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Commentary Index | Return to PrayerRequest.com | DownloadPaul Kretzmann Commentary - Ezekiel 34:11 - 34:22
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Jehovah as Israel's true Shepherd
v. 11. For thus saith the Lord God, Behold, I, even I, will both search My sheep and seek them out, giving them the solicitous attention which their condition demanded and which their earthly rulers failed to give them.
v. 12. As a shepherd seeketh out his flock, inspecting them with careful solicitude, in the day that he is among his sheep that are scattered, earnestly concerned about ways and means to bring them together again after a severe storm or after a raid by wild beasts, so will I seek out My sheep, going after them with His divine care, and will deliver them out of all places where they have been scattered in the cloudy and dark day, at the time when Judah was led away into captivity.
v. 13. And I will bring them out from the people, from the nations into whose lands they had been deported, and gather them from the countries, and will bring them to their own land, and feed them upon the mountains of Israel by the rivers, in full abundance, and in all the inhabited places of the country, the land of Israel here representing the Spiritual country of the Church of God.
v. 14. I will feed them in a good pasture, Psa_23:2, and upon the high mountains of Israel shall their fold be, where the rich meadows of the uplands offered food in luscious abundance; there shall they lie in a good fold, in safe dwelling-places, and in a fat pasture shall they feed upon the mountains of Israel, where the Lord Himself provided the richest of food.
v. 15. I will feed My flock, taking charge of this important function himself, and I will cause them to lie down, saith the Lord God, so that they will be secure under His protection.
v. 16. I will, by way of contrast to the selfish behavior of the false shepherds, seek that which was lost, and bring again that which was driven away, and will bind up that which was broken, crippled by some misfortune or accident, and will strengthen that which was sick, thereby faithfully discharging the several duties neglected by the rulers of Israel; but I will destroy the fat and the strong, the wealthy and mighty oppressors of the poor; I will feed them with judgment, with justice and equity instead of the arbitrary manner and cruel selfishness of the false shepherds.
v. 17. And as for you, O My flock, thus saith the Lord God, in announcing His policy over against the entire nation, Behold, I judge between cattle and cattle, literally, "between sheep and sheep," or the small cattle, lamb and kids, between the rams and the he-goats, so that the fat sheep with the rams and he-goats would occupy a place for themselves, where the Lord could readily judge them.
v. 18. Seemeth it a small thing unto you to have eaten up the good pasture, as the rich and powerful did in oppressing the poor, but ye must tread down with your feet the residue of your pastures? thereby preventing the poorer members of the nation from obtaining what the rich and mighty, for some cause or other, could not use at just that moment, and to have drunk of the deep waters, getting their fill, but ye must foul the residue with your feet? spoiling it so that others would have no benefit from its use.
v. 19. And as for My flock, consisting of the poor, weak, and helpless, they eat that which ye have trodden with your feet, being compelled to be satisfied with the food discarded and spoiled by the mighty; and they drink that which ye have fouled with your feet, for want of anything cleaner.
v. 20. Therefore, thus saith the Lord God unto them, Behold, I, even I, will judge between the fat cattle and between the lean cattle, between the powerful with their presumption and pride and the weak and oppressed, who were practically at the mercy of the former.
v. 21. Because ye have thrust with side and with shoulder, like cattle fighting their way to the trough or feeding-rack, and pushed all the diseased with your horns till ye have scattered them abroad,
v. 22. therefore will I save My flock, delivering the poor and helpless from the power of the oppressors, and they shall no more be a prey, at the mercy of unscrupulous rulers, and I will judge between cattle and cattle, so that justice would be done. The Virgin Mary was right in saying that God hath put down the mighty from their seats and exalted them of low degree. Luk_1:52.