Ezekiel 11:17

Ezekiel 11:17 says, Therefore say, Thus saith the Lord God; I will even gather you from the people, and assemble you out of the countries where ye have been scattered, and I will give you the land of Israel.  God gave a message of hope to the remnant that remained true to Him.  He would one day gather them together once more in the land of Israel, the land that He had already given them but they had polluted by their disobedience to Him.  We are already promised an everlasting home with God in heaven if we put our faith in Jesus Christ as our Savior and Lord, and one day He will gather us all together, no matter where we may be in the world nor what our situation may be.   

Verse eighteen adds, And they shall come thither, and they shall take away all the detestable things thereof and all the abominations thereof from thence.  God said when He brought the remnant back to the land of Israel that they would then remove all the detestable things and the abominations from the land.  As followers of Christ, we also need to remove anything that is detestable to God from our lives.   

Verse nineteen continues, And I will give them one heart, and I will put a new spirit within you; and I will take the stony heart out of their flesh, and will give them an heart of flesh:  God said that He would give those who remained faithful a new heart that was not like stone but like flesh.  They would once more begin to rejoice in the Lord for all that He had given them instead of being downcast and questioning Him.  As Christians, God has already given us a new heart, and we should rejoice in His goodness no matter what is going on in our lives.   

Verse twenty concludes, That they may walk in my statutes, and keep mine ordinances, and do them: and they shall be my people, and I will be their God.  God then told Ezekiel that after God gave them a new heart that they would then live in obedience to His word.  As followers of Christ, we not only have a new heart, but we have been born again spiritually, and God is our God, and we should show the people around us that we are His.by keeping His commandments. 

Ezekiel 11:13

Ezekiel 11:13 says, And it came to pass, when I prophesied, that Pelatiah the son of Benaiah died. Then fell I down upon my face, and cried with a loud voice, and said, Ah Lord God! wilt thou make a full end of the remnant of Israel?  After Ezekiel’s prophesy, Pelatiah fell dead and Ezekiel asked if God was going to make an end of the remnant of Israel.  We can be certain that as long as Christ delays His return, there will be a remnant of His people in the world.  God will never give up on calling people to salvation, but they often give up on hearing His call, but this will always be their choice and not something that God forces them to do.   

Verse fourteen adds, Again the word of the Lord came unto me, saying,  Since God was still speaking to Ezekiel, this should have answered His question about whether God had given up on the remnant of Israel.  As long as we cry out to God by faith and He answers us, we can be certain that He is still at work in the world calling people to salvation and those who have accepted His gift of salvation to obedience to His word.  Even if Jerusalem fell to the enemy, God had not failed the people, but they had failed Him.  Even if the world around us falls, God will still be God and we should continue to put our faith in Him, even if we sometimes wonder if He is still with us.   

Verse fifteen continues, Son of man, thy brethren, even thy brethren, the men of thy kindred, and all the house of Israel wholly, are they unto whom the inhabitants of Jerusalem have said, Get you far from the Lord: unto us is this land given in possession.  God asked Ezekiel if all the people of Israel had not turned away from Him and begin to put their faith in the powers of the world.  The rest of the people of Israel had told those who were faithful to God to get far away from them, even though they were all supposed to be a part of the same family.  It would be sad indeed if those who profess to be the church today, told those who really have put their faith in God to get far away from them because they don’t want to hear God’s word but put their faith in the powers of the world instead.   

Verse sixteen concludes, Therefore say, Thus saith the Lord God; Although I have cast them far off among the heathen, and although I have scattered them among the countries, yet will I be to them as a little sanctuary in the countries where they shall come.  God told Ezekiel to tell those who still put their faith in Him to know that even though they were scattered throughout the world that He was still with them.  No matter where we as followers of Christ might be in the world today, even if we are physically scattered throughout the world, God is still with us as long as we remain faithful to Him.   

Ezekiel 11:9

Ezekiel 11:9 says, And I will bring you out of the midst thereof, and deliver you into the hands of strangers, and will execute judgments among you.  Ezekiel said God was going to deliver them out of the city and into the hands of strangers to execute judgment on them. This was brought about by their refusal to obey God and putting their faith in material things instead.  We should never think that the powers of this world will keep us safe if we are living under the grace of God and the leadership of the Holy Spirit. 

Verse ten adds, Ye shall fall by the sword; I will judge you in the border of Israel; and ye shall know that I am the Lord.  Ezekiel said that God had proclaimed that they would fall by the sword in spite of their believing they were safe because of the fact that they were in His holy city.  Being in a church building with our name on the membership roll without having a personal relationship with Jesus Christ will never keep us safe spiritually.   

Verse eleven continues, This city shall not be your caldron, neither shall ye be the flesh in the midst thereof; but I will judge you in the border of Israel:  God told Ezekiel that they weren’t going to die in the city, but that He would judge them outside the city.  God may not judge us in the world today if we haven't accepted Jesus Christ as our Savior and Lord, but one day He will judge us.

Versed twelve concludes, And ye shall know that I am the Lord: for ye have not walked in my statutes, neither executed my judgments, but have done after the manners of the heathen that are round about you.  God said that when the people saw the city of Jerusalem fall due to their disobedience to Him that they would know that He is God.  We may never accept the fact that God is God and that the only way to salvation is through accepting Jesus Christ as our Savior and Lord while we have the opportunity, but one day, when this world falls under His judgment we will.   

Ezekiel, 11:4

Ezekiel 11:4 says, Therefore prophesy against them, prophesy, O son of man.  Ezekiel was told to prophesy against these twenty-five men.  God will always first send us a message of grace and hope, but if we do not accept it, then He will send a message of doom.   

Verse five adds, And the Spirit of the Lord fell upon me, and said unto me, Speak; Thus saith the Lord; Thus have ye said, O house of Israel: for I know the things that come into your mind, every one of them.  Ezekiel said the Spirit of the Lord fell on him and gave him the message to proclaim to these men.  Ezekiel said he was to tell them that God knew not only what they were doing but also their thoughts about it.  This message was not just to these twenty-five men but was also to all the house of Israel.  When God’s judgment comes, it will not just be on religious and government officials, but it will apply to all the world.   

Verse six continues, Ye have multiplied your slain in this city, and ye have filled the streets thereof with the slain.  God said that they had multiplied their slain in the city, even though they thought they were safe from judgment simply because they were in Jerusalem, God’s Holy City by name, but this was not the case.  We today may think that God's judgment is far off if it comes at all and that we are safe from His judgment because we have our name on a church roll without having a personal relationship with Jesus Christ, but this will never be the case, just as these men were not safe because they were a part of God’s chosen people in name alone.   

Verse seven states, Therefore thus saith the Lord God; Your slain whom ye have laid in the midst of it, they are the flesh, and this city is the caldron: but I will bring you forth out of the midst of it.  God said because of their stubbornness in refusing to repent and turn to Him by faith for protection that their actions had led to the streets being filled with dead people.  As followers of Christ, we need to pray that our actions will never lead to the death of others but will lead them to new life in Christ.   

Verse eight concludes, Ye have feared the sword; and I will bring a sword upon you, saith the Lord God.  Ezekiel said that they had been acting out of fear of the sword of those around them, but that He was going to bring the sword of righteousness upon them.   We should never fear what the world may do to us more than we fear what disobedience to God will bring to us.  There is no place of safety outside the will of God.