Read Ezekiel 39:25-29
We’ve heard about the doom and devastation, and now we see how God displays his mercy. The time of exile will most certainly end. God’s people will return to their homeland where God will watch over them. What a peace provoking prophecy this is as it summarizes God’s merciful plans with no more mention of Gog!
Deuteronomy 7:9 says this about God’s mercy. “Understand, therefore, that the Lord your God is indeed God. He is the faithful God who keeps his covenant for a thousand generations and lavishes his unfailing love on those who love him and obey his commands.” God’s mercy is extended to those who stay faithful. Many in Ezekiel’s audience had forgotten what it meant to stay faithful.
Ezekiel had to be thrilled to share this message. I can only imagine those hearing it for the first time would have even more questions. Like, “when” are we going home? How is it going to happen? For those in more slave-like positions, returning to freedom would sound appealing no matter where they were going. But their homeland was special—it was called out by God as significant.
Another question could have been, “But what about this Spirit?” God said, “for I will pour out my Spirit upon the people of Israel.” We know the Holy Spirit has been made available for us believers. It’s a very good thing!
The land of Israel became a home base for God’s family. It was not only a physical place but symbolic of a holy place with God. How our perception of Israel has changed over the years. If we still held dear the land or people of Israel as God intended, how differently the course of history would have gone.
The prophet Jeremiah gives us this picture of God’s presence in our lives in Lamentations 3:22-23. “The faithful love of the Lord never ends! His mercies never cease. Great is his faithfulness; his mercies begin afresh each morning.” Every morning we are given new mercies to refresh us for a new day. Don’t forget to grab those and be blessed by them. How can we ever have a bad day again when we remember this promise?
This is a key verse from Ezekiel as it summarizes the exile period displaying God as the merciful one he is. Ezekiel has focused on the importance of God’s reputation in the world. Shouldn’t the creator of all things receive our highest devotion and praise?
For our benediction, let’s close with a jump to the New Testament words of 1 Peter 1:3: “All praise to God, the Father of our Lord Jesus Christ. It is by his great mercy that we have been born again, because God raised Jesus Christ from the dead. Now we live with great expectation.”
Let’s pray. LORD I thank you for your great mercy and how it renews fresh every day. Such a generous promise for us. I am so grateful for your faithfulness. Help me to be more like you so that the world can see you revealed and present. Lift up other believers to also feel your presence and your guiding. In Jesus’ name. Amen.
