Vindication
In the first few verses of Ezekiel 36, we hear about God’s
vindication. Yes, the Hebrew people went
into captivity. But as we discussed in
the prior chapter, that captivity was to teach a lesson. It wasn’t as though God was telling them that
they had lost out on the covenant completely.
Rather, God was saying that they needed to be brought to judgment for
their prior actions. But God would
restart the process again.
The problem is that the world doesn’t see it that way. The world often looks upon people who are
being corrected by God as though they are an opportunity for advancement. It’s the old, “Kick ‘em while they’re down”
approach. The world wanted to kick the
Hebrew people while they were down. God
is telling the Hebrew people not to worry about that. They need to focus on learning the lesson God
is teaching them. God will take care of
their vindication when the time is right.
Mountains of Israel
When we get to verses 8-15, we have a really neat dialogue
happening. Literally, this passage is
God speaking to the mountains of Israel.
God isn’t speaking to the people; He is speaking to the creation!
This is actually pretty cool.
It gives us a perspective into God’s eyes. God sees creation being fulfilled when the
people living among creation are fruitful and productive. The purpose of creation is to help the people
be productive. Creation is fulfilled
when people are using creation to live righteously according to God’s design.
As I read through those words, I had to think about all the barren
planets out there. How many planets are
like Mercury – so hot from proximity to the sun that they can’t sustain
life? Or how many are like Venus – so toxic
that they can’t sustain life? Or perhaps
like Mars – having an atmosphere so thin that it can’t sustain life? Or perhaps they are like Neptune and Pluto –
so far from the sun that they are too cold to sustain life? How many planets in the universe will not
know life atop their soils?
How blessed we are to live here.
How blessed we are to have a God that created a world that finds fulfillment
by having us live righteously atop its soil.
What a wonderful relationship we should miraculously and undeservedly find
ourselves in.
God’s Name is Holy
After reminding the people – and specifically the land – that there
will be restoration, God also reminds them about why there needs to be
restoration. The people profaned the
Lord. They profaned His name. Even when they went among the nations in
exile they continued to profane His name.
The Hebrew people did not live up to their end of the covenant. They did not proclaim the holiness of the
Lord to the nations.
This is also a great reminder to hear. God is primarily concerned with His
holiness. Life is about God. Life is about recognizing that there is only
one perfect and righteous being in the span of the whole universe. Life is about being in relationship with that
being and inviting others to see His righteousness.
So often, life is about anything but that. Life is about our own agendas. Life is about our own problems. Life is about our own issues. Life is about our own celebrations. Life is about anything except declaring God’s
holy and righteous name to the nations.
Yet as we hear in this chapter, that is one of God’s primary
concerns. This point is rather humbling.
Restoration
For the sake of God’s name, God will restore His people. He will take away their heart of stone and
give to them a heart of flesh. He will
take away their unrighteousness. He will
put His Spirit within His people and deliver them from their uncleanness. But He will do it for the sake of His name.
As I read these verses, I cannot help but think of the work of
Jesus Christ. Yes, I understand that the
land was restored prior to Christ. Yes,
I understand that the cities became inhabited prior to Christ’s coming. But this passage makes the most sense when
looked at from the perspective of the work of Christ on the cross.
When did God truly put His Spirit in all people? When the Lord breathed upon His disciples and
sent them forth in Pentecost. When did
the uncleanness of the people truly become dealt with? At the sacrifice of Jesus Christ on the
cross. When does the stone heart of man
become living flesh? When the Spirit of
the Lord enters into us and creates us anew.
When was it that the nations finally heard about the name of the
Lord? When Christ’s followers had the
full message of God’s grace and were driven across the face of the globe by
persecution! When do the followers of
God truly become aware of the holiness of God’s name and the desire grows within
His followers to promote His holiness to the nations? After Christ, when the fullness of God’s
grace comes to mankind.
We are indeed blessed. As I
mentioned earlier, we are blessed to live in a creation that is fulfilled by
our presence as we live righteously in God.
We also have been blessed to be in a relationship with a Creator who can
take our moments of unrighteousness and turn them around. We are blessed indeed.
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