In the land of Israel, a time of great desolation had come upon the people. The mountains and hills, once lush and fertile, lay barren and lifeless. The rivers that once flowed with clear, refreshing waters had dried up, leaving only cracked earth in their wake. The cities, once bustling with life, were now ruins, their walls broken and their streets silent. The people of Israel had been scattered among the nations, driven from their homeland because of their sins. They had defiled the land with their idolatry, their bloodshed, and their disobedience to the Lord. The nations around them mocked and scorned, saying, “These are the people of the Lord, and yet they have been cast out of His land!”
But the Lord, in His mercy, did not forget His people. He spoke through the prophet Ezekiel, saying, “Son of man, prophesy to the mountains of Israel. Say to them, ‘Hear the word of the Lord! You mountains of Israel, you have borne the shame of the nations. They have said of you, “These ancient heights have become our possession.” But the Lord says to you, O mountains, that the nations have devoured you and crushed you on every side. They have made you a desolation and a reproach among the peoples. Therefore, hear the word of the Lord!'”
The Lord continued, “Because the nations have spoken against you, saying, ‘Aha! The ancient heights have become our possession,’ I am stirred to jealousy and wrath. I swear by My own life, declares the Lord, that the nations around you will surely bear their own shame. But you, O mountains of Israel, will shoot forth your branches and yield your fruit for My people Israel, for they will soon come home. I am concerned for you and will look on you with favor. You will be plowed and sown, and I will multiply the number of people upon you—the whole house of Israel. The cities will be inhabited, and the ruins will be rebuilt. I will cause you to be inhabited as in times past and will do more good to you than ever before. Then you will know that I am the Lord.”
The Lord’s words were filled with promise and hope. He declared that He would bring His people back to their land, not because they deserved it, but for the sake of His holy name, which they had profaned among the nations. “I will take you from the nations and gather you from all the countries,” the Lord said, “and I will bring you back into your own land. I will sprinkle clean water on you, and you will be clean. I will cleanse you from all your impurities and from all your idols. I will give you a new heart and put a new spirit within you. I will remove your heart of stone 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 be careful to obey My laws.”
The Lord’s promise was not just about restoring the land but about transforming the hearts of His people. He would make them new, washing away their sins and giving them the desire and ability to follow Him. “You will live in the land I gave your ancestors,” the Lord said. “You will be My people, and I will be your God. I will save you from all your uncleanness. I will call for the grain and make it plentiful, and I will not bring famine upon you. I will increase the fruit of the trees and the crops of the field, so that you will no longer suffer disgrace among the nations because of famine.”
The Lord’s words painted a vivid picture of restoration. The barren mountains would once again be covered with forests, their slopes green and teeming with life. The fields would yield abundant harvests, and the people would eat their fill and live in safety. The cities would rise from their ruins, their streets filled with the laughter of children and the joy of families reunited. The land would no longer be a place of shame but a testament to the Lord’s faithfulness and power.
“But remember this,” the Lord said, “it is not for your sake that I will do this, O house of Israel, but for the sake of My holy name, which you have profaned among the nations where you have gone. I will show the holiness of My great name, which has been profaned among the nations, the name you have profaned among them. Then the nations will know that I am the Lord, declares the Sovereign Lord, when I am proved holy through you before their eyes.”
The Lord’s plan was not just for Israel but for all the nations to see His glory. Through His mercy and power, He would demonstrate His holiness and sovereignty. The people of Israel, once scattered and broken, would become a living testimony to the Lord’s faithfulness. They would no longer be a byword among the nations but a beacon of hope and redemption.
As Ezekiel spoke these words, the people listened with awe and wonder. They had been in exile for so long, their hearts heavy with guilt and despair. But now, the Lord was offering them a future filled with hope. He was promising to restore not just their land but their very souls. He would make them new, giving them hearts that longed to obey Him and spirits filled with His presence.
The Lord concluded His message with a promise of peace and prosperity. “I will make a covenant of peace with you,” He said, “and wild animals will no longer ravage your land. You will live in safety, and no one will make you afraid. I will bless you and make you fruitful, and I will increase the number of your people. I will settle you in your land, and you will know that I am the Lord. I will break the bars of your yoke and enable you to walk with heads held high.”
And so, the people of Israel waited with hope for the day when the Lord would fulfill His promises. They knew that their restoration would not come through their own efforts but through the power and grace of the Lord. He would cleanse them, renew them, and bring them back to the land He had promised to their ancestors. And through it all, the nations would see and know that the Lord is God, holy and mighty, faithful and true.
