Getting Job-ed
“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. 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. I will take you from the nations and gather you from all the countries and bring you into your own land. 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. 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. And I will put my Spirit within you, and cause you to walk in my statutes and be careful to obey my rules. You shall dwell in the land that I gave to your fathers, and you shall be my people, and I will be your God. 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. 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. 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. 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. Ezekiel 36:22-32 ESV
We’ll continue by looking at the concept of the New Covenant, but now we will see it in Ezekiel 36. Now, some folks would say that both Jeremiah 31 and Ezekiel 36 are written to the audience of the Israelites. While this is true historically, a question I would ask is, “who is God talking about in these passages?” In view of all of Scripture, I firmly believe that He is talking about the Church in its entirety (see Romans 9-11).
We are going to embark on a little Q&A about the New Covenant from Ezekiel 36:
Is this written about Israel’s return from exile?
Somewhat, but not quite. This passage would have been partially fulfilled in the return of Israel from exile to Jerusalem. However, even with rebuilding the temple, the lack of the LORD’s presence in the temple lacked the luster of the temple seen in Solomon’s era (Ezra 3:12-13). So in God’s promise, there is still something coming that will be fulfilled in full, not just in a temporal sense, but a massive reality of God’s perfect promise coming to fruition.
Why is God acting on the part of rebellious sinners?
God states His purpose in acting in the opening verses:
“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. And I will vindicate the holiness of my great name, which has been profaned among the nations, and which you have profaned among them” (Ez. 36:22-23 ESV).
God is acting in order to vindicate the holiness of His name, even to the rest of the world (Ez. 36:23). A holy God cannot just let sinners off the hook and still be holy and righteous. Therefore, God will act on behalf of sinners in order to justify them and Himself (Romans 3:21-26). This is for our benefit and His praise (Isaiah 48:9-11).
Why do we need the New Covenant?
We have a heart issue, we need a spiritual heart transplant. This will not be based on our herculean efforts, this will be based on God’s grace alone, through faith alone, through Christ alone. Our only hope to escape the wrath of God is God Himself. We need Him to empower us to walk in His ways and statutes (Ez. 36:26-27).
But how will God enact the New Covenant?
Through His Servant and by His all-sufficient atoning sacrifice on behalf of rebellious sinners. That is our only hope for delivery from destruction.
Conclusion
The hope of Christmas was hope in the One that was coming to destroy sin and death. The hope of Christmas is hope in One that can give us a new heart and mind to be able to walk in His ways. Our only hope is for God to do this for us. Bank on this hope this Christmas.
