This lesson must begin by reading Ezekiel 36:22-38. Ezekiel's work as God's prophet came at an extremely difficult time. The world as Israel knew it was crumbling. Assyria fell. Babylon grew in power. Egypt tried to reassert itself as one of the major world powers. In these international clashes, much too often Palestine was the battlefield.
It was bad enough for a Jew to live in this period. Yet, for Ezekiel, it was worse. When Babylon defeated Jerusalem, Ezekiel was among the first group of Jewish captives sent to Babylon. In Babylon among the Jewish captives from Jerusalem, he received his prophetic call. Jerusalem still stood, the temple was intact, and many felt "the worst has passed." Ezekiel's first responsibility was to inform Israelites the impossible was certain to occur: (1) the city of Jerusalem would fall and (2) the temple would be destroyed. This was horrible news for the captives!
When that happened, it was Ezekiel's responsibility to restore hope among captive Israelites by reasserting God's promises. God could and would cause Israel to be restored in remarkable ways. God could and would give a dead nation life again.
For a prophet, two tasks are among his most difficult challenges. Difficult task one: convince God's people the unthinkable [that is also the undesirable] unavoidably will happen. To the exiles and Jerusalem's citizens, the city's fall and the temple's destruction was unthinkable. God could not allow either of those things! Suggesting He would allow both of those things was preposterous! That was God's city! That was God's temple! Israel was God's nation! They were the descendants God promised Abraham! Massive destruction was impossible! If they secured protection by aligning themselves with "the right side," they would avoid catastrophe.
Difficult task two: restore hope in God's people after the unthinkable [and undesirable] unavoidably happened. When the dust settled, Jerusalem was burned, the temple was destroyed, and most living Israelites were captives in Babylon. The nation of Israel was dead! Hope was gone! There was no future! Israelites were dry bones in a valley--not corpses, but bones dead so long that they were dry. Israel would never live again!
Ezekiel wrote today's text to give captive Israelites hope. Israel would be renewed. It would happen because God willed it, not because Israel deserved it. Note Ezekiel's emphasis on God's sovereignty. Why should captive Israelites in Babylon dare place confidence in a promised renewal of their nation? Because they deserved to return to their homeland? No. Because military might would rescue them some day? No. Because they would form the right alliances with other nations that placed them "on the right side" at the "right time"? No. Then why should they place confidence in Ezekiel's prophetic promise of renewal? God was sovereign, and the sovereign God willed it. They would not make it happen. Other nations would not make it happen. God would make it happen. Simply stated, it would happen because God said it would happen.
Note the stress on God causing Israel's renewal in order for God to vindicate Himself.
Ezekiel 36:22, "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 My holy name, which you have profaned among the nations where you went."
Ezekiel 36:23, "I will vindicate the holiness of My great name which has been profaned among the nations, which you have profaned in their midst. Then the nations will know that I am the Lord," declares the Lord God, "when I prove Myself holy among you in their sight."
Ezekiel 36:24 "For I will take you from the nations, gather you from all the lands and bring you into your own land."
Ezekiel 36:32 "I am not doing this for your sake," declares the Lord God, "let it be known to you. Be ashamed and confounded for your ways, O house of Israel!"
Ezekiel 36:36 "Then the nations that are left round about you will know that I, the Lord, have rebuilt the ruined places and planted that which was desolate; I, the Lord, have spoken and will do it."
This statement closes the chapter: Ezekiel 36:38 ". . . Then they will know that I am the Lord."
And how will Israel react to God's renewal? Ezekiel 36:31 "Then you will remember your evil ways and your deeds that were not good, and you will loathe yourselves in your own sight for your iniquities and your abominations."
Take note of Ezekiel's [writing in God's voice] emphasis on "I." "I will sprinkle clean water on you and cleanse you from all your filthiness" (v 25). "I will give you a new heart and spirit and remove your heart of stone" (v 26). "I will put My Spirit in you and cause you to live in My instructions" (v 27). "I will save you from all your uncleanness" (v 29).
Why would God do this? "You have misrepresented Me among the nations. Therefore I will vindicate the holiness of My great name. When I do this the nations will know that I am the Lord" (v 23). God made two facts undeniably plain: (1) "I, God, will do this because I must vindicate My holy name (v 22); (2) "I, God, will not do this for your sake, but [by context] for the sake of My holy name" (v 32).
God's will happens because God is God! He is patient. He is forgiving. He is merciful. Yet, He is determined. The moment would come when His holiness and His supremacy were vindicated among the nations. The moment will come when His holiness and supremacy are vindicated among the nations. In spite of us, our arrogance, our evil, and our misrepresentations of God, it will be obvious to the nations that God is God. It is not about us. It is about Him.
Discussion Question: Discuss ways that American Christians often misrepresent God to the nations.
Link to Teacher's Guide
Lesson 6