34 The word of the Lord came to me: 2 “Son of man, prophesy against the shepherds of Israel; prophesy, and say to them, even to the shepherds, Thus says the Lord God: Ah, shepherds of Israel who have been feeding yourselves! Should not shepherds feed the sheep? 3 You eat the fat, you clothe yourselves with the wool, you slaughter the fat ones, but you do not feed the sheep. 4 The weak you have not strengthened, the sick you have not healed, the injured you have not bound up, the strayed you have not brought back, the lost you have not sought, and with force and harshness you have ruled them. 5 So they were scattered, because there was no shepherd, and they became food for all the wild beasts. 6 My sheep were scattered; they wandered over all the mountains and on every high hill. My sheep were scattered over all the face of the earth, with none to search or seek for them.
7 “Therefore, you shepherds, hear the word of the Lord: 8 As I live, declares the Lord God, surely because my sheep have become a prey, and my sheep have become food for all the wild beasts, since there was no shepherd, and because my shepherds have not searched for my sheep, but the shepherds have fed themselves, and have not fed my sheep, 9 therefore, you shepherds, hear the word of the Lord: 10 Thus says the Lord God, Behold, I am against the shepherds, and I will require my sheep at their hand and put a stop to their feeding the sheep. No longer shall the shepherds feed themselves. I will rescue my sheep from their mouths, that they may not be food for them.
Ezekiel now gets into his stride with his new word and his new message. At first glance, it might be thought that there is not much new about it, because it is a thunderous denunciation of the shepherds of Israel, but one thing that stands out in these verses is the note of compassion in the heart of God for His people. One feels the pulse of His distress that the shepherds whom he had appointed over them did not in fact shepherd them, but let them be scattered and go astray. The shepherds here are the leaders of the people, and the reference is to the kings of Israel rather than to the religious hierarchy. This is important for us to realise, not only in Ezekiel, but in the prophetic literature in general, and we should bear this in mind as we study the chapter. There is a threefold indictment made: first of all the cruel exploitation of the people under their care; secondly the absence of the pastoral quality required to care for the weak and the defenceless; and thirdly, instead of keeping the flock together they allow them to be scattered. It was on this threefold indictment that the flock was to be taken from them (10). It is very striking to realise how literally this word was fulfilled. The rulers were deposed from office, and kingly rule was no more in Israel after this time. Zedekiah was the last king of Israel, and since then there has been no king, nor will there be, until He comes, whose right it is to reign, King of kings and Lord of lords. From this time on, the care of Israel was committed and entrusted to other kinds of leaders, priests, prophets, and military generals, such as Ezra and Nehemiah, and later, the Maccabees. This was indeed the end of an era.