Ezekiel 34:17-31 The Shepherds of Israel – Part II

[Study Aired October 21, 2024]

INTRODUCTION

In today’s study, we shall continue the second part of Ezekiel chapter 34. The first part of this chapter dealt with the shepherds of Israel who were feeding themselves, instead of the flock of the Lord under their care. As a result, the Lord’s children are scattered, that is, they wander about like lost sheep without a shepherd.

Today’s study focuses on the Lord coming to us to separate us from the flock of cattle and to make us lie in green pastures as He leads us besides the still waters.

Psa 23:1  A Psalm of David. The LORD is my shepherd; I shall not want.
Psa 23:2  He maketh me to lie down in green pastures: he leadeth me beside the still waters.
Psa 23:3  He restoreth my soul: he leadeth me in the paths of righteousness for his name’s sake.
Psa 23:4  Yea, though I walk through the valley of the shadow of death, I will fear no evil: for thou art with me; thy rod and thy staff they comfort me.
Psa 23:5  Thou preparest table before me in the presence of mine enemies: thou anointest my head with oil; my cup runneth over.
Psa 23:6  Surely goodness and mercy shall follow me all the days of my life: and I will dwell in the house of the LORD forever.

The Lord also assures us that He is the good shepherd after the order of David who will make a covenant of peace with us. The latter part of the study reveals what this covenant of peace entails.

The Lord will Judge Between Cattle and Cattle

Eze 34:17  And as for you, O my flock, thus saith the Lord GOD; Behold, I judge between cattle and cattle, between the rams and the he goats. 

The flock of the Lord consists of the ninety-nine sheep which have no need of repentance and the one sheep which has gone astray that knows her situation and therefore becomes repentant. We, the Lord’s elect are the one-sheep that went astray. The ninety-nine sheep represent Babylon or the physical churches of this world signified by the Pharisees and scribes that need no repentance.

Luk 15:3  And he spake this parable unto them (Pharisees and scribes), saying,
Luk 15:4  What man of you, having an hundred sheep, if he lose one of them, doth not leave the ninety and nine in the wilderness, and go after that which is lost, until he find it?
Luk 15:5  And when he hath found it, he layeth it on his shoulders, rejoicing.
Luk 15:6  And when he cometh home, he calleth together his friends and neighbours, saying unto them, Rejoice with me; for I have found my sheep which was lost.
Luk 15:7 I say unto you, that likewise joy shall be in heaven over one sinner that repenteth, more than over ninety and nine just persons, which need no repentance.

The word “judge” by implication, means to vindicate or punish according to Strong’s Dictionary. Judging between cattle and cattle and between the rams and the he-goats in verse 1 therefore means justifying the righteous and condemning the wicked as indicated in the following verses:

Deu 25:1  If there be a controversy between men, and they come unto judgment, that the judges may judge them; then they shall justify the righteous, and condemn the wicked.

Deu 1:16  And I charged your judges at that time, saying, Hear the causes between your brethren, and judge righteously between every man and his brother, and the stranger that is with him.

The Lord is the one who is vindicating us, His elect, even though we went astray at a certain stage of our walk with Him. This vindication is at the expense of our brothers and sisters in Babylon who think they are righteous and need no repentance.

Rom 11:30  For as ye in times past have not believed God, yet have now obtained mercy through their unbelief:
Rom 11:31  Even so have these also now not believed, that through your mercy they also may obtain mercy.
Rom 11:32 For God hath concluded them all in unbelief, that he might have mercy upon all.

Eze 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? and to have drunk of the deep waters, but ye must foul the residue with your feet? 

This verse is another way of saying that after we have received the gold and silver which signify the truth of His words, when we started walking with the Lord, we turn around and use His gold and silver to make images of men. The images of men means the false doctrines of man’s wisdom and tradition. In other words, the good pasture that we have eaten in verse 18 represents the truth of the Lord’s words and trampling our feet on the pastures means having human imprint on the truth of His words which means churning up false doctrines of man’s wisdom and tradition. That is what characterized our walk in the churches of this world.

Again, drinking from the deep water in verse 18 refers to taking in clean water which symbolizes the truth of the word of the Lord, and muddying the water with our feet means turning the truth of the Lord’s words into false doctrines of man’s wisdom and tradition. As a result, we have sacrificed the Lord’s sons and daughters or His elect to be devoured by the enemy. In the sight of the Lord, this is a grievous offence.

Eze 16:13  Thus wast thou decked with gold and silver; and thy raiment was of fine linen, and silk, and broidered work; thou didst eat fine flour, and honey, and oil: and thou wast exceeding beautiful, and thou didst prosper into a kingdom.
Eze 16:14  And thy renown went forth among the heathen for thy beauty: for it was perfect through my comeliness, which I had put upon thee, saith the Lord GOD.
Eze 16:15  But thou didst trust in thine own beauty, and playedst the harlot because of thy renown, and pouredst out thy fornications on every one that passed by; his it was.
Eze 16:16  And of thy garments thou didst take, and deckedst thy high places with divers colours, and playedst the harlot thereupon: the like things shall not come, neither shall it be so.
Eze 16:17  Thou hast also taken thy fair jewels of my gold and of my silver, which I had given thee, and madest to thyself images of men, and didst commit whoredom with them,
Eze 16:18  And tookest thy broidered garments, and coveredst them: and thou hast set mine oil and mine incense before them.
Eze 16:19  My meat also which I gave thee, fine flour, and oil, and honey, wherewith I fed thee, thou hast even set it before them for a sweet savour: and thus it was, saith the Lord GOD.
Eze 16:20  Moreover thou hast taken thy sons and thy daughters, whom thou hast borne unto me, and these hast thou sacrificed unto them to be devoured. Is this of thy whoredoms a small matter?

Eze 34:19  And as for my flock, they eat that which ye have trodden with your feet; and they drink that which ye have fouled with your feet. 
Eze 34:20 Therefore thus saith the Lord GOD unto them; Behold, I, even I, will judge between the fat cattle and between the lean cattle. 

As we have indicated, the trodden food and water with our feet refers to the false doctrines of man’s wisdom and tradition which was what we ate and drank during our sojourn in the churches of this world. As a result, we became food for the beasts of the field. That is to say that we became dominated by our flesh or our old man who is powered by the devil. Since we have been chosen by God before the foundation of this world, the Lord comes to us in the fulness of time to vindicate us through His judgement of our old man. This is what it means to judge between the fat cattle and the lean cattle, indicated in verse 20. The lean cattle refers to us, His elect and the fat cattle signifies our brothers and sisters in Babylon who seem to be spiritually rich or fat in this life but are spiritually lean.

Psa 37:20  But the wicked shall perish, and the enemies of the LORD shall be as the fat of lambs: they shall consume; into smoke shall they consume away.

This reminds me of Joseph’s dream where the lean-fleshed cattle ate up the fat-fleshed cattle. This signifies that as the lean-fleshed cattle of the Lord (the Lord’s elect), we shall dominate, that is rule over our brothers and sisters in Babylon who represent the fat-fleshed cattle, in the fulness of time.

Gen 41:17  And Pharaoh said unto Joseph, In my dream, behold, I stood upon the bank of the river:
Gen 41:18  And, behold, there came up out of the river seven kine, fatfleshed and well favoured; and they fed in a meadow:
Gen 41:19  And, behold, seven other kine came up after them, poor and very ill favoured and leanfleshed, such as I never saw in all the land of Egypt for badness:
Gen 41:20  And the lean and the ill favoured kine did eat up the first seven fat kine:
Gen 41:21 And when they had eaten them up, it could not be known that they had eaten them; but they were still ill favoured, as at the beginning. So I awoke.

It is insightful to note that in Genesis 41:21, the lean-fleshed cattle were not looking different even after they had eaten up the fat-fleshed cattle. This is to let us know that even though we are called and chosen of the Lord (lean cattle), and therefore we are destined to rule over our brothers and sisters in Babylon (fat cattle), our current situation does not depict our rulership status as we still grapple with the evil experience (judgement) the Lord has given to us in this life.

Ecc 1:13  And I gave my heart to seek and to investigate by wisdom concerning all which is done under the heavens. It is an evil task God has given to the sons of men, to be afflicted by it.

Eze 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; 
Eze 34:22 Therefore will I save my flock, and they shall no more be a prey; and I will judge between cattle and cattle.

Verse 21 is telling us that the fat cattle push the skinny ones with their sides and shoulders. When we were in Babylon as the Lord’s elect, we were dominated by the fat sheep of Babylon as we were blown by every wind of doctrine propagated by these fat cattle in Babylon. It is instructive to note in verse 21 that the diseased are pushed about with the horns of the fat ones until they scattered abroad. The horns here symbolize the strength the Lord has given to the churches of this world to scatter us as diseased cattle by every wind of doctrine in Babylon.

Eph 4:14  That we henceforth be no more children, tossed to and fro, and carried about with every wind of doctrine, by the sleight of men, and cunning craftiness, whereby they lie in wait to deceive;

This strength that the Lord has given to the fat cattle of Babylon through their horns is to ensure that ‘hearing we shall hear and not understand and seeing we shall see and not perceive’. As a result, we become scattered or divided by doctrine. The various denominations and church systems of this world therefore attest to the fact that the flock of the Lord are scattered.

Isa 6:9  And he said, Go, and tell this people, Hear ye indeed, but understand not; and see ye indeed, but perceive not.
Isa 6:10  Make the heart of this people fat, and make their ears heavy, and shut their eyes; lest they see with their eyes, and hear with their ears, and understand with their heart, and convert, and be healed.
Isa 6:11  Then said I, Lord, how long? And he answered, Until the cities be wasted without inhabitant, and the houses without man, and the land be utterly desolate,
Isa 6:12 And the LORD have removed men far away, and there be a great forsaking in the midst of the land.

In our time in Babylon, we were also scattered as the Lord’s elect until the Lord came to us with the spirit of His mouth and His brightness to judge between cattle and cattle as indicated in verse 22. The Lord coming to us is to save us through His judgement and as a result, vindicates us from the other cattle of the Lord ‘who need no repentance’. We were therefore the fat cattle whom the Lord is sending leanness to us through His judgement.

Isa 10:16  Therefore shall the Lord, the Lord of hosts, send among his fat ones leanness; and under his glory he shall kindle a burning like the burning of a fire.

2Th 2:7  For the mystery of iniquity doth already work: only he who now letteth will let, until he be taken out of the way.
2Th 2:8 And then shall that Wicked be revealed, whom the Lord shall consume with the spirit of his mouth, and shall destroy with the brightness of his coming:

Eze 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. 
Eze 34:24 And I the LORD will be their God, and my servant David a prince among them; I the LORD have spoken it. 

Our deliverance from the physical churches of this world implies the coming of the Lord’s elect into the church of the firstborn or the assembly of the Lord where we are shepherded by our Lord Jesus Christ, symbolized here in verse 23 as the Lord’s servant David. It is the Lord who comes to us with His words as we are fed by His words through what every joint supplies.

Heb 12:22  But ye are come unto mount Sion, and unto the city of the living God, the heavenly Jerusalem, and to an innumerable company of angels,
Heb 12:23  To the general assembly and church of the firstborn, which are written in heaven, and to God the Judge of all, and to the spirits of just men made perfect,
Heb 12:24  And to Jesus the mediator of the new covenant, and to the blood of sprinkling, that speaketh better things than that of Abel.
Heb 12:25 See that ye refuse not him that speaketh. For if they escaped not who refused him that spake on earth, much more shall not we escape, if we turn away from him that speaketh from heaven:

It is in the church of the firstborn or the elect that the Lord raises ministers of the gospel to perfect us as we come into the unity of the faith such that we no longer are tossed about by every wind of doctrine.

Eph 4:11  And he gave some, apostles; and some, prophets; and some, evangelists; and some, pastors and teachers;
Eph 4:12  For the perfecting of the saints, for the work of the ministry, for the edifying of the body of Christ:
Eph 4:13  Till we all come in the unity of the faith, and of the knowledge of the Son of God, unto a perfect man, unto the measure of the stature of the fulness of Christ:
Eph 4:14  That we henceforth be no more children, tossed to and fro, and carried about with every wind of doctrine, by the sleight of men, and cunning craftiness, whereby they lie in wait to deceive;
Eph 4:15  But speaking the truth in love, may grow up into him in all things, which is the head, even Christ:
Eph 4:16 From whom the whole body fitly joined together and compacted by that which every joint supplieth, according to the effectual working in the measure of every part, maketh increase of the body unto the edifying of itself in love.

The Lord Jesus Christ, symbolized in both verses 23 and 24 by David, is the good shepherd or the prince among us who ensures that we are well fed such that we lack nothing. It is our Lord who makes us to rest in Him, as He feeds us in the green pastures and causes us to drink the still waters.

Psa 23:1  A Psalm of David. The LORD is my shepherd; I shall not want.
Psa 23:2  He maketh me to lie down in green pastures: he leadeth me beside the still waters.
Psa 23:3  He restoreth my soul: he leadeth me in the paths of righteousness for his name’s sake.
Psa 23:4  Yea, though I walk through the valley of the shadow of death, I will fear no evil: for thou art with me; thy rod and thy staff they comfort me.
Psa 23:5  Thou preparest a table before me in the presence of mine enemies: thou anointest my head with oil; my cup runneth over.
Psa 23:6 Surely goodness and mercy shall follow me all the days of my life: and I will dwell in the house of the LORD forever.

The Lord’s Covenant of Peace

Eze 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. 

The Lord’s making with us the covenant of peace implies that what He has said, He will surely bring to completion.  This is the covenant of peace that the Lord has made with us, His elect:

Heb 6:16  For men verily swear by the greater: and an oath for confirmation is to them an end of all strife.
Heb 6:17  Wherein God, willing more abundantly to shew unto the heirs of promise the immutability of his counsel, confirmed it by an oath:
Heb 6:18  That by two immutable things, in which it was impossible for God to lie, we might have a strong consolation, who have fled for refuge to lay hold upon the hope set before us:
Heb 6:19  Which hope we have as an anchor of the soul, both sure and stedfast, and which entereth into that within the veil;
Heb 6:20 Whither the forerunner is for us entered, even Jesus, made an high priest for ever after the order of Melchisedec.

It is worth noting that this covenant of peace entails the Lord causing the evil beasts to cease out of our land. In other words, the Lord shall destroy our old man or flesh such that we shall not be dominated by it. This is a process which takes a lifetime and it is accomplished through the judgement of our old man which causes us to learn righteousness.

Isa 26:8  Yea, in the way of thy judgments, O LORD, have we waited for thee; the desire of our soul is to thy name, and to the remembrance of thee.
Isa 26:9 With my soul have I desired thee in the night; yea, with my spirit within me will I seek thee early: for when thy judgments are in the earth, the inhabitants of the world will learn righteousness.

Psa 119:67  Before I was afflicted I went astray: but now have I kept thy word.

Psa 119:71 It is good for me that I have been afflicted; that I might learn thy statutes.

Our walk in this world is like walking through the wilderness. Here in verse 25, the Lord’s covenant of peace is assuring us that we shall dwell safely in the wilderness such that we shall be able to sleep in the woods and not worry about any beast devouring us. Being able to dwell safely in this life means trusting in the Lord with all our hearts and not leaning on our own understanding. That is what makes the Lord our refuge and fortress. We can see that all of this is the work of the Lord. Being able to sleep in the woods means resting in the Lord which implies having the confidence that what He has started in us, He shall bring to completion.

Psa 91:1  He that dwelleth in the secret place of the most High shall abide under the shadow of the Almighty.
Psa 91:2  I will say of the LORD, He is my refuge and my fortress: my God; in him will I trust.
Psa 91:3  Surely he shall deliver thee from the snare of the fowler, and from the noisome pestilence.
Psa 91:4  He shall cover thee with his feathers, and under his wings shalt thou trust: his truth shall be thy shield and buckler.
Psa 91:5  Thou shalt not be afraid for the terror by night; nor for the arrow that flieth by day;
Psa 91:6  Nor for the pestilence that walketh in darkness; nor for the destruction that wasteth at noonday.
Psa 91:7  A thousand shall fall at thy side, and ten thousand at thy right hand; but it shall not come nigh thee.
Psa 91:8  Only with thine eyes shalt thou behold and see the reward of the wicked.
Psa 91:9  Because thou hast made the LORD, which is my refuge, even the most High, thy habitation;
Psa 91:10  There shall no evil befall thee, neither shall any plague come nigh thy dwelling.
Psa 91:11  For he shall give his angels charge over thee, to keep thee in all thy ways.
Psa 91:12  They shall bear thee up in their hands, lest thou dash thy foot against a stone.
Psa 91:13  Thou shalt tread upon the lion and adder: the young lion and the dragon shalt thou trample under feet.
Psa 91:14  Because he hath set his love upon me, therefore will I deliver him: I will set him on high, because he hath known my name.
Psa 91:15  He shall call upon me, and I will answer him: I will be with him in trouble; I will deliver him, and honour him.
Psa 91:16 With long life will I satisfy him, and shew him my salvation.

Heb 4:9  There remaineth therefore a rest to the people of God.
Heb 4:10  For he that is entered into his rest, he also hath ceased from his own works, as God did from his.
Heb 4:11 Let us labour therefore to enter into that rest, lest any man fall after the same example of unbelief.

Php 1:6  Being confident of this very thing, that he which hath begun a good work in you will perform it until the day of Jesus Christ:

Eze 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; there shall be showers of blessing. 

Here in this verse, the Lord is assuring us of being a blessing. What does it mean to be a blessing? In the Bible, the first time that the Lord said that someone will be a blessing was the case of Abraham when the Lord visited him to tell him to leave his country and kindred and go to the land of Canaan.

Gen 12:1  Now the LORD had said unto Abram, Get thee out of thy country, and from thy kindred, and from thy father’s house, unto a land that I will shew thee:
Gen 12:2  And I will make of thee a great nation, and I will bless thee, and make thy name great; and thou shalt be a blessing:

Later, the Lord appeared to Abraham to assure him of his descendants inheriting the land by making a covenant with him. This implies that being a blessing entails being a possessor of the land of promise. Abraham being a blessing therefore means that it was through his walk of faith that ensured that the people of Israel were able to possess the land of Canaan.

Gen 28:3  And God Almighty bless thee (Jacob), and make thee fruitful, and multiply thee, that thou mayest be a multitude of people;
Gen 28:4  And give thee the blessing of Abraham, to thee, and to thy seed with thee; that thou mayest inherit the land wherein thou art a stranger, which God gave unto Abraham.

As we are aware, the land signifies our bodies which we must possess to qualify us to offer our bodies as living sacrifices to the Lord. The Lord telling us that we shall become a blessing therefore implies that it is as we overcome the flesh and take possession of our bodies that we shall be a blessing to the whole world. Our walk of faith to overcome the flesh and possess our bodies will pave the way for all humanity to be blessed as they also overcome the old man.

In verse 26, we are also told that the places round about the Lord’s hill shall also become a blessing.  The Lord’s hill refers to the assembly of the Lord’s elect which is a blessing to us as we receive from what every joint supplies.

The showers coming down in its season means that we shall receive the truth of the word of the Lord at the appropriate time of the Lord which is the acceptable year of the Lord for our lives.

Isa 61:1  The Spirit of the Lord GOD is upon me; because the LORD hath anointed me to preach good tidings unto the meek; he hath sent me to bind up the brokenhearted, to proclaim liberty to the captives, and the opening of the prison to them that are bound;
Isa 61:2 To proclaim the acceptable year of the LORD, and the day of vengeance of our God; to comfort all that mourn;

Eze 34:27  And the tree of the field shall yield her fruit, and the earth shall yield her increase, and they shall be safe in their land, and shall know that I am the LORD, when I have broken the bands of their yoke, and delivered them out of the hand of those that served themselves of them. 

We were those who served themselves of the people of the Lord during our time in the physical churches of this world. It is when we have broken the bands of the yoke of Babylon that we can experience the yielding of the fruit of the tree of the field as well as the increase of the earth. The tree of the field is man’s life as shown in the following verse:

Deu 20:19  When thou shalt besiege a city a long time, in making war against it to take it, thou shalt not destroy the trees thereof by forcing an axe against them: for thou mayest eat of them, and thou shalt not cut them down (for the tree of the field is man’s life) to employ them in the siege:

The tree of the field yielding her fruit therefore means that we shall produce fruit in our due season. That means that we shall produce the fruit of the spirit in our lives at the appointed time of the Lord. The earth refers to us, the Lord’s people. The earth yielding her increase therefore means that we shall bear the fruit of the spirit. Bearing fruit is through the Lord’s judgement of our old man or flesh. It is through this judgement experience that we shall come to know the Lord. This judgement of the Lord takes place in our lives after we leave Babylon.

Eze 34:28  And they shall no more be a prey to the heathen, neither shall the beast of the land devour them; but they shall dwell safely, and none shall make them afraid. 

When we are privileged to be judged in this life, we no longer become prey to the heathen and the beast of the land. The heathen and the beast of the land are the same and refer to our old man or our flesh. The judgement of the Lord destroys the influence of the flesh or the old man in our lives as we learn righteousness and therefore we are no longer afraid of the flesh. That is when we shall dwell safely in the secret place of the most high as we abide under the shadow of the Almighty.

Psa 91:1  He that dwelleth in the secret place of the most High shall abide under the shadow of the Almighty.
Psa 91:2  I will say of the LORD, He is my refuge and my fortress: my God; in him will I trust.

Eze 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. 
Eze 34:30  Thus shall they know that I the LORD their God am with them, and that they, even the house of Israel, are my people, saith the Lord GOD. 
Eze 34:31  And ye my flock, the flock of my pasture, are men, and I am your God, saith the Lord GOD. 

Here in verse 29, the Lord is saying that He will give us a place that is known for its good crops so that we will no longer experience hunger in the land and bear the shame of the heathen. Bearing the shame of the heathen means living according to the standards of this world. Spiritually, what the Lord is telling us is that He will not only open our eyes and ears to understand the mysteries of the kingdom of God, but also give us the power to live according to His words. That is what will make us not bear the shame of the heathen. Verse 29 is therefore the same as Revelation 9:13-14 where we are given to hear the voice from the four horns of the golden altar which is before God as we are loosed from the great river Euphrates (false doctrines).

Rev 9:13  And the sixth angel sounded, and I heard a voice from the four horns of the golden altar which is before God,
Rev 9:14 Saying to the sixth angel which had the trumpet, Loose the four angels which are bound in the great river Euphrates.

It is as we are loosed from the river Euphrates that we come to see who the Lord is. That is when our understand is deepened to appreciate that we are indeed the spiritual house of Israel, that is, the Lord’s elect, and also the sheep of His pasture!!

Rom 11:33  O the depth of the riches both of the wisdom and knowledge of God! how unsearchable are his judgments, and his ways past finding out!
Rom 11:34  For who hath known the mind of the Lord? or who hath been his counsellor?
Rom 11:35  Or who hath first given to him, and it shall be recompensed unto him again?
Rom 11:36 For of him, and through him, and to him, are all things: to whom be glory forever. Amen.

Ezekiel 34:1–16 The Shepherds of Israel

[Study Aired October 14, 2024]

INTRODUCTION

Today, our study concerns the shepherds of the people of Israel and their works of evil. These shepherds were the leaders of the people of Israel. The people of Israel represent the physical churches of this world or Babylon and the shepherds are the leaders in Babylon and therefore are the apostles, prophets, pastors, evangelists and teachers parading in the corridors of the church system of this world. Today’s study therefore shows us the deplorable condition in the churches of this world, of which we were part of, until the Lord came with the spirit of His mouth and with His brightness to deliver us. In studying His words today, we shall also be more equipped to be able to test the spirit of many men and women of God who parade as the Lord’s messengers but are not.

1Jn 4:1  Beloved, believe not every spirit, but try the spirits whether they are of God: because many false prophets are gone out into the world.
1Jn 4:2  Hereby know ye the Spirit of God: Every spirit that confesseth that Jesus Christ is come in the flesh is of God:
1Jn 4:3 And every spirit that confesseth not that Jesus Christ is come in the flesh is not of God: and this is that spirit of antichrist, whereof ye have heard that it should come; and even now already is it in the world.

As the Lord’s elect, we are being trained by the Lord to grow in spiritual stature such that we can lead the Lord’s people in this age and also to become rulers or leaders of the nations of this world in an age to come when the kingdoms of this world become the kingdoms of our Lord and of His Christ. All of us are therefore required by the Lord to mature spiritually as we grow in His grace. What we are studying today is therefore applicable to each one of us.

Rev 11:15  And the seventh angel sounded; and there were great voices in heaven, saying, The kingdoms of this world are become the kingdoms of our Lord, and of his Christ; and he shall reign for ever and ever.

To kick start our study for today, we need to know who a good shepherd is. This will make it easier to know what is wrong with these shepherds of Israel. We know that Jesus Christ is the good shepherd or leader of the Lord’s people and He has shown us what He does for us. Let’s take a look at Psalm 23:

Psa 23:1  A Psalm of David. The LORD is my shepherd; I shall not want.
Psa 23:2  He maketh me to lie down in green pastures: he leadeth me beside the still waters.
Psa 23:3  He restoreth my soul: he leadeth me in the paths of righteousness for his name’s sake.
Psa 23:4  Yea, though I walk through the valley of the shadow of death, I will fear no evil: for thou art with me; thy rod and thy staff they comfort me.
Psa 23:5  Thou preparest a table before me in the presence of mine enemies: thou anointest my head with oil; my cup runneth over.
Psa 23:6  Surely goodness and mercy shall follow me all the days of my life: and I will dwell in the house of the LORD forever.

A shepherd takes care of the needs of the flock such that they do not lack. That is to say that we do not want. The reason we do not lack or want is because He makes us to lie down in green pastures and also leads us beside the still waters. The green pastures and the still waters all refer to the truth of the word of the Lord, which, when we are privileged to know, we have access to everything we need in this life. The green pastures and the still waters also signify our physical needs. That means that the Lord provides both our spiritual and physical needs.

Php 4:19  But my God shall supply all your need according to his riches in glory by Christ Jesus.

2Co 9:8  And God is able to make all grace abound toward you; that ye, always having all sufficiency in all things, may abound to every good work:

Mat 6:31  Therefore take no thought, saying, What shall we eat? or, What shall we drink? or, Wherewithal shall we be clothed?
Mat 6:32  (For after all these things do the Gentiles seek:) for your heavenly Father knoweth that ye have need of all these things.
Mat 6:33  But seek ye first the kingdom of God, and his righteousness; and all these things shall be added unto you.
Mat 6:34  Take therefore no thought for the morrow: for the morrow shall take thought for the things of itself. Sufficient unto the day is the evil thereof.

Lying down in green pastures and being led besides the still waters all imply that we rest in Him, that is, become content with our situation as we look up to Him who does the work. Unfortunately, the shepherds we had in Babylon taught us that everything depends on us as the Lord has given us our free will, thus, causing us to be pierced with many sorrows in our attempt to become self-sufficient.

1Ti 6:6  But godliness with contentment is great gain.
1Ti 6:7  For we brought nothing into this world, and it is certain we can carry nothing out.
1Ti 6:8  And having food and raiment let us be therewith content.
1Ti 6:9  But they that will be rich fall into temptation and a snare, and into many foolish and hurtful lusts, which drown men in destruction and perdition.
1Ti 6:10 For the love of money is the root of all evil: which while some coveted after, they have erred from the faith, and pierced themselves through with many sorrows.

As stated in Psalm 23:3, it is the Lord who restores our soul and leads us in the path of righteousness for His name’s sake. Our righteousness is not of ourselves. It is the work of the Lord. Our souls being restored means that we were initially marred in the hand of the Potter and therefore He makes us into another vessel fit for His purpose. This restoration process is through the Lord’s judgement. A good shepherd therefore points us to Christ to do the work and not to ourselves.

Jer 18:4  And the vessel that he made of clay was marred in the hand of the potter: so he made it again another vessel, as seemed good to the potter to make it.

Php 3:9  And be found in him, not having mine own righteousness, which is of the law, but that which is through the faith of Christ, the righteousness which is of God by faith:

The valley of the shadow of death refers to our judgement in Psalm 23:4, which we are destined to encounter if we are called and chosen by the Lord. Here the Lord is assuring us that He will take care of us and that we should not fear even when everything seem to be against us. This is because He is always with us and will not leave us alone. In the final analysis, the Lord’s rod and staff will comfort us and not destroy us. Our shepherds in Babylon did not warn us of the Lord’s judgement as they made us aware that we are not to suffer.

Rev 18:7  How much she hath glorified herself, and lived deliciously, so much torment and sorrow give her: for she saith in her heart, I sit a queen, and am no widow, and shall see no sorrow.

‘Preparing a table before us in the presence of our enemies’ means that our leaders must feed us with the Lord’s words, while the flesh or old man who is powered by the devil, our enemy, is still active in our lives. It is through His words that we overcome the flesh. ‘Our heads being anointed with oil’ means being given the privilege of understanding the spiritual significance of His words. In other words, being given to understand the mysteries of the kingdom. ‘Our cups running over’ means that when we are filled with His words, our lives shall overflow with His words. That is to say that our walk shall be dictated by the word of the Lord. All of this is to show us what a good shepherd does. That is, to help us walk according to the dictates of the word of the Lord.

Finally, the Lord is telling us in Psalm 23:6 that ‘His goodness and mercies shall always follow us’. Unfortunately, our leaders in Babylon taught us that the Lord’s mercies end when we die. It is as if they have not read the following:

Psa 118:1  O give thanks unto the LORD; for he is good: because his mercy endureth forever.
Psa 118:2  Let Israel now say, that his mercy endureth forever.
Psa 118:3  Let the house of Aaron now say, that his mercy endureth forever.
Psa 118:4 Let them now that fear the LORD say, that his mercy endureth forever.

Our Lord Jesus, in His life here on earth, told us that a good shepherd lays down His life for us and as we are aware, the Lord laid down His life for us. We are all to lay down our lives for one another. That means to sacrifice our lives in serving one another.

Joh 10:11  I am the good shepherd: the good shepherd giveth his life for the sheep.
Joh 10:12  But he that is an hireling, and not the shepherd, whose own the sheep are not, seeth the wolf coming, and leaveth the sheep, and fleeth: and the wolf catcheth them, and scattereth the sheep.
Joh 10:13  The hireling fleeth, because he is an hireling, and careth not for the sheep.
Joh 10:14  I am the good shepherd, and know my sheep, and am known of mine.
Joh 10:15  As the Father knoweth me, even so know I the Father: and I lay down my life for the sheep.
Joh 10:16 And other sheep I have, which are not of this fold: them also I must bring, and they shall hear my voice; and there shall be one fold, and one shepherd.

With this in mind, let’s take a look at the shepherds of the people of Israel and what they do.

The Shepherds of Israel Feed Themselves

Eze 34:1  And the word of the LORD came unto me, saying, 
Eze 34:2  Son of man, prophesy against the shepherds of Israel, prophesy, and say unto them, Thus saith the Lord GOD unto the shepherds; Woe be to the shepherds of Israel that do feed themselves! should not the shepherds feed the flocks? 
Eze 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. 

As indicated in the previous studies, the word of the Lord coming to Ezekiel signifies the Lord coming to His elect with the spirit of His mouth and His brightness. What this means is that the Lord coming to His elect is to judge them for the destruction of their flesh. The coming of the Lord is also to illuminate His words so that we can understand the mysteries of the kingdom of God.

2Th 2:7  For the mystery of iniquity doth already work: only he who now letteth will let, until he be taken out of the way.
2Th 2:8  And then shall that Wicked be revealed, whom the Lord shall consume with the spirit of his mouth, and shall destroy with the brightness of his coming:

It is when Christ comes to us with His brightness that we are able to see who the shepherds of Israel really are. These shepherds are the leaders of the physical churches of this world or Babylon. The first thing the Lord wants us to note about these shepherds is that they feed themselves instead of the Lord’s flock. The opulence displayed by these shepherds is obvious for everyone to see, even the people of the world, that these people feed themselves instead of the Lord’s flock. The word of the Lord says that since we have received freely from the Lord, we must also give freely His words. Tell me, is this what we see in the churches of this world? There is nothing wrong when we share freely what we have with those who minister to us. However, that is not what we see in Babylon. The leaders have put a yoke of tithing and offering on the shoulders of the flock and at the end of the day, they are the beneficiaries of these tithes and offerings.

Mat 23:4  For they bind heavy burdens and grievous to be borne, and lay them on men’s shoulders; but they themselves will not move them with one of their fingers.
Mat 23:5  But all their works they do for to be seen of men: they make broad their phylacteries, and enlarge the borders of their garments,
Mat 23:6  And love the uppermost rooms at feasts, and the chief seats in the synagogues,
Mat 23:7 And greetings in the markets, and to be called of men, Rabbi, Rabbi.

In the Old Testament, the fat of a sacrificial animal belongs to the Lord, as shown in the following:

Lev 3:16  And the priest shall burn them upon the altar: it is the food of the offering made by fire for a sweet savour: all the fat is the LORD’S.
Lev 3:17 It shall be a perpetual statute for your generations throughout all your dwellings, that ye eat neither fat nor blood.

In verse 3, therefore, the shepherds eating the fat means that they appropriate for themselves that which belongs to the Lord. To understand what this means, let’s take a look of what happened to David, a symbol of the Lord’s elect, who was a good leader of the Lord’s people.

2Sa 23:12  But he (David) stood in the middle of the field and defended it by killing Philistines. So the LORD won an impressive victory.
2Sa 23:13  At harvest time three of the thirty leading men came to David at the cave of Adullam when a troop from the Philistine army was camping in the valley of Rephaim.
2Sa 23:14  While David was in the fortified camp, Philistine troops were at Bethlehem.
2Sa 23:15  When David became thirsty, he said, “I wish I could have a drink of water from the well at the city gate of Bethlehem.”
2Sa 23:16  So the three fighting men burst into the Philistine camp and drew water from the well. They brought it to David, but he refused to drink it. He poured it out as an offering to the LORD and said,
2Sa 23:17 “It’s unthinkable that I would do this, LORD. This is the blood of men who risked their lives!” So, he refused to drink it. These are the things which the three fighting men did. (GWV)

David felt that it was not right to appropriate that which belongs to the Lord. In other words, David regarded the risk that these three men could have lost their lives for him in deciding to fetch water for him, as something that should be done only for our Lord Jesus Christ. That was why He did not take the water, but offered it to the Lord. On the other hand, the shepherds of Babylon appropriate that which belongs to the Lord (eat the fat) as they are worshipped by the flock and they make people sacrifice their lives for them instead of pointing them to Christ as David did.

Verse 3 shows us that these shepherds clothe themselves with wool. The Lord’s righteousness is represented by fine linen, not wool.

Rev 19:8  And to her was granted that she should be arrayed in fine linen, clean and white: for the fine linen is the righteousness of saints.

These shepherds being clothed in wool, therefore, means that they create their own righteousness.

Rom 10:3  For they being ignorant of God’s righteousness, and going about to establish their own righteousness, have not submitted themselves unto the righteousness of God.

Php 3:9 And be found in him, not having mine own righteousness, which is of the law, but that which is through the faith of Christ, the righteousness which is of God by faith:

Verse 3 also indicates that these shepherds kill the flock that are fed. Who are the flock that are fed? They are those who come with joy into the assembly of the churches after hearing the word of the Lord, thinking that their relationship with the Lord shall be deepened. However, these shepherd put them to spiritual death by teaching them the false doctrines of man’s wisdom and tradition. In preaching the wisdom of man, we throw away the truth of the word of the Lord which is able to save us and deny the Lord’s people of the word of the Lord which is required to help them to grow spiritually.

Eze 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; but with force and with cruelty have ye ruled them. 

The “diseased” are those who are weak in faith and need to be taken care of. This is the admonition of one of the good shepherds (Paul) of the Lord’s house concerning what we should do with the weak in our midst:

Rom 14:1  As for the one who is weak in faith, welcome him, but not to quarrel over opinions.
Rom 14:2  One person believes he may eat anything, while the weak person eats only vegetables.
Rom 14:3  Let not the one who eats despise the one who abstains, and let not the one who abstains pass judgment on the one who eats, for God has welcomed him.
Rom 14:4 Who are you to pass judgment on the servant of another? It is before his own master that he stands or falls. And he will be upheld, for the Lord is able to make him stand.  (ESV)

As the body of Christ, we must carry everybody along. Unfortunately, that is not what the shepherds of Babylon do. They are interested in what will benefit them. The sick are those who are oppressed by the devil. That is to say that they are dominated by the flesh which is empowered by the devil.

Mar 1:34  And he healed many that were sick of divers diseases, and cast out many devils; and suffered not the devils to speak, because they knew him.

Mat 8:16  When the even was come, they brought unto him many that were possessed with devils: and he cast out the spirits with his word, and healed all that were sick:

Verse 4 also indicates that the shepherds do not care about those who are lost. The lost are those who do not seem to know the way of salvation. The Lord showed us who a good shepherd is by telling us the following:

Mat 18:10  Take heed that ye despise not one of these little ones; for I say unto you, That in heaven their angels do always behold the face of my Father which is in heaven.
Mat 18:11  For the Son of man is come to save that which was lost.
Mat 18:12  How think ye? if a man have an hundred sheep, and one of them be gone astray, doth he not leave the ninety and nine, and goeth into the mountains, and seeketh that which is gone astray?
Mat 18:13  And if so be that he find it, verily I say unto you, he rejoiceth more of that sheep, than of the ninety and nine which went not astray.
Mat 18:14 Even so it is not the will of your Father which is in heaven, that one of these little ones should perish.

Eze 34:5  And they were scattered, because there is no shepherd: and they became meat to all the beasts of the field, when they were scattered. 
Eze 34:6 My sheep wandered through all the mountains, and upon every high hill: yea, my flock was scattered upon all the face of the earth, and none did search or seek after them. 

To be scattered by the Lord implies being cast off by the Lord. Here in verse 5, the Lord is saying that where there is no leadership, the people of the Lord get scattered as they seek their own interest.

Psa 60:1  To the chief Musician upon Shushaneduth, Michtam of David, to teach; when he strove with Aramnaharaim and with Aramzobah, when Joab returned, and smote of Edom in the valley of salt twelve thousand. O God, thou hast cast us off, thou hast scattered us, thou hast been displeased; O turn thyself to us again.

Jer 10:21  For the pastors are become brutish, and have not sought the LORD: therefore they shall not prosper, and all their flocks shall be scattered.

Jer 23:2 Therefore thus saith the LORD God of Israel against the pastors that feed my people; Ye have scattered my flock, and driven them away, and have not visited them: behold, I will visit upon you the evil of your doings, saith the LORD.

It is the vision of a people that keeps them together and where there is no vision, the people seek their own interests and therefore perish or are scattered.  This vision is what the Lord has revealed of His words to His people.

Pro 29:18  Where there is no vision, the people perish: but he that keepeth the law, happy is he.

In verse 5, it is stated that where there is no shepherd, the people of the Lord become meat to all the beasts of the field. That is to say that we become dominated by the flesh or our old man who is empowered by the devil.

Being scattered means that we wander through ‘all the mountains and upon every high hill’, as shown in verse 6. This means that we go from one place of worship to another and all that we find is ‘another Jesus’ who becomes the idol of our hearts. Jesus told us that He is the good shepherd who goes after one sheep that strays from the hundred sheep under His leadership. However, the leaders in Babylon do not care about the spiritual well-being of the people the Lord has given to them. All that they are interested in is having a large congregation which means more tithes and offerings.

Mat 18:12  How think ye? if a man have an hundred sheep, and one of them be gone astray, doth he not leave the ninety and nine, and goeth into the mountains, and seeketh that which is gone astray?
Mat 18:13  And if so be that he find it, verily I say unto you, he rejoiceth more of that sheep, than of the ninety and nine which went not astray.
Mat 18:14 Even so it is not the will of your Father which is in heaven, that one of these little ones should perish.

2Co 11:3  But I fear, lest by any means, as the serpent beguiled Eve through his subtilty, so your minds should be corrupted from the simplicity that is in Christ.
2Co 11:4  For if he that cometh preacheth another Jesus, whom we have not preached, or if ye receive another spirit, which ye have not received, or another gospel, which ye have not accepted, ye might well bear with him.

The Lord is Against the Shepherds

Eze 34:7  Therefore, ye shepherds, hear the word of the LORD; 
Eze 34:8  As I live, saith the Lord GOD, surely because my flock became a prey, and my flock became meat to every beast of the field, because there was no shepherd, neither did my shepherds search for my flock, but the shepherds fed themselves, and fed not my flock; 
Eze 34:9  Therefore, O ye shepherds, hear the word of the LORD; 
Eze 34:10 Thus saith the Lord GOD; Behold, I am against the shepherds; and I will require my flock at their hand, and cause them to cease from feeding the flock; neither shall the shepherds feed themselves anymore; for I will deliver my flock from their mouth, that they may not be meat for them. 

We were the flock that became ‘a prey and meat to every beast of the field’. Here in these verses, the Lord assured us of our deliverance from the shepherds of Israel or Babylon. In verse 10, we are also promised by the Lord that He will deliver us from the mouth of these shepherds such that they can no longer feed us false doctrines. We thank the Lord that He came to us to deliver us when we were overcome by the flesh and were carried away by every wind of doctrine during our time in Babylon. Indeed, ‘the Lord has turned again our (Zion) captivity’.

Psa 126:1  A Song of degrees. When the LORD turned again the captivity of Zion, we were like them that dream.
Psa 126:2  Then was our mouth filled with laughter, and our tongue with singing: then said they among the heathen, The LORD hath done great things for them. 
Psa 126:3  The LORD hath done great things for us; whereof we are glad.
Psa 126:4  Turn again our captivity, O LORD, as the streams in the south.
Psa 126:5  They that sow in tears shall reap in joy.
Psa 126:6 He that goeth forth and weepeth, bearing precious seed, shall doubtless come again with rejoicing, bringing his sheaves with him.

Eze 34:11  For thus saith the Lord GOD; Behold, I, even I, will both search my sheep, and seek them out. 
Eze 34:12  As a shepherd seeketh out his flock in the day that he is among his sheep that are scattered; so will I seek out my sheep, and will deliver them out of all places where they have been scattered in the cloudy and dark day. 
Eze 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, and in all the inhabited places of the country. 

These verses confirm the Lord’s promise of leaving the ninety-nine sheep to come and look for us, His elect. We are therefore privileged that the Lord came to us and is gathering us from various countries, to the praise of His glory. Now, we have come into Mount Zion, the city of the living God.

Heb 12:22  But ye are come unto mount Sion, and unto the city of the living God, the heavenly Jerusalem, and to an innumerable company of angels,
Heb 12:23  To the general assembly and church of the firstborn, which are written in heaven, and to God the Judge of all, and to the spirits of just men made perfect,
Heb 12:24  And to Jesus the mediator of the new covenant, and to the blood of sprinkling, that speaketh better things than that of Abel.
Heb 12:25 See that ye refuse not him that speaketh. For if they escaped not who refused him that spake on earth, much more shall not we escape, if we turn away from him that speaketh from heaven:

Eze 34:14  I will feed them in a good pasture, and upon the high mountains of Israel shall their fold be: there shall they lie in a good fold, and in a fat pasture shall they feed upon the mountains of Israel. 
Eze 34:15  I will feed my flock, and I will cause them to lie down, saith the Lord GOD. 
Eze 34:16 I will seek that which was lost, and bring again that which was driven away, and will bind up that which was broken, and will strengthen that which was sick: but I will destroy the fat and the strong; I will feed them with judgment. 

These verses continue the Lord’s promise to us that He will ‘feed us upon the mountains of Israel’, ‘by the rivers’ of verse 13. By the Lord’s grace, the Lord is feeding us with the truth of His words. Verse 14 shows us that the Lord’s elect shall be fed on ‘a good pasture’ and have their fold ‘upon the high mountains of Israel’. The ‘good fold’ refers to the assembly of the Lord’s elect where every joint supplies what is needed by the body.

Eph 4:11  And he gave some, apostles; and some, prophets; and some, evangelists; and some, pastors and teachers;
Eph 4:12  For the perfecting of the saints, for the work of the ministry, for the edifying of the body of Christ:
Eph 4:13  Till we all come in the unity of the faith, and of the knowledge of the Son of God, unto a perfect man, unto the measure of the stature of the fulness of Christ:
Eph 4:14  That we henceforth be no more children, tossed to and fro, and carried about with every wind of doctrine, by the sleight of men, and cunning craftiness, whereby they lie in wait to deceive;
Eph 4:15  But speaking the truth in love, may grow up into him in all things, which is the head, even Christ:
Eph 4:16 From whom the whole body fitly joined together and compacted by that which every joint supplieth, according to the effectual working in the measure of every part, maketh increase of the body unto the edifying of itself in love.

Causing us to lie down in verse 15 signifies the rest that we find in Christ. We were those who were first preached to. However, because of our unbelief, we did not find rest. By the mercies of the Lord, we have been brought into the assembly of His elect where we have found rest as we cease from our own strivings.

Heb 4:3  For we which have believed do enter into rest, as he said, As I have sworn in my wrath, if they shall enter into my rest: although the works were finished from the foundation of the world.

Heb 4:6  Seeing therefore it remaineth that some must enter therein, and they to whom it was first preached entered not in because of unbelief:

Heb 4:9  There remaineth therefore a rest to the people of God.
Heb 4:10  For he that is entered into his rest, he also hath ceased from his own works, as God did from his.
Heb 4:11 Let us labour therefore to enter into that rest, lest any man fall after the same example of unbelief.

Verse 16 shows us what the Lord is doing on our behalf. He has found us and brought us out of Babylon to be established in Him such that we shall not be driven away again. He is healing our broken-hearted and delivering us from our diseases or sickness, which relates to the oppression of the evil one. He does this through the destruction of the fat and the strong which signifies our flesh or the old man as we go through His judgement.

Psa 103:1  A Psalm of David. Bless the LORD, O my soul: and all that is within me, bless his holy name.
Psa 103:2  Bless the LORD, O my soul, and forget not all his benefits:
Psa 103:3  Who forgiveth all thine iniquities; who healeth all thy diseases;
Psa 103:4  Who redeemeth thy life from destruction; who crowneth thee with lovingkindness and tender mercies;
Psa 103:5 Who satisfieth thy mouth with good things; so that thy youth is renewed like the eagle’s.  

Rom 11:33  O the depth of the riches both of the wisdom and knowledge of God! how unsearchable are his judgments, and his ways past finding out!
Rom 11:34  For who hath known the mind of the Lord? or who hath been his counsellor?
Rom 11:35  Or who hath first given to him, and it shall be recompensed unto him again?
Rom 11:36 For of him, and through him, and to him, are all things: to whom be glory forever. Amen.