How does Ezekiel 11:15 reveal God's concern for the exiled Israelites? Setting the Scene Ezekiel is in Babylon with the first wave of deportees (Ezekiel 1:1). Many still in Jerusalem assume that the exiles are yesterday’s people, cut off from God’s plans. Right in that atmosphere, the Lord speaks. The Verse Itself “Son of man, your brothers—your relatives, your fellow exiles, and the whole house of Israel—are those of whom the people of Jerusalem have said, ‘They are far from the LORD; this land has been given to us as a possession.’” (Ezekiel 11:15) What the Jerusalemites Were Saying • “They are far from the LORD” • “The land belongs to us” In other words, “God is with us, not with them. Their exile proves they’re rejected; their inheritance is ours.” How the Verse Unmasks God’s Concern • God calls the deportees “your brothers … the whole house of Israel.” – Family language signals acceptance, not abandonment (cf. Hosea 11:1). • He quotes the slander to expose it. – God is not ignoring the exile’s pain; He confronts the lie head-on. • He places the exiles at the center of the conversation. – The Lord talks about them, to them, and for them while they are hundreds of miles away. • The immediate context shows His protective heart: “I will be a sanctuary for them in the countries to which they have gone” (Ezekiel 11:16). • He promises return, unity, and a new heart (Ezekiel 11:17-20). – Concern isn’t sentimental; it becomes salvation history. Echoes in the Rest of Scripture • Jeremiah 29:4-14 —God’s plans for the captives include “a future and a hope.” • Psalm 137 —Even in tears by the rivers of Babylon, God hears the exiles’ songs. • Isaiah 40:1-2 —“Comfort, comfort My people,” spoken while exile still loomed. • Luke 15:20 —The father running to the prodigal mirrors God’s rush toward the displaced. Take-Home Reflections • Distance from the Temple never equals distance from God; He travels with His people. • Human verdicts (“far from the LORD”) cannot cancel divine covenants. • God often chooses the marginalized as the focus of His next redemptive move. |
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