Ezekiel 34
COMMENTARY:
: 2 “Son of man, prophesy against the shepherds of Israel, prophesy and say to them, ‘Thus says the Lord God to the shepherds: “Woe to the shepherds of Israel who feed themselves! Should not the shepherds feed the flocks?
: 3 You eat the fat and clothe yourselves with the wool; you slaughter the fatlings, but you do not feed the flock.
DEVOTION: Selfishness is a sin. Leaders who are selfish are sinning against the LORD and those who are under their leadership. Many are seeking to learn more about the LORD in their journey through life.
Young adults want to see genuine leadership in a pastor or teacher of the Bible. If they see that they are only interested in themselves or just getting numbers in church they are turned off to that type of Christianity.
Genuine leaders are those who instruct the people in a way that helps them grow in the LORD. They will give them the right diet to help them gain strength. Some of those under their leadership are sick in sin and need help.
Too often the church looks the other way when people, especially young people, drift away. This is wrong.
CHALLENGE: Our ministries should answer the questions they have regarding the Word of God and how it applies to their lives. God wants good shepherds to feed their sheep.
: 10 I will seek that which was lost, and bring again that which was driven away, and will bind up that which was broken, and will strengthen that which was sick: but I will destroy the fat and the strong; I will feed them with judgment. (1245 “seek” [baqash] means require, desire, exact, request, to seek to secure, demand, or begging.)
DEVOTION: This chapter is talking about the leaders of the children of Israel. They are called shepherds. They are to care for the sheep, which were the people under their care.
Instead of being good shepherds that care for the people in their care, they got fat and strong and took advantage of them. They caused them to be scattered. They caused them to be driven away, broken, and sick.
The LORD told Ezekiel that HE was going to judge these bad shepherds. HE wanted them to feed the flock but they only fed themselves. They only cared for themselves.
HE informed Ezekiel that HE was going to care for the flock. HE was going to send a shepherd in the future. This shepherd was coming like David that took care of his father’s flocks. He also took care of the children of Israel while he was king.
This coming shepherd was the Messiah. HE was Jesus Christ. HE is going to care for the flock properly. There would be a new covenant of peace with the children of Israel. HE was going to bless them. The verse states that HE was going to bring them “showers of blessing.” This can only describe the time of the Millennium.
The time period is still future for Israel but we are singing it to say that we are receiving the blessings of the LORD today. The LORD is blessing today.
However, we have spiritual leaders today who are scattering the sheep instead of feeding the flock. One of the consequences of leadership is a greater judgment for our actions. We are to feed and care for the flock that the LORD has given to us. If we neglect the flock the LORD will have to judge us. If we are not seeking the flock the LORD has given us, we will be judged. The LORD promises to destroy and feed the leaders with judgment for their lack of care for the flock.
We have a responsibility to the people we know to teach them what we know of the word of God. We need to practice it to the best of our ability with the LORD’S help. Each day we make a choice. Are we feeding others with the Word of God? I am trying. Are you sharing these devotions or the Word of God with others?
CHALLENGE: We need to go after those who are straying from the local assembly to find out what is going on in their life. We should be out searching even today.
: 26 And I will make them and the places round about my hill a blessing; and I will cause the shower to come down in his season; there shall be showers of blessing. (1653 “showers” [geshem] means rain, rainwater.)
DEVOTION: We receive water coming down on us on a regular basis in the spring. We need rain to keep the plants going. We need to eat and the LORD waters the food to give us something to eat on a regular basis.
There have been many times in the history of our world that there has been a lack of rain. If this happens the plants do not grow. The animals don’t have food to eat and they starve. If there are no animals to eat then the people starve. It is called a time of famine.
Famine can not only be caused by a lack of rain but we find in the Old Testament that there are times when the Word of God is not being preached and there can be a famine of good teaching of the Word of God. If the Word of God is not preached correctly the people in the churches starve. If they starve then they have nothing to share with others. When the world is starving for the Word of God the people live according to their own thinking which is very selfish. Selfish people cause others to be selfish and no one helps anyone else out when they need the help. They want others to help them. If the others are government then everyone is depending on government instead of each other.
God is going to establish a time period when there will be so much rain that there will not be enough people to collect all the crops that are in the fields. Everyone will be full and happy with a time period of extra blessings. It is coming in the future.
CHALLENGE: Today we have to be a blessing to others by helping them when we see a need. Don’t depend on government to take care of your neighbor when you can do it. The LORD wants us to be unselfish!
: 31 You are my flock, the sheep of my pasture. You are my people, and I am your God. I, the Sovereign Lord, have spoken!” (NLT)
DEVOTION: As we understand how God speaks, we can understand HIS meaning to certain words. Here HE is speaking about shepherds or leaders who are not taking care of the people (flock) under their care.
Instead they are eating all the food. They are buying nice clothes. They are not caring for those who the LORD has given them a leadership position over them. The LORD gives leadership positions to those who are supposed to lead according to HIS rules. These men were not obeying the LORD’S rules.
The LORD is going to judge them for their mistreatment and selfishness. HE is going to take their position away from them and give it to another who will honor HIM.
Today we have pastors who are supposed to feed the flock of men and women and children under their leadership. Instead they take large wages and feed only themselves. They care little for those who are sick and suffering. They only care for themselves.
People leave the church and they don’t care to go out and find them again. In fact, they like to see people leave the church, so that, there are fewer who are complaining about their lack of leadership.
CHALLENGE: God wants HIS leaders or pastors to care for those under their care. HE is going to send HIS Son, Jesus Christ, back to care for HIS flock in the future but for now HE expects pastors and leaders to honor HIM by caring for HIS flock of men and women.
DISCIPLINES OF THE FAITH:
BODY
Chastity (Purity in living)
Fasting (Time alone with LORD without eating or drinking)
Sacrifice (Giving up something we want to serve the LORD)
Submission (Willing to listen to others and LORD)
Solitude (Going to a quiet place without anyone)
SOUL
Fellowship (Gathering together around the Word of God)
Frugality (wise use of resources)
Journalizing (Writing down what you have learned from the LORD)
Study and Meditation (Thinking through your study in the Word)
Secrecy (Doing your good deeds without others knowing but God)
SPIRIT
Celebration (Gathering around a special occasion to worship LORD)
Confession (Tell the LORD we are sorry for our sins on a daily basis)
Prayer (Conversation with God on a personal level)
Silence (Letting the LORD deal with some problems and needs)
Worship (Time to praise the LORD alone or in a group)
DOCTRINES OF THE FAITH:
Scripture (66 inerrant books of the Bible)
Word of the LORDverses 1, 7, 9
Thus says the Lord GODverses 2, 10, 11, 17, 20
I the LORD have spoken itverse 24
God the Father (First person of the Godhead)
LORD – Jehovah (Covenant keeping, Personal)verses 1, 7, 9, 24, 27, 30
Lord – Adonai (Owner, Master)verses 2, 8, 10, 11, 15, 17, 20, 30, 31
GOD – Jehovahverses 2, 8, 10, 11, 15, 17, 20, 30, 31
Lord GODverses 2, 8, 10, 11, 15, 17, 20, 30, 31
MY flockverses 6, 8, 10, 22
I will search for MY sheepverse 11
I will seek them outverses 11, 12
I will bring them outverse 13
I will feed MY flockverse 15
I will seek the lostverse 16
I will strengthen the sickverse 16
I will destroy the fat and strongverse 16
Judgment of LORDverses 16, 17, 20, 22
Save MY flockverse 22
God – Elohim (Creator, Sovereign, Plural name)verses 24, 30, 31
Control of natureverse 27
LORD their Godverse 30
I am your Godverse 31
God the Son (Second person of the Godhead – God/man, Messiah)
One Shepherdverse 23
My servant Davidverse 23
HE shall feed flockverse 23
Princeverse 24
Plant of Renownverse 29
God the Holy Spirit (Third person of the Godhead – our comforter)
Trinity (Three persons of the Godhead who are co-equal = ONE God)
Angels (Created before the foundation of the world – Good and Evil)
Man (Created on the sixth twenty-four hour period of creation)
Heathenverse 29
Sin (Missing the mark set by God on man and angels)
Selfish shepherds (leaders)verses 2, 3, 8, 16, 27
Not feed the flockverses 2, 3, 8
Not caring for sickverse 4
Not looking for lostverses 4, 6, 8
Crueltyverses 4, 19-21
Evil beastsverse 25
Heathenverses 28, 29
Salvation (Provided by Christ’s death on the cross for our sins)
Prophesy verse 2
Shepherds that feed the flockverses 2, 5, 23
Strengthen the sickverse 4
Heal the sickverse 4
Bind up the brokenverse 4
Bring back those that have wanderedverse 4
Seek lost sheepverse 4
Search for sheepverse 12
Deliveranceverses 12, 27
Feed sheepverses 13-15, 23
Peaceverse 15
Seek the lostverse 16
Strengthen the sickverse 16
Flock of GODverses 17, 19
Saveverse 22
Covenant of peaceverse 25
Blessedverse 26
Showers of blessingverse 26
Dwell safelyverses 27, 28
Know the LORDverse 27
Not be afraidverse 28
Presence of the LORDverse 30
Israel (Old Testament people of God)
Son of man = Ezekielverse 2
Shepherds of Israelverses 2, 7
Bring Israel to their own landverse 13
Mountains of Israelverses 13, 14
MY flockverses 17, 30, 31
Davidverses 23, 24
House of Israelverse 30
Church (New Testament people of God)
Last Things (Future Events)
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