Monday, July 29, 2024

Ezekiel 34: I am your Elohim, declares Adonay Yahweh.

 In Ezekiel 34, the people of Israel are compared to sheep and their leaders as shepherds:

1-6 God’s Message came to me: “Son of man, prophesy against the shepherd-leaders of Israel. Yes, prophesy! Tell those shepherds, ‘God, the Master, says: Doom to you shepherds of Israel, feeding your own mouths! Aren’t shepherds supposed to feed sheep? You drink the milk, you make clothes from the wool, you roast the lambs, but you don’t feed the sheep. You don’t build up the weak ones, don’t heal the sick, don’t doctor the injured, don’t go after the strays, don’t look for the lost. You bully and badger them. And now they’re scattered every which way because there was no shepherd—scattered and easy pickings for wolves and coyotes. Scattered—my sheep!—exposed and vulnerable across mountains and hills. My sheep scattered all over the world, and no one out looking for them!

As the leaders are just taking advantage of the sheep, the Lord himself will take care of the sheep:

10 “‘Watch out! I’m coming down on the shepherds and taking my sheep back. They’re fired as shepherds of my sheep. No more shepherds who just feed themselves! I’ll rescue my sheep from their greed. They’re not going to feed off my sheep any longer!

Is it about Jesus? I think so because:

23-24 “‘I’ll appoint one shepherd over them all: my servant David. He’ll feed them. He’ll be their shepherd. And I, God, will be their God. My servant David will be their prince. I, God, have spoken.

Jesus, the son of David, came down from heaven to take care of the people of the Lord.

It is really interesting how the Lord loves his people:

30-31 “‘They’ll know, beyond doubting, that I, God, am their God, that I’m with them and that they, the people Israel, are my people. Decree of God, the Master:

    You are my dear flock,
        the flock of my pasture, my human flock,
    And I am your God.
        Decree of God, the Master.’”

It is really a great blessing to know that the Lord is my shepherd, beyond doubting. He is my Elohim, my sovereign YHWH.

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