Foundations Week 25, Day 3

Scripture Read: Ezekiel 1:1 - 3; 36:16- 38; 37
Title: The Promise of New Life and Restoration

H.E.A.R. 
(H) Highlight verse: "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 you a heart of flesh.  And I will put my Spirit within you, and cause you to walk in my statutes and be careful to obey my rules."   Ezekiel 36:26 - 27

(E) Explain: Ezekiel was commissioned to be a prophet to the exiles.  In todays passages there are four highlights to this passage.  They are promises, prophecies and visions God gives to Ezekiel to give to the people of Israel who are in exile. 

1. The first is the promise that God is going to restore Israel.  Even though the Israelites profaned His name and turned their backs on Him (this was the reason they were in captivity), God is going to bring them back... Not because of anything they have done,  but for the sake of His holy name.  When the nations see the mercy of God they will know that He is the LORD of all.
2. Once God has restored Israel He is going to give them a new heart.  This new heart is a heart of flesh and not of stone.  This means that they will be alive in Him, Israel will no longer have a hardness of heart against God, but they will have a heart that is beating and alive and His Spirit will dwell in the people of Israel.  
3. The vision of the valley of dry bones describes how the bones dried up, dead are scattered in the desert.  But the LORD tells Ezekiel to prophesy over the bones and eventually the bones came together and flesh was upon them  and they breathed life once again.  This is another picture of God showing that Israel will be gathered together from being scattered in exile and given new life.
4. The last prophecy is one of unification.  The two branches that God tells Ezekiel put together represent Israel and Judah.  This prophecy and promise shows the people that Israel will once again be unified and not divided.

(A) Application: These four highlights can be applied to us today.  

1. God has promised restoration to His people.  His promise to bring restoration is due to His grace and mercy.  We are undeserving, through Jesus Christ we can receive the promise of restoration.
2. Our hearts were once hardened (sinful hearts) but through Jesus Christ we have received hearts of flesh.  We are alive and the Spirit of God dwells in us and we can live in obedience to God.
3. We once were dead (dry dead bones) and now we are alive, we are new creations in Jesus Christ.
   
4. God has called his people to unity.  We are not divided, We are one in Christ.
   

(R) Respond: Lord,  thank you that I have a heart of flesh that gives  me life in Jesus Christ.  Thank you that I have the Spirit in me so I can live in obedience to God and that I can live in unity with my brothers and sisters in Christ.