Ezekiel 36 My Name’s Sake

God has Ezekiel call out to the mountains of Israel. “I will restore you for MY name’s sake.” Restoration is promised to the land and the people.

Israel has been brought low because of all her sins. God warned them from the beginning what would happen when, not even if, they turned away from Him. Now that He has removed the people from the lands He gave them, it’s time to begin restorations. It is a process that will take time; starting with removing those who have taken up residence in Israel’s absence.

Let’s join Ezekiel as he gives the people hope. Holy Spirit, please guide this journey today. Show me what You want me to learn from Your word and what to take for my own life.

(As I started writing today, I realized that this should have been put together with the prophecies against the Mount Seir. Sorry. It will be when it is in book form.)

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Ezekiel is counting down the years, along with the rest of Israel. God said they would be in captivity for 70 years. Ezekiel, himself, has been in captivity almost 20 years. The prophecies that God is having him give to the people are fewer and farther between. But whatever the Lord gives to Ezekiel, he brings straight to the people. And in between those prophecies, he reminds the people of God’s previous words; especially the need to return to Him with their whole hearts.

As Ezekiel meets with God again this morning, God continues His word regarding the mountains of the nations. Ezekiel wonders if he rushed God the previous day. He will make certain to wait today.

“And you, son of man, prophesy to the mountains of Israel, and say, O mountains of Israel, hear the word of the Lord. Thus says the Lord God: Because the enemy said of you, ‘Aha!’ and, ‘The ancient heights have become our possession,’ therefore prophesy, and say, Thus says the Lord God: Precisely because they made you desolate and crushed you from all sides, so that you became the possession of the rest of the nations, and you became the talk and evil gossip of the people, therefore, O mountains of Israel, hear the word of the Lord God: Thus says the Lord God to the mountains and the hills, the ravines and the valleys, the desolate wastes and the deserted cities, which have become a prey and derision to the rest of the nations all around, therefore thus says the Lord God: Surely I have spoken in my hot jealousy against the rest of the nations and against all Edom, who gave my land to themselves as a possession with wholehearted joy and utter contempt, that they might make its pasturelands a prey. Therefore prophesy concerning the land of Israel, and say to the mountains and hills, to the ravines and valleys, Thus says the Lord God: Behold, I have spoken in my jealous wrath, because you have suffered the reproach of the nations. Therefore thus says the Lord God: I swear that the nations that are all around you shall themselves suffer reproach.

“But you, O mountains of Israel, shall shoot forth your branches and yield your fruit to my people Israel, for they will soon come home…”

Ezekiel’s breath catches on the ‘soon’ word. He wants to ask how much longer, but remains quiet as God continues.

“…For behold, I am for you, and I will turn to you, and you shall be tilled and sown. And I will multiply people on you, the whole house of Israel, all of it. The cities shall be inhabited and the waste places rebuilt. And I will multiply on you man and beast, and they shall multiply and be fruitful. And I will cause you to be inhabited as in your former times, and will do more good to you than ever before. Then you will know that I am the Lord. I will let people walk on you, even my people Israel. And they shall possess you, and you shall be their inheritance, and you shall no longer bereave them of children. Thus says the Lord God: Because they say to you, ‘You devour people, and you bereave your nation of children,’ therefore you shall no longer devour people and no longer bereave your nation of children, declares the Lord God. And I will not let you hear anymore the reproach of the nations, and you shall no longer bear the disgrace of the peoples and no longer cause your nation to stumble, declares the Lord God” (Ezekiel 36:1-15).

Ezekiel waits patiently to see if God is going to say any more. His excitement is building as he waits. He wants the people to hear this encouraging word.

When he is certain that there is no more on this matter, he readies for the day. He can’t wait to get to the marketplace and share God’s word of restoration.

Ezekiel takes his place on his favorite stone and begins sharing the words of the Lord with the people. Before he finishes, the people are dancing in the streets! Ezekiel doesn’t stop, even though they may not be listening, until he reaches the conclusion. He watches the people from where he stands. It takes a while before the excitement finally dies down.

Word spreads about this prophecy like lightning. When Ezekiel shares it again a little later, the people are already excited. Dancing doesn’t break out, like the first time, but joyous shouts pepper the crowd.

“Praise be to God!” “He has not forgotten us!” “We are His people and He is our God!”

These sentiments and more bring joy to Ezekiel’s heart. He prays that this is a true turning point for his people.

Ezekiel shares this word from the Lord for a month. By this time the people have stopped rejoicing and have begun to ask; “How soon is ‘soon’?” They are becoming impatient.

Ezekiel calls out to the frustrated people. “God’s timing is not like our own. The Lord told the prophets that our captivity would be 70 years. I don’t know what date He started counting from, but we have not reached that point; yet. Be patient and work on your heart so that we will all be ready when the time comes.”

A few weeks later, Ezekiel is spending his morning time with the Lord when He speaks to him again.

“Son of man, when the house of Israel lived in their own land, they defiled it by their ways and their deeds. Their ways before me were like the uncleanness of a woman in her menstrual impurity. So I poured out my wrath upon them for the blood that they had shed in the land, for the idols with which they had defiled it. I scattered them among the nations, and they were dispersed through the countries. In accordance with their ways and their deeds I judged them. But when they came to the nations, wherever they came, they profaned my holy name, in that people said of them, ‘These are the people of the Lord, and yet they had to go out of his land.’ But I had concern for my holy name, which the house of Israel had profaned among the nations to which they came” (Ezekiel 36:17-21).

“We certainly don’t act like the people of the Lord. Even here, the people chase after idols. No wonder they don’t see a difference in us. How will You protect Your name Lord with such a witness as us?”

“Therefore say to the house of Israel, Thus says the Lord God: It is not for your sake, O house of Israel, that I am about to act, but for the sake of my holy name, which you have profaned among the nations to which you came. And I will vindicate the holiness of my great name, which has been profaned among the nations, and which you have profaned among them. And the nations will know that I am the Lord, declares the Lord God, when through you I vindicate my holiness before their eyes. I will take you from the nations and gather you from all the countries and bring you into your own land. I will sprinkle clean water on you, and you shall be clean from all your uncleannesses, and from all your idols I will cleanse you. And I will give you a new heart, and a new spirit I will put within you. And I will remove the heart of stone from your flesh and give you a heart of flesh. And I will put my Spirit within you, and cause you to walk in my statutes and be careful to obey my rules. You shall dwell in the land that I gave to your fathers, and you shall be my people, and I will be your God. And I will deliver you from all your uncleannesses. And I will summon the grain and make it abundant and lay no famine upon you. I will make the fruit of the tree and the increase of the field abundant, that you may never again suffer the disgrace of famine among the nations. Then you will remember your evil ways, and your deeds that were not good, and you will loathe yourselves for your iniquities and your abominations. It is not for your sake that I will act, declares the Lord God; let that be known to you. Be ashamed and confounded for your ways, O house of Israel” (Ezekiel 36:22-32).

“We do not deserve Your mercy O Lord! But we are grateful for it. I will make certain that the people KNOW that Your actions are NOT something we have earned, but they are for the sake of Your name. So that Your name may be known throughout the nations. That You are a God who keeps His promises. And that You can take a people as stubborn as us and make them Yours.”

“Thus says the Lord God: On the day that I cleanse you from all your iniquities, I will cause the cities to be inhabited, and the waste places shall be rebuilt. And the land that was desolate shall be tilled, instead of being the desolation that it was in the sight of all who passed by. And they will say, ‘This land that was desolate has become like the garden of Eden, and the waste and desolate and ruined cities are now fortified and inhabited.’ Then the nations that are left all around you shall know that I am the Lord; I have rebuilt the ruined places and replanted that which was desolate. I am the Lord; I have spoken, and I will do it” (Ezekiel 36:33-36).

“All Israel looks forward to that day! The day when You restore Your people and proclaim Your name among the nations. I PRAY that this people will be ready and serve You with their whole hearts when that time comes. I PRAY that they are already turning to You in this place where You sent us as punishment for our sins. Let us NEVER forget how we came to this point. And NEVER let us repeat the sins of our fathers!”

“Thus says the Lord God: This also I will let the house of Israel ask me to do for them: to increase their people like a flock. Like the flock for sacrifices, like the flock at Jerusalem during her appointed feasts, so shall the waste cities be filled with flocks of people. Then they will know that I am the Lord” (Ezekiel 36:37-38).

“Yes, Lord! Let it be so. And let us be a people unto You.”

Ezekiel is more than happy to bring this message to the people. But he waits to make certain that the Lord doesn’t have more to add before rising from his place.

Once he is certain, Ezekiel quickly eats his breakfast and gets ready to leave. Today, for the first time in a long time, he stops to finger his wife’s shawl by the door. “The Lord says that it won’t be long before He brings us back to our land. I wish you could see it with me. I still miss your company, but I know that you are safe in the arms of our Lord.”

Ezekiel gives the shawl another pat and heads out the door. In the marketplace, he takes his traditional place. A ripple of recognition moves through the crowd and they all stop what they are doing and prepare to listen.

Ezekiel smiles at all the people. He has good news to share today, but it will come with a price. That price is learning the lesson God brought them here to teach them.

“My brothers and sisters, I bring you good news again from our Lord. He promises to restore His people. BUT it is NOT something we have earned. It is for His own name’s sake. We are still a sinful people who have turned away from Him. He WILL bless us. And we WILL be ashamed of our behavior that led us to this place of exile. Turn now and repent that you may counted as one He brings back to the Land.”

After sharing this short message of his own, Ezekiel shares every word that the Lord has given him. The people’s hearts are pricked. They realize, maybe for the first time ever, that THEY are not worthy of the rescue God is planning. It is for His own name’s sake that He is acting. But they are MORE than happy to be the recipient of His restoration; including having a new heart.

Ezekiel brings this message for the rest of the time he ministers to the exiles. He adds every new message as the Lord gives them, but he believes that THIS message is crucial for the people to hear. And EVERY Hebrew ear in the region hears these words of the Lord at one time or another.

(to be continued)

This message is as true today as the day God first spoke it. We have NOT earned salvation. We can’t do ANYTHING that would ‘pay God back’ for all that He has given us. No matter how hard we try. Salvation and righteousness comes through the blood of Jesus Christ. God sprinkled the ‘water’ on the people of Israel to make them clean. They didn’t earn it and never would. It is by God’s grace that any of us have a future with Him.

Father God, I KNOW I can’t earn my way into Your family. Not before meeting You and not after. But I will act on the grace You have given me and live a life that is pleasing unto You, the best I can. It won’t save me, but it will demonstrate how MUCH I LOVE You and want to honor You for saving me, for YOUR name’s sake.