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RETURN TO SYLLABUS
EZEKIEL 34
LESSON #29
THE PROMISES OF THE GOOD SHEPHERD
v MEMORY VERSE: EZEKIEL 34:23
v GOD HAD JUDGED THE NATION OF ISRAEL. THE ISRAELITESHAD LOST THE LAND, AND THEIR TEMPLE WAS IN RUINS. THE PEOPLE WHO HAD SURVIVED THEDESTRUCTION WERE CAPTIVES IN BABYLON.
Ø THE ISRAELITES THOUGHT GOD HAD FORSAKEN THEM.THEY THOUGHT THERE WAS NOTHING BRIGHT ABOUT THEIR FUTURE.
Ø GOD HAS A FUTURE PLAN FOR THEM. HOWEVER, HEMUST FIRST PREPARE THEM FOR THE FUTURE HE HAS IN MIND.
v READ EZE 34:1-10 THE SHEPHERDS OF ISRAEL EXPLOIT AND ABUSE THE SHEEP
Ø WHO ARE THE SHEPHERDS?
§ THE SHEPHERDS ARE THEGOVERNMENT LEADERS AND THE RELIGIOUS LEADERS INCLUDING THE PROPHETS. THEY ARE RESPONSIBLEFOR THE FLOCK (PSA 78:70-71 ISA56:10-11).
· SHEPHERDS MUST SEE THAT THE FLOCKIS FED THE WORD OF GOD.
¨ IF THE FLOCK IS NOT FED, THEY SCATTER ANDBECOME SUSCEPTIBLE TO ATTACK BY THE ENEMY.
· THERE ARE MANY SCRIPTURES THATGIVE US THIS VIEW OF GODS PEOPLE AS A FLOCK OF SHEEP WHO NEED A SHEPHERD TO LEADTHEM. (PSA 100:3 PSA 77:20 PSA 78:52 PSA80:1 NUM 27:17 JER 13:17 ZEC 10:3).
¨ USUALLY WE THINK OF THE NEW TESTAMENT CHURCHAS THE FLOCK OF GOD. THIS SYMBOLISM IS VALIDATED IN SCRIPTURE (ACT 20:28-29 1PET 5:2-3). HOWEVER, THE SYMBOLISM WAS FIRST USEDIN THE OLD TESTAMENT TO REFER TO THE ISRAELITES.
¨ JESUS SAID THE ISRAELITES WERE THE LOST SHEEPOF ISRAEL. (MAT 10:6 MAT 15:24)
¨ JESUS IS THE GOOD SHEPHERD WHO HAS COME TOLEAD HIS PEOPLE, BOTH JEWS AND GENTILES. (JOH 10:7,11)
· THE WORD PASTOR ISFROM A LATIN WORD THAT MEANS SHEPHERD.
Ø EZEKIEL SPOKE PREVIOUSLY ABOUT THE RELIGIOUSAND GOVERNMENT LEADERS IN ISRAELS IMMEDIATE PAST THAT CAUSED GOD TO JUDGE THE NATIONSO SEVERELY. FOR A BETTER FUTURE, ISREAEL NEEDED BETTER LEADERS.
§ THE LEADERS OF THE PASTTOOK ADVANTAGE OF THE PEOPLE TO BENEFIT THEIR OWN SELFISH DESIRES. FOR THE FUTURE, THEISREALITES NEEDED LEADERS WHO WOULD SERVE THE PEOPLE AND MEET THEIR NEEDS.
· CHARACTERISTICS OF A BADSHEPHERD: (2-4)
¨ THEY FEED THEMSELVES INSTEAD OF FEEDING THEPEOPLE MATERIALLY OR SPIRITUALLY.
¨ THEY DO NOT STRENGTHEN WEAK PEOPLE.
¨ THEY DO NOT BRING HEALING TO THE SICK.
¨ THEY DO NOT HELP PEOPLE WITH BROKEN LIVES.
¨ THEY DO NOT UNIFY THE PEOPLE.
¨ THEY DO NOT SEEK PEOPLE WHO ARE NOT SAVED.
¨ THEY RULE WITH FORCE AND CRUELTY.
v READ EZE 34:11-22 THE RESCUE OF THE SCATTERED FLOCK BY THE CHIEF SHEPHERD
Ø THE FIRST FULFILLMENT:
§ MOST OF GODS PEOPLEARE CAPTIVE IN BABYLON. ONLY A FEW FARMERS REMAIN IN ISRAEL. A FEW ISRAELITES TRIED TOFLEE TO OTHER NATIONS BUT THEY WERE CAPTURED BY THE BABYLONIANS WHEN THESE OTHER NATIONSWERE ALSO DEFEATED. GODS EVALUATION OF THE SITUATION IS THAT HIS PEOPLE ARESCATTERED LIKE A FLOCK OF SHEEP ATTACKED BY WOLVES.
§ GOD WILL RESCUE THEM ANDRETURN THEM TO THEIR OWN LAND IN ISRAEL.
· THIS WAS FULFILLED AT THE END OFTHE 70-YEAR BABYLONIAN CAPTIVITY. THE PEOPLE RETURN ED TO ISRAEL AND REBUILT THE TEMPLE ANDTHE CITIES.
Ø THE SECOND FULFILLMENT:
§ HOW DO WE KNOW THERE IS ASECOND FULFILLMENT?
· EZE 34:12 AND 13 MENTION MANYNATIONS NOT JUST BABYLON.
§ SINCE 70 AD WHEN THE ROMANSDESTROYED THE TEMPLE AND THE NATION OF ISRAEL, THE JEWISH PEOPLE HAVE EXISTED IN ASCATTERED CONDITION IN MANY COUNTRIES AROUND THE WORLD.
· TODAY THERE ARE MORE JEWISHPEOPLE IN THE UNITED STATES THAN THERE ARE IN ISRAEL.
§ GOD BEGAN TO RE-GATHER THEJEWS WHEN ISRAEL BECAME A NATION IN 1948. HOWEVER, ALL THE JEWS ARE STILL NOT BACK IN THELAND OF ISRAEL.
· THIS RE-GATHERING WILL OCCUR INSTAGES. THE ANTI-CHRIST WILL INSURE PEACE IN THE MIDDLE EAST AT THE BEGINNING OF THETRIBULATION PERIOD. MANY JEWS WILL RETURN TO ISRAEL AT THAT TIME.
· FINALLY AT THE SECOND COMING OFJESUS CHRIST TO THIS EARTH, HE WILL RE-GATHER ALL THE JEWS IN EVERY NATION OF THE WORLDBACK TO ISRAEL. HE WILL BE THEIR SHEPHERD IN THE MILLENNIAL KINGDOM. (MAT 24:31)
¨ JESUS WILL FULFILL HIS ROLE AS THE SHEPHERD.
Ø JESUS CHRIST, THE GOOD SHEPHERD — JOH 10:11
Ø JESUS CHRIST, THE GREAT SHEPHERD — HEB 13:20
Ø JESUS CHRIST, THE CHIEF SHEPHERD 1PET 5:4
§ THE JUDGMENT OF NATIONS: (17, 20, 22) THE SEPARATION OF THE SHEEP AND GOATNATIONS:
· THE JUDGMENT OF NATIONS WILLOCCUR IMMEDIATELY AFTER THE SECOND COMING OF CHRIST. (MAT 35:31-41)
Ø THE CRITERIA FOR JUDGMENT OF GENTILE NATIONSIS THEIR TREATMENT OF JEWS, THE NATION OF ISRAEL, AND CHRISTIANS DURING THE TRIBULATIONPERIOD.
§ 153 GENTILE NATIONS ANDISRAEL WILL EXIST IN THE MILLENNIAL KINGDOM OF CHRIST. (JOH 21:8-14)
v THE RE-GATHERING OF ISRAEL WAS PROPHESIED BY MOSESBEFORE THE ISRAELITES ENTERED THE PROMISED LAND UNDER JOSHUA.
Ø READ DEU 30:1-10 THE PALESTINIAN COVENANT
§ WHAT ARE THE CONDITIONS OFTHIS COVENANT?
· GOD PROMISES THAT HE WILL HAVEMERCY ON HIS REBELLIOUS PEOPLE.
· GOD PROMISES THAT HE WILLRE-GATHER THE JEWS FROM EVERY NATION.
· GOD PROMISES THAT HE WILL RESTOREHIS PEOPLE TO THE LAND OF ISRAEL.
· GOD PROMISES THAT HE WILL BLESSHIS PEOPLE WITH ABUNDANCE IN THE LAND.
· GOD PROMISES THAT HE WILL CAUSEHIS PEOPLE TO KNOW HIM AND HAVE ETERNAL LIFE.
· GOD PROMISES THAT HE WILL CURSEISRAELS ENEMIES.
· GOD PROMISES THAT ONE FUTURE DAYHIS PEOPLE WILL BE OBEDIENT SERVANTS OF GOD.
Ø EZEKIELS PROPHECIES ABOUT THERE-GATHERING OF ISRAEL ARE FURTHER DETAILS BASED ON THE PALESTINIAN COVENANT GIVEN TOMOSES. THE PROMISES THAT GOD MAKES IN EZEKIEL ARE A RE-STATEMENT OF THE PROMISES HE GAVETO ABRAHAM AND THEN TO MOSES.
v READ EZE 34:23-31 THE PROTECTION OF THE FLOCK
Ø IT WILL NOT BE GOOD ENOUGH SIMPLY TORE-GATHER THE FLOCK OF GODS PEOPLE. IF THE JEWS DO NOT HAVE THE RIGHT LEADERS TOSHEPHERD THEM, THEY WILL BE EASILY SCATTERED AGAIN.
§ THIS IS WHAT HAPPENED WHENTHE ISRAELITES RETURN ED TO THE LAND AFTER THE BABYLONIAN CAPTIVITY. THEY ENDURED HARDSHIPAND PERSECUTION FROM OTHER PEOPLE LIVING IN THE LAND. GOD GAVE THEM A FEW STRONG LEADERS(GOOD SHEPHERDS) LIKE EZRA AND NEHEMIAH. HOWEVER, THE PEOPLE DID NOT REMAIN FAITHFUL TOGOD. ONCE AGAIN BAD SHEPHERDS CONTROLLED ISRAEL (MAL 2) FOR OVER 400 YEARS UNTIL THE TIMEOF THE NEW TESTAMENT WHEN JESUS REBUKED THE PHARISEES FOR NOT BEING GOOD SHEPHERDS TO THEPEOPLE OF GOD.
Ø GOD SAYS THAT WHEN JESUS CHRIST RETURN S ANDESTABLISHES HIS MILLENNIAL KINGDOM, CHRIST WILL PROTECT THE FLOCK. THEN THEY WILL NEVER BESCATTERED AGAIN. THEY WILL DWELL IN THE PROMISED LAND IN SAFETY FROM ALL THEIR ENEMIES.
Ø THE ROLE OF DAVID IN THE MILLENNIUM (23-24)
§ IT IS INTERESTING THATEZEKIEL MENTIONS THE ROLE OF DAVID IN THE MILLENNIUM.
· HE WILL BE A LEADER, PRINCE, AVICE-REGENT UNDER JESUS CHRIST.
¨ THERE ARE OTHER SCRIPTURES THAT ALSO MENTIONTHIS ROLE OF DAVID IN THE MILLENNIUM. (JER 30:9 HOS3:5) EZEKIEL WILL REFER TO DAVID AGAIN LATER IN THE BOOK WHEN WE TALK MORE ABOUT THEMILLENNIAL KINGDOM OF CHRIST ON EARTH. (EZE 37:25 EZE45:22 EZE 46:4)
Ø A NEW COVENANT OF PEACE WITH ISRAEL
§ AT THE BEGINNING OF THETRIBULATION PERIOD, THE ANTI-CHRIST WILL PROMISE PEACE TO ISRAEL. HE WILL CONFIRM ACOVENANT (A PEACE TREATY) THAT WILL NOT BRING PEACE BUT WAR TO THIS EARTH. HOWEVER, THEANTII-CHRISTS DECEPTION WILL TRAP THE JEWS. THEY WILL FALSELY BELIEVE THAT THEANTI-CHRIST IS THEIR MESSIAH.
§ WHEN JESUS CHRIST, THE TRUEMESSIAH, COMES BACK TO EARTH, HE WILL BRING TRUE PEACE TO ISRAEL.
v APPLICATION:
Ø AS BELIEVERS IN JESUS CHRIST GATHEREDTOGETHER IN A NEW TESTAMENT CHURCH, GODS MESSAGE TO LEADERS THEN IS THE SAME MESSAGETO LEADERS TODAY.
§ PASTORS AND CHURCH LEADERS:
· MUST PUT THE INTERESTS OF THEPEOPLE ABOVE THEIR OWN INTERESTS. (2-3)
· MUSTNOT RULE HARSHLY BUT MUST BE SERVANTS.
· MUST NOT NEGLECT THE PEOPLECAUSING THEM TO SCATTER.
· MUST FEED THE FLOCK OF GOD WITHTHE WORD OF GOD.
HOMEWORK
EZEKIEL 35 AND 36
THIS IS A SELF-STUDY. PLEASE DO NOT SEND HOMEWORK ANSWERS TO THE TEACHER FORCORRECTION.
v APPLICATION OF EZE 34
Ø IF YOU ARE A LEADER OF THE FLOCK, RE-READ THEPARAGRAPH UNDER APPLICATION ABOVE.
§ WHICH AREAS OF LEADERSHIPMUST YOU IMPROVE TO BE A GOOD SHEPHERD OF GODS PEOPLE?
§ WHAT SPECIFIC ACTIONS WILLYOU DO TO BE A BETTER SHEPHERD?
v PREPARATION FOR EZE 35 AND 36
Ø READ EZE 35:1-15
§ READ MAT 24:16-21 REV 12:6
Ø READ EZE 36:1-38
§ WHAT IS GODS PURPOSEFOR JUDGMENT ON ISRAELS ENEMIES AND THE RESTORATION OF ISRAEL? (22-23)
§ WHAT NEW THINGS DOES GODPROMISE TO DO IN THE FUTURE?
v MEMORY VERSE: PSALMS 17:7
