Ezekiel chapter 34

I've almost caught up to where we are in Bible study, yay!

vs 1

I've read this so many times, and I think I sway between jealous and fascinated.

vs 2

I would not want to be the shepherd of a flock (or leader of a people, as this is so clearly talking about) with this charge levelled against me. I wouldn't want to live under such authority either.

vs 3

Obviously the shepherding metaphor is sticking here. Don't get it wrong, God doesn't mind leaders being supported by the people - what he minds is them being supported uselessly.

vs 4

I'm not actually sure how you rule sheep harshly and brutally. Does a bad shepherd beat his sheep? I'm curious. But you can see the metaphor clearly here - the people need leaders, and they have not had their leadership. They don't just need leaders because God said, "Have them," any more than they just need a covenant with God because God offered it. The purpose is important.

vs 5

Bad leaders basically equates to no leader, because the sheep act as if there is no leader, and the result is that bad things happen to them. In this case, they get swallowed up by idols and foreign gods, I think.

vs 6

Or, it could also be talking about the scattering of Israel by Assyria. I think both make a lot of sense, and I can see suggestions for both.

vs 7

Addressed specifically to them here.

vs 8

So there is another summary of what the leaders have failed to do, and the consequences their actions have taken.

vs 9

Repetitive... makes it sound angry to me.

vs 10

Another what God says! That's a lot of statements that it is God's word - perhaps required because it is addressed to leaders, and they're not prone to listening?

Since they weren't doing the work, they will no longer be able to draw the wage. I can imagine this happening in, say, Babylon.

vs 11

If you want a job done right, you've got to do it yourself.

vs 12

And when God takes a job into his own hands, it gets done properly. This is a message of hope to the people, as well as judgment to the leaders.

vs 13

In this verse we see that the scattering of the people of Israel (single nation) was a judgement on leadership primarily, although the people paid the price for following their leaders I suppose. God is going to put the blame for their judgment squarely on the leaders, and going to solve the problem by taking leadership himself.

vs 14

God is promising the return to the promised land. That is something for his people to look forward to. It is a great promise for them, because it means that God is keeping his covenant, and is not overturning it and forgetting his people.

vs 15

Lie down to rest, of course. Rest was one of the big promises of God in the covenant.

vs 16

I'm guessing the sleek and strong at the moment are sleek and strong because they were bad leaders who abused their position. So God is going to kill them, justly.

vs 17

Here we see God isn't just putting all the blame on the leaders. He discerns between his sheep too.

vs 18

This is unjust activity. It's hard to say what it might represent, but possibly rather mercenary mercantile activity. When things get to that scorched earth level, you know it's bad.

vs 19

Yeah, God isn't keen on people being unjust and oppressing his sheep people.

vs 20

So even those who aren't necessarily in leadership, but who grew fat from oppression and wickedness.

vs 21

I can't think of a better metaphor than a greedy sheep.

vs 22

I guess if you own a bunch of sheep, and you're going to eat one, you'll eat the one that is making the others weaker.

vs 23

This right here is a huge promise. A Davidic covenantal promise. We haven't seen one of these for a while. This is a promise of strong leadership, prosperity, powerful nationhood, but also a promise of closeness with God.

vs 24

God repeats it, this is an important promise. Which is funny, because of course we read this as Jesus. But they probably would have been looking around thinking, "Okay, so who is of David's line?"

vs 25

Because of course he promised he would make the land overrun with wild beasts so it was dangerous and horrible.

vs 26

God will return to blessing his land, his holy hill, and his people through their covenant land.

vs 27

God will, once again, free his people from slavery. He will give them an abundant land once again, and make them rich. These are great promises for Israel, but if the David figure is Jesus, what do they mean to us today, for whom land is not a part of our promise? Are these 'spiritual riches'?

vs 28

Of course, this has to be a heavenly promise for us, because even Israel gets plundered and devoured again, a few times actually.

vs 29

And I suppose for a time this is true, but in heaven it will be eternally true. I really, really, really hope I am correct that heaven is up to date technologically, because I must say the idea of living in a circa 500BC farming community is not attractive.

vs 30

This is the big, big deal. God is not just God, he is their God. The people of Israel aren't just a people - they are his people. That's really what makes them. It's really what makes us, as Christians. We're not just Christians, we are God's people. Without God, we're nothing.

vs 31

God thinks this statement is so great that he makes it a second time. Also, of course, he is claiming them. They are his people, and they should remember that. They shouldn't go off wandering and get eaten by wild beasts. They're smarter than sheep - one hopes.