Ezekiel 34
Scripture
Ezekiel 34:30-31 NIV
"Then they will know that I, the LORD their God, am with them and that they, the Israelites, are my people, declares the Sovereign LORD. You are my sheep, the sheep of my pasture, and I am your God, declares the Sovereign LORD.’ ””
Observation-What does it say?
Babylon had just fallen and the temple destroyed, but it was not the end. God was giving the nation of Israel a glimmer of hope, letting them know that He had not given up on them, but was going to raise up a king that was different than what they were used to. A king who would truly care and shepherd them, instead of be out for his own gain, which the former shepherds were guilty of. (The Bible Project video commentary part 2 on Ezekiel 34-48)
Understanding-What does it mean?
God doesn't give up that easily on those He loves.
It's easy to think that it was the end for Israel due to all their wickedness and the fall of Jerusalem. However, this chapter proves that God doesn't give up that easily on His people, and instead was raising up something/Someone new who would "search for the lost, bring back the strays, bind up the injured and strengthen the weak (vs. 16)."
After all God's anger and destruction as a result of the wickedness of the nation, there was still hope for the nation..
“For I am convinced that neither death nor life, neither angels nor demons, neither the present nor the future, nor any powers, neither height nor depth, nor anything else in all creation, will be able to separate us from the love of God that is in Christ Jesus our Lord.” Romans 8:38-39 NIV
Life Application
Jesus continues to offer hope to a broken and hurting world in need of His love.
Just like how Israel's destruction was not the end of the story, our sin is not the end of our story either, thanks to Jesus.
Those of you reading this post are most likely Christ followers already, but no matter how long we've been Christians, we can't stop reminding ourselves of the hope we have in Jesus Christ. I've been loving the new series at church-Hopefull, as we are being reminded to remember who we are in Christ and how Christianity is not a one time event, but rather "we keep coming to Jesus over and over everyday."
Also, understanding the hope we have in Him, we should be sharing it with others and not keep it hidden, hoarding it for ourselves. There are so many in this world who have no hope and it's our duty to gently share the hope that is in us.
“But in your hearts revere Christ as Lord. Always be prepared to give an answer to everyone who asks you to give the reason for the hope that you have. But do this with gentleness and respect, keeping a clear conscience, so that those who speak maliciously against your good behavior in Christ may be ashamed of their slander.” 1 Peter 3:15-16 NIV