Bible in a Year Series - Day #250 - This post is part of a year-long series where we are reading chronologically through the Bible. Click here to learn more. You are most welcome to join along at any time.
Today's text from the ESV Study Bible: Ezekiel 35-37.
After God's destruction of Jerusalem, it is critical that we understand that there is re-creation occurring before our eyes.
There are two things especially significant in today's narrative:
- Yahweh declares through Ezekiel, as he had previously declared through Jeremiah, that he has prepared a "new covenant" for his people: "And I will give you a new heart, and a new spirit I will put within you. And I will remove the heart of stone from your flesh and give you a heart of flesh. 27 And I will put my Spirit within you..." (Ezekiel 36:26-27a) There is regeneration pictured here, and we will here a great deal more about this from the lips of Jesus.
- When the Spirit of God is present there is life: "Therefore prophesy, and say to them, Thus says the Lord God: Behold, I will open your graves and raise you from your graves, O my people. And I will bring you into the land of Israel. 13 And you shall know that I am the Lord, when I open your graves, and raise you from your graves, O my people. 14 And I will put my Spirit within you, and you shall live, and I will place you in your own land. Then you shall know that I am the Lord; I have spoken, and I will do it, declares the Lord.” (Ezekiel 37:12-14) This is one of the first hints of resurrection in the Hebrew Canon. We will learn more of this from the book of Daniel.
For those of us living under God's new covenant, it is important that we keep our ears tuned to these initial proclamations of Yahweh. As we will later learn, regeneration and resurrection were very important messages from Jesus the Christ.
