25 “I will make with them a covenant of peace and banish wild beasts from the land, so that they may dwell securely in the wilderness and sleep in the woods. 26 And I will make them and the places all around my hill a blessing, and I will send down the showers in their season; they shall be showers of blessing. 27 And the trees of the field shall yield their fruit, and the earth shall yield its increase, and they shall be secure in their land. And they shall know that I am the Lord, when I break the bars of their yoke, and deliver them from the hand of those who enslaved them. 28 They shall no more be a prey to the nations, nor shall the beasts of the land devour them. They shall dwell securely, and none shall make them afraid. 29 And I will provide for them renowned plantations so that they shall no more be consumed with hunger in the land, and no longer suffer the reproach of the nations. 30 And they shall know that I am the Lord their God with them, and that they, the house of Israel, are my people, declares the Lord God. 31 And you are my sheep, human sheep of my pasture, and I am your God, declares the Lord God.” Ezekiel 34: 25-31 ESV
Ezekiel 34: 25-31 The Lord's Covenant of Peace
1In that day seven women will take hold of one man and say, “We will eat our own bread and provide our own clothes. Just let us be called by your name. Take away our disgrace!” 2On that day the Branch of the LORD will be beautiful and glorious, and the fruit of the land will be the pride and glory of Israel’s survivors. 3Whoever remains in Zion and whoever is left in Jerusalem will be called holy—all in Jerusalem who are recorded among the living—… Isaiah 4: 1-3
…2to proclaim the year of the LORD’s favor and the day of our God’s vengeance, to comfort all who mourn, 3to console the mourners in Zion— to give them a crown of beauty for ashes, the oil of joy for mourning, and a garment of praise for a spirit of despair. So they will be called oaks of righteousness, the planting of the LORD, that He may be glorified. 4They will rebuild the ancient ruins; they will restore the places long devastated; they will renew the ruined cities, the desolations of many generations.… Isaiah 61: 2-4
I will make with them a covenant of peace - Isaiah also wrote of this covenant of peace, in fact, the whole Bible from the fall and promise of the Seed of the woman on, is God's redemptive story, the story of how He called from eternity those elect, through the life and death of His Son, by the convicting and regenerating power of the Holy Spirit. It is a marvel even to angels. Israel was a people called out by God to carry this story, record it as the oracles, and Messiah was raised up from among them, born of a virgin, just like Isaiah predicted 700 years before. He, who knew no sin, became sin for us, the peace offering, which brings us back into fellowship with God. Leviticus 3 Fellowship
I will make with them a covenant of peace. The covenant of grace is a covenant of peace. In it God is at peace with us, speaks peace to us, and assures us of peace, of all good, all the good we need to make us happy. The tenour of this covenant is: "I the Lord will be their God, a God all-sufficient to them (v. 24), will own them and will be owned by them; in order to this my servant David shall be a prince among them, to reduce them to their allegiance, to receive their homage, and to reign over them, in them, and for them." Note, Those, and those only, that have the Lord Jesus for their prince have the Lord Jehovah for their God. - Matthew Henry
…5For every trampling boot of battle and every garment rolled in blood will be burned as fuel for the fire. 6For unto us a child is born, unto us a son is given, and the government will be upon His shoulders. And He will be called Wonderful Counselor, Mighty God, Everlasting Father, Prince of Peace. 7Of the increase of His government and peace there will be no end. He will reign on the throne of David and over his kingdom, to establish and sustain it with justice and righteousness from that time and forevermore. The zeal of the LORD of Hosts will accomplish this.… Isaiah 9: 5-7
And banish wild beasts from the land - Some see this as the nations, but a distinction is made in verse 28. Remember, when following the Bible as God's word, that before the fall there was no death in the world, it functioned quite differently in those regards.
11Not only that, but we also rejoice in God through our Lord Jesus Christ, through whom we have now received reconciliation. 12Therefore, just as sin entered the world through one man, and death through sin, so also death was passed on to all men, because all sinned. 13For sin was in the world before the law was given; but sin is not taken into account when there is no law.… Romans 5: 11-13
And God blessed Noah and his sons, and said unto them, Be fruitful, and multiply, and replenish the earth.
2 And the fear of you and the dread of you shall be upon every beast of the earth, and upon every fowl of the air, upon all that moveth upon the earth, and upon all the fishes of the sea; into your hand are they delivered.
3 Every moving thing that liveth shall be meat for you; even as the green herb have I given you all things.
4 But flesh with the life thereof, which is the blood thereof, shall ye not eat.
5 And surely your blood of your lives will I require; at the hand of every beast will I require it, and at the hand of man; at the hand of every man's brother will I require the life of man.
6 Whoso sheddeth man's blood, by man shall his blood be shed: for in the image of God made he man. Genesis 9: 1-6
…28I will send the hornet before you to drive the Hivites and Canaanites and Hittites out of your way. 29I will not drive them out before you in a single year; otherwise the land would become desolate and wild animals would multiply against you. 30Little by little I will drive them out ahead of you, until you become fruitful and possess the land.… Exodus 23: 28-30
Now all of that in contrast to the Millennial kingdom
…6The wolf will live with the lamb, and the leopard will lie down with the goat; the calf and young lion and fatling will be together, and a little child will lead them. 7The cow will graze with the bear, their young will lie down together, and the lion will eat straw like the ox. 8The infant will play by the cobra’s den, and the toddler will reach into the viper’s nest.… Isaiah 11: 6-8
Dwell securely in the wilderness and sleep in the woods - We enjoy some of that now, but at the cost of inflicting much fear and dominance over the animals. It is difficult in some wilderness areas to lie down and not contemplate predators, in some places this would be disastrous. But imagine a time where bears and lions are present yet not to be feared, and the ticks and mosquitos are but a distant memory.
And I will make them - It was always and still is God's intent that Israel be a blessing.
…16saying, “By Myself I have sworn, declares the LORD, that because you have done this and have not withheld your only son, 17I will surely bless you, and I will multiply your descendants like the stars in the sky and the sand on the seashore. Your descendants will possess the gates of their enemies. 18And through your offspring all nations of the earth will be blessed, because you have obeyed My voice.”… Genesis 22: 16-18
And they shall be secure in their land - During Christ's Millennial reign, not only will Israel have nothing to fear from beast, but also from human predation, robbers, enemies.
They shall be safe in their land, in no danger of being invaded and enslaved, though their great plenty be a temptation to their neighbours to desire their land; and that which shall make them think themselves safe is their confidence in the wisdom, power, and goodness of God: They shall know that I am the Lord. All our disquieting fears arise from our ignorance of God and mistakes concerning him. Their experience of his particular care concerning them encourages their confidence in him: - Matthew Henry
They shall no more be a prey to the nations - This will culminate, a revived hatred and attack on Israel, during the Great Tribulation, but God will deliver His remnant from this, the time of the gentiles will come to an end and God will destroy the power of Antichrist. Israel, even to this day, the Jews are the subjects of much hatred across the world, anti-Semitism is alive and well in the Middle East, but tends to spring up everywhere. It is remarkable in our time, that whenever Israel is bombed, someone objects to their being able to defend themselves. It is also amazing that this people has survived so many occupations, deportations, Hitler, Stalin, and Antiochus Epiphanes antichrist types, yet have a nation and revived the Hebrew language. This persecution will come to an end with Christ's reign.
Nor shall the beast of the land devour them - Here it is again, a restored relationship with nature as well.
…21Do not be terrified by them, for the LORD your God, who is among you, is a great and awesome God. 22The LORD your God will drive out these nations before you little by little. You will not be enabled to eliminate them all at once, or the wild animals would multiply around you. 23But the LORD your God will give them over to you and throw them into great confusion, until they are destroyed.… Deuteronomy 7: 21-23
Provide for them renowned plantations - God demonstrated His ability to feed them in the wilderness, even in their ungrateful state, with Manna. He brought water from the rock, and when Christ came, Who was prophesied by Moses, He feeds the multitudes with 5 loaves and two fishes. Creation answers to and obeys the voice of the Creator, who are we? Moses and all others live in the shadows, they are precursors to when God clothes Himself in humanity.
15The LORD your God will raise up for you a prophet like me from among your brothers. You must listen to him. 16This is what you asked of the LORD your God at Horeb on the day of the assembly, when you said, “Let us not hear the voice of the LORD our God or see this great fire anymore, so that we will not die!” 17Then the LORD said to me, “They have spoken well.…
18I will raise up for them a prophet like you from among their brothers. I will put My words in his mouth, and he will tell them everything I command him. 19And I will hold accountable anyone who does not listen to My words that the prophet speaks in My name.… Deuteronomy 18: 15-19
Human sheep of My pasture - They and the pasture belong to God and He is the good Shepherd.
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