Ezekiel 34:11-16 (MSG). “‘God, the Master, says: From now on, I myself am the shepherd. I’m going looking for them. As shepherds go after their flocks when they get scattered, I’m going after my sheep. I’ll rescue them from all the places they’ve been scattered to in the storms. I’ll bring them back from foreign peoples, gather them from foreign countries, and bring them back to their home country. I’ll feed them on the mountains of Israel, along the streams, among their own people. I’ll lead them into lush pasture so they can roam the mountain pastures of Israel, graze at leisure, feed in the rich pastures on the mountains of Israel. And I myself will be the shepherd of my sheep. I myself will make sure they get plenty of rest. I’ll go after the lost, I’ll collect the strays, I’ll doctor the injured, I’ll build up the weak ones and oversee the strong ones so they’re not exploited.
Observation
The prophet Ezekiel is speaking to Israel in exile in Babylon after the destruction of Jerusalem and the Temple. The destruction of Jerusalem was prophesied if the people did not turn from their evil ways and return to worshipping God. They did not listen. The amazing thought is, even though He must fulfill His promises (whether blessing or curse), all that God ever does is for the purpose of redemption – “that they turn from their evil ways and live”.
The demonstration of our God’s power, the fulfillment of the prophecies spoken by Ezekiel and the execution of His judgment, are all so that His creation, His beloved, will realize that He is God and turn from their evil ways and live. Ezekiel 38:11 “Tell them, ‘As sure as I am the living God, I take no pleasure from the death of the wicked. I want the wicked to change their ways and live. Turn your life around! Reverse your evil ways! Why die, Israel?’” What kind of love extends this far, has this height and depth, reaches out to even those who revile and hate Him? Only our God!
In these verses you can hear the heart of God crying out for His beloved. He has no desire to see even one of His creation destroyed; His heart aches to see us all rescued, redeemed, restored, renewed. The Enemy’s deception and destruction are part of the plan to wound and break God’s heart yet again. The Enemy is very good at what he does, but not infallible, not invincible, for he has already been defeated by our Savior on the Cross of Calvary.
Impact on Me
This trip through Ezekiel has been different for me. Before I was always frustrated by the doom, gloom and destruction, the fantastic unintelligible visions, loads of seemingly unimportant measurements – like a bad dream from which you are glad to wake up. This was so unlike the gracious and loving God I knew, so much more like an angry God reacting when He was finally fed up with these inconsistent humans – the idolatry, the betrayal, the arrogance and cruelty, the defiance/denial of His power and authority.
However, this time through I have had a different perspective – maybe listening better or letting God out of the box I’ve constructed for Him? This is actually a book about God’s merciful and loving Father heart and His plan for redemption, offered to even the most difficult or rebellious of His creatures – about the Good Shepherd of Psalm 23 and John 10. This is the Father in the Prodigal Son story, the One Who seeks out and rescues our Prodigals from whatever stinking, ugly mess they find themselves and then redeems them because they are His beloved.
This is the Shepherd Who was willing to die in the hope that I would come to Him, turn from my evil ways and surrender my pride, my plans, my goals, my future to and for His will and purpose for my life. He was offering me a priceless and eternal treasure for my temporal personal “wealth”, the choice between life in Him and death on my own (Deuteronomy 30:19). I decided to choose life and have never regretted that choice.
Prayer
Lord, You are the Good Shepherd Who laid down His life for this sheep. I am so grateful that You found me and rescued me from a life focused on and ruled by the vagaries, pride and circumstances of this world. I pray for all those as yet unredeemed that You would rescue them as You rescued me. In Christ I have chosen to be quick to repent when I become too focused on who I am, what I have, what recognition I should receive and what I can do on my own rather than following close and depending on You to lead, sustain and protect me. I am grateful that You remind me to get my eyes off the difficulty of the road and keep them lifted up to focus on You and where You lead. Lead me in the way everlasting. I choose life in and with You. Make it so, in Jesus’ name.
Pressing On In His Footsteps 