Ezekiel 34:11-24--The Lord GOD Will Seek Them Out

Ezekiel 34:11-24
English Standard Version

The Lord GOD Will Seek Them Out
11 “For thus says the Lord GOD: Behold, I, I myself will search for my sheep and will seek them out. 12 As a shepherd seeks out his flock when he is among his sheep that have been scattered, so will I seek out my sheep, and I will rescue them from all places where they have been scattered on a day of clouds and thick darkness. 13 And I will bring them out from the peoples and gather them from the countries, and will bring them into their own land. And I will feed them on the mountains of Israel, by the ravines, and in all the inhabited places of the country. 14 I will feed them with good pasture, and on the mountain heights of Israel shall be their grazing land. There they shall lie down in good grazing land, and on rich pasture they shall feed on the mountains of Israel. 15 I myself will be the shepherd of my sheep, and I myself will make them lie down, declares the Lord GOD. 16 I will seek the lost, and I will bring back the strayed, and I will bind up the injured, and I will strengthen the weak, and the fat and the strong I will destroy. I will feed them in justice.

17 “As for you, my flock, thus says the Lord GOD: Behold, I judge between sheep and sheep, between rams and male goats. 18 Is it not enough for you to feed on the good pasture, that you must tread down with your feet the rest of your pasture; and to drink of clear water, that you must muddy the rest of the water with your feet? 19 And must my sheep eat what you have trodden with your feet, and drink what you have muddied with your feet?

20 “Therefore, thus says the Lord GOD to them: Behold, I, I myself will judge between the fat sheep and the lean sheep. 21 Because you push with side and shoulder, and thrust at all the weak with your horns, till you have scattered them abroad, 22 I will rescue my flock; they shall no longer be a prey. And I will judge between sheep and sheep. 23 And I will set up over them one shepherd, my servant David, and he shall feed them: he shall feed them and be their shepherd. 24 And I, the LORD, will be their God, and my servant David shall be prince among them. I am the LORD; I have spoken.

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The LORD continues to encourage the people that there will be a remnant that will survive the Exile that will one day return.  This is not just a promise for those who have gone into the Babylonian Exile for 70 years, but will be a promise for those who were dispersed by the Romans in 70 AD and the people would not return home until after World War 2.  There is still a greater gathering that is still yet to happen as well.  One day soon, all of the people of God will be gathered together in the Land that was promised to Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob--the Jews in the land of Canaan, and the Gentile believers in the surrounding areas that used to be the kingdoms of Egypt and Assyria.  God will gather all of His people back into His Land and He will be their Shepherd (their King) and will rule over them and care for them.  They will have peace, rest, and security during the time that Messiah rules from the throne of David.

The LORD will know who are His sheep and who are not because His sheep know His voice and listen to Him.  He will separate the sheep and the goats from one another (those who are truly children of God and those who are faking it and hoping to make it).  Jesus will not be deceived by those who look good on the outside but have never been born again (regenerated) on the inside.  There are those who want to destroy and pervert the good things the LORD wants to give to His people--symbolized here by green pasture that some wish to trample down and clean water that some wish to muddy.

The LORD will also judge between those who have little and those who have much.  The people of God can still sometimes forget to love others with the same love they have for themselves and they behave in a selfish way and they become "fat" while others go without and are "skinny."  The LORD will see all of this and will bring equity and stop the system of oppressor and oppressed that is so natural to us--predator and prey.  The Good Shepherd will care for all of His sheep and will protect them from enemies without and enemies within.  It is the will of the Father to do this so that the Son will be glorified.