Wednesday, September 21, 2011

Ezekiel 35-37: God's FInal Promise

 “‘For I will take you out of the nations; I will gather you from all the countries and bring you back into your own land. I will sprinkle clean water on you, and you will be clean; I will cleanse you from all your impurities and from all your idols. I will give you a new heart and put a new spirit in you; I will remove from you your heart of stone and give you a heart of flesh.  And I will put my Spirit in you and move you to follow my decrees and be careful to keep my laws. You will live in the land I gave your forefathers; you will be my people, and I will be your God.  I will save you from all your uncleanness. I will call for the grain and make it plentiful and will not bring famine upon you.  I will increase the fruit of the trees and the crops of the field, so that you will no longer suffer disgrace among the nations because of famine. Then you will remember your evil ways and wicked deeds, and you will loathe yourselves for your sins and detestable practices.  I want you to know that I am not doing this for your sake, declares the Sovereign LORD. Be ashamed and disgraced for your conduct, O house of Israel!   - Ezek. 36:24-32 NIV

Visiting Israel was never on my bucket list.  There were too many other places I wanted to see, many other things I wanted to do before making a pilgrimage to the Holy Land.  But once I was there, things changed.  We have been there three times now in the last two years and hope to go again next spring.  What keeps drawing us back?  One it is God's land and the Jews are God's people, but I never expected, that even among the most secular of Jews,  there would be a greater historical perspective and acknowledgement of God's place in their life than exists in most of the Christian communities of which I have been a part. 

God is doing something in Israel.  It is undeniable.  God is preparing the Jews and that land for something more.  They may not realize it, but they are fulfilling the prophecies of the Old Testament prophets and of the Son of God.  Israel is not prospering and living in relative calm because of any power of their own, it is not for their own sake.  It is for God's sake, all part of his infinite, unalterable plan.  Who knows how the next few weeks, months and years will unfold?  Some, like Ezekiel, have seen glimpses of the dry bones being brought back to life.  If we really look, we can also see the dry bones connecting themselves together.  A new heart and spirit is being breathed into God's people.  It's exciting to be among God's chosen and in his promised land as the final promise comes to pass.


2010 Post - Ezekiel 35-37:  Promise to the Dry Bones

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