God’s Purpose Revealed – Ezekiel 36:1-6-37:28-37
Ezekiel 36:16-23
God poured out His wrath on the Israelites because they defiled their own land by their conduct and their actions. They defiled it with idols and profaned the Lord’s Name.
God exiled them from their land. When they were among other nations, they profaned God’s Name and didn’t glorify Him. The other nations questioned the power and reputation of God. They saw this as God’s rejection of His people, which probably looked like Israel’s God was weak and that He didn’t keep His promises. God risked His own reputation in the world for the sake of Israel.
God intervened on His people’s behalf for the sake of His Holy Name so the nations would know that He is Lord.
Sin impacts the world today and it impacts God’s reputation. It affects us as individual and as a society. Scriptures tell us over and over that sin leads to death and destruction because there are consequences when going against the grain regarding how God designed us to live and obey Him. Sin is seen in the moral decay of society as corruption, greed, and injustice. Then when God deals with our sin, it makes God look like the bad guy. We need to be ambassadors for Christ (2 Cor. 5:20). Others look to Christians as examples. When we act right and do right because of Jesus, we are building the reputation of God. When we don’t do right, we are damaging His reputation because we are supposed to be like Him.
God’s holiness and the greatness of His name should change the way we live. We should be more loving, more patience, show more kindness, gentleness and self-control. We need to be more like Jesus.
Principle: God loves us and never gives up on His people.
God’s Promises Give Hope – Ezekiel 36:24-38
God promised physical and spiritual blessings to His exiled people. He said He would take them out of the nations and bring them into their own land. He would make them clean from all impurities and idols. He would give them a new heart and put a new spirit in them causing them to follow His decrees and to keep His vows. He would be their God and they would be His people. He would make them prosperous. (Ezekiel 36:24-30)
These promises relate to salvation in Christ. When we accept Him as Savior we are a new person; the old self is dead and we have a new heart and a new spirit. He forgives us for all sin and makes us pure. This love and mercy cause us to follow His commands; we are now part of His people.
Ezekiel 36:31-32 – Grief over our sins is profitable. When we are truly sorry over our sins, it brings repentance. Then it brings happiness, comfort, change, healing and spiritual growth. “Blessed are those who mourn, for they shall be comforted.” – Matt. 5:4.
Principle: Repentance from sin brings salvation, comfort, change, and healing.
God’s Promise of Restoration – Ezekiel 37:1-14
Ezekiel had a vision. By the Spirit of the Lord he was set in the middle of a valley full of dry bones. The Lord asked him if these bones can live. Ezkiel answered, “O Sovereign Lord, you alone know.” – Ezekiel 37:3 He knew the bones had no hope of living, but he was confident God did know. He had faith in God. This reveals that God is omniscience; He knows all things. He knows the past, present, and the future. He even knows our thoughts and intentions.
God told him to prophesy to theses bones. “Dry bones, hear the word of the Lord!” – Ezekiel 37:4. God told the bones they would live. Then the bones began to rattle and come together with tendons and flesh but there was no breath in them. (Ezekiel 37:4-8)
Ezekiel prophesied a second time. Then breath entered the bones and they came to life. They stood up on their feet into a vast army. (Ezekiel 37:9-10)
God interpreted the vision. He said these bones are the whole house of Israel. These bones were dry with no hope. Their only hope for life and restoration was in God. Our bones are dry and our hope is lost without Jesus. (Ezekiel 37:11-14)
Principle: Our only hope is in Jesus Christ.
God’s Promise of Unity – Ezekiel 37:15-28
God commanded Ezekiel to perform a dramatic, prophetic visual. He told him to take a stick of wood and write on it that it belonged to Judah and the Israelites associated with him. Then He told him to take another stick and write on it that it was Ephraim’s stick belonging to Joseph and all the house of Israel associated with him. Then he was to join the sticks together to become one stick.
God said his visual illustrated that God would bring Joseph’s stick and the Israelite tribes associated with him and join it to Judah’s stick making them a single stick. God would take the Israelites out of the nations and bring them back to their own nation. They would be a single nation under one king. They would no longer defile themselves with idols and He would save them from all their sinful backsliding. They would be cleansed. They would be His people, and He would be their God. (Ezekiel 37:18-23)
Ezekiel 37:24-26 points to Christ. Christ is the true David, Israel’s King of old. Jesus is a descendant of David. Jesus is the eternal King who reigns over God’s people forever.
Ezekiel 37:27-28 offers hope. God said His dwelling place will be with them and He will be their God and they will be His people. Then the nations will know that He, the Lord will make Israel holy. His sanctuary will be among them forever.
God’s presence and work within His people provide a witness to the world by believers who follow His teachings and show acts of compassion, justice, worship, and devotion under the guidance of the Holy Spirit. These actions attract others and draws them to Jesus.
Principle: God promises to unify His people under one king, King Jesus.
Next week we will continue our study in the book of Daniel. Hope to see you here. -- I encourage you to trust in Jesus.
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