Kingdom and Exile: Of Shepherds and Sheep

 

I will search for the lost and bring back the strays. I will bind up the injured and strengthen the weak, but the sleek and the strong I will destroy. I will shepherd the flock with justice.  Ezekiel 34:16

 Many (Most? All?) of the prophecies in the Old Testament had both a near-term fulfillment as well as a future, eschatological one. What is eschatological you might ask? According to Wikipedia (because I couldn’t get webstersdictionary1828.com to load up) it, “concerns expectations of the end of present age, human history, or the world itself.” So, many of the prophecies in the Old Testament referred to something that would happen soonish, like within the next few hundred years, as well as something that would happen closer to the end of the world itself.

In this case, the prophecies in Ezekiel referred to the people of Israel being freed from Babylon and returned to their home in about 70 years. When Ezekiel was talking about the wicked shepherds at the beginning of the chapter, he was referring to the spiritual and governmental leaders of Israel heading into the time of exile. They were put in place to lead and guide the people of Israel, but they only looked out for themselves instead, finding ways to make themselves rich and comfortable while the people suffered. The judgement of going into exile was partly against them, but later in the chapter Ezekiel talks to the sheep themselves, not just their leaders. He accuses them of trampling the pastures and muddying the waters so that the flocks could not feed and drink behind them. Here he is addressing the people, holding them to account. He says that God Himself will judge and discern between them, “between one sheep and another, between rams and goats.” (Ezekiel 34:17). God knows the hearts of the people and doesn’t look to the surface, to how they present themselves to the world. While they may look healthy and strong to those around them, God knows their hearts and how they got where they are. God will sort out those that have been causing harm and those who have been harmed, and in that is the beautiful blessing of today’s verse. God promises to, “search for the lost and bring back the strays… bind up the injured and strengthen the weak.” Yesterday I spoke of how I was sad because I didn’t identify with being ‘healed’ and ‘well.’ I assure you, ‘injured’ and ‘weak’ I have no trouble with seeing in my life! I know that this promise was originally given to the exiled people of Israel, that they could hope in God for their future restoration, but I believe it goes to God’s character, that He is a seeker, a binder, a strengthener, and I can trust in Him to do that for me as well! But the Israelites had to wait a long time to see this restoration, and so I should not be surprised when I do as well.

 I mentioned earlier that these verses had both a near and far (eschatological) fulfillment. We see the near one in the books of the Bible itself where we can read about the miraculous restoration of God’s people to their homeland and how He used the foreign kings to actually provide for their rebuilding of the temple and the city’s walls. The far, end-time, fulfillment of this prophecy is yet to come, but we can look forward to God judging the leaders of the people that are not acting as they should, as well as judging the people themselves, separating the rams from the goats. He will seek out the lost among the nations. He will bind up the injured from among His people, those who have been mistreated and abused by those who were instructed to care for them. He will strengthen the weak with His perfect strength. We will see in Him our perfect Shepherd who will care for us in just the way we need it, holding us to account for what we have done wrong and correcting us, bringing us into His perfect salvation.

Here's the Thing: While I easily identify with the lost, injured and weak, I need to acknowledge that I could also be among the fat, strong sheep that trampled the fields and muddied the waters. I know I haven’t always lived as I should, I know I have failed and I have much to be thankful for forgiveness in. I pray that my Good Shepherd will lead and guide me in the way I should go so that in the end I will be found in Him.