Endure to be Restored
My dwelling place will be with them; I will be their God, and they will be my people. Ezekiel 37: 27
TodayÂ’s text comes to us from the background of GodÂ’s promise through the prophet Ezekiel, to His people, that the time will come when he will remove the dividing walls from them. The walls established by their division into two kingdoms, Israel and Judah. With two kingdoms the people had been divided in a number of ways. They were divided along political lines with separate kings for both kingdoms who were not always friendly towards each other. They were divided along social lines as they now operated under different governmental systems, and the prosperity of one kingdom did not mean that both kingdoms would benefit. They were divided along religious lines. Another High Priestly system had to be established for the other kingdom as the temple in Jerusalem served only one kingdom. The division then was not a good thing and in fact reflected one of the worst periods in IsraelÂ’s history. It was during this time that the Kingdom of Israel, consisting of ten of the tribes, were destroyed by the Assyrians and lost forever to history.
TodayÂ’s text comes to us from the background of GodÂ’s promise through the prophet Ezekiel, to His people, that the time will come when he will remove the dividing walls from them. The walls established by their division into two kingdoms, Israel and Judah. With two kingdoms the people had been divided in a number of ways. They were divided along political lines with separate kings for both kingdoms who were not always friendly towards each other. They were divided along social lines as they now operated under different governmental systems, and the prosperity of one kingdom did not mean that both kingdoms would benefit. They were divided along religious lines. Another High Priestly system had to be established for the other kingdom as the temple in Jerusalem served only one kingdom. The division then was not a good thing and in fact reflected one of the worst periods in IsraelÂ’s history. It was during this time that the Kingdom of Israel, consisting of ten of the tribes, were destroyed by the Assyrians and lost forever to history.
It is with this fresh in their history, and being taken captive themselves, that the Lord speaks through Ezekiel letting his people know that the time would come when the two kingdoms would be reunited, and He himself would become their king. He would be to them a king after David’s order. That is, he would re-establish the kingdom and the crown, rule over them with wisdom and understanding, pointing them always in a Godly direction. How would He achieve this? The text tells us the He would establish His throne among His people. ‘My dwelling place will be with them’ It is from within their midst that the Lord would further establish His new relationship with them. I will be their God, and they will be my people.
What a word for such times! All was not lost, there was hope of redemption. They would be saved by God himself who would not only save them but restore them to their former glory. “Better days are coming, by and by!” Now they could ‘sing the Lord’s song in a strange land.’
I don’t know what you may be facing today my friend, but I do believe that this is a timely word for us. As desolate and desperate as it may seem today, the Lord wants you to know that this is not a time to give up hope. Rather keep hope in the Lord who made heaven and earth. He wants you to know that the time is coming when he shall remove all divisions from among us and establish His Kingdom on earth, ‘his dwelling place will be with us; He will be our God, and we will be his people. John saw the vision of it in Rev 21: 2 – 3 2I saw the Holy City, the new Jerusalem, coming down out of heaven from God, prepared as a bride beautifully dressed for her husband. 3And I heard a loud voice from the throne saying, "Now the dwelling of God is with men, and he will live with them. They will be his people, and God himself will be with them and be their God.
As you live out your faith then donÂ’t be discouraged by what you must endure. Rather take hope in what the Lord has promised us for the future. We endure now in order to be restored later. Psalm 27: 14 encourages us Wait on the LORD: be of good courage, and he shall strengthen thine heart: wait, I say, on the LORD. Until next Tuesday, be blessed.
What a word for such times! All was not lost, there was hope of redemption. They would be saved by God himself who would not only save them but restore them to their former glory. “Better days are coming, by and by!” Now they could ‘sing the Lord’s song in a strange land.’
I don’t know what you may be facing today my friend, but I do believe that this is a timely word for us. As desolate and desperate as it may seem today, the Lord wants you to know that this is not a time to give up hope. Rather keep hope in the Lord who made heaven and earth. He wants you to know that the time is coming when he shall remove all divisions from among us and establish His Kingdom on earth, ‘his dwelling place will be with us; He will be our God, and we will be his people. John saw the vision of it in Rev 21: 2 – 3 2I saw the Holy City, the new Jerusalem, coming down out of heaven from God, prepared as a bride beautifully dressed for her husband. 3And I heard a loud voice from the throne saying, "Now the dwelling of God is with men, and he will live with them. They will be his people, and God himself will be with them and be their God.
As you live out your faith then donÂ’t be discouraged by what you must endure. Rather take hope in what the Lord has promised us for the future. We endure now in order to be restored later. Psalm 27: 14 encourages us Wait on the LORD: be of good courage, and he shall strengthen thine heart: wait, I say, on the LORD. Until next Tuesday, be blessed.
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