Ezekiel 36
COMMENTARY:
: 3 Therefore prophesy and say, Thus says the Lord GOD; Because they have made you desolate, and swallowed you up on every side, that ye might be a possession unto the residue of the heathen, and ye are taken up in the lips of talkers, and are an infamy of the people. (1681 “infamy” [dibbah] means whispering, defamation, evil report, unfavorable report of spies, slander, or bad reputation.)
DEVOTION: Our words do hurt. If someone says anything about you it does really hurt. Too often we think it is fun to laugh at someone else. That is never true.
The children of Israel were going through a very rough time. It was their own fault because they choose to not obey the LORD. However, their neighbors didn’t have to laugh at them and say things about them that wasn’t very nice.
We can be the same way today. We can say things about people who are going through a rough time and hurt them even more. That is not what the LORD wants from those who follow HIM. The other nations were not following HIM but HE still didn’t like it and told them that they were going to get everything Israel received and more.
What would happen if that was true today of those who are followers of the LORD that gossip about other people? The LORD continually instructs HIS followers to watch their words. The hurt we cause others could come back on us.
So we should not join a crowd that is saying bad things about others. If someone wants to tell you a secret that is going to hurt other people, we should walk away. Don’t give them someone to tell their hurtful things too and maybe they will learn not to try to share them again.
The nations that surrounded Israel had a good time putting Israel down. They saw what happened to them and rejoiced. They had parties over their troubles.
God had judged them for their iniquities. They were not honoring HIM and HE only allowed that to take place for a time period before HE sent judgment.
We are constantly reminded of the long-suffering of the LORD with HIS people. They seemed to get away with sin for a long time and the LORD didn’t seem to care from their perspective.
From HIS perspective HE was giving them a season to repent of their sins and turn again to follow HIM. This didn’t happen and it was no surprise to HIM. Remember that HE is omniscient and HE doesn’t live in time so HE knows the beginning from the end of their actions.
It is hard for us to comprehend what is happening in the life of Israel. If God knows they are not going to repent, why doesn’t HE just send judgment right away?
Remember that HE has a purpose for everything to happen. HE was going to also watch the reaction of the other nations. They were ones who liked to cause more problems for the Israelites.
They used the judgment of Israel as something to gloat about. That was wrong because they were going to learn that gossiping or talking about Israel in a negative way was going to cause the LORD to judge them.
The heathen gave Israel an evil report. The LORD used the evil report to tell Israel that they were going to be blessed in the future more than even in the present.
Today Christianity is being made fun of by those in high places and in many nations. The promise to Israel is future here and our eternity blessings are future. HE is going to deal with those who dishonor HIM and HIS people. Therefore have HOPE!!!
CHALLENGE: If you are someone who enjoys hurting other people by saying things you shouldn’t say. STOP and confess it to Jesus and don’t do it again.
: 5 Therefore thus says the Lord GOD; Surely in the fire of my jealousy have I spoken against the residue of the heathen, and against all Idumea, which have appointed my land into their possession with the joy of all their heart, with despiteful minds, to cast it out for a prey. (7589 “despiteful” [sha’at] means contempt, disdain, a lack of respect, malice, pride, arrogance, scorn, or to push aside.)
DEVOTION: Sometimes we think we have committed a sin that God can never forgive. Here we find that the LORD promises the children of Israel that HE always want them to have hope in HIM.
HE lists their sins that they had committed against HIM, for which, they are receiving judgment. However, HE also says that HE will sprinkle clean water on them. That speaks of hope in the future.
As a nation they were going into judgment but as a nation one day they were going to be restored to a time of blessing. As individuals we can go through the same process.
God is willing to give us a fresh start every morning. HIS mercies are new every morning for the children of Israel they are new every morning for us. If we understand the hope we have in Christ we should be able to rejoice.
No sin is unforgiveable expect never becoming a follower of the LORD. Once we become a follower all sins can be forgiven. There may be consequences but HE is there to help us though the consequences.
Never think it is over. The only time it is over is when we die until then there is hope. Don’t give up on the cleansing power of the LORD. People might give up on you but the LORD is not human, HE is Sovereign!!!
CHALLENGE: Be more concerned with what the LORD thinks of you rather than what others think of you. HE is the one we answer to not them!!
: 23 And I will sanctify MY great name which was profaned among the heathen, which you have profaned in the midst of them, and the heathen shall know that I am the LORD, says the lord GOD, when I shall be sanctified in you before their eyes. (2490 “ profaned” [chalal] means to be defiled, to put into use, to be violated, to perforate, pierce through, desecrated, make common, or polluted.)
DEVOTION: The children of Israel had let the LORD down by they way they treated HIM and HIS worship. They thought that they could worship any false god just like they worshiped the LORD. This was not pleasing to the LORD.
HE had to judge them for their actions. HE had to keep HIS name HOLY. HE had to show the world that HE was not just like any other false god that they worshiped.
Today we find that even believers are not honoring the LORD in their actions and words. They can use HIS name in vain and still claim to know the LORD. They can live like the rest of the world without obeying the commands given in the Bible for the way of living that they are supposed to live to please HIM in front of the world.
Too often people think that Christianity is just another religion while the Bible teaches that it is not just another religion that man has made up but the ONLY true worshiping of the only true God that created the world.
Our actions speak louder than our words, just like the actions of the children of Israel spoke louder than their words in relations to the God of the Bible.
God wants our words and actions to show that HE is the only TRUE GOD who created the world and sent HIS SON JESUS into the world to provide the only way to escape form hell for eternity.
CHALLENGE: Are believer today acting any better than the children of Israel in the Old Testament? Can those around Christians see a difference in their actions compared to the actions of those who are not believers?
: 26 A new heart also will I give you, and a new spirit will I put within you: and I will take away the stony heart out of your flesh, and I will give you a heart of flesh. (1320 “flesh” [basar] means the body itself, kindred, blood – relations, or all living things.)
DEVOTION: The children of Israel deserved judgment. The people around were commenting on the fact that they were the chosen people of God and yet the land was desolate.
The LORD told Ezekiel that HE was going to bring the people back and forgive them of their sins. Why? Because of HIS holy name! HE was bringing them back to bring glory to HIS name. They were not doing it. They were causing it to be dishonored. At present, they have a stony heart. This stony heart will not listen to the LORD. It will not obey the LORD. It will not yield to the LORD. The LORD needs to take this heart away from the people. This heart is only taken away from the people through captivity. They needed to learn that they had to depend on the LORD alone.
However, when HE brings them back in the future there will be a change. HE is going to do something new. HE is going to give them a NEW HEART. HE is going to put HIS Holy Spirit within them. HE is going to cause the land to be fruitful. HE is going to make the land like the Garden of Eden.
This has not happened yet. HE says it will, so it is still going to happen in the future. Many think the time period talked about is the Millennium. When will the Messiah reign in Jerusalem? When will the devil will be in chains? When will people live longer lives? It will be a time of blessing.
We need to learn the same lesson. Sometimes things don’t work the way we think they should work and that is just the LORD telling us that the timing isn’t right yet. We have some more lessons to learn from HIM. The children of Israel had to wait seventy years before they would come out of their captivity. We sometimes find it hard to wait a day for the LORD to work.
Our problem is that we want the LORD to work in our timing. HE DOESN’T!!! The LORD is going to take the stony heart out of HIS people and give them a HEART of FLESH. Once we are in tune and waiting for the LORD to work, HE gives us back a heart of flesh. We are frail and HE knows it. At the point of salvation, we received a NEW HEART and a NEW SPIRIT within us. Can we wait for HIM to give us more blessings? HE does it to give glory to HIS name!!!
CHALLENGE: Today we have a new heart in our body as we yield ourselves to Christ in salvation. Our heart of stone is removed. We are no longer blinded to the things of the LORD.
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