[22] Then the cherubim lifted up their wings, with the wheels beside them, and the glory of the God of Israel was over them. [23] And the glory of the LORD went up from the midst of the city and stood on the mountain that is on the east side of the city. [24] And the Spirit lifted me up and brought me in the vision by the Spirit of God into Chaldea, to the exiles. Then the vision that I had seen went up from me. [25] And I told the exiles all the things that the LORD had shown me.
(Ezekiel 11:14-25 ESV)
The Lord God goes on to tell him "I will gather you from the peoples and assemble you out of the countries where you have been scattered, and I will give you the land of Israel."
I read those words and I can just sense the relief that Ezekiel must have been feeling. Seeing his people destroyed because of their own willfulness to knowing that a remnant would be preserved, that God even in his anger toward his people would not leave them abandoned.
Not only will the Lord God gather them up but he says the following to Ezekiel:
"And when they come there, they will remove from it all its detestable things and all its abominations. And I will give them one heart, and a new spirit I will put within them. I will remove the heart of stone from their flesh and give them a heart of flesh, that they may walk in my statutes and keep my rules and obey them. And they shall be my people, and I will be their God. But as for those whose heart goes after their detestable things and their abominations, I will bring their deeds upon their own heads, declares the Lord GOD.”
Can you see the promise? Can you see Ezekiel...having that relief that promise given to him, now see his hope? That his people will give up their detestable ways (worshipping false gods etc), that they will lose their hearts of stone and God himself will give them a new spirit? Oh wow.
God does that you know. God gives us a new spirit. This is confirmed even in the book of First John that pastor is preaching through. It's all God's work.
God gives us a new heart and a new spirit...now the question is why? Is it simply to give us a fresh start? No... God tells us why: that they may walk in my statutes and keep my rules and obey them. And they shall be my people, and I will be their God.
Makes sense eh? If God gives us a new heart and a new spirit, wouldn't we naturally want to walk in his ways? To keep his commands, to do his will? That's kinda the whole point you know? and yes I know... even with a new heart and a new spirit within we still wrestle with the old don't we? It's so easy to just do what comes naturally to the old man within. BUT we MUST needs stick to the new life and the new hope that God gives us. We have to make that choice to wrestle, to believe that new spirit within us. We have to...because as much as God gives people a new heart, a new spirit, the warning is still there you know. There will be those that will resist him.
If you stick to doing detestable things.... Karma will hit. I know, I know, I don't believe in Karma, but God is clear that what you do...you reap. If you do detestable things, if you stick to your abominable ways... God will bring it down upon your head.
He's right there helping yah, but if you are stubborn in your ways, you will reap what you sow.
Then the vision ended with the cherubim lifting off and the glory of the Lord over them, and they settled in the mountains east of the city.
Ezekiel was settled again among the exiles in Chaldea, where he proceeded to tell the people all that he had seen, all that the Lord has shown him.