In The Word
Read: Ezekiel 36:16-38
16 Then the word of the Lord came to me, saying, 17 “Son of man, when the house of Israel was living on their own land, they defiled it by their ways and their deeds; their way before Me was like the uncleanness of a woman in her impurity.18 Therefore I poured out My wrath on them for the blood which they had shed on the land, because they had defiled it with their idols. 19 I also scattered them among the nations, and they were dispersed throughout the lands. According to their ways and their deeds I judged them. 20 When they came to the nations where they went, they profaned My holy name, because it was said of them, ‘These are the people of the Lord, yet they have left His land.’ 21 But I had concern for My holy name, which the house of Israel had profaned among the nations where they went.
Israel to Be Renewed for His Name’s Sake
22 “Therefore say to the house of Israel, ‘This is what the Lord God says: “It is not for your sake, house of Israel, that I am about to act, but for My holy name, which you have profaned among the nations where you went. 23 And I will vindicate the holiness of My great name which has been profaned among the nations, which you have profaned among them. Then the nations will know that I am the Lord,” declares the Lord God, “when I show Myself holy among you in their sight. 24 For I will take you from the nations, and gather you from all the lands; and I will bring you into your own land. 25 Then I will sprinkle clean water on you, and you will be clean; I will cleanse you from all your filthiness and from all your idols. 26 Moreover, I will give you a new heart and put a new spirit within you; and I will remove the heart of stone from your flesh and give you a heart of flesh. 27 And I will put My Spirit within you and bring it about that you walk in My statutes, and are careful and follow My ordinances. 28 And you will live in the land that I gave to your forefathers; so you will be My people, and I will be your God. 29 Moreover, I will save you from all your uncleanness; and I will call for the grain and multiply it, and I will not bring a famine on you. 30 Instead, I will multiply the fruit of the tree and the produce of the field, so that you will not receive again the disgrace of famine among the nations. 31 Then you will remember your evil ways and your deeds that were not good, and you will loathe yourselves in your own sight for your wrongdoings and your abominations. 32 I am not doing this for your sake,” declares the Lord God; “let that be known to you. Be ashamed and humiliated for your ways, house of Israel!”
33 ‘This is what the Lord God says: “On the day that I cleanse you from all your wrongdoings, I will populate the cities, and the places of ruins will be rebuilt.34 The desolated land will be cultivated instead of being a desolation in the sight of everyone who passes by. 35 And they will say, ‘This desolated land has become like the Garden of Eden; and the waste, desolated and ruined cities are fortified and inhabited.’ 36 Then the nations around you that are left will know that I, the Lord, have rebuilt the ruined places and planted that which was desolated; I, the Lord, have spoken, and I will do it.”
37 ‘This is what the Lord God says: “This too I will let the house of Israel ask Me to do for them: I will increase their people like a flock. 38 Like the flock for sacrifices, like the flock at Jerusalem during her appointed feasts, so will the waste cities be filled with flocks of people. Then they will know that I am the Lord.”’”
New American Standard Bible (NASB) Copyright © 1960, 1962, 1963, 1968, 1971, 1972, 1973, 1975, 1977, 1995, 2020 by The Lockman Foundation
Walking In The Word
The Lord reminded His people of how they lived in His promised land. Instead of following His teachings and being faithful to Him, they chose to walk away from Him. Instead of bringing honor and glory to His name, they brought disrespect to His name. So the Lord removed them from the land and scattered them among the nations.
Now the Lord would act on their behalf not because of anything they had done to deserve it, but to vindicate His holy name for His glory. He would make a new covenant with them for His name’s sake. He would provide reconciliation and restoration, and He would cleanse them from all unrighteousness.
We have the privilege of living on this side of the cross. Yeshua came, took our place, and died for our sins. He is resurrected, and He is at the right hand of Father interceding on our behalf. His blood has cleansed us from all our sins. He draws all men to Him to give them the opportunity to enter into this new covenant of relationship with Him. When we truly surrender all that we are to Him, we receive a heart transplant. He replaces our hearts of stone with sensitive hearts. He puts His Spirit within us to enable us to walk in His ways and to obey His teachings. He wants us to have an abundant life as His people, as we walk with Him as our God. Rejoice today and thank Him for the new covenant.