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THE STORY OF ANCIENT ISRAEL

Text: Ezekiel 36
17 September 2017

MANY LESSONS TO BE LEARNED

The story of ancient Israel was carefully preserved for many important reasons:

  1. For the Posterity of the Nation

a) One of the most important lessons was about the Fall of Israel-Judah

i)  Israel fell in 722 BC

ii) Judah fell in 586 BC

b) Posterity would be well-advised to learn the needed lessons

c) Prophets like Ezekiel were raised up to help the nation to learn these lessons

d) Psalmists like Asaph wrote about these lessons in Didactic Psalm form (Psalm 78)

  1. For the Church today

a) Many of the lessons are relevant to the Church

b) The Fall of ancient Israel offered many lessons: –

i)  The grave danger of backsliding

ii) The danger of departing from God

THE RESTORATION OF THE NATION

There are as many lessons to learn from the restoration of the nation. The work that God promised Israel that He would do for them mirrored the work that He would do through the Lord Jesus Christ.

  1. Israel would be taken out of the nations

“I will take you from among the nations”      Ezekiel 36:24

The Church was called out of the world           

  1. Israel would be made clean

“Then I will sprinkle clean water on you, and you shall be clean;

I will cleanse you from all your filthiness and from your idols”      Ezekiel 36:25

The church would also receive cleansing from the blood of Christ.

  1. Israel will be given a new heart and a new spirit

“I will give you a new heart and put a new spirit with you;

I will take the heart of stone out of your flesh and give you a heart of flesh”      Ezekiel 36:26 

Every true believer has been given a new heart and a new spirit.

  1. The gift of the Holy Spirit

I will put My Spirit within you and cause you to walk in My statutes, and you will keep My judgments and do them.      Ezekiel 36:27

The Holy Spirit has been wondrously given to the true believer too! 

Ezekiel 36 offers an uplifting word that must bring great encouragement to the heart of every genuine believer!