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Daily Devotions

Ezekiel

Ezekiel 
Day 
Day 166

"When I bring back their captives"

Text: Ezekiel 16:53

BRINGING BACK THE CAPTIVES

What would be the judgment and penalty for Israel and Judah for all their sinful ways? In a word, “captivity!” Both Israel and Judah would suffer defeat and humiliation when they are conquered by their enemies. There was a word of comfort given by the Lord. One day, He would bring them back to the land of Israel.

“When I bring back their captives,
the captives of Sodom and her daughters,
and the captives of Samaria and her daughters,
then I will also bring back the captives of your captivity among them,
that you may bear your own shame
and be disgraced by all that you did when you comforted them.”
Ezekiel 16:53-54

1. Captivity was forewarned.

a) Israel would be laid captive by the Assyrians.

b) Judah would also suffer the same humiliation from the Babylonians.

2. End of captivity promised.

a) God will bring back the captives of Israel.

i) Israel, unlike Sodom, would not be totally destroyed.

ii) Israel with her children would be brought back to their homeland.

b) This act of grace and mercy would also be extended to Judah.

i) Judah would spend 70 years in exile.

ii) But God would bring them back to Israel, their homeland.

3. Bearing the shame.

a) The shame of being captives would have to be borne.

b) There would also be a sense of shame and disgrace felt too.

4. Judah once comforted Israel.

a) When Israel was conquered by the Assyrians.

b) Judah offered some measure of comfort to them.

c) But Judah would suffer the same set of consequences as Israel.

d) The sense of disgrace and shame would still be felt by Judah for it should have known better than to walk in idolatrous ways!

e) Judah saw what happened to Israel when it went astray. But the nation not only followed the way of Israel, but actually did worse!