< Back

Read: Ezekiel 34:23-24
Listen: Ezekiel 34

“I will place over them one shepherd, my servant David, and he will tend them; he will tend them and be their shepherd. I the Lord will be their God, and my servant David will be prince among them. I the Lord have spoken.” Ezekiel 34:23-24

This year, we look for Jesus in the Old Testament to see how God’s plan always included Jesus saving us from our sins. We introduce a new book on the first Monday of every month. This month, we will read from Ezekiel and see how this book points to Jesus coming to shepherd his people and ultimately reign as the eternal Prince of Peace.

Ezekiel is often called the prophet of divine glory. He ministers during the Babylonian exile, when God’s people were displaced and greatly distressed. Through vivid visions and powerful metaphors, Ezekiel conveys messages of both judgment and hope. He reminds the exiles of God’s sovereignty and holiness, calls them to repentance and offers promises of future restoration. Throughout the book, there are glimpses of Jesus, the ultimate fulfillment of God’s redemptive plan.

We see a picture of Jesus in Ezekiel’s vision of the divine shepherd who will rescue and care for his scattered flock (Ezekiel 34:11-16). Jesus declares himself the Good Shepherd who lays down his life for the sheep (John 10:11,14). Ezekiel also prophesies a future king from David’s line who will be a shepherd to God’s people (Ezekiel 34:23-24). Jesus, as the Son of David, fulfills this role perfectly. The prophet’s vision of life-giving water flowing from the temple (Ezekiel 47:1-12) foreshadows Jesus’s promise of living water that gives eternal life (John 7:38). God’s promise of a new heart and spirit (Ezekiel 36:26-27) points to the new covenant that Jesus establishes, where the Holy Spirit dwells within believers, enabling them to follow God’s ways.

TODAY: As you read Ezekiel this month, ask God to reveal prophecies that point to Jesus. Thank God for Jesus, our Good Shepherd, who laid down his life to give us new hearts and the living water of eternal life.

JESUS IN THE OLD TESTAMENT:

Read Ezekiel 1-2. Highlight anything that points to Jesus. Note the vision of God’s glory. Consider how this foreshadows Jesus as the full revelation of God’s glory (Hebrews 1:3).