Ezekiel 39:23

Ezekiel 39:23 says, And the heathen shall know that the house of Israel went into captivity for their iniquity: because they trespassed against me, therefore hid I my face from them, and gave them into the hand of their enemies: so fell they all by the sword.  God sad that the heathen, all those nations around Isreal who worshipped other gods, would know that the nation of Israel fell because they stopped being obedient to Him and He stopped protecting them.  If we fall as spiritually as Christians today, it will always be because we have stopped being obedient to God, and one day, everyone will realize this.   

Verse twenty-four adds, According to their uncleanness and according to their transgressions have I done unto them, and hid my face from them.  God said that He had hidden His face, or no longer looked on the people of Israel with His protection, because of their uncleanness and transgressions.  If those who profess to be Christians, and even we who are, turn away from being obedient to God, He will no longer provide us with His protection spiritually, even if we prosper materially.   

Verse twenty-five continues, Therefore thus saith the Lord God; Now will I bring again the captivity of Jacob, and have mercy upon the whole house of Israel, and will be jealous for my holy name;  God said that He was going to restore the whole house of Jacob, or all the people of Israel.  He was going to do this for the sake of His holy name.  God may allow people who are called Christians to prosper today just to keep His name from being profaned by those who do not put their faith in Him, but if they are still not obedient to His word, this does not mean that they will be spiritually blessed forever.  It is only by accepting Jesus Christ as our personal Savior and Lord that we can be blessed spiritually.  

Verse twenty-six states, After that they have borne their shame, and all their trespasses whereby they have trespassed against me, when they dwelt safely in their land, and none made them afraid.  God said that this would happen after the people of Israel bore all the shame of their defeat when they refused to obey His commandments.  I believe that if they were feeling shame about their defeat that they would know that they had failed to live up their covenant relationship with God.  Until we feel shame about our sins and turn to God for forgiveness by putting our faith in Jesus Christ, no matter what happens in the world will be of little importance.  I don’t believe that the people of Israel were restored because of their actions but because they were known as God’s people and their current state in the world was bringing dishonor to His name.  I also don’t believe that this means that they were all to be spiritually redeemed forever.  It would only be those who truly put their faith in God who would be.  

Verse twenty-seven adds, When I have brought them again from the people, and gathered them out of their enemies' lands, and am sanctified in them in the sight of many nations;  God said He was going to bring the people of Israel out of all their enemies lands and sanctify them in the sight of many nations.  It will always be God Who delivers us from sin in the world today and this can only happen by our putting our faith in Jesus Christ.  We might be physically delivered to keep God from being seen as unpowerful, but I don’t believe that we will ever be victorious spiritually simply because we profess to be Christians but don’t really put our faith in God and obey His word.  

Verse twenty-eight continues, Then shall they know that I am the Lord their God, which caused them to be led into captivity among the heathen: but I have gathered them unto their own land, and have left none of them any more there.  God said that when He restored the people of Israel that they would know that He is God.  When we accept Jesus Christ as our Savior and Lord, which is the only way to be restored to a spiritual relationship with God, we have to know that God is the only God.  

Verse twenty-nine concludes. Neither will I hide my face any more from them: for I have poured out my spirit upon the house of Israel, saith the Lord God.  God said that when this happened, He would no longer be hidden to the people of Israel and that He would pour out His Spirit on them.  When we accept Jesus Christ as our Savior and Lord, God is no longer hidden from us, and He pours out His Spirit on us. 

Ezekiel 39:17

Ezekiel 39:17 says, And, thou son of man, thus saith the Lord God; Speak unto every feathered fowl, and to every beast of the field, Assemble yourselves, and come; gather yourselves on every side to my sacrifice that I do sacrifice for you, even a great sacrifice upon the mountains of Israel, that ye may eat flesh, and drink blood.  God told Ezekiel that he was to command the fowl of the air and the beasts of the field that they were to feast on the slain presented by God like a sacrifice or gift to them.  Before they were buried, those slain would be food for the animals.  Once more, it really doesn’t matter what happens to our body after we die but only matters where our soul will live forever.  

Verse eighteen adds, Ye shall eat the flesh of the mighty, and drink the blood of the princes of the earth, of rams, of lambs, and of goats, of bullocks, all of them fatlings of Bashan.  God said that the flesh of the mighty and blood of the princes would be of no more value than the flesh of the rams, goats, lambs, and bullocks that had died, which Matthew Henry says refers to the rich men who had grown fat by abusing the people of Israel.  It is not our body that separates us from other animals but our soul.  

Verse nineteen continues, And ye shall eat fat till ye be full, and drink blood till ye be drunken, of my sacrifice which I have sacrificed for you.  God said that these beasts and foul of prey were to eat and drink until they were drunk.  God gave mankind the responsibility of caring for the animals, and even if we fail to do so, God will still provide for them.  

Verse twenty states, Thus ye shall be filled at my table with horses and chariots, with mighty men, and with all men of war, saith the Lord God.  God said that these fowl and beasts of prey would be filled at His table.  Matthew Henry says that God keeps a table for His animals and provides for them.  Though animals will never be equal to people, they are still an important part of God’s creation, and I believe that we as followers of Christ are never to abuse them.  

Verse twenty-one adds, And I will set my glory among the heathen, and all the heathen shall see my judgment that I have executed, and my hand that I have laid upon them.  God said that the heathen would see His judgment on those who fought against His people.  They would understand that it was God Who brought about the destruction of Gog.  Ultimately, it is God Who will bring about the destruction of all who fight against His people, those who have accepted Jesus Christ as their Savior and Lord.  

Verse twenty-two continues, So the house of Israel shall know that I am the Lord their God from that day and forward.   God said this was going to happen so that the house of Israel would know that He is God.  Today, when we look by faith to the sacrifice of Jesus Christ on the cross, we will know that God is the only God.

Ezekiel 39:11

Ezekiel 39:11 says, And it shall come to pass in that day, that I will give unto Gog a place there of graves in Israel, the valley of the passengers on the east of the sea: and it shall stop the noses of the passengers: and there shall they bury Gog and all his multitude: and they shall call it The valley of Hamongog.  God said that the people of Gog would be destroyed in the valley of the passengers on the east side and would send up a great stench because they would not be buried.   Matthew Henry says this was between Egypt and Chaldea where many people passed through, and that they would have to hold their noses as they did.  Of course, the greater fact was that their souls would be in the stench of hell.  What happens to our body once we die is of little importance.  It is our soul’s destination that matters.

Verse twelve adds, And seven months shall the house of Israel be burying of them, that they may cleanse the land.  God said that the number of dead would be so great that it would take the people of Israel seven months to bury them.  This would then help purify the land.  We as followers of Christ should bury our own sins so that they no longer are a stench to the world or God.  

Verse thirteen continues, Yea, all the people of the land shall bury them; and it shall be to them a renown the day that I shall be glorified, saith the Lord God.  God said that the people of Israel would bury the slain people of Gog, but they would do it so that He would be glorified.  Whatever we do as Christians should be done so that God may be glorified.  

Verse fourteen states, And they shall sever out men of continual employment, passing through the land to bury with the passengers those that remain upon the face of the earth, to cleanse it: after the end of seven months shall they search.  God said that the people of Israel assigned to bury these men would go throughout the land searching for those who had died.  God will always call on His people to reach out to the spiritually dead and if they accept His gift of salvation, their old self will be dead and should be buried spiritually.  

Verse fifteen adds, And the passengers that pass through the land, when any seeth a man's bone, then shall he set up a sign by it, till the buriers have buried it in the valley of Hamongog.  God said those that passed through this area were to help in the burying of the dead by marking places where they found bones that needed to be buried.  We are all just passing through this world, and we should do all that we can to bury sin, and at times, even those who aren’t Cristians point out some of the things that need to be buried.  

Verse sixteen continues, And also the name of the city shall be Hamonah. Thus shall they cleanse the land.  After the dead were buried, the city there would be known as Hamonah which signified that the land had been cleansed.  As followers of Christ, we should be called people who have helped bury sin in the world so that God might be glorified.