Here we have, in the midst of many gracious promises, the Lord's address to the flock itself. As in the circumstances of life, in a wilderness state, even the flock of Jesus, like the flock of the field, will have their contentions with each other, the Lord noticeth this, and declares he will judge between them. Reader! what a sad thing it is that quarrels should arise among the people of the Lord. But so it is, and so it will be, from the infirmities of fallen nature. In the world, the peaceable, and harmless, will he too often injured by the great and the mighty. Jesus knows all this; and Jesus saith he wilt take part with the oppressed.
Ezekiel 34:17-28
17 And as for you, O my flock, thus saith the Lord GOD; Behold, I judge between cattleb and cattle, between the rams and the he goats.
18 Seemeth it a small thing unto you to have eaten up the good pasture, but ye must tread down with your feet the residue of your pastures? and to have drunk of the deep waters, but ye must foul the residue with your feet?
19 And as for my flock, they eat that which ye have trodden with your feet; and they drink that which ye have fouled with your feet.
20 Therefore thus saith the Lord GOD unto them; Behold, I, even I, will judge between the fat cattle and between the lean cattle.
21 Because ye have thrust with side and with shoulder, and pushed all the diseased with your horns, till ye have scattered them abroad;
22 Therefore will I save my flock, and they shall no more be a prey; and I will judge between cattle and cattle.
23 And I will set up one shepherd over them, and he shall feed them, even my servant David; he shall feed them, and he shall be their shepherd.
24 And I the LORD will be their God, and my servant David a prince among them; I the LORD have spoken it.
25 And I will make with them a covenant of peace, and will cause the evil beasts to cease out of the land: and they shall dwell safely in the wilderness, and sleep in the woods.
26 And 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.
27 And the tree of the field shall yield her fruit, and the earth shall yield her increase, and they shall be safe in their land, and shall know that I am the LORD, when I have broken the bands of their yoke, and delivered them out of the hand of those that served themselves of them.
28 And they shall no more be a prey to the heathen, neither shall the beast of the land devour them; but they shall dwell safely, and none shall make them afraid.