Ezekiel: For His Gloryഉദാഹരണം

The shepherd was a common metaphor for leaders and kings in the ancient Near East (cf. 2 Sam. 5:2; 7:7–8). Here the Israelite shepherds are derided for being wicked, careless and self-serving, and for shirking their responsibility (vv. 1–10). Instead of looking after the flock, they were serving themselves at the expense of the lives of the sheep. The sheep are scattered and become prey for wild animals. 

But this is no ordinary flock; this is God’s flock (‘my sheep’ is used in v. 6 and ‘my flock’ occurs five times in vv. 6–10). The kings were meant to lead God’s people. So God is ‘against’ them (v. 10; cf. 5:8), a phrase usually reserved for His enemies. And He will rescue His sheep from the evil shepherds. 

God, Himself, takes over. As a good shepherd, He will gather in, tend and feed His sheep (vv. 11–16). In other words, He will be the complete opposite of Israel’s shepherds. God’s initiative and sovereign action are emphasized by the repetition of ‘I will’ (which appears eleven times in vv. 11–16). Also, He will lead them justly – not only will the shepherds be judged, but so too will the sheep (vv. 17–22). The bad sheep in these verses probably refers to those exploiting others within the exilic community. 

After God has saved His flock, they can look forward to a time of true peace and of lush pastures in the land (vv. 23–31). God’s people can look forward to a Davidic ruler (vv. 23–24), perfect shalom (vv. 25–29), and the full restoration of the covenant relationship (vv. 25, 30–31). 

Reflection

This chapter anticipates Jesus, who is ‘the good shepherd’ (John 10:11–18). By making this statement, Jesus was claiming to be the true king, the Lord in the flesh. He would seek and save the lost sheep of Israel (Matt. 10:6; cf. Luke 15:3–7); He will separate the sheep from the goats (Matt. 25:31–46; cf. Ezek. 34:17). Today those who are pastors in the church are shepherds under the chief Shepherd. They should exercise leadership, not for personal gain but to serve as godly role models for God’s flock (1 Pet. 5:1–5).