#DailyDevotion Jesus Is The LORD, God, Shepherd & New David The Father Has Raised Up
Ezekiel 3420So the Lord GOD says this: Look! I, even I, will judge between the fat and the lean sheep. 21You with your sides and shoulders push away all the weak animals and gore them with your horns until you have scattered them far and wide. 22Therefore I will rescue My flock so that they will no more be a prey, and I will judge between one sheep and another. 23“I will raise up one Shepherd over them, My Servant David, Who will feed them. He will feed them and be their Shepherd. 24I the LORD will be their God, and My Servant David will be the Ruler among them. I the LORD say so.
Verse 20 here follows from verse 19, “I will destroy the fat and strong ones feeding them with justice.” There comes a day of judgment. Judgment had come upon Judah and her rulers, elders, prophets and priests who are these fat sheep and judgment with a positive aspect upon the lean and weak people who have suffered at the hands of these people. The LORD had brought upon those who should have been shepherding the LORD’s people in righteousness and instead were bringing idolatry, sexual immorality, theft and murder to enrich themselves at the expense of others at the hands of the Babylonians who killed them, stripped them naked and brought the survivors to Babylon to die there and not in the Promised Land.
Jesus had brought up similar charges against the rulers of Judea in his day. They had become hypocrites without mercy and love towards the people they were to be helping and teaching. They became idolaters of their traditions, power and wealth. The LORD would bring upon them the Romans to destroy those who refused to listen and believe in him.
As the LORD would be the Shepherd of his people in the Last Days, all those who would put their faith in him, so too the LORD himself would raise up one Shepherd to be over the people, his Servant David. Indeed, as the LORD would only have one Shepherd over his people, he would become man and be that David as he becomes one of David’s descendents to be the New David, the shoot and branch of Jesse.
Jesus is that LORD and that Servant Shepherd David. He has come and been raised up by the Father to feed and take care of the people of God. Jesus is the one who feeds in the pastures of his Word and the Sacrament. Jesus is the one who brings us to drink of the still waters of the Holy Spirit whom he gives to us in Baptism and the preaching and teaching of his Word. Jesus is the LORD their God and David to all whom the Father has chosen from the foundation of the world.
On the day of his revelation, he will not send the Babylonians, the Assyrians, the Romans or even his own people to bring judgment upon the people of the world, who reject him and instead trust in wealth and power, but his heavenly angels to kill and root out of this world all who are wicked and evil. He will gather us into his kingdom and we will feasts with him at his table and reign with him forever.
Heavenly Father, as you have called us to have faith in your Son Jesus Christ, grant us your Holy Spirit that we may always and only trust in him, so we have mercy, kindness and love upon all whom we meet, especially the downtrodden of the world as he has had for us calling us into his kingdom. In Jesus’ name we pray. Amen.