The Holy Spirit in Ezekiel’s Prophecy

Scripture  Reading: Ezekiel 36:22-27

 ²² “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. ²³ 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. ²⁴ I will take you from the nations and gather you from all the countries and bring you into your own land. ²⁵ 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. ²⁶ 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. ²⁷ And I will put my Spirit within you, and cause you to walk in my statutes and be careful to obey my rules. (ESV)

Key Verse: .And I will put my Spirit in you and move you to follow my decrees... (Ezekiel 36:27).

Meditation: In the Old Testament prophetic writings of Ezekiel we are a glimpse of what Israel could anticipate under the New Covenant. The prophet was preparing them for the new way God would relate to them under the New Covenant. Seeing Israel’s long history of unfaithfulness, God would now take the major initiative in relating to his people.

The future direct action of God and subsequent transformation of His people will he so radical, resulting in the “sanctification of God’s name” among the people. Israel’s backsliding had profaned God’s name among the nations. Even God’s judgment of putting Israel in exile was misread by the pagans as revealing the weakness and impotence of God to act in Israel’s behalf.  Psalm 137 records the pagan nations taunting Israel to sing one of the Songs of Zion as they  sat in a foreign land. But a day was coming when God would unilaterally act and redeem His great name in the eyes of the nations of the world. We believe that the day of Pentecost ushered in this new period of history.

This inner change is further described as “God sprinkling clean water over them” resulting in cleansing from all impurities and from all idols. This symbolizes the washing of regeneration from the guilt of sin as well as the deeper cleansing of their sinful nature. Israel’s besetting sin was idolatry, and even provision for being set free from this taproot of sin was promised. To insure this process God promised to give them a heart to know Him by putting His Spirit in them.

Thought for the Day: What Ezekiel anticipated was fully realized and experienced on the day of Pentecost.