Ezekiel

       I have spent the past few weeks reading Ezekiel. Up to the chapter that I am at now, it has been filled with prophecies foretelling God's judgement on Jerusalem and surrounding nations. There are headings for various sections of the chapters that speak of the condemnation; such as "Jerusalem will be destroyed" (chp 5), "Judgement against idolatry" (chp 6), "False prophets condemned" (chp 13) etc.  Chapter 34 starts, as the commentary describes it, the final division of the book, where instead of condemnation, Ezekiel's prophecies speak of the restoration of Israel that will come through God! How beautiful it is that the restoration begins with God searching for his sheep and seeking them out. He (God) will then place His shepherd (Jesus) over them! How wonderful! I leave you with Ezekiel 34: 11-31 (ESV). I pray that you will see Jesus, and how great out Shepherd will be to us! 

          "For thus says the Lord God; Behold, I, I myself will search for my sheep and will seek them out. 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 there they have been scattered on a day of clouds and thick darkness. And I will bring them out from the peoples and gather them from the countries, and will brig 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. 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. I myself will be the shepherd of my sheep, and I myself will make them lie down, declares the Lord God. 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 far and the strong I will destroy. I will feed them in justice. 

            "As for you, my flock, thus says the Lord God: Behold, I judge between sheep and sheep, between rams and male goats. Is it not enough for you to feed on the good pasture, that you must read 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? And must my sheep eat what you have trodden with your feet, and drink what you have muddled with your feet? 

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

                "I will make with them a covenant of peace and banish wild beasts from the land, so they may dwell securely in the wilderness and sleep in the woods. And I will make them and the places all around my hill a blessing, and I will send down the showers in their season; they shall be showers of blessing. and the trees of the field shall yield their fruit, and the earth shall yield its increase, and they shall be secure in their land. And they shall know that I am the Lord, when I break the bars of their yoke, and deliver them from the hand of those who enslaved them. They shall no more be a prey to the nations, no more shall the beasts of the land devour them. They shall dwell securely, and none shall make them afraid. And I will provide for them renowned plantations so that they shall no more be consumed with hunger in the land, and no longer suffer the reproach of the nations. And they shall know that I am the Lord their God with them, and that they, the house of Israel, are my people, declares the Lord god. And you are my sheep, human sheep of my pasture, and I am your God, declares the Lord God."