Devotions

I Will Make Myself Known

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The Lord has a plan. It is a plan for good for those that love righteousness. It is a plan for destruction for those that intend evil. Israel has fallen, the people in Ezekiel 37:11 “are saying … our hope is destroyed; we are cut off”. But the Lord says, in Ezekiel 37:12 “Look! I am opening your graves”. It is the Lord that makes a way were there is no way. It is the Lord that offers a future and a hope after all hope is lost. It is the Lord that delights in one that turns to righteousness. To that one, the Lord offers restoration. Of Israel the Lord says in Ezekiel 39:27 “When I restore them … I will show myself holy through them”. But to those that seek plunder, unrighteous gain and oppression, they will not stand because the Lord says in Ezekiel 37:21-22 “I will call against him in all of my mountains a sword” and in Ezekiel 38:23 “and I will show myself holy”. 

I Am Opening Your Graves

Ezekiel 37:11–20
Israel has been scattered and destroyed as a nation. The nations around are seeking to plunder them in Ezekiel 26:2 “Tyre said concerning Jerusalem, ‘Ah! The gates of the peoples are broken; it has swung open to me; I shall be filled, for it lies in ruins!’” This is a bleak situation. By every indication they are finished as a people and as a nation so naturally, “the house of Israel” in Ezekiel 37:11 “are saying … our hope is destroyed; we are cut off”.

But the Lord says, after everything is gone, after everything has been destroyed, after all hope is gone, in Ezekiel 37:12 “Look! I am opening your graves, and I will bring you up from your graves, my people, and I will bring you to the land of Israel!” The Lord says he will open their graves, and bring them “up from your graves” and in Ezekiel 37:14 “I will put my breath into you so that you may live”.

This promise though, is not just to the current exiles who have just been through the destruction of Jerusalem. This is to Judah and Israel that in Ezekiel 37:19 “so that they be one in my hand”.

I Am Taking the Israelites From Among the Nations

Ezekiel 37:21–28

You Will Devise Evil Plans

Ezekiel 38:1–12

I Will Make Myself Known Before the Eyes of Many Nations

Ezekiel 38:13–23
After the Lord restores Israel, at a time when “the idyllic peace and security of the Israelites, who do not even have city walls to protect them (cf. Zech. 2:4) and who are therefore an easy prey”.1

It is at this time that, as it said in

Ezekiel 38:10 “ ‘Thus says the Lord Yahweh: “And then on that day, things will come up on your mind, and you will devise evil plans.

It is at that time that as described in Ezekiel 37:2-9 Gog, and Persia, Cush, Put, and Gomer, “and many nations along with you” and here they will come to in

Ezekiel 38:13 “Sheba and Dedan and traders of Tarshish and all its strong lions, they will ask you, ‘To loot loot are you coming? To plunder plunder have you summoned your assembly, to take away silver and gold, to take livestock and goods, to loot great amounts of loot?” ’”

But the Lord will be the defender of the the land of Israel in Ezekiel 37:21-22 “I will call against him in all of my mountains a sword … And the sword of each person will be against his brother … I will execute justice with him with a plague and with blood and torrents of rain, and hailstones; fire and sulfur”.

We expect of the Lord would be their defender. And, we expect the Lord would show his strength and “exalt” himself and make himself “known” as he goes on to say in

Ezekiel 38:23 “And so I will exalt myself, and I will show myself holy, and I will make myself known before the eyes of many nations, and they will know that I am Yahweh”

But we may not expect to have the Lord include this statement, “I will show myself holy”. It is in this judgement though, that all will understand the difference between the holy and profane. It is in bringing down the plunderers and looters and “Thus will Jehovah prove Himself to be the almighty God by judgment upon His enemies, and sanctify Himself before all the nations (v. 23, compare v. 16 and Ezek. 36:23)”.2

On the Mountains of Israel You Will Fall

Ezekiel 39:1–10

You Will be Satisfied at My Table

Ezekiel 39:11–20

I Will Show Myself Holy Through Them

Ezekiel 39:21–29
All of this has purpose, the first is that “the nations will see my (the Lords) judgement” in

Ezekiel 39:21 “And I will display my glory among the nations, and all of the nations will see my judgment that I have executed and my hand that I have laid upon them”.

Next, there will never again be any doubt and all of “the house of Israel will know” that the Lord is “their God” in

Ezekiel 39:22 “And the house of Israel will know that I am Yahweh their God from that day and beyond”.

And the last thing is that all will know it was the unfaithfulness, the uncleanness, the transgression of Israel that caused their exile in

Ezekiel 39:23 “and the nations will know that because of their guilt the house of Israel went into exile, because they acted unfaithfully against me, and I hid my face from them”.

Through these actions we understand the two ways that we see the holiness of God.

  • One way, is through the destruction of anything unclean because the Lord is righteous and cannot abide with sin. But the Lord does not take any pleasure in this (see Ezekiel 18:23).
  • The other way, the way God desires to show his holiness is through restoration in Ezekiel 39:27 “When I restore them from the nations and I gather them from the countries of their enemies, then I will show myself holy through them before the eyes of many nations”.

Study Verses

Today’s Reading

  • Ezekiel 37:11-28
  • Ezekiel 38:1-23
  • Ezekiel 39:1-29

References

  • 1. Taylor, J. B. (1969). Ezekiel: an Introduction and commentary (Vol. 22, p. 239). Downers Grove, IL: InterVarsity Press.
  • 2. Keil, C. F., & Delitzsch, F. (1996). Commentary on the Old Testament (Vol. 9, p. 336). Peabody, MA: Hendrickson.