Ezekiel 36 – “God Will Restore Israel For His Own Sake”

12 - Ezekiel

Hebrew-English Text
I. Summary
God vows to restore Israel so that he can impress the nations of the world.

II. Photo
God will cleanse the people: “I will sprinkle clean water upon you, and you shall be clean: I will cleanse you from all your uncleanness and from all your fetishes.” (v. 25)

III. Important Verses
2: Thus said the Lord GOD: Because the enemy gloated over you, “Aha! Those ancient heights have become our possession!”
13-15: Thus said the Lord GOD: Because they say to you, “You are [a land] that devours men, you have been a bereaver of your nations,” assuredly, you shall devour men no more, you shall never again bereave your nations — declares the Lord GOD. No more will I allow the jibes of the nations to be heard against you, no longer shall you suffer the taunting of the peoples; and never again shall you cause your nations to stumble — declares the Lord GOD.
20-24: But when they came to those nations, they caused My holy name to be profaned, in that it was said of them, “These are the people of the LORD, yet they had to leave His land.” Therefore I am concerned for My holy name, which the House of Israel have caused to be profaned among the nations to which they have come. Say to the House of Israel: Thus said the Lord GOD: Not for your sake will I act, O House of Israel, but for My holy name, which you have caused to be profaned among the nations to which you have come. I will sanctify My great name which has been profaned among the nations — among whom you have caused it to be profaned. And the nations shall know that I am the LORD — declares the Lord GOD — when I manifest My holiness before their eyes through you. I will take you from among the nations and gather you from all the countries, and I will bring you back to your own land.
35-36: And men shall say, “That land, once desolate, has become like the garden of Eden; and the cities, once ruined, desolate, and ravaged, are now populated and fortified.” And the nations that are left around you shall know that I the LORD have rebuilt the ravaged places and replanted the desolate land. I the LORD have spoken and will act.

IV. Outline

1-15. Oracle #1: The mountains of Israel will prosper once again
    1-2a. Superscription: prophecy for the mountains of Israel
    2b. Israel will capture its enemy’s mountains
    3-7. Israel’s neighbors will suffer disgrace
    8-11a. God will make the hills of Israel greater than before
    11b. Recognition of God formula
    12. Israel will return to its mountains
    13-15a. Israel will no longer be  a byword for the nations
    15b. Postscript
16-38. Oracle #2: God will restore Israel for his own sake
    16. Superscription
    17-23. Rationale for action
        17-19. God punished Israel and sent it into exile
        20-21. Israel’s being in exile profanes God’s name
        22-23. God will act for his own sake
    24-27. God will return the people to the land and invigorate them
    28. The relationship between Israel and God
    29-30. Prosperity in the land
    31. The people will return to God
    32. God will act for his own sake
    33-34. The land will be repopulated
    35-36a. The nations will be impressed with God’s actions
    (36b. Postscript)
    37-38a. Jerusalem will be filled with people and sacrifice
    38b. Postscript

V. Comment
No comment today. Stay tuned.

VI. Works Used
(see “Commentaries” page)
Allen, Leslie C. “Ezekiel 1-19” Word Biblical Commentary vol. 28 (Waco, Texas: Wordbook, 1994).
Collins, John J. “Introduction to the Hebrew Bible,” (Minneapolis: Fortress Press, 2004).
Hals, Ronald M. “Ezekiel” The forms of the Old Testament Literature vol. 19 (Grand Rapids, Michigan: Eerdmans, 1989)
Photo taken from http://www.face-wash.com/images/face-wash-man.jpg

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