How does Ezekiel 37:17 illustrate God's power to unite His people today? The picture in Ezekiel’s hand “Then join them together into one stick, so that they become one in your hand.” (Ezekiel 37:17) • Two separate staffs—one for Judah, one for Joseph—literally fused into a single piece of wood. • The prophet did not whittle them, glue them, or tie them; God made them “become one.” • In full view of the exiles, the miracle shouted that divisions no human could mend were no obstacle to the LORD. What the joined sticks meant for ancient Israel • Centuries of hostility between north and south would end (v. 22). • One king, one covenant, one sanctuary, one land—because God said, “I will be their God, and they will be My people” (v. 23). • The act guaranteed that the promise was not symbolic wish-thinking but a future historical reality. How the same power unites God’s people today • In Christ: “He Himself is our peace, who has made the two one” (Ephesians 2:14-16). • In the Spirit: “For in one Spirit we were all baptized into one body” (1 Corinthians 12:13). • Across cultures: “A great multitude…from every nation…crying out with a loud voice, ‘Salvation belongs to our God’ ” (Revelation 7:9-10). • In local fellowship: “All the believers were together and had everything in common” (Acts 2:44). • In reconciled relationships: “God…gave us the ministry of reconciliation” (2 Corinthians 5:18). Key truths worth holding • God’s unity is created, not negotiated. If He can merge two sticks, He can mend hearts, congregations, and denominations. • Unity rests on the finished work of Jesus, not on human committees. • Because Scripture is accurate and literal, the promise carries fresh authority for every generation of believers. Living out the promise – Affirm the oneness Christ secured; refuse to speak or act in ways that splinter His body. – Welcome believers of every background as family rather than rivals. – Celebrate shared worship, shared mission, and shared hope, confident that the God who fused two sticks still holds His people tightly together in His hand. |
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