The Bible Recap with Tara-Leigh Cobble

Episode: Day 250 (Ezekiel 34–36) – Year 7
Date: September 7, 2025

Overview

In this episode, Tara-Leigh Cobble recaps and unpacks Ezekiel chapters 34–36, emphasizing God’s indictment against Israel’s leaders (“bad shepherds”), His judgment on Edom, and His profound promise to restore and transform Israel for the sake of His holy name. Tara-Leigh dives into themes of leadership, responsibility, God’s justice, the purpose behind divine actions, and the heart-changing work God promises for His people.

Key Discussion Points & Insights

1. God’s Indictment of Israel’s Shepherds (Ezekiel 34) [00:02–03:20]

• Historical Context: Tara-Leigh recalls Israel’s demand for a king (1 Samuel 8), noting that “their kings have mostly been terrible” and leading to centuries of poor leadership.
• Failure of Leadership:
  • God uses the metaphor of shepherds who selfishly neglect and exploit their flock.
  • Tara-Leigh humorously notes, “They’ve been selfish shepherds, using the wool and the meat of the sheep, and surely the cheese too, because who doesn’t love a good Pecorino Romano?” (00:24)
• God’s Expectation of Shepherds:
  • Strengthen the weak, heal the sick, bind up the injured, bring back strays, seek the lost, ensure feeding and protection, govern with gentleness.
• Condemnation of Harshness:
  • “With force and harshness you have ruled them.” (00:55, referencing Ezek. 34:4)
  • Shepherds will be held accountable for their failure; the result was the scattering of the sheep and vulnerability to attack.
• God’s Redemptive Action:
  • God steps in as the true Shepherd, promising to rescue, gather, and care for the scattered sheep.
  • Echoes of Psalm 23 are noted, emphasizing rest, restoration, and provision.

2. Promise of the Good Shepherd: Messianic Hope [03:10–03:40]

• Human Kings vs. Divine Shepherd:
  • “Kings will never provide us with everything we need. They will always fail us.” (03:12)
  • God’s solution: “God has set up a good shepherd, a king from the line of David, who will care for his sheep. And that eternal king handles things on an eternal level. He’s our shepherd forever. He never abdicates his role.” (03:20)
• Security in God:
  • “His sheep shall dwell securely and none shall make them afraid.” (Ezek. 34:28, 03:30)

3. Judgment Against Edom (Ezekiel 35) [03:45–05:15]

• Reprisal and Justice:
  • God rebukes Edom, not for cruelty’s sake but for just cause, repeatedly using “because” to clarify the reasons (hostility, indifference, opportunism, and arrogance).
• List of Edom’s Sins:
  • Hostility, passivity during Israel’s suffering, apathy about death, coveting the land, hatred, celebrating Israel’s misfortune, pride against God.
  • “He uses the word because a lot in this oracle. … pay attention to the connecting words. Words like so and because and therefore because.” (04:12)
• Divine Motivation:
  • God insists His punishment has reasons and transparency, “He keeps saying, then they will know that I am the Lord. In fact, he says it three times in this short prophecy to Edom.” (04:55)

4. Restoration of Israel and God’s Glory (Ezekiel 36) [05:15–07:56]

• Restoration of the Land:
  • Though the land is currently desolate and coveted by other nations, God promises: “Nope, this land isn’t yours to take, it’s mine, and I’m bringing my people back to live in my land and thrive there.” (05:24)
• God Acts for His Name:
  • “It is not for your sake, O house of Israel, that I am about to act, but for the sake of My holy name.” (Quote paraphrased from Ezek. 36:22, 05:37)
  • Tara-Leigh unpacks the theological importance: “Wouldn’t that kind of theology be more like me-ology, human centric instead of God centric? … God’s goal is the glory of God. … You and I aren’t weighty enough to be the point.” (05:50)
• The “I Will” Promises:
  • God lists 18 actions He will perform to restore Israel: gather, cleanse, give a new heart and spirit, remove the heart of stone, put His Spirit within, cause obedience, provide abundance, deliver from uncleanness, and more.
  • “God makes it clear that he is the author of heart change and he is the author of obedience.” (06:24)
  • The analogy: “I’ve had open heart surgery and there’s zero chance I could ever perform it on myself. God says he will remove the heart of stone. He will give the heart of flesh.” (06:28)
• Role of God’s Spirit:
  • In biblical perspective, the heart is the seat of will and desire, not just emotion.
  • “I can’t make myself love God or obey him because I can’t change my own heart or will, but he can. What a relief.” (06:46)
• Prayer and Relationship:
  • Even with guaranteed promises, God says, “Ask me for these things because it’s a guaranteed yes. God wants to be asked even for things he has promised, because it’s about the relationship, not just about the outcome.” (07:01)
• God’s Generosity:
  • “I will do more good to you than ever before. This is what he’s saying to the people who are currently rebelling against him – who is like that? Only Yahweh, only the God who has always been good, would look at a bunch of sinners and promise to be even better. He’s where the joy is.” (07:21–07:52)

Notable Quotes & Memorable Moments

• “They’ve been selfish shepherds, using the wool and the meat of the sheep, and surely the cheese too, because who doesn’t love a good Pecorino Romano?”
  — Tara-Leigh Cobble [00:24]
• “With force and harshness you have ruled them.” (Ezek. 34:4)
  — Tara-Leigh Cobble quoting Scripture [00:55]
• “Kings will never provide us with everything we need. They will always fail us.”
  — Tara-Leigh Cobble [03:12]
• “Wouldn’t that kind of theology be more like me-ology, human centric instead of God centric?”
  — Tara-Leigh Cobble [05:50]
• “I’ve had open heart surgery and there’s zero chance I could ever perform it on myself. God says he will remove the heart of stone. He will give the heart of flesh.”
  — Tara-Leigh Cobble [06:28]
• “God wants to be asked even for things he has promised, because it’s about the relationship, not just about the outcome.”
  — Tara-Leigh Cobble [07:01]
• “Only the God who has always been good would look at a bunch of sinners and promise to be even better. He’s where the joy is.”
  — Tara-Leigh Cobble [07:50]

Timestamps for Important Segments

• 00:02–03:20: God’s accusation against bad shepherds, the role of leaders, God as the Good Shepherd.
• 03:20–03:40: The promise of the ultimate Shepherd from David’s line and reassurance for the flock.
• 03:45–05:15: God’s judgment on Edom, emphasis on purpose and justice behind divine actions.
• 05:15–07:56: God’s restoration of Israel, focus on His name and not Israel’s merit, the many “I will” promises, God as the initiator of heart change, and His exceeding generosity.

Conclusion

Tara-Leigh’s recap weaves together Ezekiel’s prophecies with broader biblical themes of leadership, responsibility, divine justice, and the centrality of God’s glory. She underscores God’s personal investment in shepherding His people and His initiative in transforming hearts—culminating in the assurance that joy and restoration are found in Him alone.