Reading: Ezekiel 33-36
Because thou hast said, These two nations and these two countries shall be mine, and we will possess it; whereas the Lord was there: Therefore, as I live, saith the Lord GOD, I will even do according to thine anger, and according to thine envy which thou hast used out of thy hatred against them; and I will make myself known among them, when I have judged thee. (Ezek. 35:10-11).
After the death of his father Isaac, Esau settled in Edom and conquered the rocky country near Mount Seir, known today as Petra. From strategic mountain heights overlooking the southern border of the Holy Land, the Edomites had watched with obvious envy the growing power of Jacob’s favored tribes. When it became apparent that the nation of Israel had lost the favor of the Lord, Edom could not be satisfied with just watching the invasion and destruction of Israel by the mighty Nebuchadnezzar. Forgetful of all ties of kinship, the Edomites sent troops to assist Nebuchadnezzar in his devastating war against Jerusalem. They were even crueler than the Chaldeans (Babylonians) and massacred the few Israelites who escaped. They then ruthlessly boasted of their part in the terrible destruction of Jerusalem and eagerly took possession of some of the defeated lands of Israel and Judah.
Amidst the backdrop of this terrible destruction, it seems strange to read the words: The Lord was there. The sentence breaks in like a rainbow in the sky following a torrential downpour. I will make thee (Edom) perpetual desolations, and thy cities shall not return: and ye shall know that I am the Lord (Ezek. 35:9). Yes, the Lord was (and is always) there in the Promised Land, and He saw all that transpired. The land was desolate but not forsaken; it was conquered and carried away, but it was not deserted by Israel’s God, for the Lord was there. Once we have been born again unto the family of God, that same promise will exist in our lives, no matter how dark the day or how deep the problem we have entangled ourselves in. The Lord will always be there, waiting to lead all those faithful to Him out of the darkness and into the light.
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 (34:23). Ezekiel foretold of a Shepherd who would truly love and care for His sheep. He portrayed the Savior-Shepherd as My servant David because of David’s intense desire for his people to honor the Lord. David had a shepherd’s heart and was himself a foreshadowing of Jesus the Messiah, the King of kings. Jesus identified Himself as Israel’s Shepherd, sent of God. As the Father knoweth Me, even so know I the Father: and I lay down My life for the sheep (John 10:15).
Ezekiel had only the smallest glimpse of what was to come, but we now live in a world in which the Truth has been revealed. Our Savior did not give His life as a martyr for truth or as a moral example of self-sacrifice. He, of His own free will, sacrificed His life as the only acceptable sacrifice for lost, sinful people (10:11,15,18). Jesus Christ took our rightful punishment of eternal death. By dying on the cross for our sins, He conquered death (see Rev. 1:18) so we might have eternal life.
I am the Good Shepherd, and know My sheep, and am known of mine (John 10:14).
Thought For TodayChrist has reserved our seats in heaven and is anticipating our arrival there; surely, that knowledge should be enough to cause us to follow the path that leads to them.
Christ Revealed:As the Shepherd (Ezek. 34:23). Jesus said: I am the Good Shepherd, and know My sheep (John 10:14).
Word Studies: 34:14 a fat = the best; 34:27 delivered them out of the hand of those that served themselves of them = freed them from slavery; 36:3 an infamy of = slandered, ridiculed by.
Pray For Government Officials: Sen. Cynthia Lummis (WY) • Country: Botswana (2,155,784) Southern Africa • Major Languages: Setswana, English • Limited Religious Freedom • 71.6% Christian; 6% Badimo; 1.4% Other (Muslim, Hindu, Baha'i); 0.4% Unspecified; 20.6% None • Prayer Suggestion: Rest in the Lord; wait patiently for Him (Ps. 37:7).
Optional Reading: Revelation 15