Ezekiel - Chapter 36

Ezekiel 36.1 Also, thou son of man, prophesy unto the mountains of Israel, and say, Ye mountains of Israel, hear the word of the LORD: Ezekiel 36.2 Thus saith the Lord GOD; Because the enemy hath said against you, Aha, even the ancient high places are ours in possession: Ezekiel 36.3 Therefore prophesy and say, Thus saith the Lord GOD; Because they have made you desolate, and swallowed you up on every side, that ye might be a possession unto the residue of the heathen, and ye are taken up in the lips of talkers, and are an infamy of the people: Ezekiel 36.4 Therefore, ye mountains of Israel, hear the word of the Lord GOD; Thus saith the Lord GOD to the mountains, and to the hills, to the rivers, and to the valleys, to the desolate wastes, and to the cities that are forsaken, which became a prey and derision to the residue of the heathen that are round about; Ezekiel 36.5 Therefore thus saith the Lord GOD; Surely in the fire of my jealousy have I spoken against the residue of the heathen, and against all Idumea, which have appointed my land into their possession with the joy of all their heart, with despiteful minds, to cast it out for a prey. Ezekiel 36.6 Prophesy therefore concerning the land of Israel, and say unto the mountains, and to the hills, to the rivers, and to the valleys, Thus saith the Lord GOD; Behold, I have spoken in my jealousy and in my fury, because ye have borne the shame of the heathen: Ezekiel 36.7 Therefore thus saith the Lord GOD; I have lifted up mine hand, Surely the heathen that are about you, they shall bear their shame. Ezekiel 36.8 But ye, O mountains of Israel, ye shall shoot forth your branches, and yield your fruit to my people of Israel; for they are at hand to come. Ezekiel 36.9 For, behold, I am for you, and I will turn unto you, and ye shall be tilled and sown: Ezekiel 36.10 And I will multiply men upon you, all the house of Israel, even all of it: and the cities shall be inhabited, and the wastes shall be builded: Ezekiel 36.11 And I will multiply upon you man and beast; and they shall increase and bring fruit: and I will settle you after your old estates, and will do better unto you than at your beginnings: and ye shall know that I am the LORD. Ezekiel 36.12 Yea, I will cause men to walk upon you, even my people Israel; and they shall possess thee, and thou shalt be their inheritance, and thou shalt no more henceforth bereave them of men. Ezekiel 36.13 Thus saith the Lord GOD; Because they say unto you, Thou land devourest up men, and hast bereaved thy nations: Ezekiel 36.14 Therefore thou shalt devour men no more, neither bereave thy nations any more, saith the Lord GOD. Ezekiel 36.15 Neither will I cause men to hear in thee the shame of the heathen any more, neither shalt thou bear the reproach of the people any more, neither shalt thou cause thy nations to fall any more, saith the Lord GOD. Ezekiel 36.16 Moreover the word of the LORD came unto me, saying, Ezekiel 36.17 Son of man, when the house of Israel dwelt in their own land, they defiled it by their own way and by their doings: their way was before me as the uncleanness of a removed woman. Ezekiel 36.18 Wherefore I poured my fury upon them for the blood that they had shed upon the land, and for their idols wherewith they had polluted it: Ezekiel 36.19 And I scattered them among the heathen, and they were dispersed through the countries: according to their way and according to their doings I judged them. Ezekiel 36.20 And when they entered unto the heathen, whither they went, they profaned my holy name, when they said to them, These are the people of the LORD, and are gone forth out of his land. Ezekiel 36.21 But I had pity for mine holy name, which the house of Israel had profaned among the heathen, whither they went. Ezekiel 36.22 Therefore say unto the house of Israel, thus saith the Lord GOD; I do not this for your sakes, O house of Israel, but for mine holy name’s sake, which ye have profaned among the heathen, whither ye went. Ezekiel 36.23 And I will sanctify my great name, which was profaned among the heathen, which ye have profaned in the midst of them; and the heathen shall know that I am the LORD, saith the Lord GOD, when I shall be sanctified in you before their eyes. Ezekiel 36.24 For I will take you from among the heathen, and gather you out of all countries, and will bring you into your own land. Ezekiel 36.25 Then will I sprinkle clean water upon you, and ye shall be clean: from all your filthiness, and from all your idols, will I cleanse you. Ezekiel 36.26 A new heart also will I give you, and a new spirit will I put within you: and I will take away the stony heart out of your flesh, and I will give you an heart of flesh. Ezekiel 36.27 And I will put my spirit within you, and cause you to walk in my statutes, and ye shall keep my judgments, and do them. Ezekiel 36.28 And ye shall dwell in the land that I gave to your fathers; and ye shall be my people, and I will be your God. Ezekiel 36.29 I will also save you from all your uncleannesses: and I will call for the corn, and will increase it, and lay no famine upon you. Ezekiel 36.30 And I will multiply the fruit of the tree, and the increase of the field, that ye shall receive no more reproach of famine among the heathen. Ezekiel 36.31 Then shall ye remember your own evil ways, and your doings that were not good, and shall lothe yourselves in your own sight for your iniquities and for your abominations. Ezekiel 36.32 Not for your sakes do I this, saith the Lord GOD, be it known unto you: be ashamed and confounded for your own ways, O house of Israel. Ezekiel 36.33 Thus saith the Lord GOD; In the day that I shall have cleansed you from all your iniquities I will also cause you to dwell in the cities, and the wastes shall be builded.

Ezekiel : Chapter 36

The Promise of Israel's Restoration in Ezekiel 36

Chapter 36 of the book of Ezekiel offers a hopeful vision for Israel's restoration. In this text, God reveals His plan of renewal for His people and His land. This prophetic revelation addresses fundamental themes such as the spiritual cleansing of Israel and the physical renewal of the land. It also emphasizes the holiness of God's name, spiritual regeneration, and divine faithfulness.

Ezekiel 36 highlights the contrast between divine motivation and human behavior. Through this analysis, we invite you to meditate on five biblical passages that are intimately linked to the transformative promises of this essential chapter.

Jeremiah 31:27-28

"The days will come," declares the Lord, "when I will sow the kingdom of Israel and the kingdom of Judah with man and beast. Just as I have watched over them to uproot them and overthrow them, to destroy them, to make them desolate, and to bring disaster, so now I will watch over them to build and to plant," declares the Lord. This passage from Jeremiah reaffirms the promise of Israel's restoration in Ezekiel 36, illustrating the continuity of divine commitment.

Isaiah 44:3

"For I will pour water on the thirsty land, and streams on the dry land; I will pour my Spirit on your descendants, and my blessing on your offspring." This verse from Isaiah evokes the promise of spiritual renewal found in Ezekiel 36:25-27, emphasizing God's desire to nourish His people.

Joel 2:28

"And it shall come to pass afterward, that I will pour My Spirit upon all flesh; your sons and your daughters shall prophesy, your old men shall dream dreams, and your young men shall see visions." The promise of the outpouring of the Spirit in Joel harmonizes perfectly with that of spiritual renewal in Ezekiel 36.

Psalms 51:10

"Create in me a clean heart, O God, and renew a steadfast spirit within me." This plea from David, imbued with a desire for inner transformation, echoes the promise of a new heart in Ezekiel 36:26.

Zechariah 8:8

"I will bring them back to live in Jerusalem; they will be my people, and I will be their God, faithful and righteous." This promise of restoration in Zechariah reflects the theme of Ezekiel 36 concerning the return of the people to their land, thus illustrating God's unconditional love for his children.

Meditating on these passages, we can appreciate the richness of divine promises that transcend time and remind us of God's faithfulness to his people. May these words nourish our faith and strengthen our hope in the restoration promised by our Lord.