Welcome to Bible Fiber, where we are encountering the textures and shades of the biblical tapestry through twelve Minor Prophets, two reformers, and one exile. I am Shelley Neese, president of The Jerusalem Connection, a Christian organization devoted to sharing the story of the people of Israel, both ancient and modern. Please tolerate me for a few more weeks harping on the release of the first Bible Fiber book! If you haven’t already, please go to Amazon and get your copy of Bible Fiber: The Twelve Minor Prophets. And if you would do me another favor, leave the book a review on Amazon. Back to Ezekiel.
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In Chapter 34, Ezekiel’s prophetic tone changes. Previously mute and limited to delivering messages of judgment, Ezekiel now offers words of comfort and hope to his fellow exiles. This change marks a turning point in the book of Ezekiel and in the prophet’s ministry.
By this time, the number of Jewish exiles in Babylon had grown considerably. Ezekiel could have dwelled on the past, reminding his traumatized audience of the reasons for their punishment. Instead, he chooses a more compassionate approach. The focus of his oracles shifts dramatically towards the future. While the first two-thirds of the book primarily criticized Israel for its history of rebellion, the latter third looks forward with optimism, emphasizing themes of restoration and a new covenant between God and his people.
This dual structure—judgment followed by renewal—is not unique to Ezekiel. It’s a characteristic pattern found in many prophetic books of the Hebrew Bible. Prominent prophets like Isaiah and Jeremiah first pronounced judgment before transitioning to messages of hope and salvation. Ezekiel was retracing the footsteps of his predecessors.
This pattern reflects a deeper theological understanding of history in ancient Israelite thought. History is not random or cyclical but moving purposefully towards a divinely ordained goal: redemption. The exiles’ suffering was not the end of the story, but a painful yet necessary step towards a greater future.
Corrupt Shepherds
Chapter 34 begins with a scathing indictment of the political leaders of Israel, whom Yahweh referred to as “shepherds.” People commonly likened kings and patron deities in the ancient Near East to shepherds because a shepherd’s role with his flock mirrored a king’s role to his people. Most likely, Ezekiel had Judah’s last string of historic kings in mind: Jehoahaz (609 BCE), Jehoiakim (609-598 BCE), Jehoiachin (598-597 BCE), and Zedekiah (597-586 BCE). In the century leading up to exile, these four kings failed to heed the warnings of the prophets. They dropped all of Hezekiah and Josiah’s religious reforms and allowed Judah to indulge in corruption, injustice, violence, and idolatry. Their unfaithfulness to God and poor leadership led to the nation’s downfall.
It’s important to note that Ezekiel wasn’t absolving the people of Judah from responsibility. Earlier chapters clearly show that he held every level of society accountable for their actions. However, Ezekiel recognized leaders set the tone for an entire society.
While Ezekiel had previously condemned Zedekiah’s misguided political maneuvers, Chapter 34 presents a broader criticism of the leaders’ selfishness, neglect, and abuse of the people. Yahweh challenged the shepherd-kings: “Woe, you shepherds of Israel who have been feeding yourselves! Should not shepherds feed the sheep?” (34:2). The leaders prioritized their own needs over those of their people.
Ezekiel goes beyond mere negligence, accusing the shepherds of actively exploiting their flock. He states, “You eat the fat; you clothe yourselves with the wool; you slaughter the fatted calves, but you do not feed the sheep” (34:3). The leaders were stripping the people of their limited resources—their milk, wool, and yearlings—for personal gain.
A shepherd’s primary duty was to nurture and protect the most vulnerable members of the flock. However, because of the widespread moral and spiritual decay in Judean society, the shepherds ignored the weak, sick, and injured among their people. Ezekiel contrasts this neglect with the ideal of a Good Shepherd, who treats the sheep with tenderness and care. He accuses the leaders, said, “You have not sought the lost, but with force and harshness you have ruled them” (34:4).
The consequences of this negligent leadership were severe. The people, likened to sheep, were scattered throughout the earth, left vulnerable to predators and suffering from hunger and thirst. In response to this dire situation, Yahweh made a chilling declaration: “I am against the shepherds” (34:10).
God as Shepherd
Yahweh would have to intervene on behalf of the sheep. Despite having previously entrusted the care of his people to earthly kings, he now declared his intention to remove these corrupt shepherds and reclaim direct responsibility for what he emphatically calls “my flock” (34:17, 22). This concept of Yahweh as the ultimate shepherd is not new too Ezekiel. It’s a motif that appears early on, with the elderly Jacob in Genesis referring to God as “the God who has been my shepherd all my life to this day” (Gen. 48:15). Perhaps the most beloved expression of this idea is Psalm 23, “The Lord is my Shepherd,” a passage that has brought comfort to countless generations.
The intensity of Yahweh’s commitment is underscored by his eighteen “I will” statements throughout the oracle. These declarations outline his plan to rescue the sheep from their predatory leaders and assume the responsibilities that human leaders had neglected. While this oracle pronounces judgment on Israel’s leaders, it simultaneously offers a message of salvation and hope for the common people.
Yahweh’s first action is to search for and sort out his scattered sheep, a task the negligent shepherds had ignored. He said, “I myself will search for my sheep and will sort them out” (34:11). This gathering is not just about numbers; it’s about restoration and healing. Yahweh promises to tend to the hungry, wounded, and frightened sheep, providing comprehensive care, unlike the neglect they experienced under human leadership.
The promise of restoration goes beyond mere gathering. Yahweh declared, “I will bring them out from the peoples and gather them from the countries and bring them into their own land, and I will feed them on the mountains of Israel, by the watercourses, and in all the inhabited parts of the land” (34:13). This is not a random relocation, but a purposeful return to their homeland, the place where they can truly flourish under the protective care of their divine shepherd.
Sheep and Goats
God promised to judge fairly between the sheep and the goats, separating those who truly belonged to his flock from those who did not. Under the chaotic rule of the corrupt human shepherds, the “fat sheep”—symbolizing the wealthy and powerful—had oppressed the leaner members of the flock. Ezekiel vividly describes this oppression using pastoral imagery: the fat sheep trampled the pasture and muddied the drinking waters (34:18). It’s a metaphor for how the upper class of Judah had exploited and damaged the resources meant for all, making life difficult for the poor and vulnerable. This critique of social injustice wasn’t unique to Ezekiel. The prophet Amos, for instance, compared the greedy elite of his day to “fat cows” that crushed the needy (Amos 4:1).
Ideal Shepherd
Ezekiel’s prophecy takes a new turn as he announces the coming of a future shepherd, whom he calls “my servant David” (34:23). With the end of the Davidic monarchy, the exiles surely questioned how Yahweh allowed for his covenant with David to be broken. Ezekiel’s answer was that Yahweh was going to send a new David. The messianic figure would be more than a mortal king. He would serve as God’s deputy shepherd or co-regent. Ezekiel emphasized the king’s humility, stating, “I the Lord will be their God, and my servant David shall be prince among them” (34:24), suggesting that this shepherd would be chosen from among the people. Christians see hints at the incarnation in this text.
This divinely appointed representative would usher in a new covenant of peace (34:25), marking the beginning of the Messianic age. This era would see the restoration of blessings outlined in the Mosaic covenant (Lev. 26:4-13). Notably, Ezekiel shifts from his previous focus on covenant curses to describe the abundant blessings that Yahweh would bestow.
Under this new shepherd, the people would experience safety and prosperity (34:26-29). Wild animals would be banished, allowing the flock to dwell securely even in the wilderness—a stark contrast to Ezekiel’s earlier predictions of wild animal attacks (5:17; 14:15; 33:27). The land would become extraordinarily fertile, yielding abundant fruit and harvests, countering the previous warnings of famine (5:16-17; 7:15; 12:16; 14:13,21).
Most significantly, the people would truly acknowledge Yahweh as their God. While Ezekiel often repeats the phrase “they shall know that I the Lord am their God,” in this oracle, he added that they will also recognize themselves as God’s people, his sheep (34:30).
Jesus
In John 10, Jesus was confronted by Jewish leaders who questioned his identity. They wondered whether he considered himself the Messiah. Rather than give a direct yes or no answer, Jesus responded by describing himself as the “Good Shepherd” (John 10:11). His language was a clear allusion to the prophecy in Ezekiel 34. By adopting this shepherd imagery, Jesus was making a profound Messianic claim. He was presenting himself as fulfilling Ezekiel’s prophecy, the long-awaited Messiah who would faithfully tend to God’s people.
Jesus unpacked this metaphor further, explaining that as the Good Shepherd, he knew his sheep intimately; they recognized his voice, and he was willing to lay down his life for them (John 10:14-15). These details, again, find a parallel in Ezekiel 34, where the shepherd is described as one who would seek the lost, bring back the strayed, bind up the injured, and strengthen the weak (34:16). Unlike the negligent shepherds of old, Jesus even rejoices over the return of one sheep out of ninety-nine (Luke 15:4-6). He cares for all his flock with unwavering devotion.
Significantly, Jesus also claimed a divine identity by stating “I and the Father are one” (John 10:30). This ties back to Ezekiel 34:31, where God declares “you are my sheep, the sheep of my pasture, and I am your God.” So, in presenting himself as the Good Shepherd, Jesus was also declaring his equality with the God of Ezekiel’s prophecy.
Through this multi-layered imagery, Jesus’s answer would have resonated deeply with his Jewish audience steeped in the scriptures. This self-identification with Ezekiel’s Good Shepherd was laden with theological significance. He was the long-promised Messiah, the divine Shepherd-King who would faithfully care for God’s flock.
With his coming and his sacrificial death, Jesus also ushered in the covenant of peace, just as Ezekiel 34 described. The covenant of peace is open to all those who are willing to follow the Good Shepherd’s leadership. Following the motif of Ezekiel’s shepherd, Jesus positioned himself as the long-awaited Messiah who would relieve the burdens of God’s people and give them true rest and peace. He uttered the comfortable words, the eternal invitation to become part of his flock:
Come to me, all you who are weary and are carrying heavy burdens, and I will give you rest. Take my yoke upon you, and learn from me, for I am gentle and humble in heart, and you will find rest for your souls. For my yoke is easy, and my burden is light. (Matthew 11:28).
Join me next week for Ezekiel 35.
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Shabbat Shalom and Am Israel Chai