Ezekiel 36 - ESV - Bible Reading / Study Notes

Ezekiel 36

Prophecy to the Mountains of Israel

36:1 “And you, son of man, prophesy to the mountains of Israel, and say, O mountains of Israel, hear the word of the LORD. 2 Thus says the Lord GOD: Because the enemy said of you, ‘Aha!’ and, ‘The ancient heights have become our possession,’ 3 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, 4 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, 5 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. 6 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. 7 Therefore thus says the Lord GOD: I swear that the nations that are all around you shall themselves suffer reproach.

8 “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. 9 For behold, I am for you, and I will turn to you, and you shall be tilled and sown. 10 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. 11 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. 12 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. 13 Thus says the Lord GOD: Because they say to you, ‘You devour people, and you bereave your nation of children,’ 14 therefore you shall no longer devour people and no longer bereave your nation of children, declares the Lord GOD. 15 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.”

The Lord’s Concern for His Holy Name

16 The word of the LORD came to me: 17 “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. 18 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. 19 I scattered them among the nations, and they were dispersed through the countries. In accordance with their ways and their deeds I judged them. 20 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.’ 21 But I had concern for my holy name, which the house of Israel had profaned among the nations to which they came.

I Will Put My Spirit Within You

22 “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. 23 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. 24 I will take you from the nations and gather you from all the countries and bring you into your own land. 25 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. 26 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. 27 And I will put my Spirit within you, and cause you to walk in my statutes and be careful to obey my rules.¹ 28 You shall dwell in the land that I gave to your fathers, and you shall be my people, and I will be your God. 29 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. 30 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. 31 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. 32 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.

33 “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. 34 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. 35 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.’ 36 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.

37 “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. 38 Like the flock for sacrifices,² 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.”

Footnotes

[1] 36:27 Or my just decrees
[2] 36:38 Hebrew flock of holy things

Commentary

v1-4: Words addressed to the mountains of Israel, symbolic of the whole land, which had been made desolate, its people scattered amongst many nations. But, says Almighty God, the land has a future, as well as the people.

v5: "I have spoken," referring to chapters 25-32, and 35. God's "burning zeal" for His people, which led Him to pronounce judgment upon the nations.

v6: Both the people and the land had borne the scorn of the nations, seeking to possess the land, and remove or destroy the people.

v7: The promise; before the promises for Israel, the promise that those nations which attacked with glee and malice will "suffer scorn."

v8-11: Better things ahead for Israel, including the land.

v8: Fruitfulness in the land, for the regathered people to enjoy.

v9: God's bias towards His own; ploughing and sowing, implying a future reaping.

v10: Men multiplied, and cities rebuilt.

v11: The future better than the past.

The restoration of Israel will demonstrate the character and glory of God, just as the various judgments against the nations demonstrate His character.

v12: The land of Israel will become the inheritance of the people of Israel. No longer shall there be conflict between them, no more shall the land bereave the people of its children. People and land in harmony, no more thorns and thistles, Gen 3.18-19.

v13-15: The people had died in the land, in famine, sickness and sword, all at the permission of God. This will cease, for God's judgments will cease. The word ‘devour’ is reminiscent of the report of the spies in Num 13.32.

v16-20: Israel's persistent rebellion, because of which they had to leave the land. The Lord poured out His fury, scattering and judging His people. Even in foreign lands, they continued in their disobedience, dishonouring His Name.

v21: The Lord's concern and priority was for His Name, which His people continued to dishonour wherever there went.

v22: For His name's sake, future blessing is promised for Israel.

v23: Previously, God Name had been profaned among the nations, but in the future, His Name will be sanctified through His people. God’s promises here are stated in firmly language. Nothing will prevent the will of God being fulfilled.

v24: First the geographical return, in which God is hallowed in His people, 34.13.

v25-27: The spiritual restoration;

I will sprinkle clean water on you, I will cleanse you; dealing with the past
I will give you a new heart and a new spirit, I will remove the heart of stone;
I will put my Spirit in you, and move you to obey my decrees; a new life of obedience to God.

Thus, the restored Israel will be marked out by obedience.This inner change makes possible the covenant of 37.26-28.

v28: Dwelling in the land, fulfilling promises given to Abraham and Jacob, and a new relationship with God.

v29: Cleansing and prosperity; no more idolatry, and no more famine.

v30: Famine brought disgrace upon the people of God, but that will be ended.

v31: Real repentance and sorrow.

v32: See v21-22, "be ashamed and disgraced for your conduct." The promises of future blessings, and the reasons for those blessings should affect the people's attitudes and desires today, and especially bring them to repentance. The future restoration of Israel is no reward for good behaviour and past faithfulness, but because of God's mighty power and grace.

v33-36: God's promises will be fulfilled; geographical return and spiritual restoration will happen together. God has spoken and He will do it; Is 9.6-7, the zeal of the Lord of hosts will perform this.

v37-38: Israel's responsibility to pray for God's promises to be fulfilled. Prayer ensures our thoughts are in line with God's thoughts. The Spirit of supplication is poured out upon Israel.