Ezekiel 36
God is about to breathe a word of Good News to Israel, finally.
The destruction and dissipation of the nation Israel comes to an end in this chapter.
God announces to the mountains that He has had enough of the enemy in His Promised Land. (In the book of Mark 11:13-14 even Jesus spoke to an inanimate object, a fig tree.)
Israel was justly punished for their sins, yet even as He hoped they would 'get it' in punishment, Israel still profaned and brought shame to God's name even when they were in the midst of God's judgment.
Yet, because God is in a covenant relationship with Israel, He now explains that He will bring about to Israel a couple things. First, they will have a change of their hearts, then He will give them prosperity in the land again. He does not completely give up on them despite their idolatry. But here is the kicker! It's not because He finally wants to bless Israel for doing well or being obedient that He says He will restore them back.
No, He is bringing Israel back to protect His own name. The heathen people (Edom) will see what God is doing and His good name will be restored, despite Israel.
"The external restoration must be preceded by an internal
one. The change in their condition must not be superficial, but must be
based on a radical renewal of the heart. Then the heathen,
understanding from the regenerated lives of God's people how holy God
is, would perceive Israel's past troubles to have been only the
necessary vindications of His righteousness. Thus God's name would be
"sanctified" before the heathen, and God's people be prepared for
outward blessings." www.biblestudytool.com
"Once we move from thinking that the Lord loves us and blesses us because
of some virtue we possess, to believing that it’s all because of Him, then we have security.
Our goodness fluctuates and is like a filthy rag (the example the Lord gives of a filthy rag is actually a woman's bloody menstrual old cloth) compared to God’s standard of true holiness, which is Jesus. But God’s commitment to us is based on His unchanging love alone." ~Andrew Wommack
Ezekiel 37
Because the destruction of Israel was so complete and seemed hopeless, God gave a vision (this did not actually happen) to Ezekiel that there indeed would be a reviving of Israel again. It would be like a resurrection from the dead.
Considering the condition of these very dry bones, it is clear that there was no way, short of God's intervention, that anything could be brought back to life. The message to us is to remember that God can restore, revive, and give life even when there is nothing else man could possibly do on his own.
Mark 10:27 (NLT)
27 Jesus looked at them intently and said, “Humanly speaking, it is impossible. But not with God. Everything is possible with God.”
Note on Ezekiel 37:16
The nation of Israel had been split into two nations after the death of Solomon .
The northern nation was called Israel. It was conquered by the
Assyrians and taken into captivity around 721 B.C. The southern nation was composed of the two tribes of Benjamin and
Judah and went by the name of Judah. Jerusalem was taken by
Nebuchadnezzar the first time around 598 B.C. That was when Ezekiel was taken as a captive to Babylon. He wrote this book from Babylon. ~Andrew Wommack
In this latter part of chapter 37, God tells them that they will become one undivided nation again. This was literally fulfilled at the rebirth of Israel in 1948.
Verses 24-28 has messianic meaning. This servant David, the shepherd, is referring to Jesus.
http://youtu.be/SM-eqKhlWyM
Hebrews 13:20 (NLT)
20 Now may the God of peace—
who brought up from the dead our Lord Jesus,
the great Shepherd of the sheep,
and ratified an eternal covenant with his blood—
who brought up from the dead our Lord Jesus,
the great Shepherd of the sheep,
and ratified an eternal covenant with his blood—
The King here reigns for ever as only the MESSIAH does that. The union of Judah and Israel under King Messiah symbolizes the
union of Jews and Gentiles under Him, partly now, perfectly hereafter.
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