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Ezekiel, Repent

Judgment has come. The coming wrath of God that Jeremiah prophesied about swept through the land of Judah. Unfortunately very few listened to him. Now the people of Judah are a nation without a home. They are a people without an identity. They have no where left to turn.

It is to this broken people that God sends Ezekiel. Ezekiel, like the rest of the nation, now lives in Babylon as a slave to King Nebuchadnezzar. The Jews, as they are now being called, live by a river outside the city. It is here that God gives Ezekiel an important message for Judah. They may have lost their land, their temple, and their freedom but they still have God.

Background

The book of Ezekiel was written by the prophet Ezekiel whilst the people of Judah were in exile in Babylon. The people of Judah were taken to Babylon in groups, with the final group being taken after the destruction of Jerusalem in 586 BC. Ezekiel was taken in one of the earlier groups. 

Ezekiel is one of the trickier prophetic books due to its use of visions and vivid imagery. As we have discussed before, the imagery used in the Bible is meant to be understood. The issue is that we are not from the same culture and time period as the original recipients. This makes it challenging at times to interpret the meanings of certain symbols and images.

Themes

There are two major themes in the book of Ezekiel. The first is very similar to that of Jeremiah; that the people of Judah need to surrender to God's judgment. The first 12 chapters of the book are all about the impending judgment upon Judah (aka the destruction of Jerusalem). Since Ezekiel was one of those who were already taken by the Babylonians, this message is intended for his fellow Jews in Babylon. 

The Jews who were taken prior to the destruction of Jerusalem still had hope that the Babylonians would let them go or that Judah would be able to fight them off. Here God is letting them know through Ezekiel that they better get comfortable, because the judgment is still happening.

The second theme takes up the rest of the book and it is the primary theme. Here we see Ezekiel calling the exiled nation of Judah to repentance. They have faced God's judgment, they have lost their homes and livelihoods. Now is the time for them to turn back to God. He is still seeking their hearts and is waiting to pour out his mercy.

One of my favorite passages in Ezekiel is chapter 47. Here God shows Ezekiel a vision of what he intends to do for his people should they repent. It is a vision of water flowing from the temple of God into the land. The further this water goes it gets deeper and deeper. Everything on its banks bears fruit that will never rot. It is a vision of restoration that foreshadows the coming of Jesus.

Theological Point

God is eager to wash us anew in his mercy and love, but he will not force it on us. We must be willing to repent of our sinful lives and strive towards him. God wants our sanctification to be a team effort, one where we willingly submit to his sovereignty. This was true for the people of Judah, and it is true for us today.

Conclusion

I challenge you this week to repent. This is a general challenge, since I don't know the areas you have in your life where you need to surrender to God. What I do know is that all of us need to repent. God is eager and waiting to work wonders in us. All we have to do is let him.

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