How should Ezekiel 36:36 inspire our faith in God's transformative power? Seeing Ezekiel 36:36 in Context “Then the nations left all around you will know that I, the LORD, have rebuilt what was destroyed and replanted what was desolate. I, the LORD, have spoken, and I will do it.” (Ezekiel 36:36) - Spoken to Israel after devastating exile, this promise follows God’s pledge to give the land new fruitfulness (vv. 33-35). - The verse bridges past desolation and future restoration, turning grief into a testimony before “the nations.” God’s Signature of Restoration - “I, the LORD, have spoken, and I will do it.” • His Word carries absolute authority (Isaiah 55:11). • What He declares, He performs—no human power can thwart it (Numbers 23:19). - Rebuilding and replanting display God’s creative power still at work in history, not figuratively but literally fulfilled for Israel. His Transformative Power Described - From “destroyed” to “rebuilt”: ruins become solid structures. - From “desolate” to “replanted”: barren soil becomes fruitful fields. - External renewal pictures the inward renewal promised in the same chapter (Ezekiel 36:26-27)—a new heart and Spirit-empowered obedience. What This Means for Our Faith - God’s past faithfulness anchors present trust. If He revitalized a shattered nation, He can restore any life situation today. - Because He ties His reputation to His actions (“nations … will know”), our confidence rests on His honor, not our effort. - The transformation is comprehensive—He attends to ruins we see and roots we don’t. Walking in the Assurance Today - Identify “ruins” in your life—habits, relationships, hopes—and bring them under the promise that the LORD rebuilds. - Expect visible change; God’s work leaves evidence “the nations” can notice (Matthew 5:16). - Live with forward-looking gratitude; praise Him now for restorations He has already scheduled (Philippians 1:6). Echoes in the Rest of Scripture - 2 Corinthians 5:17 – “If anyone is in Christ, he is a new creation.” Same Creator, same power. - Joel 2:25 – “I will restore to you the years the locust has eaten.” Restoration spans time lost. - Romans 4:21 – Abraham was “fully convinced that God was able to do what He had promised.” Our call is identical. |
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