For thus saith the Lord God: Behold, I, even I, will both search my
sheep, and seek them out. 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. 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. 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. I will feed my flock, and I will cause them to lie down,
saith the Lord God. 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. 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. 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? 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
(verses 11-19).
"Behold, I myself, even I, will search for my sheep and will seek them
out." Jehovah arises in behalf of His scattered sheep. He will Himself
exercise the office of a true shepherd, seeking out His flock. The
cloudy and dark day (the times of the Gentiles) is gone and another
morning breaks, the morning for which His people have waited so long.
What He will do at that time for His scattered sheep is now fully
proclaimed. "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. I will feed them in a good pasture, and upon the high
mountains of Israel shall their fold be; there shall they lie down in a
good fold, and in a fat pasture shall they feed upon the mountains of
Israel. I will feed my flock, and I will cause them to lie down, saith
the Lord." And all this has not yet come to pass. Some apply these words
to the restoration of a remnant from the Babylonian captivity and see no
future fulfillment of these promises. It is evident that the returning
remnant did not possess these blessings. Others make a spiritual
application and claim that it means the church and the blessing which
Gentiles will receive as the sheep of Christ. This is the common path
which most commentators follow. It needs no lengthy refutation, for
Ezekiel, nor the other prophets know nothing of the church and the
"other sheep," Gentiles saved by grace and with believing Jews
constituting the one flock (John x:16; Ephesians iii:1-6). This is
unrevealed in the Old Testament. These gracious words of promise have
not yet been fulfilled, nor will they be fulfilled as long as the
church, the body of Christ is being gathered out from all nations. All
must wait till God's purpose in this age is accomplished. When the
church is complete as to its elect number, when the Lord has come for
His saints and the true church has passed from earth into glory, then
will the Lord turn in mercy to His people Israel and these promises
given by Ezekiel will be fulfilled.
But Jehovah will also feed them in that coming day of blessing with
judgment. "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." The fat and the strong are the
apostates of Israel. He will deal with the flock in judgment. Before He
occupies the throne of His glory, when He separates the assembled
nations as a shepherd divides the sheep from the goats, He will judge
His people Israel. "And as for you, my flock, thus saith the Lord God,
Behold I judge between cattle and cattle, between the rams and the he
goats." The unbelieving, apostate part of Israel will be cut off by the
judgments of the great tribulation, but a God-fearing remnant will be
saved. To this remnant the promises will be made good. "And I will
gather the remnant of my flock out of all countries whither I have
driven them, and will bring them again to their folds, and they shall be
fruitful and increase" (Jere. xxiii:3). With this remnant He will make
an everlasting covenant. "And I will make an everlasting covenant with
them, that I will not turn away from them, to do them good; but I will
put my fear in their hearts, that they shall not depart from Me. Yea, I
will rejoice over them to do them good, and I will plant them in this
land assuredly with my whole heart and with my whole soul" (Jere.
xxxii:40, 41).