Charles Spurgeon Commentary Ezekiel 34:13-15

"And I will bring them out from the peoples, and gather them from the countries, and will bring them into their own land; and I will feed them upon the mountains of Israel, by the watercourses, and in all the inhabited places of the country. I will feed them with good pasture; and upon the mountains of the height of Israel shall their fold be: there shall they lie down in a good fold; and on fat pasture shall they feed upon the mountains of Israel. I myself will be the shepherd of my sheep, and I will cause them to lie down, saith the Lord Jehovah." — Ezekiel 34:13-15 (ASV)

And I will bring them out from the people, and gather them from the countries, and will bring them to their own land, and feed them upon the mountains of Israel by the rivers, and in all the inhabited places of the country. I will feed them in a good pasture, and upon the high mountains of Israel shall their fold be: there shall they lie in a good fold, and in a fat pasture shall they feed upon the mountains of Israel. I will feed my flock, and I will cause them to lie down, saith the Lord GOD.

There is a blessed state of rest. God's flock are not only to be fed, but they are to lie down while they feed. You have sometimes noticed a flock, at midday, when the sun is hot, lie down upon the grass, and feed while they rest; that is what God's people are to do.

They are to lie down in tranquility of spirit; they are to lie down in a state of placid submission to His will, in a state of perfect security — a state, not of idleness from the Master's service, but still a state in which they know there is nothing for them to do for their own security, since Christ has accomplished the whole of their salvation.

I will feed my flock, and I will cause them to lie down, saith the Lord God. Not every one of God's people has attained this blessed experience, to be able to lie down in quiet confidence and rest.

Thousands in the fold of Jesus,
This attainment never can boast;
To His name eternal praises,
None of these shall ever be lost.

Deeply engraved on His heart their names remain. If you are His sheep, yet even if you have never come to lie down in peace, if you cannot say, "I know and am confident," and cannot rest while you feed; it is still comforting for you to feel that all Christ's sheep are His sheep, whether they are lying down or standing up, or even wandering from Him.

And I will bring them out from the people, and gather them from the countries, and will bring them to their own land, and feed them upon the mountains of Israel by the rivers, and in all the inhabited places of the country. I will feed them in a good pasture, and upon the high mountains of Israel shall their fold be: there shall they lie in a good fold, and in a fat pasture shall they feed upon the mountains of Israel. I will feed my flock, and I will cause them to lie down, saith the Lord God.

A beautiful image of that peace of mind, that complete repose, that perfect content, that sweet satisfaction, that divine fullness, which is the work of the Spirit of God in the hearts of believers when they are gathered to Christ.