Ezekiel 37:15–28 They Shall Be My People and I Will Be Their God
Audio Download
Ezekiel 37:15–28 They Shall Be My People and I Will Be Their God
[Study Aired Nov 25, 2024]
INTRODUCTION
Today’s study is about the Lord bringing together the twelve tribes of Israel to become one nation under the Lord’s banner. As Jesus said, any kingdom that is divided against itself cannot stand. This implies that if the kingdom of God is to be established, then the northern kingdom consisting of the ten tribes of Israel (commonly called Ephraim) with Samaria as their capital and the two tribes of the southern kingdom (commonly called Judah) with Jerusalem as their capital, must come together.
Mat 12:25 And Jesus knew their thoughts, and said unto them, Every kingdom divided against itself is brought to desolation; and every city or house divided against itself shall not stand:
Mat 12:26 And if Satan cast out Satan, he is divided against himself; how shall then his kingdom stand?
Initially, the people of Israel were of one nation until the death of King Solomon. During Solomon’s reign, he did that which was evil in the sight of the Lord and as a result, the Lord told him that He would take the kingdom away from him but for the sake of his father, David, and that of Jerusalem, He would leave a tribe. This division of the kingdom into two therefore took place during the reign of Solomon’s son Rehoboam.
1Ki 11:9 And the LORD was angry with Solomon, because his heart was turned from the LORD God of Israel, which had appeared unto him twice,
1Ki 11:10 And had commanded him concerning this thing, that he should not go after other gods: but he kept not that which the LORD commanded.
1Ki 11:11 Wherefore the LORD said unto Solomon, Forasmuch as this is done of thee, and thou hast not kept my covenant and my statutes, which I have commanded thee, I will surely rend the kingdom from thee, and will give it to thy servant.
1Ki 11:12 Notwithstanding in thy days I will not do it for David thy father’s sake: but I will rend it out of the hand of thy son.
1Ki 11:13 Howbeit I will not rend away all the kingdom; but will give one tribe to thy son for David my servant’s sake, and for Jerusalem’s sake which I have chosen.
When Rehoboam became king, the people of Israel complained to him about the grievous burden laid on them by Solomon. They therefore asked him to lessen their burden. When we rebel against the Lord, our burden becomes unbearable. It is in Christ that our burden is light.
Mat 11:28 Come unto me, all ye that labour and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest.
Mat 11:29 Take my yoke upon you, and learn of me; for I am meek and lowly in heart: and ye shall find rest unto your souls.
Mat 11:30 For my yoke is easy, and my burden is light.
Rehoboam consulted with the old men who advised him to serve the people and speak good things to them. However, he ignored the advice of the old men and took the advice of his contemporaries. He therefore told the old men that if his father chastised them with whips, he will do that with scorpions. This resulted in the breakup of the kingdom of Israel into the northern and the southern kingdoms.
1Ki 12:1 And Rehoboam went to Shechem: for all Israel were come to Shechem to make him king.
1Ki 12:2 And it came to pass, when Jeroboam the son of Nebat, who was yet in Egypt, heard of it, (for he was fled from the presence of king Solomon, and Jeroboam dwelt in Egypt;)
1Ki 12:3 That they sent and called him. And Jeroboam and all the congregation of Israel came, and spake unto Rehoboam, saying,
1Ki 12:4 Thy father made our yoke grievous: now therefore make thou the grievous service of thy father, and his heavy yoke which he put upon us, lighter, and we will serve thee.
1Ki 12:5 And he said unto them, Depart yet for three days, then come again to me. And the people departed.
1Ki 12:6 And king Rehoboam consulted with the old men, that stood before Solomon his father while he yet lived, and said, How do ye advise that I may answer this people?
1Ki 12:7 And they spake unto him, saying, If thou wilt be a servant unto this people this day, and wilt serve them, and answer them, and speak good words to them, then they will be thy servants forever.
1Ki 12:8 But he forsook the counsel of the old men, which they had given him, and consulted with the young men that were grown up with him, and which stood before him:
1Ki 12:9 And he said unto them, What counsel give ye that we may answer this people, who have spoken to me, saying, Make the yoke which thy father did put upon us lighter?
1Ki 12:10 And the young men that were grown up with him spake unto him, saying, Thus shalt thou speak unto this people that spake unto thee, saying, Thy father made our yoke heavy, but make thou it lighter unto us; thus shalt thou say unto them, My little finger shall be thicker than my father’s loins.
1Ki 12:11 And now whereas my father did lade you with a heavy yoke, I will add to your yoke: my father hath chastised you with whips, but I will chastise you with scorpions.
1Ki 12:12 So Jeroboam and all the people came to Rehoboam the third day, as the king had appointed, saying, Come to me again the third day.
1Ki 12:13 And the king answered the people roughly, and forsook the old men’s counsel that they gave him;
1Ki 12:14 And spake to them after the counsel of the young men, saying, My father made your yoke heavy, and I will add to your yoke: my father also chastised you with whips, but I will chastise you with scorpions.
1Ki 12:15 Wherefore the king hearkened not unto the people; for the cause was from the LORD, that he might perform his saying, which the LORD spake by Ahijah the Shilonite unto Jeroboam the son of Nebat.
1Ki 12:16 So when all Israel saw that the king hearkened not unto them, the people answered the king, saying, What portion have we in David? neither have we inheritance in the son of Jesse: to your tents, O Israel: now see to thine own house, David. So Israel departed unto their tents.
1Ki 12:17 But as for the children of Israel which dwelt in the cities of Judah, Rehoboam reigned over them.
We can see that when children rule in the Lord’s affairs, there is chaos. The children here represent those who can only take in the milk doctrines of the word of the Lord and they represent the leaders of the physical churches of this world or Babylon.
Isa 3:1 For, behold, the Lord, the LORD of hosts, doth take away from Jerusalem and from Judah the stay and the staff, the whole stay of bread, and the whole stay of water,
Isa 3:4 And I will give children to be their princes, and babes shall rule over them.
Isa 3:5 And the people shall be oppressed, every one by another, and every one by his neighbour: the child shall behave himself proudly against the ancient, and the base against the honourable.Isa 3:12 As for my people, children are their oppressors, and women rule over them. O my people, they which lead thee cause thee to err, and destroy the way of thy paths.
The lesson to be learnt from this is that when children rule the Lord’s house, the result are divisions, increase in the burden of the people and propagation of false doctrines. No wonder we have several denominations or divisions in the churches of this world. The fact that there are divisions means that the churches have failed. This is what the Lord says about this:
1Co 1:12 Now this I say, that every one of you saith, I am of Paul; and I of Apollos; and I of Cephas; and I of Christ.
1Co 1:13 Is Christ divided? was Paul crucified for you? or were ye baptized in the name of Paul?1Co 11:17 Now in this that I declare unto you I praise you not, that ye come together not for the better, but for the worse.
1Co 11:18 For first of all, when ye come together in the church, I hear that there be divisions among you; and I partly believe it.
1Co 11:19 For there must be also heresies among you, that they which are approved may be made manifest among you.
It is when we are united that we can put ten thousand to flight. It is therefore imperative that we come together in the unity of the faith as a prerequisite in the establishment of the Lord’s kingdom. Today’s study is about how the Lord is bringing us together as one from various countries, speaking the same thing as the Lord establishes His kingdom in us.
Deu 32:30 How should one chase a thousand, and two put ten thousand to flight, except their Rock had sold them, and the LORD had shut them up?
Joh 17:20 Neither pray I for these alone, but for them also which shall believe on me through their word;
Joh 17:21 That they all may be one; as thou, Father, art in me, and I in thee, that they also may be one in us: that the world may believe that thou hast sent me.
Joh 17:22 And the glory which thou gavest me I have given them; that they may be one, even as we are one:
Joh 17:23 I in them, and thou in me, that they may be made perfect in one; and that the world may know that thou hast sent me, and hast loved them, as thou hast loved me.1Co 1:10 Now I beseech you, brethren, by the name of our Lord Jesus Christ, that ye all speak the same thing, and that there be no divisions among you; but that ye be perfectly joined together in the same mind and in the same judgment.
The Lord Will Unite Judah and Ephraim
Eze 37:15 The word of the LORD came again unto me, saying,
Eze 37:16 Moreover, thou son of man, take thee one stick, and write upon it, For Judah, and for the children of Israel his companions: then take another stick, and write upon it, For Joseph, the stick of Ephraim, and for all the house of Israel his companions:
Eze 37:17 And join them one to another into one stick; and they shall become one in thine hand.
Eze 37:18 And when the children of thy people shall speak unto thee, saying, Wilt thou not shew us what thou meanest by these?
Eze 37:19 Say unto them, Thus saith the Lord GOD; Behold, I will take the stick of Joseph, which is in the hand of Ephraim, and the tribes of Israel his fellows, and will put them with him, even with the stick of Judah, and make them one stick, and they shall be one in mine hand.
Eze 37:20 And the sticks whereon thou writest shall be in thine hand before their eyes.
As indicated in the introduction session, Ephraim represents the northern kingdom and Judah signifies the southern kingdom. The sticks being joined one to another implies the unity of the body of Christ. The fact that they become one stick in the hand of the Lord in verse 3 means that bringing the body of Christ together is the work of the Lord.
Physically, the Lord has brought the people of Israel together from the four corners of the world to form the nation of Israel again after the second world war. As we are aware, the physical always comes before the spiritual.
1Co 15:45 This is what Scripture says: “The first man, Adam, became a living being.” The last Adam became a life-giving spirit.
1Co 15:46 The spiritual does not come first, but the physical and then the spiritual.
1Co 15:47 The first man was made from the dust of the earth. He came from the earth. The second man came from heaven.
1Co 15:48 The people on earth are like the man who was made from the dust of the earth. The people in heaven are like the man who came from heaven.
1Co 15:49 As we have worn the likeness of the man who was made from the dust of the earth, we will also wear the likeness of the man who came from heaven. (GW)
Spiritually, the Lord is gathering us, His elect, from the four corners of the earth as one people to form a great army of the Lord. This is what is happening to the Lord’s elect:
Isa 11:11 And it shall come to pass in that day, that the Lord shall set his hand again the second time to recover the remnant of his people, which shall be left, from Assyria, and from Egypt, and from Pathros, and from Cush, and from Elam, and from Shinar, and from Hamath, and from the islands of the sea.
Isa 11:12 And he shall set up an ensign for the nations, and shall assemble the outcasts of Israel, and gather together the dispersed of Judah from the four corners of the earth.
Isa 11:13 The envy also of Ephraim shall depart, and the adversaries of Judah shall be cut off: Ephraim shall not envy Judah, and Judah shall not vex Ephraim.
Isa 11:14 But they shall fly upon the shoulders of the Philistines toward the west; they shall spoil them of the east together: they shall lay their hand upon Edom and Moab; and the children of Ammon shall obey them.
Isa 11:15 And the LORD shall utterly destroy the tongue of the Egyptian sea; and with his mighty wind shall he shake his hand over the river, and shall smite it in the seven streams, and make men go over dry shod.
Isa 11:16 And there shall be an highway for the remnant of his people, which shall be left, from Assyria; like as it was to Israel in the day that he came up out of the land of Egypt.
Isaiah 11:12-16 shows us how the Lord is gathering us together. In Isaiah 11:14, we are told that they shall fly upon the shoulders of the Philistines towards the west. Flying upon the shoulders of the Philistines implies that our gathering together is being aided by fleshly men and women of this world signified here as Philistines. How do they aid us in our coming together? Through inventions such as zoom and other multimedia facilities, we are able to meet together from all over the world. It is significant to note that our gathering is towards the west. The west is where the sun sets. That means the work of the Lord shall continue in our lives until Christ, our Sun is established or set in us.
Php 1:6 Being confident of this very thing, that he which hath begun a good work in you will perform it until the day of Jesus Christ:
We are also told in Isaiah 11:14 that we shall plunder the people of the east. The east is where the sun rises and therefore the people of the east here represent our brothers and sisters in Babylon where our Lord Jesus Christ started to rise in their lives. As the Lord told us, the little truth that they have is being taken away from them and given to us His elect. That is how we are plundering the people of the east.
Mat 13:11 And he answered them, “To you it has been given to know the secrets of the kingdom of heaven, but to them it has not been given.
Mat 13:12 For to the one who has, more will be given, and he will have an abundance, but from the one who has not, even what he has will be taken away.
Laying their hands on Edom, Moab and the children of Ammon in Isaiah 11:14 means that the Lord is judging us of our old man, to possess our flesh and offer them as living sacrifices to the Lord. When we are in the flesh, there is no way we can be one. This is because out of our flesh comes divisions, envy, etc., which makes it impossible to be brought together as one. In Isaiah 11:13, we are told that Judah and Ephraim’s envy shall cease. The envy within us only ceases when the Lord deals with our flesh through His judgement.
Gal 5:19 Now the works of the flesh are manifest, which are these; Adultery, fornication, uncleanness, lasciviousness,
Gal 5:20 Idolatry, witchcraft, hatred, variance, emulations, wrath, strife, seditions, heresies,
Gal 5:21 Envyings, murders, drunkenness, revellings, and such like: of the which I tell you before, as I have also told you in time past, that they which do such things shall not inherit the kingdom of God.
In Isaiah 11:15, our gathering together means that the Lord will destroy the gulf of the Egyptian sea and with His mighty wind, shake the rivers and smite it in the seven streams. This means that the Lord will destroy the complete system of false doctrines that have characterized our walk, to create a highway for our coming together as one people.
Eze 37:21 And say unto them, Thus saith the Lord GOD; Behold, I will take the children of Israel from among the heathen, whither they be gone, and will gather them on every side, and bring them into their own land:
Eze 37:22 And I will make them one nation in the land upon the mountains of Israel; and one king shall be king to them all: and they shall be no more two nations, neither shall they be divided into two kingdoms any more at all:
Being a good shepherd, the Lord is seeking for His lost sheep from all over the countries of this world to become His flock. As a king, the Lord is establishing His kingdom within us in this dispensation.
Eze 34:11 For thus saith the Lord GOD; Behold, I, even I, will both search my sheep, and seek them out.
Eze 34:12 As a shepherd seeketh out his flock in the day that he is among his sheep that are scattered; so will I seek out my sheep, and will deliver them out of all places where they have been scattered in the cloudy and dark day.
Eze 34:13 And I will bring them out from the people, and gather them from the countries, and will bring them to their own land, and feed them upon the mountains of Israel by the rivers, and in all the inhabited places of the country.
Eze 34:14 I will feed them in a good pasture, and upon the high mountains of Israel shall their fold be: there shall they lie in a good fold, and in a fat pasture shall they feed upon the mountains of Israel.
Eze 34:15 I will feed my flock, and I will cause them to lie down, saith the Lord GOD.
Eze 34:16 I will seek that which was lost, and bring again that which was driven away, and will bind up that which was broken, and will strengthen that which was sick: but I will destroy the fat and the strong; I will feed them with judgment.
Eze 37:23 Neither shall they defile themselves any more with their idols, nor with their detestable things, nor with any of their transgressions: but I will save them out of all their dwelling places, wherein they have sinned, and will cleanse them: so shall they be my people, and I will be their God.
The Lord is in the process of cleansing us such that we shall not defile ourselves any more with our idols of the heart, other detestable things and transgressions. It is through the Lord’s judgement that we learn righteousness.
Isa 26:8 Yea, in the way of thy judgments, O LORD, have we waited for thee; the desire of our soul is to thy name, and to the remembrance of thee.
Isa 26:9 With my soul have I desired thee in the night; yea, with my spirit within me will I seek thee early: for when thy judgments are in the earth, the inhabitants of the world will learn righteousness.1Pe 4:1 Forasmuch then as Christ hath suffered for us in the flesh, arm yourselves likewise with the same mind: for he that hath suffered in the flesh hath ceased from sin;
1Pe 4:2 That he no longer should live the rest of his time in the flesh to the lusts of men, but to the will of God.
The reason why the Lord is coming to us to cleanse us in spite of our rebellion is that we have been elected before the foundation of the world to become His people as we submit to Him as our God.
Eph 1:3 Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, who hath blessed us with all spiritual blessings in heavenly places in Christ:
Eph 1:4 According as he hath chosen us in him before the foundation of the world, that we should be holy and without blame before him in love:
Eph 1:5 Having predestinated us unto the adoption of children by Jesus Christ to himself, according to the good pleasure of his will,
Eph 1:6 To the praise of the glory of his grace, wherein he hath made us accepted in the beloved.
The Davidic Kingdom and the Covenant of Peace
Eze 37:24 And David my servant shall be king over them; and they all shall have one shepherd: they shall also walk in my judgments, and observe my statutes, and do them.
Eze 37:25 And they shall dwell in the land that I have given unto Jacob my servant, wherein your fathers have dwelt; and they shall dwell therein, even they, and their children, and their children’s children for ever: and my servant David shall be their prince forever.
The reference to David, the Lord’s servant, becoming our king and our prince forever in verses 24 and 25, is speaking of our Lord Jesus coming to us, His elect, to establish the kingdom of God within us as He sits in the throne of our hearts and minds. In the fulness of time, the kingdom of God shall be manifested outwardly, when the kingdoms of this world become the kingdoms of our Lord and of His Christ.
Luk 17:20 And when he was demanded of the Pharisees, when the kingdom of God should come, he answered them and said, The kingdom of God cometh not with observation:
Luk 17:21 Neither shall they say, Lo here! or, lo there! for, behold, the kingdom of God is within you.Rev 11:15 And the seventh angel sounded; and there were great voices in heaven, saying, The kingdoms of this world are become the kingdoms of our Lord, and of his Christ; and he shall reign for ever and ever.
Eze 37:26 Moreover I will make a covenant of peace with them; it shall be an everlasting covenant with them: and I will place them, and multiply them, and will set my sanctuary in the midst of them for evermore.
In the Book of Isaiah, we are given more details of this covenant of peace that the Lord is making with us. This is what it entails:
Isa 54:9 For this is as the waters of Noah unto me: for as I have sworn that the waters of Noah should no more go over the earth; so have I sworn that I would not be wroth with thee, nor rebuke thee.
Isa 54:10 For the mountains shall depart, and the hills be removed; but my kindness shall not depart from thee, neither shall the covenant of my peace be removed, saith the LORD that hath mercy on thee.
Isa 54:11 O thou afflicted, tossed with tempest, and not comforted, behold, I will lay thy stones with fair colours, and lay thy foundations with sapphires.
Isa 54:12 And I will make thy windows of agates, and thy gates of carbuncles, and all thy borders of pleasant stones.
Isa 54:13 And all thy children shall be taught of the LORD; and great shall be the peace of thy children.
Isa 54:14 In righteousness shalt thou be established: thou shalt be far from oppression; for thou shalt not fear: and from terror; for it shall not come near thee.
Isa 54:15 Behold, they shall surely gather together, but not by me: whosoever shall gather together against thee shall fall for thy sake.
Isa 54:16 Behold, I have created the smith that bloweth the coals in the fire, and that bringeth forth an instrument for his work; and I have created the waster to destroy.
Isa 54:17 No weapon that is formed against thee shall prosper; and every tongue that shall rise against thee in judgment thou shalt condemn. This is the heritage of the servants of the LORD, and their righteousness is of me, saith the LORD.
The waters of Noah in Isaiah 54:9 signify our fiery trials in this life. The Lord’s covenant of peace makes us aware that we shall not go through the second death or the lake of fire. We are also made aware that no weapon formed or fashioned against us shall prosper. In Isaiah 54:14, we are also told not to fear terror since it shall not come near us. This is Jesus speaking of this covenant of peace to His disciples:
Joh 14:27 Peace I leave with you, my peace I give unto you: not as the world giveth, give I unto you. Let not your heart be troubled, neither let it be afraid.
Joh 20:21 Then said Jesus to them again, Peace be unto you: as my Father hath sent me, even so send I you.
Eze 37:27 My tabernacle also shall be with them: yea, I will be their God, and they shall be my people.
Eze 37:28 And the heathen shall know that I the LORD do sanctify Israel, when my sanctuary shall be in the midst of them for evermore.
The Lord’s dwelling place or tabernacle is within us, His elect. This is what shows us that we are His people and that He is our God.
Joh 14:20 At that day ye shall know that I am in my Father, and ye in me, and I in you.
Joh 17:22 And the glory which thou gavest me I have given them; that they may be one, even as we are one:
Joh 17:23 I in them, and thou in me, that they may be made perfect in one; and that the world may know that thou hast sent me, and hast loved them, as thou hast loved me.
In the fulness of time, the world shall come to know the Lord’s work of sanctification which is predicated on the truth of His word.
Joh 17:17 Sanctify them through thy truth: thy word is truth.
Joh 17:18 As thou hast sent me into the world, even so have I also sent them into the world.
Joh 17:19 And for their sakes I sanctify myself, that they also might be sanctified through the truth.Exo 29:44 And I will sanctify the tabernacle of the congregation, and the altar: I will sanctify also both Aaron and his sons, to minister to me in the priest’s office.
May the Lord continue to carry out His sanctification work in our lives as we see the day approaching. Amen!!
Other related posts
- Ezekiel 37:15–28 They Shall Be My People and I Will Be Their God (November 25, 2024)
- Ezekiel 34:17-31 The Shepherds of Israel - Part II (October 21, 2024)