In Ezekiel 34:27 the Lord promised to break all the yokes, including the yokes of sin and the world. With Him as our Shepherd, we have no yokes and no bondage. Jesus breaks every fetter! In the local churches we have no yokes. Instead, we have full liberty and full release.
Verse 27 also indicates that the Lord delivers us from all kinds of slavery. In the church we do not have the sense that we are under slavery. Rather, we have the sense of liberty. The more we enjoy the Lord’s shepherding, the more we are liberated from every kind of slavery.
Verse 28a says, “They shall no more be a prey to the heathen.” Here the Lord promised that those in His recovery would never be a prey to the enemy. This means that they would never be defeated or captured by the enemy. In the church life we share the spoil of the Lord’s recovery, of the Lord’s victory. Instead of struggling to gain the victory, we are simply enjoying the victory of the Lord.
Eventually the Lord promised that all those in His recovery would dwell in peace and safety. Verse 25b says, “They shall dwell safely in the wilderness, and sleep in the woods”; verse 27b says, “They shall be safe in their land”; and verse 28b says, “They shall dwell safely, and none shall make them afraid.” This indicates that we will dwell safely and restfully in Christ, without any fear. In Christ we have peace.
In verse 15 we have the phrase lie down,and in verse 25, the word sleep. Under the Lord’s shepherding, it is safe to sleep even in the woods. In the Lord’s recovery, there is no need for us to be afraid of anything. If you go to a local church where you have to be careful because the situation is touchy and you are afraid, that must not be a proper local church in the Lord’s recovery. In the proper church life in the Lord’s recovery, there is nothing for you to be afraid of. In such a church we have the sense of safety. In every aspect of the church life, we should feel safe. There should never be a situation in the church life that causes you to be fearful. For instance, you should never be afraid to talk to an elder or to an older sister.
Some have asked me why I can be so frank in speaking for the Lord. I can be frank because in the Lord’s recovery we have peace and safety; therefore, I am not afraid of anything.
Ezekiel 34:26 says, “I will make them and the places round about my hill a blessing; and I will cause the shower to come down in his season; there shall be showers of blessing.” Here the Lord promised not only that His people would receive His blessing but also that He would make them a blessing. If there is the peace which is the peace of the covenant, the Lord’s blessing will follow. First, we ourselves will enjoy the Lord’s blessing, and then He will cause us to become a source of blessing to others so that they may be supplied.
We need to comment briefly on five aspects of this blessing.
God will cause the shower of blessing to come down in its season. This means that its coming will be timely. There will be timely rain. As we are abiding in Christ, the rain, the Holy Spirit, will often come upon us.