Exposition of Ezekiel 30-48, Commentary on Ezechiel · Chapter 34 · Verses 7-10
Verſes 7, 8, 9, 10.
Therefore ye ſhepherds, hear the word of the Lord;
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:
Therefore O ye ſhepherds, hear the word of the Lord;
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 any more; for I will deliver my flock from their mouth, that they may not be meat for them.
THeſe verſes ſet out the judgments threatned againſt the ſhepherds of Iſrael, for their prementioned ſins. In the words take
1. Gods particular Application of himſelf to the ſhepherds, verſ. 7, 9.
2. The certainty of their puniſhment, verſ. 8. As I live, &c.
3. A Repetition of their former ſins, verſ. 8.
4. A Specification of their judgements or puniſhments, verſ. 10.
Verſ. 7. Therefore ye ſhepherds, hear the word of the Lord.
Theſe words are again in the 9. ver. and ſhew the great indignation was in the breaſt of God againſt theſe ſhepherds; O ye Princes, Prieſts, and Prophets, ſeeing ye have done ſuch things, and neglected what you ſhould have done, hear the word of the Lord, he is vehemently diſpleaſed with you, and can hold no longer.
Verſ. 8. As I live, ſaith the Lord God, ſurely.
The Hebrew is I living, if not, the ſenſe whereof is this, Let me not be the living God, but be laid aſide as ſome idol or falſe god, if I do not puniſh theſe Shepherds which have dealt ſo with my flock.
Becauſe my flock became a prey.
The word for prey is Baz which ſignifies ſpoyling, and ſuch ſpoyling as is cum conculcatione, & deſpectu direpti, Kirker.with treading down, and deſpiſing the thing ſpoiled; they vilified the flock of God, and ſpoyled them of what they had.
And my flock became meat to every beaſt of the field.
Wicked men are here call'd beaſts, and beaſts of the field, for that they range up and down to get a prey, and when they have gotten it, tear and rend it in pieces, as a Lyon or Bear doth a Lamb or ſheep.
There was no Shepherd.
Not ſimply no ſhepherd, but no ſhepherd that did his duty, as the next words ſhew, Neither did my ſhepherds ſearch for the flock; he ſaith My ſhepherds, becauſe they were in Gods ſtead to look after his flock, but they fed themſelves, not the flock; they made Laws, impoſed burthens, and found out wayes to enrich themſelves, and impoveriſh the people.
Verſ. 10. Behold I am againſt the ſhepherds.
In this verſe the puniſhments of theſe ſhepherds are enumerated, and this is the firſt, viz: Gods enmity againſt them; they being great Princes, Prieſts and Prophets, kept all in ſuch awe that none durſt appear in word or action againſt them, if any did, they were ſoon cruſhed; Wherefore ſaith the Lord, Behold, I am againſt the ſhepherds; I that am the Governour of Nations, the Lord of Heaven and Earth, and ſo the Dread Soveraigne of Princes, Prieſts and Prophets; even I that am Jehovah, that gave being to all creatures, and can take away all again, am againſt them. The Hebrew is, Behold, I to the ſhepherds, that is, I come to ſet my ſelf againſt them; the Vulgar is, Behold, I am above them; others have the words thus, Ecce, ego contra istos Paſtores, Behold, I am againſt theſe ſhepherds.
I will require my flock at their hand.
Not only will I have account of them, what is become of my flock, but I will have recompence for every one that is wounded, weak, loſt or ſlain; I will require at your hand, limb for limb, blood for blood, and life for life. This is the ſecond puniſhment mentioned.
And cauſe them to ceaſe from feeding the flock.
Here is a third puniſhment, and its no leſs then diſplacing of them; ſome were cut off by the hand of juſtice, Jer: 52.10, 11, 24, 25, 26, 27. Lamen: 5.12. Others were carryed away captive, and held in chains and bonds, as Zedekiah, Jechoniah, and many beſides.
Neither ſhall the ſhepherds feed themſelves any more.
Here is a fourth puniſhment; they ſhould be depriv'd of thoſe opportunities they had to enrich themſelves: they made a prey of the flock, eating the fat, cloathing themſelves with the wool, and killing thoſe that were fed, they made advantage of the flock, only ſeeking themſelves, not the good of it, but they ſhould not do ſo any longer.
For I will deliver my flock from their mouth.
They have been feeding upon, and devouring my flock a long time; but now I will do by them as a ſhepherd doth by a Lamb in a Lyons or Bears mouth, Amos 3.12. 1 Sam: 17.34, 35. David delivered the Lamb: ſo God would pull his flock out of theſe Lyons and Bears mouths, which is a gracious promiſe of the deliverance of his people.
That they may not be meat for them.
Being once delivered, they ſhall no more be ſpoiled and devoured by ſuch Tyrants as they were, but ſhall enjoy liberty and ſafety.
Firſt, Obſerve;
When there are no faithfull ſhepherds, the flock is a prey to all ſorts of beaſts.
My flock became meat to every beaſt of the field, becauſe there was no ſhepherd. The Princes, Nobles, Prieſts, Prophets, and all their under Officers made a prey of the flock. The flock was amongſt wild beaſts of all ſorts, and they did eat the Milk, ſheer the Fleece, and devour the fleſh of the Flock. No State-Officers, no Church-Officers were faithfull unto the Flock, but all in place and power made a prey of it; its the nature of Dogs, Foxes, Wolves, Bears, Lyons, and ſuch Beaſts, to ſuck the bloud, cruſh the bones, and devoure the fleſh of the Lambs and Sheep. Kings in Daniel 7.17. are call'd beaſts; & Rev: 13.1. there is mention made of a Beaſt which roſe up out of the Sea, having ſeven heads and ten horns; and of a beaſt roſe up out of the earth, which had two horns, like a Lamb, but ſpake like a Dragon; theſe two Beaſts denote the Eccleſiaſtical and Political powers, and how they dealt with the people, you may read in that Chapter. When Gods Flock is without faithful ſhepherds, they are a ſpoil to Sea-Beaſts and Land-Beaſts, to all Beaſts whatſoever.
Secondly, Obſerve;
That the ſins of Magiſtrates and Miniſters in ſeeking themſelves, neglecting and wronging the flock, do greatly provoke God, bring certain and ſevere judgements upon themſelves.
Behold I am againſt the ſhepherds; I that am higher, ſtronger, greater then them all, even I, and all my attributes are againſt them; I will call them to account, and have ſatisfaction for all the wrong and violence they have done; I will deprive them of their ſweet Morſels, and throw them with ſhame out of their places: Theſe are ſevere judgements which God ſwears by no leſs th…n his own life, that he will bring upon them; God commits great truſt unto them, and when they are unfaithful God viſits ſeverely for it; Jer: 25.34, 35, 36. Howl ye ſhepherds, cry and wallow your ſelves in the aſhes ye principal of the Flock, for the dayes of your ſlaughter, and of your diſperſions are accompliſhed; and ye ſhall fall like a pleaſant veſſel. They ſhould have no way to flee or eſcape, cry and howl they might, their Paſtures ſhould be ſpoiled, and themſelves deſtroyed. The ſhepherds had been preſerved like a pleaſant veſſel in the hand of God, he eſteem'd them, but now being ſo vile they ſhould fall, be broken, and not eſteemed at all. See Jer. 23.1, 2. Zech: 11.17. This hath been made good in our dayes, againſt the Political and Eccleſiaſtical ſhepherds; have not our Princes, Nobles, Prelates and their Officers, for their feeding themſelves, not feeding the Flock, for their ruling them by force and cruelty, have they not had God againſt them, been deprived of their fat, and ſweet morſels? have they not been turn'd out of their places, and ſuffered juſtly for their demerits? The oppreſſions in State and Church were ſuch, that the Flock had periſhed, had not God appeared for it againſt thoſe Lyons and Wolves; their ſins were provoking, and drew the fury of God upon them.
Thirdly, Obſerve;
Thoſe ſheep that are under oppreſſing and devouring ſhepherds, God will relieve and ſet at liberty.
I will deliver my flock from their mouth, that they may not be meat for them. Many years had his Flock been moleſted by wicked Princes, Prieſts and Prophets, they had eaten up many of his Flock, and the reſt were in danger of devouring, but the Lord had a care of them, and pull'd them out of their jawes; the poor ſheep could not withſtand their violence, They were like young Lyons among the flocks, which go through, tread down, and tear them in pieces, and none can deliver, Micah 5.8. But though the ſheep had no man able to deliver them from theſe Lyon-like ſhepherds, yet God was able to do it, and did it; he was a Lyon to theſe Lyons, and tore them in pieces, reſcuing his Flock. Its not long ſince we were under ſuch ſhepherds, who made us meat to their teeth, eating up our Eſtates, Liberties and Lives, they oppreſſed and devoured us, and who durſt appear for us; if any did, they felt the jaws and claws of theſe Lyons: but God at laſt aroſe for us, and hath driven away thoſe ſhepherds, and delivered us from being meat to their mouths.