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Background to the Book of Ezekiel
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Context of Ezek 34:1-7a (same as Easter 4) This reading is part of the section Ezek 33-39 which has a focus on oracles of restoration. Ezek 33 acknowledges that the people hear the words of the prophet, but fail to take them seriously. The leaders are condemned in the following chapter (Ezek 34) for their inability to act as responsible shepherds for their people and so God will be their shepherd who will take over as leader and rescue his sheep. The picture of the shepherd seeking out the lost sheep is one picked up again in the NT. The chapter closes with a covenant of peace which includes an ideal picture of life in the new Israel. Ezek 35 condemns the Edomites for their treatment of Israel and the reverse of this is the salvation offered to Israel in Ezek 36. The imagery of hope is focused on creation - the mountains will hear the prophet's word which is quite unusual. It is because the land, the ravines, the hills and the valleys have suffered that they will now bloom and all the waste places will become fertile and reproduce. The Lord will bring this restoration about because he is concerned for his own name. It is an interesting theology which states that God will act for God's name and not for the sake of the people. Earlier, in Ezek 34 God acts because of concern for the people who are suffering from poor leadership. The covenant spoken of in Ezek 36 has similarities to the new covenant in Jer 31. The story of the dry bones in Ezek 37 is one of the more well known stories of the Old Testament and the second part of the chapter (Ezek37:15-28) uses a sign act to reiterate the message of restoration for the whole of Judah and Israel. The last two chapters of this section use the threat of an enemy to demonstrate the protection of Yahweh for Israel. These chapters interrupt the flow from the promise of a covenant of peace (Ezek 37:26) and the vision of the new temple (Ezek 40-48). Daniel Block(p.272) has a helpful framework for chapters 34-48: restoring Yahweh's role as shepherd (34), restoring Yahweh's land (35-36:15), restoring Yahweh's honour (36:16-38) and so on. |
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Insights/Message of Ezek 34:1-7a Verse 1 begins with the usual prophetic claim that, 'The word of the Lord came to me". God's word is then spelled out addressing Ezekiel as "Son of man" with the command to prophesy. This command to prophesy is repeated, as is the subject to whom Ezekiel is to prophesy - shepherds of Israel. Vv.1-2 make very clear this is the Lord speaking and the shepherds are the ones who will be accused by Ezekiel speaking God's word. The metaphor of "shepherds" is used to describe these leaders/kings, which is a common phenomena in the ancient Near East (Darr:1463). The rhetorical question at the end of v.2 leads into the indictment in v.3. Instead of caring for the sheep the shepherds take everything the sheep produces and fail to feed them. The metaphor in v.4 moves into the actual failure of the past leaders of Judah to care for the various categories of people. The literary structure of the v.4 names the particular group first and then the failure, for example, "the weak you have not strengthened" (5 categories are named) and the verse finishes with the accusation that not only have they failed to care, but have instead ruled with harshness and with force. Because of this failure by the shepherds/leaders it lead to the exile as described in the metaphor of scattering in vv.5-6. The lack of "feeding" by the shepherds of their sheep (v.2) lead to those sheep becoming food for the wild animals (v.5). "Therefore" in v. 7 is the prelude to God's judgement on the leaders and repeats the words in v.1 emphasising that this is indeed God's words to the leaders. Furthermore, since the leaders have fed themselves and not the sheep in their care, God will take over their role and responsibility (v.10). Two weeks ago Ezek 34:7-15 was the set text for the lectionary and the following comments are the same as Easter 4 because Ezek 34 should be read as a whole. The metaphor of shepherd is used in many places in the Hebrew Scriptures: in the Psalms (23, 80) and in Mic 4:6, Jer 23:3. The latter text is seen as the basis for this marvelous description in Ezek 34. The Hebrew word order is reversed in v.4 in order to emphasize the categories of people who are treated unjustly - the weak, the sick, the injured, the strayed, and the lost. After the promise of new leadership which knows how to "shepherd" (v.24), God promises a new covenant of peace with an idyllic picture of the future. All this is unconditional and through it the people will know that God is with them and they are God's sheep (Ezek 34:25-31). One cannot abdicate responsibility by blaming the leaders, because the middle verses of this chapter make abundantly clear that everyone is to behave with justice and care for each other. God saves and judges (Ezek 34:22). Message: xxxxThe heavy focus the justice role of the leaders is very interesting. There is no indictment in regards to their religious leadership only the condemnation based on their unjust behaviour. Because of this God will step in. In Limburg's little book, the Prophets and the Powerless, (Atlanta: John Knox Press, 1978, pp.85-87) he suggests that when the leaders fail to do justice, God steps in as advocate for the poor and downtrodden. In Ezekiel it is more than an advocate, rather God will take over the leadership and reverse all the wrongs of the unjust leaders including the return to the land. However, the people will also have to treat each other with fairness and justice as they too will suffer the consequences. By the time the book of Ezekiel was written there were few contenders who could be regarded as descendants of David. We are left with the question about the identity this person who will be the ideal "my servant David". However, the image of David recalls the boy shepherd who defended the sheep in his flock from the wild beasts and the King David who was ruler supreme. Whilst a new leader will be in this same mould as David, the supreme leader will be God (v.31). This chapter is a tremendous encouragement for the people in exile. It declares that their leaders played a significant role in the nation's exile, but in future God will ensure justice occurs and they can live with the certainty of God as shepherd. For Christians, Christ became the "good shepherd" as depicted in endless paintings, especially those in children's bibles. In spite of this rather hackneyed image at times, the metaphor of shepherd as leader still holds good in that it is one who cares for and puts the welfare of the flock first. As leaders in the church this continues to be relevant: those who have power and authority are there to care for and ensure that all people for whom they are responsible are not abused in any way. As we are all aware this has not been the case and we look to a better future. We can also apply the metaphor to our political leaders and ask whether they have acted as shepherds to those in their care. |
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Resources/Worship for Ezek 34:1-7a
The Dramatised Bible: ed. Michael Perry. London: Marshall Pickering: Bible Society, 1989 Web sites with helpful lectionary resources: These links were updated 09/06/2008
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