Ezekiel 34:30

Eze 34:30 Thus shall they know that I the LORD their God [am] with them, and [that] they, [even] the house of Israel, [are] my people, saith the Lord GOD.

Ver. 30. Thus shall they know that I the Lord their God am with them.] They shall understand the lovingkindness of the Lord; {Psa 107:43} they shall know the salvation of their God; {Psa 50:23} they shall have a plerophory of faith. {as Rom 8:38}

John Trapp, A Commentary or Exposition upon All the Books of the Old and New Testament (1647–1656) — public domain. Text from a community e-Sword module.

Eze_34:30

They, even the house of Israel, are My people.

Israels privileges

I. The distinctive appellation here given to the persons addressed--the house of Israel.

1. They were a people closely connected with each other. They belonged to the same house, or family. As the descendants from the same progenitor, they were, in a peculiar sense, brethren. The same is the case, though in a different sense, with those to whom the promises in the text are now made, in regard to their spiritual import. These persons, as genuine believers, are of the same house, or what the Apostle calls--the household of faith. They are brethren; and God Himself is their Father.

2. As the house of Israel, the persons to whom the promises in the text were originally addressed were a people highly privileged. But the people of God, under the present dispensation, are more highly favoured still. They too have been chosen by Him to be His peculiar people. They have a fuller and a far more glorious revelation of His will, and, both as it respects their present position and their future prospects, they have indeed a goodly heritage

3. As the house of Israel, they were bound to the discharge of peculiar and very important duties. More still has been given to us; and therefore are our obligations to duty, if possible, more imperative. The Israelites were bound to love, to worship, and, in every other view, to serve the Lord; and so unquestionably are we.

4. Notwithstanding all this, the house of Israel had, previously to the time here referred to, departed grievously from the Lord, and wrought great abominations. Alas! the parallel here in regard to ourselves holds in a way that may and ought to fill us with shame and confusion of face. But where sin abounded, grace is often made much more to abound.

II. The import of these promises as made to the persons so characterised.

1. There is here a promise of the continued presence of the Lord to be with them as their God.

2. It is here promised that the Lord will recognise the people addressed as being in reality His own people. The people of God are His peculiar property in consequence of the price paid for their purchase (1Pe_1:18-19). They are further Gods people, in consequence of being closely, vitally, and immutably united to the person of His Son (Joh_17:21). They are His people, besides, in consequence of having been subdued and won to Him by the powerful and gracious operations of His Holy Spirit (Psa_110:3). But, on the other hand, they are characterised and treated as the people of God in consequence of their own voluntary choice and covenant engagement to be for Him, and not for another. They are accordingly blessed with all needful blessings as the people of God (Eph_1:3).

3. It is here promised, that they shall have a pleasing conviction of their peculiar blessedness in enjoying the presence of the Lord, and being recognised by Him as His people.

4. The accomplishment of this promise, implying, as it does, such honour and blessedness, is as certain as the truth of God can make it.

Application--

1. Inquire to what description of people we belong.

2. Well may the saints of God be joyful in glory.

3. All must be wretched and miserable who are not the people of God (Isa_57:20-21).

4. Those who are not now the people of God may yet have that honour (Hos_1:10). (A. Thompson, D. D.)

The Biblical Illustrator, edited by Joseph S. Exell (c. 1880s–1900s) — public domain. Text from a community e-Sword module.

30. am with them] LXX. omits with them, reading: that I the Lord am their God, and they … my people—the usual antithesis. The people’s consciousness of salvation shall be, so to speak, a double one, that Jehovah is their God and that they are his people. The two things might seem identical, but the second suggests a feeling regarding themselves which belongs to the perfect enjoyment of salvation.

The Cambridge Bible for Schools and Colleges (gen. ed. J. J. S. Perowne; Cambridge University Press, 1878–1918) — public domain. Text from a community e-Sword module.

And ye my flock, the flock of my pasture, are men,.... This is observed, to show that all that had been said in this chapter concerning sheep, and a flock of sheep, was to be understood, not in a literal sense, but in a figurative one, of such as were rational and spiritual persons; a set of men whom the Lord had chosen, and separated from others, as his peculiar flock; and whom he took a special care of, and led them to, and fed them in, green pastures of his own providing; they are the souls of men that Christ is the Shepherd and Bishop of, Pe1 2:25. The Talmudists (u) frequently make use of this text, to prove that Israelites are only called men, and not the Gentiles; see Mat 15:26.

and I am your God, saith the Lord God; which is often repeated for the certainty of it, because a blessing of the greatest importance, and which includes all others in it; see Eze 34:24.

(u) T. Bab. Yebamot, fol. 61. 1. Bava Metzia, fol. 114. 2. & Ceritot, fol. 6. 2.

Next: Ezekiel Chapter 35

John Gill's Exposition of the Whole Bible (1746–1763) — public domain (CC PDM 1.0). Text via the HelloAO Bible API.

Thus, by these many and great blessings I give them,

shall they know, the very heathen shall be convinced.

The Lord, who can do what I promise and my people expect.

Their God, by covenant from their forefathers.

With them; present with them, and reconciled to them, and do bless them.

That they, whom they despised and injured, and ere while did make slaves, and used so.

My people; my peculiar people above all people in the world; and that though he seemed to have cast him off, and they feared it, and the enemies boasted he had, yet he owns them for his, and will not break his covenant.

Matthew Poole's English Annotations on the Holy Bible (1683–1685) — public domain. Text from a community e-Sword/MySword module.

The presence of God.

I GOD IS PECULIARLY PRESENT WITH HIS PEOPLE. We know that he is everywhere on the desolate sea and the fair earth, in the high heavens and the dark regions of death. (Ps 139) Therefore if any would desire to escape from his presence, this is impossible. How, then, can God be said to be in an especial manner present with his people? Spiritual presence is spiritual manifestation. God is more fully present where he more completely manifests his power and grace.

1. He is present in the hearts of his people. He dwells in the contrite and humble spirit. (Isa_57:15) The Christian"s body is a "temple of theHoly Ghost". (1Co_6:19) God comes into especially close contact with those who are reconciled to him, and who open their hearts to receive his Spirit.

2. He is present in the lives of his people. He shapes their lives with his providential guidance, and watches over them with tender care, warding off danger and supplying wants. Even when they forget him in the slumbers of the night and during the busy distractions of the day, he neither sleeps nor neglects his people. Ever with them to guide and help and save, as he was with Israel in the pillar of cloud by day and the pillar of fire by night, God overshadows and surrounds his people with his fostering presence.

II GOD"S PEOPLE MAY RECOGNIZE HIS PRESENCE. The verse which suggests these reflections is somewhat like a frequent expression in the prophecies of Ezekiel. After denunciations of wrath and judgment against the heathen nations, the conclusion repeatedly arrived at is, "And they shall know that I am the Lord". (e.g. Eze_30:25) In these cases the awful action of God in his wrath is to bring home to the heathen the fact of his existence and supremacy; but it is not said that they will know that God is with them. To Israel, however, this new thing is asserted. Israel will not merely know that God is the eternal Lord; she will know that God is present. This further knowledge belongs to Christians. They are not merely theists, who believe in the existence of God; they know his actual, living presence. It is not suggested that this knowledge is to be obtained by direct, mystical intuition; it is rather suggested that it is gathered from the experience of God"s goodness. Hagar recognized the presence of God when the angel addressed her. (Gen_16:13) Jacob perceived it on awakening from his dream. (Gen_28:16) The later Jews were to see it in their restoration from the Captivity. We are to acknowledge it in the experience of the Christian redemption. In this Christ will manifest himself to us as he does not unto the world. (Joh_14:21, Joh_14:22)

III THE RECOGNITION OF GOD"S PRESENCE IS ACCOMPANIED BY THAT OF HIS OWNERSHIP OF HIS PEOPLE. "And that they, even the house of Israel, are my people." God is present with his people as their Owner. He comes to them to claim them. He visits his inheritance to take possession of it. When we perceive that God is with us we have to go further and acknowledge his relationship to us. It is much to acknowledge that we do not belong to ourselves, that we are God"s possession, bought with a great price, and valued by him as precious property is valued by its owner.

The Pulpit Commentary (1880–1919), ed. H.D.M. Spence-Jones & Joseph S. Exell — public domain. Text from a community e-Sword module.

Their God - By covenant, from their forefathers. Am with them - Present with them, and reconciled to them.

John Wesley, Explanatory Notes Upon the Whole Bible (1754–1765) — public domain. Text via the GEBible commentary corpus.

I, Yahweh their God, am with them

Here "I ... am with them" is an idiom that means Yahweh helps them. AT: "I, Yahweh their God, am helping them" (See: Idiom)

with them. They are my people

This can be stated as one sentence. AT: "with them, and that they are my people"

the house of Israel

Here "house" represents people. AT: "the people of Israel" (See: Metonymy)

For you are my sheep, the flock of my pasture

This speaks of the people of Israel as if they were a flock of sheep and Yahweh is their shepherd. (See: Metaphor)

translationWords

people of God

house

Israel

Lord Yahweh

declare

unfoldingWord translationNotes — © Distant Shores Media and the Door43 World Missions Community, licensed CC BY-SA 4.0. Source: git.door43.org/Door43/en_tn.