Ezekiel: The Holy Flock

Introduction

Open this evening to Ezekiel 36:33-38 That’s Ezekiel chapter 36 and we will start in verse 33.

Last time we ended on the be ashamed of yourselves.

We need to keep in mind that every God is saying here is under the banner of not for your sake but for me name.

This is so important, last we talk about how the idea of ashamed being counter cultural, but the idea that God does what he does for his glory is shamefully counter cultural.

Having a really biblically formed view of the Gospel is sadly a minority today.

There are three really important points in this quote from MH that we shared last time.

“When God promised the poor captives a glorious return, in due time, to their own land, it was a great discouragement to their hopes that they were unworthy, utterly unworthy, of such a favour; therefore, to remove that discouragement, God here shows them that he would do it for them purely for his own name’s sake, that he might be glorified in them and by them, that he might manifest and magnify his mercy and goodness, that attribute which of all others is most his glory. And, the restoration of that people being typical of our redemption by Christ, this is intended further to show that the ultimate end aimed at in our salvation, to which all the steps of it were made subservient, was the glory of God. To this end Christ directed all he did in that short prayer, Father, glorify thy name; and God declared it was his end in all he did in the immediate answer given to that prayer, by a voice from heaven: I have glorified it, and I will glorify it yet again, Jn. 12:28.” [1]

“to remove that discouragement, God here shows them”

“the restoration of that people being typical of our redemption by Christ”

“ I have glorified it”

Five solas, have you every thought the the implication of them

So we keep these things, God does this and that is an encouragement for us, it is point to Christ, and its all for His Glory as we get into the text this evening.

Let’s Read

Ezekiel 36:33–38 ESV

33 “Thus says the Lord God: On the day that I cleanse you from all your iniquities, I will cause the cities to be inhabited, and the waste places shall be rebuilt. 34 And the land that was desolate shall be tilled, instead of being the desolation that it was in the sight of all who passed by. 35 And they will say, ‘This land that was desolate has become like the garden of Eden, and the waste and desolate and ruined cities are now fortified and inhabited.’ 36 Then the nations that are left all around you shall know that I am the Lord; I have rebuilt the ruined places and replanted that which was desolate. I am the Lord; I have spoken, and I will do it. 37 “Thus says the Lord God: This also I will let the house of Israel ask me to do for them: to increase their people like a flock. 38 Like the flock for sacrifices, like the flock at Jerusalem during her appointed feasts, so shall the waste cities be filled with flocks of people. Then they will know that I am the Lord.”

May God Bless the Reading of His Holy, Infallible, and Sufficient Word

Let’s Pray

Transition

In verse 33, says on that day, that day is the day that we were talking about last week. Lets read verse 33.

Body

All Your Iniquities

Ezekiel 36:33 ESV

33 “Thus says the Lord God: On the day that I cleanse you from all your iniquities, I will cause the cities to be inhabited, and the waste places shall be rebuilt.

We don’t know if that was proclaimed to Ezekiel in the same day, but we trust that God ordered his word, so that we are to take this statement in the withing the context of the previous.

This means that when we read, “on that day” its the same day.

All your antiquities

Now and not yet

Now

Idols are out,

Sabbath are fulfilled, (40 rules to keep the sabbath)

Ezra, Nehemiah, and the putting away of the foreign women.

Not yet

“all your iniquities” is a statement that only and full truth in Christ.

The now and not yet practice is still useful

Notice the rest of the verse

“I will cause the cities to be inhabited, and the waste places shall be rebuilt.” (Eze 36:33, ESV)

The cities were INHABITED and the Wastes places are REBUILT

But there is as the Author of Hebrew reminds us “For he was looking forward to the city that has foundations, whose designer and builder is God.” (Heb 11:10, ESV)

Once you see it you cannot unsee it.

Just to go through a few examples,

The garden and God killing the animals

The flood, and the ark

The Exodus

The bronze serpent

The Ceremonial Law, The mercy seat

King David

The temple

The 7000 and did not bow to baal.

The return of the Eciles

John the Baptist (now and not yet BC)

Then we have Christ “all authority is given to me now”

But Christ we have the final judgement.

“5 For it was not to angels that God subjected the world to come, of which we are speaking. 6 It has been testified somewhere, “What is man, that you are mindful of him, or the son of man, that you care for him? 7 You made him for a little while lower than the angels; you have crowned him with glory and honor, 8 putting everything in subjection under his feet.” Now in putting everything in subjection to him, he left nothing outside his control. At present, we do not yet see everything in subjection to him. 9 But we see him who for a little while was made lower than the angels, namely Jesus, crowned with glory and honor because of the suffering of death, so that by the grace of God he might taste death for everyone.” (Heb 2:5–9, ESV)

Transition

I have dwelt here long enough. There is more in verse 34-36

They Will Know I Am The Lord

Ezekiel 36:34–36 ESV

34 And the land that was desolate shall be tilled, instead of being the desolation that it was in the sight of all who passed by. 35 And they will say, ‘This land that was desolate has become like the garden of Eden, and the waste and desolate and ruined cities are now fortified and inhabited.’ 36 Then the nations that are left all around you shall know that I am the Lord; I have rebuilt the ruined places and replanted that which was desolate. I am the Lord; I have spoken, and I will do it.

More clarity on the rebuilding again all the applies to the now and not yet picture we are seeing.

There are three things I want to focus our attention on this evening. (like the garden of Eden, nations that are left all around you shall know that, I have rebuilt the ruined places and replanted that which was desolate.)

First, “like the garden of Eden”

The nation of Israel in Jesus’ day was a world exporter of goods.

Second “the nations that are left all around you shall know that I am the Lord”

Third, “I have rebuilt the ruined places and replanted that which was desolate.”

He doesn’t say, I will let you rebuild, I have rebuilt.

Transition

Here in verse 37-38 he does say I will let you but that let you is to a specific people.

The Holy Flock

Ezekiel 36:37–38 ESV

37 “Thus says the Lord God: This also I will let the house of Israel ask me to do for them: to increase their people like a flock. 38 Like the flock for sacrifices, like the flock at Jerusalem during her appointed feasts, so shall the waste cities be filled with flocks of people. Then they will know that I am the Lord.”

“And as for all who walk by this rule, peace and mercy be upon them, and upon the Israel of God.’ (Ga 6:16, ESV)

“For not all who are descended from Israel belong to Israel” (Ro 9:6, ESV)

“25 Lest you be wise in your own sight, I do not want you to be unaware of this mystery, brothers: a partial hardening has come upon Israel, until the fullness of the Gentiles has come in. 26 And in this way all Israel will be saved, as it is written, “The Deliverer will come from Zion, he will banish ungodliness from Jacob”; 27 “and this will be my covenant with them when I take away their sins.” 28 As regards the gospel, they are enemies for your sake. But as regards election, they are beloved for the sake of their forefathers.” (Ro 11:25–28, ESV)

“Then they will know that I am the Lord.”

Did the Jews of Jesus sad know he was the Lord? Some of them, the elect did, or in other words, as Paul says in “What then? Israel failed to obtain what it was seeking. The elect obtained it, but the rest were hardened.” (Ro 11:7, ESV)

Conclusion

You can go to Ro 11 and see Paul start is statements there with Elijah and the 7000.

The Elect are always the recipients of God’s promises.

None of this works, none of it make sense, none of it is true out side of Christ.

He said, “31 So Jesus said to the Jews who had believed him, “If you abide in my word, you are truly my disciples, 32 and you will know the truth, and the truth will set you free.” 33 They answered him, “We are offspring of Abraham and have never been enslaved to anyone. How is it that you say, ‘You will become free’?” 34 Jesus answered them, “Truly, truly, I say to you, everyone who practices sin is a slave to sin. 35 The slave does not remain in the house forever; the son remains forever. 36 So if the Son sets you free, you will be free indeed. 37 I know that you are offspring of Abraham; yet you seek to kill me because my word finds no place in you. 38 I speak of what I have seen with my Father, and you do what you have heard from your father.” (Jn 8:31–38, ESV)

The challenge for you the test for you, is will you seek him diligently in every text of scripture or will you say like the jews, I am not a slave.

Will you run to him and say Lord if you will you can make me clean, or will you be hardened?

Is daily bible reading and prayer your delight or you begrudging duty?

Are you one of his or are you not, test yourselves.

But have no fear, because he that began a good work in you, if the good work is there, will complete it.

Benediction

Numbers 6:24–26 ESV

24 The Lord bless you and keep you; 25 the Lord make his face to shine upon you and be gracious to you; 26 the Lord lift up his countenance upon you and give you peace.

References

[1] Matthew Henry, Matthew Henry’s Commentary on the Whole Bible: Complete and Unabridged in One Volume (Peabody: Hendrickson, 1994), 1410.

Bibliography

Henry, Matthew. Matthew Henry’s Commentary on the Whole Bible: Complete and Unabridged in One Volume. Peabody: Hendrickson, 1994.