But I had pity for mine holy name, which the house of Israel had
profaned among the heathen, whither they went. Therefore say unto
the house of Israel, Thus saith the Lord God; I do not this for your
sakes, O house of Israel, but for mine holy name's sake, which ye
have profaned among the heathen, whither ye went. And I will
sanctify my great name, which was profaned among the nations, which
ye have profaned in the midst of them; and the nations shall know
that I am the Lord, saith the Lord God, when I shall be sanctified
in you before their eyes. For I will take you from among the
nations, and gather you out of all countries, and will bring you
into your own land. 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. 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. 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. 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. 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. 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 nations. Then shall ye remember your
own evil ways, and your doings that were not good, and shall loathe
yourselves in your own sight for your iniquities and for your
abominations. 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. 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. And the
desolate land shall be tilled, whereas it lay desolate in the sight
of all that passed by. 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.
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. 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. 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 (verses 21-38).
The Lord's own name, His holy name, which they profaned among the
nations, is what moves Him to act. He tells them that it was not for
their sakes, for any merit in them, that He would do the things which
His prophet is about to announce. It was His own name as the Lord Who is
a covenant keeping God, the holy name they had so miserably outraged,
which He must vindicate. The nations were to know, and will yet know,
that He is God. He will sanctify His great name, and declares, "I shall
be sanctified in you before their eyes." But how? When in infinite grace
He deals with this nation and manifests Himself as the loving,
covenant-keeping, grace-bestowing Jehovah. And that will be when He, Who
died for that nation on the cross (John xii:50-53), Whom they rejected,
Whose name they have profaned, returns from His glory-place. Then will
His name be sanctified in all the earth, when in wondrous grace He lifts
His nation from the dunghill of shame and want and brings them back to
their own land.
This is so marvelously promised by Ezekiel. The characteristic word in
verses 23-38 is the word "I will." It is the word of sovereign grace.
Eighteen times Jehovah saith what He will do. They are the "I wills" of
Israel's hope and coming glory.
He will gather them from among the nations and all countries and bring
them back to their own land. Only a superficial expositor can speak of a
fulfillment when they returned from Babylon. But even if this were so,
though it is not, the verses which follow have never been fulfilled in
the past. The cleansing of the nation is next promised: "I will sprinkle
clean water upon you and ye shall be clean."[29] It refers us to the
water mixed with the ashes of the red-heifer, which was sprinkled with
a hyssop on the unclean, typifying the precious blood of Christ in its
cleansing power (Heb. ix:13-14; x:22). Thus when the people of Israel
believe on Him and look upon Him Whom they pierced (Zech. xii:10), they
will be cleansed. "In that day there shall be a fountain opened to the
house of David and to the inhabitants of Jerusalem for sin and for
uncleanness" (Zech. xiii:1). Then follows the promise of the new birth of
Israel. "A new heart will I also give you, and a new spirit will I put
within you." The stony heart is to be taken away and they will receive a
heart of flesh. Our Lord had this passage in mind when He talked with
Nicodemus about the new birth. Nicodemus, the teacher in Israel, was
ignorant of the fact that this new birth for Israel is necessary in
order to be in that coming kingdom and to receive its blessings.
Therefore the Lord said to him, "If I have told you earthly things
(about Israel and the new birth as the way into the kingdom) and ye
believe not, how shall ye believe if I tell you of heavenly things?"
(the heavenly blessings which follow His sacrificial death).
[29] It is wrong to apply this sentence to water-baptism and claim for
it sprinkling as the proper mode of baptism.
Then follow still greater restoration promises and blessings, which
Israel never possessed in their past history nor to-day. He will be
their God and they will be His people. There will be an increase in the
corn; famine will disappear forever. The desolate land will be tilled so
that those who pass through the land will 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." When this
restoration and blessing through grace is accomplished then will they
remember their evil ways and loathe themselves for their iniquities and
abominations. This will be their national repentance. It is not
repentance first, but the Lord will be first gracious and merciful to
them, and as a result they will remember their ways of evil and humble
themselves before Him. And the nations round about will know that He who
has done all this is Jehovah. All these blessed things will surely be
accomplished in the day when the Lord arises and has mercy upon Zion
(Ps. cii:13): "I, the Lord have spoken, and I will do it."