUND. "I will bring them out from the peoples," etc. When God finds a soul, he restores it. He may find it in the wilderness; if so, he will not leave it there. The shepherd may find his sheep buried in the snow; it may be hard to dig them out; he may even have to carry them home on his shoulders. If he is strong enough he will do this. God not only finds; he restores.
1. He brings the sheep home. Israel is restored to her own land. Souls are restored to their home in God.
2. He feeds them. They must be hungry in the wilderness, far from the green pastures. So "he feeds them upon the mountains of IsraeL" The father kills the fatted calf for his restored son. Christ gives his body as bread of life for his people.
3. He refreshes them. The sheep are led "by the rivers." They thirsted in the wilderness; now they can drink and live. God gives new life and peace to his restored children. Christ gives "living water" (Joh_4:10). When God finds a lost soul, that soul is safe—restored, fed, refreshed by his grace.
Eze_34:17
I. GOD DEALS WITH INDIVIDUALS AS WELL AS WITH NATIONS. As there are national sins, so there are national punishments, and also national mercies. The whole nation must in a measure participate in these things. But over and above such matters there is an individual treatment of separate men and women. No man is safe from trouble by belonging to a prosperous nation. God's returning favor to a community may leave hardened rebellious souls still in the dark.
II. GOD JUDGES THE INDIVIDUAL MEMBERS OF CHURCHES. No man is safe just because he lives in Christendom, neither is any one safe because he is a member of any Church. There are rough, cruel animals in the flock, which are injurious to others, and unworthy of their privileges. In the final judgment the sheep will be separated from the goats (Mat_25:32), and in dealing with Churches the same method of discrimination must be applied. Indeed, it is worse for one who is not a Christian to be enrolled in the membership of a Church, than for him to remain outside. His position is false and hypocritical. Moreover, his presence is injurious to the well-being of the worthy members. If the rough, horned animals were abroad in the wilderness, they would do little harm. The mischief arises when they are crowded together with the sheep in one fold.
III. IT IS THE DUTY OD CHURCHES TO EXERCISE DISCIPLINE. Care should be taken as to who are entrusted with the highest privileges of Christian fellowship. It is easier not to encourage the unworthy to enter than to eject them after they have made themselves obnoxious to the community. Nothing can be more foolish than to enlarge the nominal roll of a Church by including doubtful names. A wise teacher has said, "It would be well if we had fewer Christians, and better ones."
IV. THERE IS A DISCIPLINE WHICH BELONGS ONLY TO GOD. We can regulate the conditions of membership in organized societies. But we cannot really determine who are true members of Christ's flock. Therefore, in excluding the apparently unfit from a Church, we cannot, we dare not, pretend to pronounce a sentence of excommunication upon them. Much less are we justified in forcibly stamping out heresy, schism, and, what is far worse, worldly and sinful professions of Christianity, by the rough treatment of persecution. Wheat and tares must both grow together until the harvest (Mat_13:30). Then, indeed, God will judge. The great Fisherman will divide his own fish when he brings the net to land (Mat_13:48).
Eze_34:23
I. THE PERSON OF THE SHEPHERD. "My servant David." Jesus Christ is the only person to whom these words can apply. Not only was he of the family of David; he realized to the full the ideal that David set forth in broken lights and failed to attain himself. He is the true David, the true Shepherd-King. Thus amid the sorrows of the exile, the disconsolate captives are cheered by a vision of the coming Christ, though as yet but vaguely and dimly discerned. We, with fuller knowledge, can turn from our disappointments and failures and find consolation in the Christ who has come and who is ever in our midst. Perhaps if the old shepherds had not been so unworthy, this wonderful prediction of the new Shepherd would not have been made. The disappointments of worldly confidence drive us to Christ. When earthly friends "fail or leave us," we need the true Friend who "sticketh closer than a brother." If Christian ministers have been unworthy, Christ abides faithful. Perhaps too much confidence was given to the human instruments; then the shock of discovering this to be misplaced may not be wholly hurtful; it may help the Church to look away from men and trust only in Christ.
II. THE APPOINTMENT OF THE SHEPHERD. He is set up by God. God sent Christ. It is God's will that his scattered sheep should be restored. That was stated earlier (see verses 11, 12). Now we see how it is to be done. Christ is to be the new Shepherd who will seek and find the lost sheep. He comes to us thus with all the authority of his Father. He is called God's "Servant"—a remarkable and unusual expression for the Messiah. This reminds us of "the Servant of the Lord" in the latter part of Isaiah. The name was recalled by St. Peter when preaching to the Jews (Act_3:13). St. Paul tells us that in his great humiliation Christ took on him the form of a servant (Php_2:7). This agrees with the whole spirit of the life of our Lord, who came not to do his own will, but the will of him that sent him. It implies a rebuke of the bad shepherds, who had only pleased themselves and so neglected their Master's interests. They were too proud to consider themselves servants. But the great Son of David is willing to be a Servant.
III. THE WORK OF THE SHEPHERD.
1. He rules the flock. He is "set over" the sheep. The shepherd has authority over the flock. They are required to follow him. He shuts them up in the fold at night. Christ is King, as the Greater David. He is appointed to rule his flock as the Shepherd and Bishop of souls. If we would profit by his care we must obey his voice.
2. He feeds the flock. They would starve in the wilderness. The shepherd can lead them into the green pastures. He can supply them with winter stores. Christ feeds his people with his own body and blood.
3. He saves the flock. Though not stated in this verse, and perhaps not directly following from the preceding verses, this is very prominent in our Lord's own description of his work. By the sacrifice of his own life he saves his sheep (Joh_10:15). The favorite picture of the persecuted early Christians, on the walls of the catacombs at Rome, is perhaps the choicest of all representations of Christ—viz. the good Shepherd.
Eze_34:25
II. THE CHARACTER OF THE COVENANT. It is essentially a covenant of peace. Every covenant is intended to be of this character. It is to prevent misunderstandings, to define mutual relations, to harmonize reciprocal actions. It is, in fact, a sort of treaty; and treaties, as long as they are observed, are instruments of peace. But the new covenant is emphatically and in a very special manner one of peace.
1. It endorses the restoration of peace between God and man. Sin is a breach of the peace, pardon is the making of peace. The restored Jews were brought into relations of peace with God. Christ reconciles us to God.
2. It signalizes the establishment of peace between man and his fallow-man. Christ is our peace in regard to mutual human relations. He breaks down "the middle wall of partition" between Jew and Gentile (Eph_2:14). He brings peace on earth (Luk_2:14).
3. It is the outward evidence of internal peace. Christ gives peace to the soul. The covenant assures his people that this peace is sound and solid (Joh_14:27).
III. THE FRUITS OF THE COVENANT. The evil beasts are to depart and the people are to dwell safely in the open pastures and even sleep in the woods without danger. The departure of man is followed by an incursion of wild beasts. Lions came into the land when it was much depopulated by the Captivity. Then it would only be safe for people to live in close communities. At the present day we never see in Palestine those scattered farmhouses and cottages that give so much picturesqueness to rural England. The people all live in villages or towns. That must be a very safe condition of the country which would admit the manner of living described in our text. A similar condition spiritually is brought about under the new covenant of Christ. The wild beasts of haunting sins and prowling temptations are driven away. It is possible to enjoy a sense of freedom and security when under the protection of Christ. To plant one's homestead in the midst of the pasturage, to be able to sleep out in the woods in the summer-time when at work far from home, would mean much comfort and happiness in a safe and settled community. Such a condition is typical of the citizen of the kingdom of heaven, and though certainly it is not yet fully enjoyed, it will be when the reign of Christ is perfectly established.
Eze_34:26
I. SHOWERS OF BLESSING ARE NEEDED. It is a sign of miserable deadness when any Church or soul can be satisfied to continue in the dull routine of formal service without receiving any refreshing Divine grace. The first awakening from such a condition of torpor must result in a great thirst of spirit. The need is indeed such that all might well feel it, viz.:
1. Individual souls. Each soul needs a blessing. It is sad to be on the margin of a shower, perhaps to receive some of the dust that precedes it, yet to have no droppings of its refreshing water.
2. Active servants of God. The preacher, the missionary, the Sunday school teacher, the Christian worker in all kinds of service, need, greatly need, showers of blessing
(1) in their own hearts, to strengthen and cheer, to stimulate and rouse;
(2) in their work.
3. The Church. Deadness seizes the Church without a Divine blessing. Worldliness, formalism, narrowness, selfishness, then degrade and corrupt it. The Church sadly needs a Divine benediction.
4. The world. All men need what few men seek—the grace and aid of God. The old weary earth thirsts and pines unconsciously for a new Pentecost.
II. SHOWERS OF BLESSING COME FROM HEAVEN.
1. Their source. This is above us. Showers fall from the clouds that sail far over our heads. We must look up for the blessing. Men put too much trust in the earth. The most fertile land, without rain, would be a Sahara Desert. The most capable and energetic human work needs grace from above. Paul plants, Apollos waters, and God gives the increase (1Co_3:6).
2. Their descent. The showers are formed in the clouds, but they do not remain there. It is disappointing to see black clouds gather in a season of drought, and then pass away without shedding a drop of rain. Showers are descending waters. Blessings are not only promised and retained in the treasury of heaven; they come down and water the earth.
III. SHOWERS OF BLESSING DESCEND IN ABUNDANCE. It would take long for men with watering-cart and hose to distribute the moisture that is spread over a wide area in an hour by one summer shower. God blesses richly and abundantly. His grace is widespread. Every root of grass in the meadow comes in for a share of the shower; every leaf in the forest is cleansed and refreshed. Moreover, the result is done with the utmost gentleness. It is a shower, not a flood. "He shall come down like rain upon the mown grass" (Psa_72:6).
IV. SHOWERS OF BLESSING COME AT VARIOUS SEASONS. It is not always raining. Palestine had its former and its latter rain. Showers alternate with sunshine in our April weather. There are seasons of especial blessing. It may not be well for us to be always receiving the most stimulating kind of Divine grace. Nor is it possible for us to be perpetually cheered. Yet we can and should pray for blessing, and hail the cloud no bigger than a man's hand as the promise of coming showers.
V. SHOWERS OF BLESSING ARE FOLLOWED BY BEAUTY AND FRUITFULNESS. How fair and fresh the earth looks after a spring shower! Then "the dainty flowers lift up their heads," the grass shines in its greenest hues, and the very ground is fragrant. The world, the Church, the soul of man, will wear a new beauty and gladness, and bring forth fruit to the glory of God, when heavenly showers of blessing have been received. Well may we pray for them with more than Elijah's earnestness!
Eze_34:29
I. THE CHURCH IS A DIVINE PLANTATION.
1. It is planted by God. A plantation is not a wild, primeval forest. It is a wood the trees of which have been carefully selected and set in the soil by the hands of men. God plants his people.
(1) He originates the life of the soul.
(2) He determines the position and sphere of individual activity.
(3) He calls men into his Church.
2. It is a community. A plantation is not a single tree, nor is it the scattering of a few separate trees over the fields. It is a collection of plants. "God setteth the solitary in families" (Psa_68:6). He has ordained domestic and social life. Christ founded the Church. Brotherly fellowship is a Divine ordinance.
3. It is carefully tended. The woodman visits the plantation, removing dead boughs, keeping the soil clean, destroying dangerous parasitic growths, etc. God does not leave his people alone. They are not like the neglected tropical forest, in which the wreck of the hurricane lies undisturbed and dead, and living trees are matted together with gigantic creepers and tangled with undergrowth; they are like a well-trimmed plantation.
4. It is expected to grow. A plantation in poor soil on a bleak hillside may be slow to thrive, and one on a hot sandy plain may even perish in drought. But healthy well-placed plants should grow from saplings till they become great trees.
II. THE CHURCH IS A PLANTATION OF RENOWN.
1. There is renown in the planting of it. It is customary for a member of the royal family who visits a country place to be asked to plant a tree. If the request is complied with, the young tree is watched with peculiar care and ever after pointed out with interest. It is a plant of renown. Not only has the Church been planted by God; it has been planted at the cost of the sacrifice of Christ. This plantation has been watered with the blood of Christ. It has the renown of the great sacrifice of Divine love consummated on Calvary.
2. There is renown in the history of it. There are trees of historic interest. Such was the oak of Mature, sacred to the memory of Abraham. Englishmen have found a romantic interest in King Charles's oak. Sherwood Forest is famous for Robin Hood and his merry men. The plantation of the Church has a very mixed history. The greatest trees are not always the most fruitful, and the greatest names in ecclesiastical history are not always those that deserve the highest honor. The public and official history of the Church is disgraced with many a deed of un-Christlike and worldly conduct. But the plantation as a whole, the general body of Christians, the quiet town and country congregations, have done a work of charity-enlightening, comforting, and saving—in all ages of Christendom. Here, rather than in her calendar of saints, the true renown of the Church is to be found, and this renown is the glory of Christ, whose body she is; so that her members must exclaim, "Not unto us, not unto us, but unto thy Name be the glory."
3. There is renown in the destiny of it. The Church has a great future before it. It goes forward to realize a grand idea. It has to win such a name as it dares not wear as yet. But even now, as the army shares the renown of its captain, the Church is honored in its Head, to whom God has given "a Name above every name."
Eze_34:30
1. He is present in the hearts of his people. He dwells in the contrite and humble spirit (Isa_57:15). The Christian's body is a "temple of the Holy Ghost" (1Co_6:19). God comes into especially close contact with those who are reconciled to him, and who open their hearts to receive his Spirit.
2. He is present in the lives of his people. He shapes their lives with his providential guidance, and watches over them with tender care, warding off danger and supplying wants. Even when they forget him in the slumbers of the night and during the busy distractions of the day, he neither sleeps nor neglects his people. Ever with them to guide and help and save, as he was with Israel in the pillar of cloud by day and the pillar of fire by night, God overshadows and surrounds his people with his fostering presence.
II. GOD'S PEOPLE MAY RECOGNIZE HIS PRESENCE. The verse which suggests these reflections is somewhat like a frequent expression in the prophecies of Ezekiel. After denunciations of wrath and judgment against the heathen nations, the conclusion repeatedly arrived at is, "And they shall know that I am the Lord" (e.g. Eze_30:25). In these cases the awful action of God in his wrath is to bring home to the heathen the fact of his existence and supremacy; but it is not said that they will know that God is with them. To Israel, however, this new thing is asserted. Israel will not merely know that God is the eternal Lord; she will know that God is present. This further knowledge belongs to Christians. They are not merely theists, who believe in the existence of God; they know his actual, living presence. It is not suggested that this knowledge is to be obtained by direct, mystical intuition; it is rather suggested that it is gathered from the experience of God's goodness. Hagar recognized the presence of God when the angel addressed her (Gen_16:13). Jacob perceived it on awakening from his dream (Gen_28:16). The later Jews were to see it in their restoration from the Captivity. We are to acknowledge it in the experience of the Christian redemption. In this Christ will manifest himself to us as he does not unto the world (Joh_14:21, Joh_14:22).
III. THE RECOGNITION OF GOD'S PRESENCE IS ACCOMPANIED BY THAT OF HIS OWNERSHIP OF HIS PEOPLE. "And that they, even the house of Israel, are my people." God is present with his people as their Owner. He comes to them to claim them. He visits his inheritance to take possession of it. When we perceive that God is with us we have to go further and acknowledge his relationship to us. It is much to acknowledge that we do not belong to ourselves, that we are God's possession, bought with a great price, and valued by him as precious property is valued by its owner.
Eze_34:31
I. CHRISTIANS ARE CONSTITUTED INTO A FLOCK. The wandering sheep are restored. They no longer roam at large over the mountains. They are gathered together. Man is naturally gregarious. Religion should deepen this characteristic by destroying selfishness and quickening the great social instinct, love. Thus Christ founded the Church idea. He recognized that he had many sheep that were not of the fold of Israel, or of his first community of disciples, and he prayed that they might all become one flock, even if they might not all be gathered into one fold. It may be impossible to restore the external unity of Christendom. At all events, this grand consummation seems at present to be far off, and some of those who profess to desire it most fervently do their worst to postpone it by their narrowness, bigotry, and serf-assertion. Certainly, if the dream is ever realized, it will not be by all sections of Christendom succumbing to the views and practices of any one party, but by a general agreement within large lines of liberty. Meanwhile, though we may not have one fold, we should be one flock. There should be a spirit of brotherhood among all Christians. The boundaries of folds do not convert sheep into wolves. The spiritual unity of Christendom may be accomplished in the spirit of charity and sympathy taking possession of the hearts of all Christians.
II. CHRISTIANS ARE TENDED AS A FLOCK. The flock is under the care of a shepherd. God has "set up one Shepherd over" his flock (Eze_34:23)—Christ, who cares for his sheep to the extent of giving his life for them. The flock of Christ is variously tended.
1. It is fed. God has not left his people in the wilderness, or, if they must traverse that barren region, he sends heavenly manna and gives water from the rock.
2. It is sheltered. The shepherd watches over the flock by night and drives off beasts of prey. Christ guards his people from harm and danger.
3. It is led. The shepherd leads his sheep by the still waters, and ultimately home to their fold. God led his people Israel "like a flock" (Psa_77:20), till they had passed all the perils of the forty years' wandering, crossed the Jordan, and taken possession of the Promised Land. Christ leads his people through life safely on towards the heavenly Canaan.
III. Christians SHOULD BEHAVE AS A FLOCK.
1. They should follow the Shepherd. Christianity is walking in the footsteps of Christ (Joh_12:26). We cannot expect the grace of Christ if we wander from him.
2. The flock is the property of its Owner; it exists for his advantage. It is not to be supposed that we are to receive countless blessings and render no return in obedience. The supreme end of the Church is the glory of God, though this is attained in conjunction with its own highest welfare.
3. The sheep are foolish, weak, helpless creatures. The Shepherd is far greater than they. He deserves to be locked up to with trust, and followed obediently. In our ignorance, folly, and weakness we should trust and obey our good Shepherd, who is wiser and stronger than we, and whose will is supreme over our lives.
I. THEIR CONDUCT. This is very graphically and (after Ezekiel's manner) with outspoken plainness described in these verses.
1. The shepherds' neglect of the flock. They neither feed them upon suitable pastures, nor strengthen the weak, nor heal the sickly, nor recover the lost, nor deliver the defenseless sheep from the wild beasts of the field. On the contrary, they treat them with violence and with rigor.
2. The shepherds' care for themselves. They use the flock merely for their own pleasure and advantage, eating of the flesh of the sheep, and clothing themselves with their wool.
3. The consequent condition of the flock. Neglected by their custodians, they are scattered, they wander upon every high hill, they fall a prey to the beasts of the field. In all these respects there is a parallel between the conduct of careless, hireling shepherds and the conduct of those in Israel who claimed to be the spiritual pastors of the people. These, whether priests or prophets by profession, simply used their position as a means towards their personal wealth, ease, pleasure, and aggrandizement. And no wonder that the sons of Israel, so neglected by those who should have made their highest welfare their care, were abandoned to every enemy, and sank into a state of degeneration, debasement, and hopelessness.
II. THEIR CONDEMNATION. That such flagrant neglect, of duty could not pass unnoticed and unpunished may be presumed by the least thoughtful. Under the rule of a Governor of infinite justice, those placed in a position of eminence and of influence, if they neglect to fulfill the duties of their position, must surely be called to an exact account of their trust. The prophet tells us concerning the unfaithful shepherds that:
1. God is against them. He, whose help and countenance would have been vouchsafed had they honestly and earnestly set themselves to do the work which they professed to undertake, now sets himself against the unfaithful.
2. They are held responsible for the flock. "I will require," says God, "my sheep at their hand."
3. The custody of the flock is taken away from them. And at the same time, they are prevented from any more feeding themselves. It cannot be that the flock should be punished for wandering, and that the careless shepherds, through whose neglect they wandered, should be suffered to go free.—T.
Eze_34:11-16
I. THE LORD SEEKS HIS SHEEP WHEN LOST. They have gone astray, through willfulness on their part and through negligence on the part of the pretended shepherds. Bat the Divine Shepherd seeks and saves that which was lost, and, distant though they be, and in dangerous places, finds them out and lays his gracious hand upon them.
II. THE LORD DELIVERS HIS SHEEP FROM THE POWER OF THEIR ENEMIES. They have their enemies, and they have fallen into their enemies' hands. From such peril One only can save; and the Lord rescues them and, in the exercise of his pity and his power, sets them free from bondage and oppression.
III. THE LORD RESTORES THEM TO THE FOLD OF SAFETY AND OF PEACE. Even as Jehovah brought back the exiles from the East into the land of their fathers, so does the good Shepherd and Bishop of souls ever restore the penitent and believing to the welcome of his gracious heart, and to the fellowship of his rejoicing Church, to go no more out.
IV. THE LORD FEEDS THEM IN THE PASTURES OF HIS GRACE. The language of this passage is upon this point very full, rich, and reassuring. The good Shepherd declares, "I will feed them upon the mountains of Israel, by the water-courses; I will feed them upon good pasture, and on fat pasture shall they feed upon the mountains of Israel." We may understand by this all the provision which the wisdom and loving-kindness of God have made for the wants and the welfare of his redeemed—the truth of his Word, the blessings of his sacraments, the fellowship of his saints.
V. THE LORD HEALS THEM FROM ALL THEIR WEAKNESSES AND SUFFERINGS. "I will bind up that which was broken, and strengthen that which was sick." He healeth all our diseases. His hand applies the remedy, administers the medicine, restores the broken health of the soul. No necessity is uncared for; no ill fails to meet his sympathy; no weakly, tender lamb of his flock shall perish through neglect. "He shall gather the lambs in his arm, and carry them in his bosom, and shall gently lead those that give suck."
APPLICATION. These representations of Divine pity and tenderness are amply fulfilled in the gospel of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ. In his own discourses he set forth his mission under the similitude of the faithful, devoted shepherd. He laid down his life for the sheep. The apostles felt the justice and the beauty of the similitude. And upon the early Christians generally it made a profound impression; in their works of art they delighted to picture Jesus as the good shepherd.—T.
Eze_34:23, Eze_34:24
I. THE SOLE SUPREMACY OF CHRIST OVER THE FLOCK. The "one Shepherd," God's "servant David," who can this be but Christ? For he is the Head of the new humanity, who has made both one. "There shall be one flock and one Shepherd." This is no other than the one Mediator between God and man, the Man Christ Jesus.
II. THE SACRIFICIAL DEATH OF CHRIST FOR HIS FLOCK. Christ's people are a purchased possession; he laid down his life for the sheep. Thus he proved his love; thus he accomplished the gracious purposes of his Father; thus he effected the deliverance of his ransomed ones from the power of the enemy. All that the Savior does for his people is comprehended in and follows from his identification of himself with them in his incarnation and sacrifice.
III. THE PERPETUAL SWAY OF CHRIST OVER HIS FLOCK. God's servant is appointed to be, not only the pastor, but the prince, of the redeemed. His rule is marked by justice and equity, and at the same time by benignity and compassion. He is the Prince of righteousness and the Prince of peace. His dominion shall be universal—"from sea to sea, and from the river unto the ends of the earth." His dominion shall be imperishable—from one generation to another, "and of the increase of his government there shall be no end."
APPLICATION. These representations of Christ summon all the members of his flock to accept with gratitude his pastoral provision and care; and to submit with cheerfulness to his just and gracious rule.—T.
Eze_34:26
I. FERTILIZING SHOWERS OF BLESSING. As the rain waters the earth, and turns barrenness into fruitfulness, so the provision of Divine grace transforms this humanity from a wilderness of sin into a Paradise of God.
1. The need of such blessing is apparent from the spiritual barrenness which prevails where it is not bestowed.
2. The source of such blessing is implied in this language; for as the showers come from the clouds of the sky, so the Spirit descends from the presence, the heaven of God.
3. The time of such blessing is indicated as appointed by supreme wisdom; the shower comes "in its season," and the promise of the Father was given in the Father's good time.
4. The abundance of such blessing. God's spiritual favors come to his people, not in drops, but in showers, such as are fitted to refresh the parched and thirsty land.
5. The effects of such blessing are life and fertility. The wilderness and the solitary place are made glad, and the desert rejoices and blossoms as the rose. Spiritual growth and fruit are the blessed result of showers of Divine mercy.
II. ABIDING SCENES OF BENEDICTION. By the "hill" of God must be understood the Church of God, which he ever visits, refreshes, and vivifies by the dews and showers of his pity and loving-kindness. The Church, because the object of Divine favor and the depository of Divine truth and power, becomes and remains the agent of untold benefits to the world around. It receives blessing from heaven; it communicates blessing to earth. The heaven above is never as brass intercepting and restraining blessing; it is as the clouds distilling and diffusing blessing. And the rills are never dry which convey the blessing of God from the Church to fertilize a thirsty and barren world.—T.
Eze_34:27, Eze_34:28
I. PROSPERITY, SECURED BY THE VISITATION OF GOD'S MERCY AND LOVING-KINDNESS. This is figuratively represented by the promise, "The tree of the field shall yield its fruit, and the earth shall yield her increase." The Church is a garden, a vineyard, a forest; when it flourishes, it puts forth signs of vigorous life, and it is fruitful abundantly. The vitality of the Church expresses itself in its praises, thankgivings, and prayers, in its unity and brotherly love, in its deeds of justice and purity, in its benevolent and self-denying efforts for the good of the world.
II. DELIVERANCE AND LIBERTY, SECURED BY THE INTERPOSITION OF GOD'S MIGHT. The Lord "broke the bars of their yoke, and delivered them out of the hands of those who made bondmen of them." "Where the Spirit of the Lord is, there is liberty." It is his office to set God's people free from thraldom to error and to sin, and to make them God's freedmen, to introduce them into the glorious liberty of the sons of God. The promise must have had a special significance and sweetness for those who, like Ezekiel and his companions, were captives and exiles in a foreign land, and subject to the authority of strangers. Its spiritual meaning is comprehended and appreciated by all Christ's ransomed ones who are set free, his banished ones for whose return he has devised effectual means.
III. SECURITY THROUGH GOD'S PROTECTION. In a less settled state of society than our own, the literal meaning of the promise must have been peculiarly welcome: "They shall no more be a prey to the heathen, neither shall the beasts of the field devour them; but they shall dwell securely, and none shall make them afraid." The Church of Christ is secure as the fold of God's flock, the fortress of God's warriors, the home of God's children. The powers of earth and of hell are strong, but the power of Heaven is mightier, and this power is pledged for the guardianship and safety of the people of Christ. The power of Divine providence controls all outward events. The power of the Divine Spirit within checks every rising fear. "Fear not," says the Almighty Guardian and Helper, "fear not: I am with you!"—T.
I. GOD'S ESTIMATE OF A RULER'S DUTY. A ruler, whether supreme or subordinate, is required by God to act as a shepherd. He is ordained to this office (at least theoretically) on the ground of superior knowledge, skill, and fitness to govern. God's intention is that the personal endowments of one shall be employed for the welfare of the many. The design in erecting the kingly office is not that everything in the state shall contribute to the pomp and magnificence of the king, but contrariwise, that the king shall devote his talents and energies to the well-being of his weakest subjects. The public health must be his care. Measures for alleviating and uprooting disease must originate at the palace. The education of the young, the development of mental. resources, the dissemination of all useful knowledge, form part of the monarch's duty. The sanitation of the people's dwellings is a more royal service than leading battalions on the battle-field. Whatever increases mutual concord, industry, virtue, wealth, morality, and religion demands the king's attention. And what is true respecting a king is true (in its measure) respecting every meaner magistrate and officer of state. Every man who fills an office of rule is a shepherd, under obligation to safeguard the interests of the people. Such is the doctrine taught by God.
II. GOD'S RECOGNITION OF A RULER'S SELF-AGGRANDIZEMENT. Every occupant of a throne acts in the stead of God. He is a delegate of the Most High. Therefore it is his duty to imitate the rule of God—to act as God acts. Inasmuch as God cares equally for all the members in his family, for the obscure and the weak, as well as for the rich and the strong, it becomes earthly monarchs to do likewise. Every neglect of the well-being of subjects is noted down by God. The cry of the oppressed toilers enters the ears of the Lord of hosts. In God's esteem kingly condescension is a nobler quality than animal courage. It is better every way to enlarge a people's virtue than to enlarge the boundaries of empire. God notes down carefully each royal delinquency.
III. GOD'S MODES OF CHASTISING A RULER'S CONTUMACY.
1. Removal from office. "I will cause them to cease from feeding the fleck." Defeat upon the battle-field, dethronement, loss of regal power, early death,—these are among the modes of chastisement God employs. So many are the plans for vindicating himself which are available to him, that he seldom employs the same mode of chastisement in two separate instances. What are often deemed common disasters are forthputtings of the chastising rod.
2. Arraignment at the bar of God. "