Ezekiel’s Challenge

MEMORY VERSE: “A new heart also will I give you, and a new spirit will I put within you: and I will take away the stony heart out of your flesh, and I will give you an heart of flesh.” —Ezekiel 36:26

EZEKIEL 18:26-32

THE Prophet Ezekiel was taken captive to Babylon prior to the destruction of Jerusalem and the overthrow of Zedekiah, Judah’s last king. (Ezek. 1:1-3) The Israelites were God’s covenant people; a people to whom he had given his Law at the hand of Moses. One of the promises of God with respect to the Law was that anyone who would keep it inviolate would live. (Ezek. 18:5; Rom. 10:5) It is against this background of promise that Ezekiel 18:26-32 was written.

It has not been true of mankind in general throughout the ages that the wicked, by turning from their wickedness, could save themselves from death. Nor has it been true that if a righteous man reverted to his wicked ways he would be summarily destroyed by God. However, there will be a time in the plan of God when this will be literally true. This period is described by the Apostle Peter as “the times of restitution of all things.” Christ will then be King—that “Great Prophet” referred to in a promise to Moses (Deuteronomy 18:18)—and Peter said that it shall “come to pass that the soul, which will not hear that prophet, shall be destroyed from among the people.”—Acts 3:19-23

Even the Israelites, to whom the Law Covenant was given, failed to gain life under its provisions, for they, like the remainder of the world of mankind, were members of the sin-cursed and dying race and were not capable of measuring up to the standard of perfection contained in the Law. It is true, of course, that the sincere among them who did the best they could were blessed by the Lord in lesser ways, but none gained life by his own righteousness.

God knew that it would be so, and one of the main purposes of the Law was to emphasize that life can be obtained only through the redeeming blood of Christ. Paul spoke of the Law as a “schoolmaster” “to bring us unto Christ.” (Gal. 3:24) It brought very few Jews to Christ at the time of the first advent, and not many since have been brought to him by this “schoolmaster”; but during the age of Christ’s kingdom, when they shall have been awakened from the sleep of death, it will be different. Then they will gladly acknowledge their failure to obtain life through their own efforts, and will accept the provisions of Christ’s blood, obey the laws of his kingdom, and live.

EZEKIEL 36:26-28

This short passage of Scripture is part of a general prophecy concerning the restoration of Israel to their Promised Land at this end of the present age—a return from a scattering which began in A.D. 70-73, when Titus destroyed Jerusalem and the temple. This prophecy begins with the 16th verse of chapter 36, and continues to the end of chapter 39. It shows that in this era of restoration the Israelites would pass through many very trying circumstances, the climax of which would be an attack upon them by armies from the “north,” with allies.—ch. 38

It will be in this aggressor attack that the Lord fights for and delivers the Israelites from the hand of their enemies. By this means their eyes become opened to the glory of the Lord. Then they will really understand the meaning of their dispersion among the Gentiles, and the Lord will pour out his Spirit upon them, and they will be assured that he will not again hide his face from them.—ch. 39:25-29

Our memory verse gives us further assurance of this, adding that the Lord will take away their stony heart, and give them a heart of flesh. This is in keeping with the prophecy of Jeremiah 31:33: “I will put my law in their inward parts, and write it in their hearts; and will be their God, and they shall be my people.” This promise will be fulfilled during the thousand-year reign of Christ.

QUESTIONS

Has any member of the fallen race ever gained life by his own efforts? Explain.

When will the Lord give new hearts to the people, Jews and Gentiles?

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