Ezekiel 36 -- One Of My Favorites!

My commentary says that God will give Ezekiel messages of restoration, regeneration, resurrection, and reunion, and He begins this chapter with restoration.  It has become one of my favorite “action promises” of God.  He’d given them the land as part of His covenant with Abraham.  “That settled their ownership of the land, but their possession and enjoyment of the land depended on their faith and obedience.”  It’s much the same with us.

In verses 16-38, God tells of regeneration – how He will cleanse the people.  They deserved nothing because of their sin, but God in His grace and in His desire to reclaim the glory of His name, which they’d caused to be sullied, was going to do something amazing.  He lists nine things:

1)      He will cleanse them from their sins

2)      He will give them a new heart

3)      He will give them the Holy Spirit within

4)      He will claim them again as His people

5)      He will cause the land to flourish

6)      He will cause the people to abhor their sins

7)      He will restore their fellowship with him

8)      He will multiply their population

9)      As a result, His name will be glorified

This same thing should be readily apparent in our lives as believers today:

“The Lord has washed us, given us new hearts and His Holy Spirit within, and because of this we should have a holy hatred of sin.  We have the privilege of communion with God and prayer for our needs, plus a desire within to do His will.  God wants to make our lives abundantly fruitful so we will glorify His name.  The Lord has made us a part of His new covenant so that our union with Him through Christ is eternal and unchanging.”

Father, stoke those fires within me!  As I recall old sins, don’t let me wallow in them or enjoy the thought of them, but instead help me to agree with You about how destructive the were to me and to want them out of my life and my mind.  Help me to desire to obey You every minute of every day.  Remove the hardness that may still remain in my heart, and transform it into a heart that desires what You desire.  Make me more like Christ.

Your Brother In Christ,

Gary Ford