I hope you’ll take a few minutes to watch Rudy Ross explain this passage in today’s YouTube video. With his extensive background in Bible study and his personal connection as a Jewish believer, Rudy brings a unique perspective to the topic of the unity of the Israelite people.
Below is a summary of Ezekiel 37:15–28, a passage where God promises to reunite His people, who were divided by a civil war following Solomon’s death.
It’s important to remember that these words were spoken to the despairing Hebrews exiled to Babylon in the era of 500 BC.
- Symbolic Act with Sticks:
- God instructs Ezekiel to take two sticks:
- One labeled “For Judah and the Israelites associated with it.”
- The other labeled “For Joseph (the stick of Ephraim) and the house of Israel associated with it.”
- Ezekiel is to join the two sticks together into one to symbolize unity.
- God instructs Ezekiel to take two sticks:
Many of Ezekiel’s earlier symbolic acts foretold challenging times for the people of Jerusalem. For example, he lay on his side for an extended period to symbolize the length of their exile. He constructed a mock city with siege works to predict the city’s fate, and he even endured the heartbreaking loss of his wife as a sign of God’s judgment.
However, the sign in this passage reveals God’s grace and the promise of the nation’s reunification.
Although the fulfillment of this promise required great patience, it ultimately came to pass in 1948.
- Explanation of the Symbol:
- God will reunite the divided kingdoms of Israel and Judah into one nation.
- The people of Israel will no longer be divided into two kingdoms.
- Promise of Restoration:
- God will gather the Israelites from the nations where they have been scattered.
- They will be brought back to their homeland, the land of Israel.
During Ezekiel’s time, the surrounding nations included the Amalekites, Canaanites, Philistines, and others with names that are often challenging for us to pronounce today.
We might wonder, “Where are these nations now?” They have been absorbed into the broader fabric of humanity.
Yet, through countless trials, the Jewish people have endured. Why is that? The answer lies in their purpose: to reveal the honor and glory of God, who chose them to represent His character to the world.
- Transformation of the People:
- The Israelites will no longer defile themselves with idols, detestable practices, or transgressions.
- God will save and cleanse them, making them His people, and He will be their God.
Israel failed profoundly in their mission to reveal God’s character to the world. Instead of reflecting Him, they often resembled the surrounding nations more than the God who had called them into existence.
Yet, after the exile, God promised a transformation. Humbled by His grace, they would turn back to Him in repentance and once again reflect His glory to the world around them.
The church is called to reflect God’s character through our actions and words. Our response to this calling has been mixed. At times, we shine brightly, exemplifying His love and truth. At other times, our record is far less commendable.
- Davidic Kingship:
- God promises that “My servant David” will be their king and shepherd.
- The people will follow God’s laws and observe His statutes.
No earthly king has ever lived up to the ideal presented in the Old Testament Scriptures. Every king of Israel fell short to some extent, and the same holds true for leaders today.
No human being can fully accomplish the task of representing God’s character in the world. Only one person has perfectly revealed God’s character while walking the earth: His Son, Jesus Christ.
- Covenant of Peace:
- God will establish an everlasting covenant of peace with His people.
- They will live in the promised land permanently, along with their descendants.
God’s people were reunited in 1948, and countless Jewish people returned to the Holy Land to celebrate His goodness. However, their time there has been marked by anything but peace.
The same is true for the rest of the world—peace often feels out of reach. There is only one true path to lasting peace: when Jesus establishes His kingdom of peace on earth.
- God’s Presence and Sanctuary:
- God’s sanctuary will be set among His people forever.
- He will dwell with them, and they will be His people.
In Ezekiel’s day, the temple was where heaven and earth met, the place where God’s presence was most visible. For Ezekiel and his fellow exiles, the destruction of the temple was a devastating reality.
Yet, God gave Ezekiel a vision of a future where His presence would no longer be confined to a single location but would dwell among His people throughout the earth as a sanctuary.
- Witness to the Nations:
- The presence of God’s sanctuary will demonstrate to the nations that He is the one who sanctifies Israel.
God is never without a witness to His reality. When humanity fails to reflect His glory, God Himself intervenes to reveal His character. As Scripture declares:
Therefore God also highly exalted him and gave him the name that is above every name, so that at the name of Jesus every knee should bend, in heaven and on earth and under the earth,
And every tongue should confess that Jesus Christ is Lord, to the glory of God the Father” (Philippians 2:9–11).
There will come a day when every knee will bow, and every tongue will confess that Jesus is Lord, acknowledging God’s sovereign rule over the earth.
YouTube Discussion:
Rudy Ross, Bruce Kirby, and I discussed this passage on YouTube today. It is on the Bob Spradling channel.
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