READ: Ezekiel 11:1 - 12:20.
Verses chosen for meditation: Ezekiel 11:17-20.
17 Therefore
say, ‘Thus says the Lord God: 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.’ 18 And
when they come there, they will remove from it all its detestable
things and all its abominations.
19 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, 20 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.
REFLECT
In the Bible, the
heart is mentioned almost 1,000 times and it can refer to the mind, will and emotions. In
fact, the words, “heart, “soul”, and “mind” can be used interchangeably in the
Bible. Does this then imply
that “heart “is the core concern in God’s eyes?
Several years ago,
Linda’s husband (not her real name) had waited patiently and finally paid a
hefty sum for a mechanical heart to replace his failing organ. But sadly, his
“new heart” didn’t last too long, and eventually he passed on. Linda’s husband
reminded me of a temporary heart change. Unlike the physical or a temporary
heart, God is concerned with the spiritual heart that needs an inner and permanent
change, to get right with Him.
In the new covenant, God promised His people in
Ezekiel 11:19 (ref. Jer 29:33) that He will deal with their hearts and their
disobediences. Also, He would not forget nor forsake
His people. He assured the Israelites, “I will give you a new
heart ... . I will remove from you your heart of stone and give you a
heart of flesh.” He also promised, “I will cleanse you from all your
impurities” and “put my Spirit in you” (Ezekiel 36:25, 27). We need what
God can do alone - to change our hardened and rebellious hearts from within.
RELATE
In the book of Ezekiel, we see how idolatry plagued the people of Judah
and provoke the Lord to His wrath. God told the prophet that the Jerusalem
leaders, had set up idols in their hearts (14:3). God was not merely warning
them against idols carved of wood and stone. He was showing them that idolatry
is a problem of the heart,
which we all struggle with it as well. Because sin clogs our
capacity to connect with God, we need spiritual “surgery” to clear them. God’s promise (11:17-20)
is to restore Israel to the land and renew them spiritually. Her exile period would deem to be a cleansing time, to repent from their previous idolatry and abominations.
Yes, God is deeply concerned if we have depraved hearts (Jeremiah 17:9,
Matthew 9:4 - Jesus’ warning of evil hearts), or new pure hearts. To God, the
condition of the heart is extremely important when it comes to salvation and our
daily walk with Him, etc. God desires the hearts of people in worship, but not outward rituals. But even with a new heart, we are warned to guard our
hearts (Proverbs 4:23, Psalm 26:2, Luke 6:45) and are exhorted to love God with
all our hearts (Matthew 22:37) too.
In restoration, God spoke His promises to Ezekiel specifically as
a covenant. In the new covenant, God deals with us as an individual person. One enters into a renewed relationship with God (they shall be My people, and I will be their God, Jeremiah 24:7). Not forsaken, and to a people who had lost
hope, God promised a fresh start as the One who could renew their lives. The
promise of the New Covenant was ultimately fulfilled and perfected through
Jesus’s death and resurrection. When we trust in Jesus, we receive a new
spiritual heart as a new creation, one that’s cleansed of our sins to live the
new life for God (Romans 6:4).
God is willing to offer us a fresh start. Do you desire it?
REST
Father, create in us a new heart that is renewed from within. In His
Name, Amen.
“Create in Me A Clean Heart”: https://open.spotify.com/track/7tJ2RaT2VhrvIgu5NfPtqu?si=fa4bd5a9f7404470
Vincent
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