Ezekiel 35-36

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TALKS FOR GROWING CHRISTIANS

Israel’s Future Blessing and Restoration

Edom was judged and destroyed because of God’s covenant with His people.
Israel will be regathered and restored because of God’s covenant with his people.

Here in chapter 35 we have the third of the six messages (chapters 33 to 39) given by Ezekiel to the people of Israel. What has God promised in this message that makes it a message of encouragement and hope for the Jewish people?
Why did God pronounce judgment against Edom? What would God’s judgment entail regarding the land of Edom?
In contrast to God’s judgment against Edom in chapter 35, God promised many blessings for Israel in chapter 36. In verses 8-15, He promised that the land of Israel would become ________________, it would become _________________, it would become ______________, and it would become _________________.
The second half of chapter 36 is the fourth of the six messages, and is another message of hope and encouragement. This message is clearly addressed to ____________. It is not addressed to the ___________.
The sprinkling of the clean water here in verse 25 is not Christian ____________, but is the language of the red ____________ sacrifice of Numbers 19 where the ashes mixed with water were for cleansing from defilement. This certainly typifies our cleansing from sin as believers because of the work of Christ, but in the context here, this is part of the new _____________ that is made with regathered __________ in the land that God gave them (v 28).

This third message is one of hope and encouragement to the people of Israel because God promises the destruction of Edom and other enemies of Israel represented by Edom. The mountains of Edom would become waste and desolation (35:7-8), while the mountains of Israel would be blessed (36:8).
God pronounced judgment on Edom because of their wrong treatment of the people of Israel and the land of Israel. The Edomites certainly knew of the covenant that God had made with Abraham (Genesis 12), because they were the descendants of Esau. However, they showed enmity towards Israel and actually helped in the Babylonian conquest of Jerusalem. Read the prophecy of Obadiah in this regard.
God promised that the land of Israel would become productive (vs 8-9), populated (vs 10-11), possessed (v 12), and purified (vs 13-15).
The forth message, recorded in the last half of chapter 36, is clearly addressed to Israel. It is not addressed to the church. The church is not Israel and has not replaced Israel in the prophecies and promises made to Israel here in Ezekiel and elsewhere in the Bible.
The sprinkling of the clean water in verse 25 is not Christian baptism, but is the language of the red heifer sacrifice of Numbers 19. In the context here, this is part of the new covenant that is made with regathered Israel in the land that God gave them.

Read Genesis 12:1-3 and discuss the specific blessings that are part of the covenant that God made with Abraham. Consider why the promise to “make you a great nation” was so significant when made to Abraham while he was still in Haran. Discuss the timing of the fulfillment of the promises made by God to Abraham and therefore to the people of Israel.

What blessings has God promised you as a believer? What has he asked of you? In John chapter 14, Jesus said, “If anyone loves Me, He will obey My teaching.” Are you aware of his teaching? Are you being obedient to Jesus’ teaching? Jesus said, “Whoever has My commands and obeys them, he is the one who loves Me. He who loves Me will be loved by my Father, and I too will love him and show Myself to him.”

“For I will take you from among the nations, gather you out of all countries, and bring you into your own land. I will give you a new heart and put a new spirit within you; I will take the heart of stone out of your flesh and give you a heart of flesh. I will put My spirit within you and cause you to walk in My statutes, and you will keep My judgments and do them.” Ezekiel 36: 24, 26-27