Christ in the Old Testament

Ezekiel 34:23

I will place over them one shepherd, my servant David, and he will tend them; he will tend them and be their shepherd. (NIV)

Today’s Reading: Ezekiel 34:20-31

We have another prophecy from Ezekiel concerning the end of time when the Messiah will return to Israel. Yesterday, the prophecy was full of horticulture metaphors – branches, trees, vines, etc. Today, our prophecy references sheep and the concept of shepherds managing their flocks.

From the beginning of Ezekiel 34, the Lord tells Ezekiel to prophesy against the shepherds of Israel. They were only taking care of themselves and not taking care of the flock. This was a prophecy against the leaders of Israel using the metaphor of a shepherd to insinuate that they were responsible for the well-being of the people. The weak, sick and injured were not being cared for as God required.

So God condemns Israel’s leaders and decides to remove them from power. He says that He will “rescue my flock from their mouths, and it will no longer be food for them” (Ezek 34:10). The flock has been scattered and none of the “shepherds” searched for them. So God will search for them and bring them back. He says:

“I will bring them out from the nations and gather them from the countries, and I will bring them into their own land. I will pasture them on the mountains of Israel, in the ravines and in all the settlements in the land. I will tend them in a good pasture, and the mountain heights of Israel will be their grazing land. There they will lie down in good grazing land, and there they will feed in a rich pasture on the mountains of Israel” (Ezek 34:13-14).

This seems to be a prophecy that was partially fulfilled with the re-establishment of Israel as a nation in 1948. All the Jews were scattered around the world and God gathered them back to Israel. Today there are about 8 million Jews living in Israel which is about half of the entire Jewish population. Most of the remaining Jews live in the United States. God did in fact miraculously gather the Jews and brought them out of the nations to return to Israel.

But that is not the end of the prophecy. God says that He will judge the sheep and place one shepherd over them – His servant David. This is not David himself but the Son of David – the Messiah Jesus Christ. Jesus will tend God’s sheep and be their shepherd. God says, “I the Lord will be their God, and my servant David will be prince among them. I the Lord have spoken” (Ezek 34:24).

Jesus called himself Israel’s shepherd:

“Then Jesus told them, “This very night you will all fall away on account of me, for it is written: ‘I will strike the shepherd, and the sheep of the flock will be scattered’” (Matt 26:31).

“I am the good shepherd. The good shepherd lays down his life for the sheep” (John 10:11).

But the shepherd is not yet tending God’s sheep. This prophecy has not yet been fully fulfilled because God goes on to say:

“I will make a covenant of peace with them and rid the land of savage beasts so that they may live in the wilderness and sleep in the forests in safety” (Ezek 34:25).

Israel does not currently live in peace. They are surrounded by their enemies and live everyday under the threat of attack. This is a future event that has yet to take place. This will happen after the Jewish remnant puts their faith in Jesus as their Messiah after the great tribulation. Then Jesus will tend the flock and Israel will live in peace:

“Therefore,

‘they are before the throne of God
    and serve him day and night in his temple;
and he who sits on the throne
    will shelter them with his presence.
“Never again will they hunger;
    never again will they thirst.
The sun will not beat down on them,”
    nor any scorching heat.
For the Lamb at the center of the throne
    will be their shepherd;
“he will lead them to springs of living water.”
    “And God will wipe away every tear from their eyes”‘” (Rev 7:15-17).

Today’s Prayer: Thank you Jesus for being our shepherd who lays down his life for his sheep. I’m thankful for the day that is coming when I am sheltered by your presence on your throne.