Ezekiel 34:1-10

II. REPLACEMENT OF CORRUPT LEADERS

34:1-31

Israel's past sin and punishment stemmed largely from corrupt and selfish leadership. The first step in Ezekiel's program of reconstruction for the nation was the replacement of those worthless leaders by a new breed of rulers. God would place at the head of His restored people a scion of the house of David. Under His rule God's people would enjoy peace, safety and prosperity.

A. The Evil Shepherds of the Past 34:1-10

TRANSLATION

(1) And the word of the LORD came unto me, saying, (2) Son of man, prophesy against the shepherds of Israel, prophesy, and say unto them, to the shepherds: Thus says the Lord GOD: Woe unto the shepherds of Israel who were feeding themselves! Should not the shepherds feed the flock? (3) You eat the fat, and with the wool you cloth yourselves, you slaughter the fatlings; but you do not feed the flock. (4) The weak you have not made strong, nor the sick have you healed, nor have you bound up the broken, nor have you brought back those which strayed away, nor have you sought those that are lost; but with force and rigor you have ruled them. (5) So they were scattered, because there was no shepherd; and became food for every beast of the field, and were scattered. (6) My sheep wandered through all the mountains, and upon every high hill, and over the face of the land My sheep were scattered, and none did search and seek. (7) Therefore, O shepherds, hear the word of the LORD: (8) As 1 live (oracle of the Lord COD) surely in as much as My sheep became a prey, and My sheep became food to every beast of the field because they had no shepherd, nor did My shepherds search for My sheep, but the shepherds fed themselves, and did not feed My sheep, (9) therefore, O shepherds, hear the word of the LORD. (10) Thus says the Lord COD: Behold, I am against the shepherds; and I will require My sheep at their hand, and I will cause them to cease from feeding the sheep; neither shall the shepherds feed themselves any more; and I will deliver My sheep from their mouth, that they may not be food for them.

COMMENTS

The shepherds against whom Ezekiel is told to prophesy were the kings, princes and other leaders of the now defunct nation of Judah. These men stand under a divine woe because they had been concerned only about their own welfare and not that of the sheep which had been committed to their guardianship (Ezekiel 34:2). They lived sumptuously at the expense of the flock. But still they did not feed, i.e., care for the needs of, the masses (Ezekiel 34:3). The needs of the weak, sick, straying, and lost sheep the poor and defenseless among the population had been ignored. They had been ruled with force, not with consideration and justice (Ezekiel 34:4). Unprotected by their national rulers, God's people became a prey to surrounding nations. Attacked by these beasts of prey the sheep scattered in all directions (Ezekiel 34:5). They wandered through strange hills and valleys all over the face of the land in their efforts to escape the invaders. None of their leaders made any efforts to regroup the flock or avert the flight. The flock was simply abandoned (Ezekiel 34:6).

Concerning those worthless leaders God had a word (Ezekiel 34:7). God refers to the national leaders as Any shepherds because they were answerable to Him. God's people had suffered immensely because of these greedy shepherds (Ezekiel 34:8). Therefore, God bound Himself by an oath (as I live) that He was implacably opposed to those leaders. He would hold these undershepherds responsible for all loses sustained by the flock. He would deprive them of the privilege of leadership. No more would they be able to further their personal aims and ambitions at the expense of the flock. These shepherds virtually had become beasts of prey, and God would finally liberate His people from their leadership (Ezekiel 34:10). From one point of view at least the Babylonian exile was a liberating experience.