‏ Ezekiel 36

God's Compassion for Israel.

In this section, God tells Ezekiel to speak to the land of Israel, including its mountains, hills, rivers, valleys, and empty cities. Earlier, God spoke words of judgment, but now He gives words of comfort and hope. The land itself, which had suffered because of the people's sins and their exile, will hear promises of restoration. God’s kindness is not only for the people but also for the land they will return to.

v. 1: God commands Ezekiel to prophesy to the mountains of Israel. He says, You mountains of Israel, hear the word of the Lord . These words are meant for every part of the land—mountains, hills, rivers, and valleys. Even though the people were scattered and the land was empty, God still cared for the land itself.

v. 2: The enemies of Israel had taken over the land and were glad about it. They said, Aha! even the ancient high places are ours in possession. They felt proud and happy to have conquered Israel’s important and holy places.

v. 3: The land became empty and ruined. Other nations took whatever they could find, treating Israel’s troubles as their own gain. People talked badly about Israel, making jokes and saying mean things. The whole nation became a subject of gossip and scorn . This was very sad for God’s people.

v. 4: God notices the shame and suffering of Israel. The land became a prey and a joke to the surrounding nations . The other nations did not respect Israel’s special history or holy sites. Instead, they enjoyed seeing Israel’s fall.

v. 5: God says He is angry with the nations, especially Edom, who took Israel’s land with joy and hate. They wanted the land for themselves and did not care about Israel’s pain. God calls it my land and says the enemies took it as if God did not own it .

v. 6: God promises to speak against these nations in His jealousy and anger. He will make sure the nations who laughed at Israel will be punished. God’s words are strong and sure, and He will defend His people .

v. 7: God swears an oath that the nations around Israel will bear their own shame. Those who put Israel to shame will one day be shamed themselves. God is just and will bring justice in His time .

v. 8: God now gives a promise to the land. He says, But you, O mountains of Israel, you shall shoot forth your branches and yield your fruit to my people Israel; for they are soon to come home . Even though the people are far away, God says they will return and live in their land again.

v. 9: God says He is with Israel and will bless the land. The land will be farmed again, and it will become fruitful and productive. This is a sign of God’s kindness and restoration .

v. 10: God promises the cities will be rebuilt and filled with people. The land will not be empty anymore. God will bring back the people of Israel, and they will live safely in their homes .

v. 11: God says He will do even more good for Israel than He did in the beginning. The people and animals will multiply, and the land will be better than ever. God’s blessings will be greater than before .

v. 12: God promises that His people will possess the land again. The land will belong to them, and they will live there as their inheritance. The land will no longer destroy its people .

v. 13: God addresses the saying that the land “devours” its people. This was a bad reputation that the land had among other nations, but God promises it will not be true anymore.

v. 14: The land will not make its people die young or cause them to lose their children. Instead, the land will be safe and peaceful for those who live there .

v. 15: God ends by saying the people will no longer hear insults from other nations. Their shame will be taken away, and they will no longer be a joke among other peoples. God will bring them honor and restore their land .

God's Compassion for Israel.

In this passage, God tells the people of Israel that He will restore them to their land, but not because they deserve it. Instead, He will do it for the sake of His own holy name. God wants everyone to see His mercy and goodness. When God saves people, His main goal is to show His glory. Even when people are unworthy, God’s kindness and forgiveness are meant to bring honor to Him. This is true for Israel’s return from exile, and it is also true for the salvation of all people through Jesus Christ (John 12:28 ^a).

v. 17: God says that Israel’s sins while they lived in their own land brought shame to His name. They defiled the land by choosing their own sinful ways. Their actions, like shedding blood and worshipping idols, made the land unclean. Sin separates people from God and takes away their blessings (Ezekiel 36:17; Leviticus 15:19 ^b).

v. 18: Because of their sins, God punished Israel. He poured out His anger on them, scattered them among the nations, and judged them fairly for what they had done .

v. 19: God was fair in His judgment. He treated Israel according to their actions. No one could say that God was unjust. He protected His own honor by doing what was right, even though others did not understand or respect His decisions .

v. 20: When Israel was forced to live among other nations, they did not bring honor to God there either. Instead, their bad behavior made people speak badly about God and His ways. The people of the nations said, These are the people of the Lord, and yet they had to leave His land (Ezekiel 36:20; Romans 2:24 ^c).

v. 21: God cared about His holy name, which Israel had dishonored even while in exile. He looked with pity at His reputation, which was being damaged among the other nations .

v. 22: God tells Israel that He will bring them back to their land, but not because they deserve it. He will do it for the sake of His holy name. God wants everyone to know that He is faithful and good, even when His people have failed Him .

v. 23: God says, I will show the holiness of my great name, which has been profaned among the nations, the name you have profaned among them. Then the nations will know that I am the Lord . God will prove His greatness by forgiving and restoring Israel, and this will bring Him honor in front of everyone.

v. 24: God promises, I will take you out of the nations; I will gather you from all the countries and bring you back into your own land . God’s mercy and power will be clear to everyone, as He brings His people home, not because of their goodness, but to make His name holy and respected by all.

A New Heart and a New Spirit for Israel

This section describes God’s promise to restore Israel, not just physically to their land, but spiritually by cleansing them from sin and giving them a new heart. God’s mercy is not given because of Israel’s goodness, but for the sake of His own holy name. The people had profaned God’s name among the nations, but God will show His holiness by transforming them. This promise is meant to encourage the people, even though they feel unworthy of such favor. God’s grace will be shown in their complete renewal and blessing.

v. 25: God promises, I will sprinkle clean water upon you, and you shall be clean . This means God will purify His people from all their sins and idols. The sprinkling of clean water is a symbol of spiritual cleansing, like the rituals in the Old Testament where water was used to make people ceremonially clean (Numbers 19:17-19 ^d). Here, God Himself will wash away their filthiness and idolatry, making them truly clean in His sight.

v. 26: God says, A new heart also will I give you, and a new spirit will I put within you . This means God will change their inner nature. He will take away their hard, stubborn hearts and give them hearts that are soft and willing to obey Him. The “new spirit” is God’s own Spirit, which will help them to love and serve Him. This is a promise of real, deep change, not just on the outside, but inside their hearts.

v. 27: God continues, I will put my spirit within you, and cause you to walk in my statutes, and you shall keep my judgments, and do them . God’s Spirit will help them to obey His laws. They will not just know what is right, but will have the desire and strength to do it. This is a promise that God will help His people to live holy lives.

v. 28: God promises, You shall dwell in the land that I gave to your fathers; and you shall be my people, and I will be your God . After being cleansed and renewed, the people will return to their land. Their relationship with God will be restored. They will belong to Him, and He will care for them as their God.

v. 29–30: God says He will save them from all their uncleanness and bless them with abundant crops. There will be no more famine or shame among the nations. God’s blessing will be clear to everyone, showing that He is faithful to His promises (Ezekiel 36:29-30 ^e).

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v. 31–32: The people will remember their past sins and feel ashamed of how they lived. God reminds them that He is not blessing them because they deserve it, but for the sake of His own name. This should make them humble and grateful (Ezekiel 36:31-32 ^f).

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v. 33–36: God promises to rebuild the ruined cities and make the land like the Garden of Eden. The nations around will see what God has done and know that He is the Lord (Ezekiel 36:33-36 ^g).

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v. 37–38: God says He will listen to the prayers of His people and multiply them like a flock. The cities will be filled with people again, and everyone will know that God has done this (Ezekiel 36:37-38 ^h).

In summary, God promises to cleanse His people, give them new hearts, and fill them with His Spirit so they can truly follow Him. He will restore them to their land and bless them greatly, not because they deserve it, but to show His own holiness and faithfulness. This is a message of hope and encouragement for all who trust in God’s mercy.