“Lesson 43: The Shepherds of Israel,” Old Testament Gospel Doctrine Teacher’s Manual, 201
1. Introduction
a) Ezekiel
i) Came at the end of an age
(1) The children of Israel had been miraculously freed from bondage in Egypt
(2) Traveled in the wilderness for 40 years
(3) Brought to the Promised Land
(4) Built a great and powerful kingdom
(a) Kings, Queens and other prominent men came to Jerusalem during the reign of Solomon to see the marvels that the people of Israel had created
(b) Solomon ruled over quite a large kingdom
(5) After Solomon, Israel went into decline
(a) Beginning with the latter years of Solomon's reign, pagan religions gained a strong foothold in Israel
(b) After Solomon's death, the kingdom split
(i) Northern Kingdom – Israel
(ii) Southern Kingdom – Judah
(c) After the great military victories of Joshua and David, the apostate kingdoms of Israel and Judah began to lose battles with their neighbors and shrink.
(d) The Lord continues to send prophets to Israel and Judah to warn of the consequences of idolatry and call the people to repentance
(e) In 721 BC, the kingdom of Israel falls to the Assyrians and its people are taken to Assyria as captives never to return.
(6) In Judah, 80 years after the fall of the Northern Kingdom, a righteous king, Josiah, comes to the throne at age 8 and leads his nation in a great religious revival
(a) Josiah is likened unto King David
(b) He cleanses the temple
(c) In the temple, a scroll containing the law of Moses is discovered
(d) Josiah commands that the law be taught to the people of Jerusalem
(e) He sends authorized priests throughout the land to teach the law to the people
(f) During the 31 years of Josiah's reign, the borders of Judah expand greatly
(i) Reaching the size of King David's kingdom, exceeded only by Solomon's
(7) After Josiah, Judah was once again ruled by wicked kings
(8) Jerusalem would fall only 50 years after the end of Josiah's reign
(a) Some of the people Ezekiel taught during the Babylonian captivity would have remembered the great kingdom of King Josiah
ii) Remember, we discussed that the destruction of the Kingdom of Judah came in steps
(1) Step 1 took place in 597 B.C. when the Babylonians took King Joiachin and a large number of prominent Israelites captive to ensure that Judah would not rebel and would pay tribute assessments promptly in the future
(a) Ezekiel was in this group
(i) Probably 25-26 years old
(ii) Ezekiel was not a prophet when he was taken into captivity
1. Received his call from the Lord while living as a captive in the Babylonian kingdom, about 5 years after going into Babylon.
2. Prophesied for about 22 years from about 593-571 B.C.
(b) After this first group was taken into captivity, Israelite kings still ruled in the Southern Kingdom, under the domination of Babylon
(2) Step 2 took place 10 years later, in 587 B.C. the Babylonians destroyed Jerusalem and took many more captives
(a) Destroyed the temple
(b) Burned the city
(c) Ezekiel learned of the fall of Jerusalem in his 12th year of captivity
(3) Captivity would continue for 70 years
iii) Ezekiel would spend his entire time as a prophet teaching the children of Israel while they were in captivity
(1) Reading 1 - Brother Duane S. Crowther has written: "Ezekiel lived the life of a captive and labored among Jewish exiles and slaves in Babylonia. Like Jeremiah, he was commanded to perform symbolic actions. Like Jeremiah, he struck out at the sins of Judah and gave the reason for God's rejection of his chosen people. Though of an upper class heritage before going into captivity, he was forced to live a life of poverty and despair. He ministered to the common people while Daniel ministered to the royalty." (Prophets & Prophecies of The Old Testament, p529)
(2) His early prophesies called the Jews to repentance to avoid being overthrown
(3) After the fall of Jerusalem, Ezekiel addressed much different questions:
(a) What future did the children of Israel have now that they had offended God so grievously that he had allowed them to be driven from their land?
(b) Was he still their God?
(c) Were they still his chosen people?
(d) And even if he were willing, could he gather people so widely dispersed as the Israelites were in Assyria, Babylonia, Egypt, and elsewhere throughout the world?
iv) Many of Ezekiel's prophesies were to be fulfilled in different ages
(1) God would never abandon His people
(2) Captive Israel would return to Jerusalem during the lives of some of those who heard his word
(3) After another much longer scattering when Jerusalem again fell about 70 years after the birth of Christ, Jews would again return to Jerusalem
(a) Members of all the tribes of Israel scattered throughout the world would be gathered again to the true church of Jesus Christ
2. The shepherds of Israel
a) Reading 2 – Ezekiel 34:2-4
2 Son of man, prophesy against the shepherds of Israel, prophesy, and say unto them, Thus saith the Lord God unto the shepherds; Woe be to the shepherds of Israel that do feed themselves! should not the shepherds feed the flocks?
3 Ye eat the fat, and ye clothe you with the wool, ye kill them that are fed: but ye feed not the flock.
4 The diseased have ye not strengthened, neither have ye healed that which was sick, neither have ye bound up that which was broken, neither have ye brought again that which was driven away, neither have ye sought that which was lost; but with force and with cruelty have ye ruled them.
i) Addressing the shepherds of Israel – Verse 2
ii) the shepherds of Israel that do feed themselves! should not the shepherds feed the flocks – Verse 2
iii) the shepherds of Israel that do feed themselves! should not the shepherds feed the flocks – Verse 3
iv) diseased have ye not strengthened, neither have ye healed that which was sick, neither have ye bound up that which was broken, neither have ye brought again that which was driven away, neither have ye sought that which was lost – Verse 4
v) The shepherds of Israel were spiritual shepherds, those who have responsibility to care for the people
b) Consequences of the Failures of the Shepherds
i) Reading 3 - Ezekiel 34:5–6
5 And they were scattered, because there is no shepherd: and they became meat to all the beasts of the field, when they were scattered.
6 My sheep wandered through all the mountains, and upon every high hill: yea, my flock was scattered upon all the face of the earth, and none did search or seek after them.
(1) Verse 5 - they were scattered
(2) Verse 6 - My sheep wandered through all the mountains, and upon every high hill
(3) Verse 6 - none did search or seek after them
ii) Reading 4 - Elder Bruce R. McConkie wrote: “Anyone serving in any capacity in the Church in which he is responsible for the spiritual or temporal well-being of any of the Lord’s children is a shepherd to those sheep. The Lord holds his shepherds accountable for the safety (salvation) of his sheep” (Mormon Doctrine, 2nd ed. [1966], 710).
c) Actions of Good Shepherds
i) Reading 5 - Ezekiel 34:11–16
11 ¶ For thus saith the Lord God; Behold, I, even I, will both search my sheep, and seek them out.
12 As a shepherd seeketh out his flock in the day that he is among his sheep that are scattered; so will I seek out my sheep, and will deliver them out of all places where they have been scattered in the cloudy and dark day.
13 And I will bring them out from the people, and gather them from the countries, and will bring them to their own land, and feed them upon the mountains of Israel by the rivers, and in all the inhabited places of the country.
14 I will feed them in a good pasture, and upon the high mountains of Israel shall their fold be: there shall they lie in a good fold, and in a fat pasture shall they feed upon the mountains of Israel.
15 I will feed my flock, and I will cause them to lie down, saith the Lord God.
16 I will seek that which was lost, and bring again that which was driven away, and will bind up that which was broken, and will strengthen that which was sick: but I will destroy the fat and the strong; I will feed them with judgment.
(1) Verse 11 - search my sheep, and seek them out
(2) Verse 12 - deliver them out of all places where they have been scattered in the cloudy and dark day
(3) Verse 13 - bring them out from the people, and gather them from the countries
(4) Verse 13 - bring them to their own land, and feed them
(a) Gather to the stakes of Zion
(5) Verse 14 - feed them in a good pasture
(6) Verse 14 - upon the high mountains of Israel shall their fold be [and] shall they feed upon the mountains of Israel
(a) References to temples
(7) Verse 15 - feed cause them to lie down
(8) Verse 16 - seek that which was lost
(9) Verse 16 - bring again that which was driven away
(10) Verse 16 - bind up that which was broken, and will strengthen that which was sick
d) ASK – Who are the good shepherds?
i) The Savior - 11 I am the good shepherd: the good shepherd giveth his life for the sheep. – John 10:11
ii) Church leaders
iii) Missionaries
iv) Anyone who ministers to those in need
v) Remember the consequence for Israel when the people did not have good shepherds
3. Repentance and forgiveness
a) One of the reasons for the apostasy of the people of Judah was a wrongful belief that the blood of Abraham was what would save them.
i) Those of the priests – Levitical priesthood – felt they were superior to the ordinary people.
b) Ezekiel teaches a powerful lesson of individual responsibility and agency
i) READ – Ezekiel 18:4-5,9-10,13-14,17-22
4 Behold, all souls are mine; as the soul of the father, so also the soul of the son is mine: the soul that sinneth, it shall die.
5 ¶ But if a man be just, and do that which is lawful and right,
SKIP – Describes a number of additional virtues
9 Hath walked in my statutes, and hath kept my judgments, to deal truly; he is just, he shall surely live, saith the Lord God.
10 ¶ If he beget a son that is a robber, a shedder of blood, and that doeth the like to any one of these things,
SKIP – Describes a number of sins
13 Hath given forth upon usury, and hath taken increase: shall he then live? he shall not live: he hath done all these abominations; he shall surely die; his blood shall be upon him.
14 ¶ Now, lo, if he beget a son, that seeth all his father’s sins which he hath done, and considereth, and doeth not such like,
SKIP – Describes virtues that are opposite of the father's sin
17 That hath taken off his hand from the poor, that hath not received usury nor increase, hath executed my judgments, hath walked in my statutes; he shall not die for the iniquity of his father, he shall surely live.
18 As for his father, because he cruelly oppressed, spoiled his brother by violence, and did that which is not good among his people, lo, even he shall die in his iniquity.
19 ¶ Yet say ye, Why? doth not the son bear the iniquity of the father? When the son hath done that which is lawful and right, and hath kept all my statutes, and hath done them, he shall surely live.
20 The soul that sinneth, it shall die. The son shall not bear the iniquity of the father, neither shall the father bear the iniquity of the son: the righteousness of the righteous shall be upon him, and the wickedness of the wicked shall be upon him.
21 But if the wicked will turn from all his sins that he hath committed, and keep all my statutes, and do that which is lawful and right, he shall surely live, he shall not die.
22 All his transgressions that he hath committed, they shall not be mentioned unto him: in his righteousness that he hath done he shall live.
c) Reading 6 - President Spencer W. Kimball said: "Having received the necessary saving ordinances - baptism, the gift of the Holy Ghost, temple ordinances and sealings - one must live the covenants made. He must endure in faith. No matter how brilliant was the service rendered by the bishop or stake president or other person, if he falters later in his life and fails to live righteously 'to the end' the good works he did all stand in jeopardy." (Teachings of Spencer W. Kimball, p149)
d) Reading 7 - Ezekiel 18:30-31
30 Therefore I will judge you, O house of Israel, every one according to his ways, saith the Lord God. Repent, and turn yourselves from all your transgressions; so iniquity shall not be your ruin.
31 ¶ Cast away from you all your transgressions, whereby ye have transgressed; and make you a new heart and a new spirit: for why will ye die, O house of Israel?
i) make you a new heart and a new spirit – fruits of the Atonement
ii) Just like we can't remove our sins ourselves, we can't change a heart that has been harmed by sin without the Atonement
iii) READ – Recall one of the scriptures from last week - Jeremiah 31:33 - I will put my law in their inward parts, and write it in their hearts; and will be their God, and they shall be my people.
iv) READ – Hebrews 10:16 - 16 This is the covenant that I will make with them after those days, saith the Lord, I will put my laws into their hearts, and in their minds will I write them;
v) Only an atoning Savior can write upon our hearts
4. Ezekiel’s vision of the valley of bones
a) Ezekiel is also noted for some very powerful and detailed visions
b) Reading 8 – Ezekiel 37:1-14
1 The hand of the Lord was upon me, and carried me out in the spirit of the Lord, and set me down in the midst of the valley which was full of bones,
2 And caused me to pass by them round about: and, behold, there were very many in the open valley; and, lo, they were very dry.
3 And he said unto me, Son of man, can these bones live? And I answered, O Lord God, thou knowest.
4 Again he said unto me, Prophesy upon these bones, and say unto them, O ye dry bones, hear the word of the Lord.
5 Thus saith the Lord God unto these bones; Behold, I will cause breath to enter into you, and ye shall live:
6 And I will lay sinews upon you, and will bring up flesh upon you, and cover you with skin, and put breath in you, and ye shall live; and ye shall know that I am the Lord.
7 So I prophesied as I was commanded: and as I prophesied, there was a noise, and behold a shaking, and the bones came together, bone to his bone.
8 And when I beheld, lo, the sinews and the flesh came up upon them, and the skin covered them above: but there was no breath in them.
9 Then said he unto me, Prophesy unto the wind, prophesy, son of man, and say to the wind, Thus saith the Lord God; Come from the four winds, O breath, and breathe upon these slain, that they may live.
10 So I prophesied as he commanded me, and the breath came into them, and they lived, and stood up upon their feet, an exceeding great army.
11 ¶ Then he said unto me, Son of man, these bones are the whole house of Israel: behold, they say, Our bones are dried, and our hope is lost: we are cut off for our parts.
12 Therefore prophesy and say unto them, Thus saith the Lord God; Behold, O my people, I will open your graves, and cause you to come up out of your graves, and bring you into the land of Israel.
13 And ye shall know that I am the Lord, when I have opened your graves, O my people, and brought you up out of your graves,
14 And shall put my spirit in you, and ye shall live, and I shall place you in your own land: then shall ye know that I the Lord have spoken it, and performed it, saith the Lord.
c) Verse 1 – Valley full of bones - The Valley of Vision is likely the Kidron Valley, separating the Old City of Jerusalem from the Mount of Olives (and its sister hills), including the Garden of Gethsemane. This valley is and was from ancient times the crux, the center focus of the Israelite people.
d) Both real and symbolic on many levels
i) A theme of restoration
(1) Alma 41:4 – "all things shall be restored to their proper order"
ii) The Lord shows Israel, whose members are scattered like the bones of a dismembered body, that he will reconstitute them into a living entity – deliver them from Babylonian captivity - just as he will reconstitute bones of dismembered bodies into living bodies
iii) Latter-day gathering of Jews to Israel
iv) Gathering of the scattered children of Israel to the stakes of Zion
v) Fulfillment of the Lord's promise to Abraham that his seed will inherit a particular land
vi) Resurrection of the body
(1) Alma 41:4 – "all things shall be restored to their proper order"
5. The stick of Judah and the stick of Joseph
a) Reading 9 - Ezekiel 37:15-20
15 ¶ The word of the Lord came again unto me, saying,
16 Moreover, thou son of man, take thee one stick, and write upon it, For Judah, and for the children of Israel his companions: then take another stick, and write upon it, For Joseph, the stick of Ephraim, and for all the house of Israel his companions:
17 And join them one to another into one stick; and they shall become one in thine hand.
18 ¶ And when the children of thy people shall speak unto thee, saying, Wilt thou not shew us what thou meanest by these?
19 Say unto them, Thus saith the Lord God; Behold, I will take the stick of Joseph, which is in the hand of Ephraim, and the tribes of Israel his fellows, and will put them with him, even with the stick of Judah, and make them one stick, and they shall be one in mine hand.
20 ¶ And the sticks whereon thou writest shall be in thine hand before their eyes.
b) READ – 2 Nephi 3:12
12 Wherefore, the fruit of thy loins shall write; and the fruit of the loins of Judah shall write; and that which shall be written by the fruit of thy loins, and also that which shall be written by the fruit of the loins of Judah, shall grow together, unto the confounding of false doctrines and laying down of contentions, and establishing peace among the fruit of thy loins, and bringing them to the knowledge of their fathers in the latter days, and also to the knowledge of my covenants, saith the Lord.
c) READ - Elder Boyd K. Packer said: “The stick or record of Judah—the Old Testament and the New Testament—and the stick or record of Ephraim—the Book of Mormon, which is another testament of Jesus Christ—are now woven together in such a way that as you pore over one you are drawn to the other; as you learn from one you are enlightened by the other. They are indeed one in our hands. Ezekiel’s prophecy now stands fulfilled” (in Conference Report, Oct. 1982, 75; or Ensign, Nov. 1982, 53).
Conclusion
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