"which was sick, neither have ye bound up that which was broken, neither have ye brought again that which was driven away; ... but with force and with cruelty have ye ruled them.” Ezekiel 34:4 . DA 478.1"
"The diseased have ye not strengthened, neither have ye healed that which was sick, neither have ye bound up that which was broken, neither have ye brought again that which was driven away, neither have ye sought that which was lost; but with force and with cruelty have ye ruled them."
Ellen White directly references Ezekiel 34:4 in this passage.
In all ages, philosophers and teachers have been presenting to the world theories by which to satisfy the soul's need. Every heathen nation has had its great teachers and religious systems offering some other means of redemption than Christ, turning the eyes of men away from the Father's face, and filling their hearts with fear of Him who has given them only blessing. The trend of their work is to rob God of that which is His own, both by creation and by redemption. And these false teachers rob man as well. Millions of human beings are bound down under false religions, in the bondage of slavish fear, of stolid indifference, toiling like beasts of burden, bereft of hope or joy or aspiration here, and with only a dull fear of the hereafter. It is the gospel of the grace of God alone that can uplift the soul. The contemplation of the love of God manifested in His Son will stir the heart and arouse the powers of the soul as nothing else can. Christ came that He might re-create the image of…
"I marvel that ye are so soon removed from him that called you into the grace of Christ unto another gospel:"
Both passages address the idea of being led away from the true gospel. Galatians 1:6 speaks of turning to 'another gospel,' while the EGW passage discusses false religious systems that offer alternative means of redemption. The connection lies in the shared theme of deviation from the true path of salvation.
"Beware lest any man spoil you through philosophy and vain deceit, after the tradition of men, after the rudiments of the world, and not after Christ."
The EGW passage discusses philosophies and teachings that lead people away from Christ, while Colossians 2:8 warns against being spoiled by philosophy and vain deceit that are not after Christ. Both passages share the theme of being wary of worldly philosophies that contradict the teachings of Christ.
"Of all creatures the sheep is one of the most timid and helpless, and in the East the shepherd's care for his flock is untiring and incessant. Anciently as now there was little security outside of the walled towns. Marauders from the roving border tribes, or beasts of prey from their hiding places in the rocks, lay in wait to plunder the flocks. The shepherd watched his charge, knowing that it was at the peril of his own life. Jacob, who kept the flocks of Laban in the pasture grounds of Haran, describing his own unwearied labor, said, “In the day the drought consumed me, and the frost by night; and my sleep departed from mine eyes.” Genesis 31:40 . And it was while guarding his father's sheep that the boy David, single-handed, encountered the lion and the bear, and rescued from their teeth the stolen lamb. DA 478.4"
"Thus I was; in the day the drought consumed me, and the frost by night; and my sleep departed from mine eyes."
The EGW passage directly quotes Genesis 31:40, making it an explicit allusion.
"I am the good shepherd: the good shepherd giveth his life for the sheep."
The EGW passage describes the dangers faced by shepherds and their dedication to protecting their sheep, which serves as a parallel to John 10:11, where Jesus identifies Himself as the good shepherd who gives His life for the sheep. The connection is thematic, drawing a parallel between the earthly shepherd's care and Christ's sacrifice.