Monday 20 February 2023

Background

Ezekiel seems to have been part of an elite group exiled from Judah to Babylon at the end of the sixth century BC by the Babylonian King Nebuchadnezzar as a response to an ill-fated rebellion. His earlier prophecies are mostly devastating critiques of the leaders of his people and the assumptions they make about God’s relationship with them.

Chapter 34 is a turning point in the book of Ezekiel. It begins with an attack on leaders – specifically, the kings of Judah and Israel. It was common in the ancient world for kings to describe themselves as the shepherds of their people. It suggested that they provided protection and security for their subjects, in return for their loyalty. For Ezekiel, this is an entirely false claim. He has a list of failures of leadership and charges these self-styled shepherds with exploitation, responsible for the scattering of their people. God’s judgement is pronounced on them. As so often in the Bible, God is firmly on the side of the poor and oppressed and most severe on the rich and powerful.

And then the tone changes. This has been called ‘the gospel according to Ezekiel’ as the prophet turns from judgement to hope. His good news is that God will replace the false shepherds of Judah and Israel with the true shepherding that can only come from God’s self. In a series of promises God announces a manifesto of divine pastoral care: rescuing, feeding, recalling, strengthening and healing.

It might be useful to read this passage alongside Psalm 23. That psalm is perhaps the best-loved part of the Old Testament for Christians and of course links with the theme of Jesus as the good shepherd in John 10.

To Ponder:

• What kind of criticism might a prophet make of contemporary leadership?
• Is ‘shepherd’ still a relevant picture of good leadership? What alternatives would you suggest?