Ezekiel 34:25, commentary and pictures

Ezekiel 34:25 belongs to the chapter's account of unfaithful shepherds and God's response to their failure, and it is to be read alongside Isaiah 58, which explains that failure as disrespect for God's law and the restoration as renewed loyalty. The covenant of peace is the Messiah's shepherding work, claimed by Christ for Himself, and together with the promise that the flock will dwell safely and not be afraid it shows the security His care brings. The verse shows God Himself making the covenant with His scattered sheep, searching them out and seeking them, delivering them from all places where they were scattered in the cloudy and dark day, feeding His flock and causing them to lie down, seeking the lost, bringing back the driven away, binding up the broken, and strengthening the sick.

The scattered sheep are the oppressed colored people of the South, regarded as hopeless and left in darkness and ignorance, and the desert places of the South where the outlook is forbidding will become as the garden of God, with showers of blessing coming down in season and with the promise that they will know the Lord their God is with them as His flock, the flock of His pasture. The verse calls for repairing past injury by multiplying missionaries and volunteers to bring souls out of darkness into marvelous light, with the promise that God will pour out His Spirit on those who respond and that work done in the strength of Christ will fill heaven with rejoicing. The covenant of peace is most precious encouragement whose most striking feature is the exceeding richness of pardoning mercy to the sinner if he repents and turns from his sin, as salvation through the tender mercies of God who is merciful to unrighteousness and remembers sins and iniquities no more.

The mercy in the verse does not set aside justice, for God cannot dishonor His law by letting it be transgressed with impunity, and under the new covenant perfect obedience is the condition of life. If the sinner repents and confesses his sins he will find pardon because Christ's sacrifice in his behalf satisfies the demands of the law for every repentant believing sinner, giving as many as receive Him power to become sons of God through the Word made flesh full of grace and truth, of whose fulness all receive grace for grace. The verse will be fulfilled on the new earth after the great city comes down from heaven to earth to the plain, as the redeemed journey toward Mount Zion and dwell safely in the wilderness and sleep and rest in the woods without fear. The ceasing of evil beasts means harmful animals are made peaceful so the lion, lamb, leopard and wolf live together in perfect union and the saints pass through their midst while the beasts follow peaceably after through the field without harm.

The woods are not dark like earthly woods but real, light, glorious, all over glorious and beautiful with waving branches, entered with joy, shouting and praise to King Jesus and rejoicing in that safety. The covenant of peace is still future and is made with God's people at the voice of God, bringing full knowledge of the importance and glory of the Sabbath beyond what is known now and beyond what will be known under the refreshing and latter rain. This takes place when the pearly gates of the New Jerusalem are thrown open and Jesus bids His people enter because they kept the commandments of God, and heaven becomes their home.