I will feed them with good pasture, and on the mountain heights of Israel shall be their grazing land. There they shall lie down in good grazing land, and on rich pasture they shall feed on the mountains of Israel.
God has just exposed Israel's shepherds. They fed themselves and let the flock scatter. Now He says what He will do Himself: feed His sheep on good pasture and give them a place to lie down.
The Shepherd Takes Over
God names the failure, then announces what He Himself will do:
J. N. DarbyBut Jehovah now points it out to say what He Himself would do. He would seek out His poor sheep. He would judge between sheep and sheep. He would deliver them from the mouth of those that devoured them. And He would feed them on the mountains of Israel, and in rich pastures.
Words Still Waiting
The promise is too detailed to explain away. Nothing in Israel's history has matched it, so it still waits:
William KellyVerses 13 and 14 spell this out in language so simple and plain that it is useless to try to escape it. Here, as in similar passages, He testifies to the work He will yet do for Israel on earth, once He has finished gathering His assembly for heaven. These words have never yet been fulfilled; so they must be. Their certainty and security rest on Himself, and on that mercy which endures forever.
Who The Promise Is For
Commentators differ over who this good pasture is for. One writer sets out the main views and answers both:
Arno Clemens GaebeleinAnd all this has not yet come to pass. Some apply these words to the return of a remnant from the Babylonian captivity. They see no future fulfilment of these promises. It is evident that the returning remnant did not have these blessings. Others make a spiritual application and claim that it means the Church, and the blessing which Gentiles will receive as the sheep of Christ. This is the path most commentators follow. It needs no long answer, for neither Ezekiel nor the other prophets know anything of the Church. That is unrevealed in the Old Testament. These promises wait while God is still gathering the Church, His body, out from all nations.
What The Pasture Does To The Sheep
Writers also draw a lesson from the good pasture for Christians now. Food is not only supply. It shapes the one who eats it:
Hamilton SmithHaving led His flock into their own land the Lord feeds them "with good pasture." The true food for the Christian is in the heavenly country... We need to feed on all the glories and perfections of Christ in the place where He is. And what we feed on forms us. To feed on Christ in His earthly path of humiliation will win our affections. But to feed on Christ in His glories will change our characters.
Lying Down As Evidence
The verse says they will feed, and also that they will lie down in good grazing land. That rest is a test. A hungry sheep in rich grass does not lie down. It eats:
Hamilton SmithHungry sheep will not lie down in a rich pasture, they will feed. If they lie down it is a sure proof they are satisfied. The great Shepherd of the sheep leads them into a region of satisfied desire.
The same principle is drawn out elsewhere from the shepherd psalm, where being made to lie down carries no idea of compulsion:
The Bible TreasuryA sheep only lies down when satisfied. When it says "He makes me," the idea is not force, but the result of satisfaction because of the Shepherd's care.
A Standard For Anyone Who Cares For People
This picture is not only about God's own care. It sets the standard for anyone who leads others:
Hamilton SmithIn the verses that follow we have a magnificent description of how God shepherds His flock. And as the Chief Shepherd acts, so should the under-shepherds. So in these verses (11–16) we have the perfect example for the true-hearted shepherd, whether in Israel or among God's people today.
Summary
- The Shepherd acts. Israel's leaders failed. God does not appoint better ones. He says He will feed the flock Himself on the mountains of Israel, in rich pasture.
- The Shepherd promises. The wording is too plain to explain away. Nothing in Israel's past has matched it. So the promise still waits.
- The Shepherd's own flock. Some limit the promise to the return from exile. Others apply it to the church. But the returning remnant never had these blessings, and Ezekiel knows nothing of the church.
- The Shepherd feeds. Good pasture does more than fill the sheep. What the flock feeds on is what the flock becomes.
- The Shepherd satisfies. Lying down is the proof that the sheep are satisfied. Full sheep rest; hungry sheep keep eating. That same care is the pattern for anyone shepherding people today.