Scripture Notes: Return and Renewal (Ezekiel 36)

Ezekiel was a prophet of the Babylonian exile. As a member of the priesthood, he was carried away to Babylon about 597 BC, and it was there that his prophetic mission began. When the Babylonians destroyed the Temple and the rest of Jerusalem in 586, carrying off many more people into exile at the same time, the situation appeared hopeless. The Promised Land was far away. The proper worship of God seemed like a thing of the past. And, perhaps worst of all, the people were coming to realize that it was all their fault. They had broken their covenant with God by disobeying Him and worshiping idols.

But God never gives up on His people, even when He chastises them. So He told Ezekiel to speak a message of hope. God would show His holiness. He would vindicate His Name. The people did not deserve God’s mercy, but He would give it anyway. When the time was right, God would gather His people and bring them back to their own land. He would “sprinkle clean water” upon them, purifying them from their sins and from their idols. He would give them a new heart and a new spirit, His own Spirit, which would help them keep His laws and adhere to His will. He would renew the covenant, assuring them “you shall be My people, and I will be your God.” 

The people must have been relieved to hear God’s message through Ezekiel. God had not abandoned them. He still loved them and cared for them. He was still guiding their destiny, shaping them, correcting them, even when they had to learn the hard way.