EZEKIEL 33-39. CHANGES AND PREPARATIONS NECESSARY FOR THE BLESSED FUTURE. Now that the security of Israel for the days to come is guaranteed by the destruction of the foreign nations, the mood of the prophet changes the old rebellious house (Ezekiel 2:5) gives place to the children of my people (Eze... [ Continue Reading ]
IMPORTANCE OF GOOD GOVERNMENT. But besides moral excellence on the part of its citizens (Ezekiel 33) a state needs good government. This chapter is a very severe indictment of the rulers or kings of Israel in the past, who are compared to shepherds and the figure is maintained throughout the chapter... [ Continue Reading ]
Therefore these evil shepherds must be replaced by none other than Yahweh Himself, the great Shepherd of the sheep, who will lovingly tend them, and seek them out on the dark and cloudy day, and bring them back (_i.e._ from exile) to their own true pasture-land. (In Ezekiel 34:16 for destroy read, w... [ Continue Reading ]
But among the flock there were differences too, the strong (_i.e._ the rich) treating the weak with selfishness and brutality. This too will end.... [ Continue Reading ]
In the coming days, while Yahweh will indeed be chief Shepherd, there will still be an earthly shepherd, to correspond to the old order of evil shepherds: in plain words, the monarchy will continue, but the monarch will have a real shepherd heart. His title, my servant David, by no means implies the... [ Continue Reading ]