Ezekiel 36:35

Ezekiel 36:35 says, And they shall say, This land that was desolate is become like the garden of Eden; and the waste and desolate and ruined cities are become fenced, and are inhabited.  God said that the land of Israel was like the garden of Eden, or very fruitful once more.  It had been left desolate for a period of time because of the disobedience of the people of Israel, but it was still God’s promised land for them, so He had restored it to being a plentiful land once more.  We were once spiritually desolate as sinners, but God had already prepared a place of plenty for us to live in forever if we will only confess our sins and accept His gift of salvation.   

Verse thirty-six adds, Then the heathen that are left round about you shall know that I the Lord build the ruined places, and plant that that was desolate: I the Lord have spoken it, and I will do it.  God said that when He, and not the people of Isreal, restored the land that the heathen around them would know that He had done it and that He is God.  As followers of Christ, we should always give God credit for the good things in our lives, beginning with His gift of salvation.  We should then live our lives so that the lost people of the world will know that God is God.  If we are no different than them, this will never happen.   

Verse thirty-seven continues, Thus saith the Lord God; I will yet for this be enquired of by the house of Israel, to do it for them; I will increase them with men like a flock.  God said this was going to happen when the people of Israel once again sought Him and followed His laws.  If we are going to be restored to God spiritually, we must respond to His gift of salvation when He calls us.  We are saved by simply putting our faith in Jesus Christ as our Savior and Lord, but we are then to live our lives in accordance with God’s word so that lost people will know that we believe in the only God that there is.    

Verse thirty-five concludes, As the holy flock, as the flock of Jerusalem in her solemn feasts; so shall the waste cities be filled with flocks of men: and they shall know that I am the Lord.  God then stated once more that when the holy flock, those people of Israel who put their faith in Him returned to the restored cities in Israel that people would know that He is God.  Not only would the people return, but they would have abundant flocks, or their needs would be met in other words.  When we accept Jesus Christ as our Savior and Lord, all our spiritual needs are abundantly met, even though we do not have a promise that we will be materially blessed.  At times, the opposite may be true, but we are still to live by faith so that lost people will see that God is God of our lives. 

 

Ezekiel 36:31

Ezekiel 36:31 says, Then shall ye remember your own evil ways, and your doings that were not good, and shall lothe yourselves in your own sight for your iniquities and for your abominations.  God said that when He blessed them materially once more that they would remember their evil ways and loathe how they had acted.  They wouldn't be able to stand the way they had looked before God before when they were not living in accordance with their covenant relationship with Him.  We should never look back on the way we lived before we accepted Jesus Christ as our Savior and Lord with satisfaction, but we should always look back on that time with disappointment instead.   

Verse thirty-two adds, Not for your sakes do I this, saith the Lord God, be it known unto you: be ashamed and confounded for your own ways, O house of Israel.  God said that He wasn’t restoring the people of Israel for their sakes, or because they deserved it just because of who they were, but was doing so because of His promise to Abraham.  We will never be restored to God because we deserve it, no matter where we may have been born.  God restores us to a right relationship with Him because of His promise of salvation, and it will not be done for our glory but for His.   

Verse thirty-three continues, Thus saith the Lord God; In the day that I shall have cleansed you from all your iniquities I will also cause you to dwell in the cities, and the wastes shall be builded.  God said when He cleansed the people of all their iniquities and not when they did, that He would also cause them to once more live in cities in the promised land.  It is always God Who cleanses us spiritually by the shed blood of His only begotten Son, Jesus Christ, and we can never be restored by our own merit.  

Verse thirty-four concludes, And the desolate land shall be tilled, whereas it lay desolate in the sight of all that passed by.   God said that where the land of Israel had been desolate in the sight of all the people that it was now going to be filled with His people once more.  Even if the world becomes desolate, we as God’s people will be at home in heaven, and all people will see the glory of God, even those who are forever separated from Him.   

Ezekiel 36:25

Ezekiel 36:25 says, Then will I sprinkle clean water upon you, and ye shall be clean: from all your filthiness, and from all your idols, will I cleanse you.  God then added that once He restored the nation of Israel that He would cause them to be cleansed spiritually.  I don’t believe that this was because of their own professed righteousness but would be after they repented and put their faith in Him once more.  God will never just make some spiritually clean simply because they call themselves a Christian but have not put their faith in Him.   To be spiritually washed clean, we must have a personal relationship with God by accepting His gift of salvation.   

Verse twenty-six adds, 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.  God said that when He restored the people of Israel, He was going to give them a new heart that would be dependent on Him and take away their old stony heart and that He would also give them a new Spirit, which I believe refers to the Holy Spirit.  If we have accepted Jesus Christ as our Savior and Lord, then we will be washed clean spiritually and have a new heart that is guided by the Holy Spirit.   

Verse twenty-seven continues, And I will put my spirit within you, and cause you to walk in my statutes, and ye shall keep my judgments, and do them.  God said that when He called the people of Israel to Himself once more that He would give them His spirit to live within them.  When He did this, they would walk in accordance to His word and keep His commandments.  Once we accept God’s gift of salvation, the Holy Spirit indwells us, and we should then live by His guidance and follow the laws of God.   

Verse twenty-eight states, And ye shall dwell in the land that I gave to your fathers; and ye shall be my people, and I will be your God.  God said that after the people of Israel began to live by faith in Him that He would give them the promised land to live in once more.   When we accept Jesus Christ as our Savior and Lord, we are assured of a home in heaven, the final promised land.   

Verse twenty-nine adds, I will also save you from all your uncleannesses: and I will call for the corn, and will increase it, and lay no famine upon you.  God said that when the people lived by faith in Him that He would cleanse them from all unrighteousness and that they would no longer suffer from famine.  Once we accept Jesus Christ as our Savior and Lord, we are cleansed of all unrighteousness and will never be spiritually hungry again because of a lack of spiritual food, as long as we live by faith since Jesus is the bread of life.   

Verse thirty continues, And I will multiply the fruit of the tree, and the increase of the field, that ye shall receive no more reproach of famine among the heathen.  God said He was going to bless them with an abundance of crops so that the heathen would no longer reproach the people of Israel for their famine.  The heathen, or the unsaved people, wanted to use material blessings as a sign that God is Who He says He is.  There are still lost people today, and even some Christians, who believe that salvation also means that Christians should be materially blessed and this has never been the case.  Still, they believe the lack of material wealth is a sign that God either doesn't exist or doesn’t have much power if He does, but this is because they are wrong about Christianity being a means of material blessings.  God only promises us that we will be spiritually blessed when we accept His gift of salvation and instead of being materially blessed, we may be persecuted because of our faith.  This does not mean that He isn’t in charge if we are.