Bible Studies
Restored Unity Between Judah and Israel (Ezek. 37:15-28)
Series: God Speaks to Our People In ExileIntroduction:
1. Prophetic language, by its very nature, is packed with meaning. 2. God, because He is not restricted by time, often looks through time, revealing a series of events in inter-related succession. 3. It is like we might sit in a valley and see one mountain immediately before us, another further in the distance behind the first, and yet another even further in the distance. 4. God is able to compress historical events occurring over thousands of years into a single paragraph of revelation. 5. We stand in awe of it, but at the same time it is almost too much to get our minds wrapped around. 6. In Ezek. 37 beginning with the vision of the valley of dry bones we see on the immediate horizon the return of the nation of Israel from captivity. Further in the distance we see a restored kingdom that involves a fulfillment of the Messianic promises made to David and we think of the church. And yet further in the distance we see a heavenly kingdom, a new Jerusalem, where God dwells among His people after having raised them from the dead. 7. Such is the nature of the language in Ezek. 37:15-28.a. Things that are closer seem to appear with great clarity.
b. Things that are further away we seem to see less distinctly.
Discussion:
I. The reunion of Judah and Israel in one kingdom (15-23).A. The image of two sticks that become one (15-20).
B. The interpretation of the image (21-22).
C. In light of the image and its interpretation and our understanding of the historical context it is easy for us to interpret the passage to refer to the restoration of Judah and Israel from captivity.
1. From the days of Jeroboam and Rehoboam Israel had been divided.
2. The southern kingdom had been ruled over by descendants of David, Judah was the predominate tribe. Ephraim was the predominate tribe in the northern kingdom. From Jeroboam I until the Assyrian captivity they were ruled by Ephraimite kings.
D. The divided kingdom would become one kingdom.
1. God would gather them from among the nations.
2. He would bring them into their own land.
3. As you know, the books of Ezra-Nehemiah, Haggai speak of their return from captivity.
4. But there was no king who ruled over them. Although the nation did not return to the idolatry that characterized previous times the prophecy seems to be only partially realized with the return from captivity.
5. Certainly upon their return there was no division of northern and southern kingdom.
6. If we were to interpret their return to the land during the days of Ezra-Nehemiah as fulfilling this prophecy it would only be partial in nature, perhaps the beginning of its fulfillment, but certainly not its culmination. Maybe the return under Ezra-Nehemiah could be considered as a type of what was to come in the future.
II. The unity is founded on covenant relationship with God (23).A. “They will no longer defile themselves with their idols, or with their detestable things, or with any of their transgressions.” Idolatry was in the foundation of the division between Judah and Ephraim. Jeroboam had set up idols in Dan and Bethel as part of the division. Idolatry had to be abandoned for unity to result.
B. God’s deliverance and cleansing from sin was necessary for the reunion to occur.
C. Such actions by God were reflections of His covenant commitment to His people.
D. God was the force behind the promised union.
III. Verses 24-28 describe a variety of traits of this unified kingdom that help us to see the meaning of the prophecy with greater clarity.A. David will be king over them, and they will have one shepherd.
1. This statement harks back to the promise of 2 Sam. 7.
2. “My servant David” is used in v. 8.
3. God would establish his kingdom forever (13).
4. In Peter’s sermon in Acts 2 he interpreted this with reference to Christ, the descendent of David, exalted to the right hand of God (29-36).
5. This powerful statement implies that Ezek. 37 finds its fulfillment in the exaltation of Christ to the right hand of God and to the throne of David.
B. The people will respond by walking in God’s ordinances and keeping His statutes and observing them.
C. “They will live on the land that I gave to Jacob.”
1. This is a challenging statement in that there has been no “living on the land” since the day of Pentecost.
2. Men have posited a yet future (premillennial) time when this will occur. I can understand why they would do that.
3. I do not believe that is what is intended by this passage. I believe the N.T. writers saw a heavenly land and that that is the land to which this passage refers (Heb. 4:8; 11:13ff; 12:22; Rev. 21).
D. The unified kingdom involves an everlasting covenant of peace.
1. The covenant of peace is the one Jesus established through His blood (Eph. 2:11ff). While this passage refers to peace between Jews and Gentiles, peace between Judah and Ephraim is most certainly included. Cf. Isa. 11:11-13. In this Messianic passage Isaiah refers to Ephraim, Judah and the nations.
2. Note also verse 16 and the reference to the highway from Assyria and the comparison with Israel coming out of Egypt. Cf. Jer. 16:14-15.
E. Another characteristic of this kingdom is that God’s sanctuary would be in their midst forever (26b-27).
1. This is part of the covenant relationship.
2. Lev. 26:11-12 may be in the background. Note the connection with the exodus from Egypt here.
3. Jer. 31:27ff refers to a new covenant that God will make with Israel and Judah not like the covenant He made when He brought them out of Egypt. This is spoken in a context of their being in captivity. Heb. 8 quotes Jer. 31 and refers this new covenant to work of Christ and to His heavenly tabernacle which the Lord pitched and not man.
F. Another characteristic of this kingdom is that “the nations will know that I am the Lord who sanctifies Israel, when My sanctuary is in their midst forever” (28).
1. Already begun through the preaching of the kingdom.
2. I believe this reaches its culmination in the new heavens and the new earth described in Rev. 21. Note vs. 3, 22 in particular.
3. Note the use of covenant language in this text (Rev. 21:3, 7).
IV. What does all this mean?A. It means that as God looked through history and saw His servant David (Jesus Christ) enthroned in His kingdom, a kingdom inaugurated on the Pentecost of Acts 2.
B. It means that on the basis of God’s covenant relationship with His people that He delivered them from captivity, cleansed them from sin and has given them a land.
C. It means that God has united Judah, Ephraim, even the nations together in one Israel.
D. It means that it is a kingdom of peace.
E. And that God dwells among His people.
F. It means that His people walk in His ordinances and keep His statutes and observe them.
G. Indeed it is a blessed relationship and it stands as testimony to all (the nations) that it is the Lord who sanctifies Israel.
Conclusion:
1. Would you be a part of this kingdom? 2. Would you become a part of this great covenant? 3. Then submit yourself to God’s king and servant, the Lord Jesus Christ.
