I will seek the lost, and I will bring back the strayed, and I will bind up the injured, and I will strengthen the weak, but the fat and the strong I will destroy. I will feed them with justice.” vs. 16
Ezekiel 34:11-16, 20-24
Ezekiel describes the Lord as a loving shepherd who one day will seek out the lost and strayed sheep, and bind up the injured and the weak. But then he adds these disquieting words, “the fat and the strong I will destroy. I will feed them with justice.” It seems Ezekiel has the prophet’s nose for sniffing out injustice in places we’d rather ignore. He believed that the fat and strong sheep were responsible for the miserable condition of the injured and weak–and one day they would be punished. It’s tough to read Ezekiel’s words, and most will include them with other bible verses they choose to ignore. But like them or not, Ezekiel’s insight deserves to be taken to heart. The rich and the prosperous of any time or culture, including our own, have gotten to that position at the expense of the poor! The well-off exploit the disadvantaged at every opportunity with minimal wages, inadequate healthcare, insufficient benefits, and horrible working conditions. And because the poor have no power or clout, they seldom receive the advocacy they need and deserve. We may not like to hear that, but Ezekiel was no fool, and he prayed that one day the tables would be turned.
Thought for the Day: Where in the flock am I?
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