Ezekiel 34:25-31: a reflection

25“‘I will make with them a covenant of peace, and will cause evil animals to cease out of the land. They will dwell securely in the wilderness and sleep in the woods. 26I will make them and the places around my hill a blessing. I will cause the shower to come down in its season. There will be showers of blessing. 27The tree of the field will yield its fruit, and the earth will yield its increase, and they will be secure in their land. Then they will know that I am the LORD, when I have broken the bars of their yoke, and have delivered them out of the hand of those who made slaves of them. 28They will no more be a prey to the nations, neither will the animals of the earth devour them; but they will dwell securely, and no one will make them afraid. 29I will raise up to them a plantation for renown, and they will no more be consumed with famine in the land, and not bear the shame of the nations any more. 30They will know that I, the LORD, their God am with them, and that they, the house of Israel, are my people, says the Lord GOD. 31You my sheep, the sheep of my pasture, are men, and I am your God,’ says the Lord GOD.”

After rebuking the false shepherds who had exploited his flock, God promises to care for his people himself, with a covenant of peace and abundant blessing. I will make with them a covenant of peace, God says; there will be showers of blessing. They will dwell securely, and no one will make them afraid. And he sums up the relationship in tender words: You my sheep, the sheep of my pasture, are men, and I am your God. God promises to his people security, blessing, and peace, and declares the heart of it: they are his sheep, and he is their God. To belong to God as his own flock is to be under his care, his peace, his blessing, secure and unafraid. The security and blessing of God's people rest on this: they are his sheep, and he is their God. To be God's own flock is to be cared for, blessed, and kept secure by him. God's people belong to him as his sheep, and he is their God, their shepherd and provider. Belonging to God as his flock brings security and blessing.

Notice the heart of the promise: you are my sheep, and I am your God. God surrounds this with promises of peace, blessing, security, and freedom from fear; but at the center is the relationship itself, that they are his flock and he is their God. This is the ground of all the blessing: not that they are strong or deserving, but that they belong to God as his own sheep, and he takes responsibility for them as their God and shepherd. To belong to God as his flock is to be under his care, his provision, his protection, his peace. The sheep of his pasture dwell securely because their shepherd is God himself. This is a comfort to those who are his: that we belong to God as his own flock, and he is our God, committed to our care, our blessing, our peace. Our security rests not on ourselves but on belonging to the God who shepherds us. To be God's sheep is to be cared for by him; his being our God is our security. We are his flock, and he is our shepherd and God. Belonging to God's care is the ground of our peace.

That is worth resting in, for we belong to God as his own flock, and he is our God, committed to our care, blessing, and peace. We can feel insecure, uncared for, afraid, as though we had no shepherd; but God promises his people a covenant of peace, showers of blessing, and security, resting on this: you are my sheep, and I am your God. To belong to God as his flock is to be under his care, kept secure, blessed, unafraid. Our security rests on belonging to the God who shepherds us. When you feel insecure or uncared for, remember that you are God's sheep, and he is your God. Rest in the security and blessing of belonging to God as his own flock, under his care and peace, as God promised his people a covenant of peace and showers of blessing, declaring, you are my sheep, the sheep of my pasture, and I am your God; for to belong to God as his flock is to be cared for, blessed, and kept secure by him, and our security rests not on ourselves or our own strength but on belonging to the God who shepherds us, takes responsibility for us as our God, and gives us his peace, so that as his sheep we can dwell secure and unafraid under the care of our shepherd and God.

Lord, after rebuking the false shepherds who had exploited your flock, you promise to care for your people yourself, with a covenant of peace and abundant blessing. I will make with them a covenant of peace, you say; there will be showers of blessing. They will dwell securely, and no one will make them afraid. And you sum up the relationship in tender words: You my sheep, the sheep of my pasture, are men, and I am your God. You promise your people security, blessing, and peace, and declare the heart of it: they are your sheep, and you are their God. Show me the heart of the promise: you are my sheep, and I am your God. You surround this with promises of peace, blessing, security, and freedom from fear; but at the center is the relationship itself, that they are your flock and you are their God. This is the ground of all the blessing: not that they are strong or deserving, but that they belong to you as your own sheep, and you take responsibility for them as their God and shepherd. To belong to you as your flock is to be under your care, your protection, your peace. This is a comfort to those who are yours: that we belong to you as your own flock, and you are our God. Let me rest in that, for I belong to you as your own flock, and you are my God, committed to my care, blessing, and peace. I can feel insecure, uncared for, afraid, as though I had no shepherd; but you promise your people a covenant of peace and security, resting on this: you are my sheep, and I am your God. When I feel insecure or uncared for, help me remember that I am your sheep, Lord, and you are my God, so that I can dwell secure and unafraid under the care of my shepherd and God.