Ezekiel 34

Ezekiel 34:3

Ye eat the fat, and ye clothe you with the wool, ye kill them that are fed; but ye feed not the flock.

Ye take of the best commodities of the people under your charge, neither is that grudged unto you; and make use of their personal employments, as occasion is offered: but ye do not perform your duty to them again: ye do not teach and govern them, as ye ought.

Ezekiel 34:4

The diseased have ye not strengthened, neither have ye healed that which was sick, neither have ye bound up that which was broken, neither have ye brought again that which was driven away, neither have ye sought that which was lost.

Those particular offices, which pertain to your charge, as comforting the weak, healing the sick, binding up the broken-hearted, reclaiming and reducing those that have erred, ye have not accordingly done; but rather have tyrannously and cruelly exercised an imperious authority over them. The same allegory holds verse 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10.

Ezekiel 34:11

For thus saith the Lord God; Behold I, even I, will both search my sheep, and seek them out.

Behold, since my shepherds are careless, I myself will make diligent search for my sheep, that are scattered and lost; and I will find them, wheresoever they are strayed. So verse 12.

Ezekiel 34:13

And I will bring them out from the people, and gather them from the countries, and will bring them to their own land, and feed them upon the mountains of Israel, by the rivers, &c.

And I will fetch them from those several lands whereinto they were driven by their miserable captivity, and will bring them back into their own country, and will feed them carefully and plentifully in my church. So verses 14, 15, 16.

Ezekiel 34:17

Behold, I judge between cattle and cattle, between the rams and the he goats.

Behold, I judge between one man and another, between the lambs and kids, between the rams and goats: as I do now put a difference, between those of my own flock and the world; so, hereafter I will exquisitely sever them, the one to my right hand, the other to my left.

Ezekiel 34:18

Seemeth it a small thing unto you to have eaten up the good pasture, but ye must tread down with your feet the residue of your pastures?

Seemeth it a small thing unto you, to have taken away from my people that wholesome doctrine, which I prepared for their spiritual nourishment; but ye must also foully corrupt that, which yet remaineth of my law?

Ezekiel 34:19

And as for my flock, they eat that which ye have trodden with your feet; &c.

As for my people, they are fain to take up with that doctrine, which ye have depraved by your unjust and sinful glosses and traditions.

Ezekiel 34:20

Behold, I, even I, will judge between the fat cattle and between the lean cattle.

Behold, I will judge between the proud justiciaries, who are puffed up with a conceit of their own worthiness, and the poor dejected souls, that are mean in their own eyes.

Ezekiel 34:21

Because ye have thrust with side and with shoulder, and pushed all the diseased with your horns, till ye have scattered them abroad.

Because ye have insolently despised and scornfully intreated the weak-hearted; and, instead of easing their afflicted consciences, have been ready to gall and burden them more, till ye have made them utterly weary of their stations in my Church.

Ezekiel 34:23

And I will set up one shepherd over them, and he shall feed them, even my servant David: he shall feed them and he shall be their shepherd.

And I will bring my Church, both Jews and Gentiles, under the government of that one King and Prophet of my chosen; even the Messiah, the true Heir and Successor of David; and he shall both teach and rule them. So also verse 24.

Ezekiel 34:25

And I will make with them a covenant of peace, and will cause the evil beasts to cease out of the land: and they shall dwell safely in the wilderness, and sleep in the woods.

And I will make with them a covenant of everlasting peace, betwixt me and them; and will keep from them those spiritual dangers and annoyances, that may be hurtful unto them; and they shall be safe and secure, even in the places that would seem to threaten the greatest peril.

Ezekiel 34:26

And I will make them and the places round about my hill a blessing; and I will cause the shower to come down in his season.

And I will exceedingly bless and prosper them, and all that sincerely profess a holy relation to my Church; and will water them plentifully with heavenly doctrine.

Ezekiel 34:29

And I will raise up for them a plant of renown, and they shall be no more consumed with hunger in the land, neither bear the shame of the heathen any more.

And I will make them a glorious plant, being fast rooted in that promised Messiah, and being incorporated in him; and they shall no more be consumed with a spiritual famine, nor be trampled upon by the enemies of my Church.