Read Ezekiel 36.
After punishing Israel by removing them from the Promised Land and pronouncing
judgment upon the surrounding nations, God delivered a message of hope.
Israel has a future. The restoration of the Jews to their land is
undeniably clear and specific. Here is what the LORD promised.
1. God will bring them home. (v.8)
The territorial rights to the land is God-given. It is their home.
Scattered by war, taken into exile, and ruled over by empires and other
forces, it was not until 1948 that there existed a nation of Israel on that
land, under their own sovereign government. To this day, they still are
not in possession of all the boundaries of their homeland.
2. God will be with them and turn them back to Him. (v.9)
The word of the LORD looks forward to a complete spiritual repentance in
Israel. Their relationship with God, and the Messiah in particular, will
be reconciled. God will give them a new heart and a new spirit.
"I will put my Spirit within you, and cause you to walk in my
statues and be careful to obey my rules." (vv.26-27)
3. God will bless them with abundance. (v.10-11)
This is not simply a restoration of the nation from exile. He has
promised to multiply them and "will do more good to you than ever
before." The land of Israel will be like the Garden of Eden (v.35).
4. God will give them peace. (vv.12-15)
Since the Exodus and return to the land under Joshua's leadership, Israel has
fought with its neighbors. Satan has always energized ungodly leaders in
every generation in an attempt to eradicate the Jews. This prophecy
anticipates a time when Israel "shall no longer bear the disgrace" of
other nations.
Their sin against God was profanely awful (v.17) and deserving of the justice
Israel received. Even today, the world does not see the Jews worshiping
the LORD as a nation. So, why would God promise such blessings? He
does so for one singular reason. Three times He states, "It is not
for your sake, O house of Israel, that I am about to act, but for the sake of
my holy name." (vv.22, 23, 32)
There is a principle here. Life is not about us. The reason behind
God's blessings is to bring glory and honor to Him.
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