Week 45, November 3–9: Ezekiel 20–39; Psalm 107–112

• Sun      11/3     Ezek 20–22    
• Mon     11/4     Ezek 23–25     Psalm 107
• Tue      11/5     Ezek 26–27     Psalm 108
• Wed     11/6     Ezek 28–30     Psalm 109
• Thu      11/7     Ezek 31–33     Psalm 110
• Fri        11/8     Ezek 34–36     Psalm 111
• Sat       11/9     Ezek 37–39     Psalm 112

This week we continue reading in Ezekiel. This reading covers a set of chapters that includes some of the most graphic descriptions of sin and judgement in all the Bible, as well as some of the most striking, hopeful imagery depicting new life from God. We also continue our reading in Psalms, picking up at the beginning of Book IV of the Psalter.

The main message of the first part of Ezekiel is a message of rebuke against Israel and Judah for their wicked ways. They have departed from God and his law in about every way imaginable. They have had innumerable chances to repent and have remained hard-hearted in their resistance to the Lord and his prophets. In chapters 16 and 23, Ezekiel uses metaphorical language to depict the unfaithfulness of Israel and Judah, and it is difficult to read.

Ezekiel takes the message of prophetic accusation to a new level of intensity, but severity and rebuke are not unique to Ezekiel by any means. We have already seen this in Isaiah and Jeremiah, and it continues through the Minor Prophets as well. It may be tempting to endure reading these harsh messages with somewhat of a detached engagement with the Scriptures. Afterall, we are not Israel or Judah, and this is ancient writing to an ancient people. Nevertheless, we should feel its impact too. It should help us to see and lament over sin. We should see the ways we are still prone to exhibit some of the marks of the world, even though we have been given new hearts and God’s own Spirit, as we will read later. The message of the biblical Prophets should sensitize our consciences to evil in the world and it should work in us to align our moral sensibilities more and more to God’s.

Chapter 25 of Ezekiel marks a transition to a new section, which goes through chapter 32. Here the focus shifts from a message of judgement on Israel and Judah to a series of oracles against surrounding nations, historical enemies of Israel and Judah. These oracles speak of coming judgement on nations, and their leaders, who have proudly opposed God and his people. The Lord’s righteous judgement will crash down upon his enemies. There is hope in this for us too. God will ultimately prevail, even when it seems wickedness and pride are prevailing now, God will execute his righteous judgement in the end. He will manifest his glory and his holiness (Ezek. 28:22). Embedded in this section is another reminder from the Lord that he will again gather his people from where they have been scattered. God’s judgment against his enemies is deliverance for his people.

After a set of judgements against Egypt and Pharaoh, Israel’s ancient enemies, Ezekiel’s message shifts its focus again starting in chapter 33. A variety of themes are taken up in the section from chapters 33 to 39, including the Lord’s weighty reminder to Ezekiel that he is a “watchman for the house of Israel” (33:7). The prophet is compelled to give to the people the word the Lord gives to him. There is also an intense critique of the shepherds in Israel, followed by a hopeful promise that God himself will seek out his sheep and bring them back to him, caring for them and feeding them in justice (34:1–16). Not only will the Lord be their loving shepherd, but he will also deliver his sheep by the hand of a shepherd he will send. “I, the Lord, will be their God,” he says, “and my servant David shall be prince among them. I am the Lord; I have spoken.” (34:24) This is same kind of messianic language we have seen before throughout the OT, where long after David’s own time, God promises to send another, greater David. One from his line, an offspring (or seed) of David, will come and bring his people to himself to care for them.

He will bring in a new covenant, a covenant of peace, as it says in 34:25, just after the promise of a Davidic shepherd Messiah. In this new covenant of peace, the enemies of God and of his people will be destroyed, and God will put his own Spirit within his people. God will vindicate his holy name among the nations before whom he has been profaned by his people. In one of the most beautiful and hopeful new covenant passages in all the Bible, the Lord promises to take his people from all the nations and cleanse them—cleanse us from our uncleanness. He continues and says this profound truth, which has been fulfilled in us: “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. And I will put my Spirit within you, and cause you to walk in my statutes and be careful to obey my rules.” (36:26–27)

This is the beautiful hope of the gospel, the new covenant promise that Jesus ushered in when the eternal, almighty, triune God took on flesh then went to the cross to redeem to himself all who recognize him as the Messiah and put their faith in him. He is our God and we are his people. And, as chapter 37 depicts with vivid imagery, we have been raised with him from death to life.

Stick with the reading through these OT Prophetic books. They can be difficult to understand and their messages of judgement can be challenging to endure. But remember, they are all pointing to the coming of Christ the Messiah and to the promise of a New Covenant. And for us, the New Covenant has come, because Christ has come. And we also await with confident anticipation the final fulfilment of all the promises of the New Covenant, because Christ is coming again.