Ezekiel 36:20–23

This was Israel's way in the land and out of it. Everywhere they were a shame to Him who chose them as His own. In Canaan it was idolatrous corruption and murderous violence. Among the nations it was profaning His name. And what did He do — the One against whom they had sinned? He is Jehovah and He does not change; therefore they were not consumed. Instead, He had pity for the name they had outraged, and He would set it apart as holy and be sanctified in them.

Jehovah had humbled and struck Israel in judgment. He used the nations as the rod of His anger, but they never considered that. Mocking and boasting, they blasphemed Jehovah's name. Surely He counted for less than their own idol-gods. He could not defend or save His professed people! They gloried in ruining the land and the people that bore that name. Israel had made Jehovah bear the load of their sins, so their sins dishonoured His name among the Gentiles. The very judgments His holiness had to bring on His sinful people ended in His dishonour in the eyes of the nations.

God puts the nation's past failure before them so that they may own it before Him. The nations said, "These are the people of the LORD, and yet they had to go out of His land." But then God remembers that His name is involved, and He delivers them for His holy name's sake. Then, as He had shown Nicodemus, the new birth was necessary even for the enjoyment of earthly blessings. As a teacher in Israel, Nicodemus ought to have known this from the testimony of the prophets.

The return from Babylon was no fulfilment, but at most a first instalment. Only a small remnant returned then. How far this falls short of what Ezekiel pledges should need no argument: "I will take you from the nations and gather you from all the countries and bring you into your own land." Most of Israel stayed scattered among the nations after the decree of Cyrus.

The result is summed up in one solemn statement: the name of God is blasphemed among the Gentiles because of the religious man. The Apostle is speaking of the Jew, but what he says is equally true of the professing Christian. The corruptions and degraded practices of professing Christendom are what have mainly provoked unbelievers to blaspheme. Men would not have become Christians just because Christians were consistent in practice. But if Christians lived out what they professed, men would have no occasion to blaspheme God.

Ezekiel had declared that the people of Israel profaned the name of God among the Gentiles. They were captives in a foreign land, showing by their evil ways what they were. Now, before God can sanctify His name through their restoration, the Lord taught His disciples about the opportunity and the service given to them. By their good works, the people around them would glorify their Father who is in the heavens. As His people, Israel should have shown the Gentiles what pleased God. As His children, the disciples should be illustrations of the moral character of their Father.

God sets Israel's past failure as a nation before them, so that they may own it before Him. The nations said, "These are the people of the Lord, and yet they had to go out of His land." But then God remembers that His name is involved. For His holy name's sake He delivers them.

This was Israel's way in the land and out of it. Everywhere they were a shame to Him who chose them as His own. In Canaan there was corruption through idols and murderous violence. Among the nations they profaned His name. And what did He do, the One against whom they had sinned? He is Jehovah and He does not change, so they were not consumed. No, He had pity for the name they had outraged, and He would make it holy and be sanctified in them.

God will then restore Israel to the land because of His own sovereign goodness. Had He dealt with them as their sins deserved, they must have perished. Again and again in their long history they have deserved the unsparing judgment of God. But their blessing was bound up with the honour of His Name. He had promised it to Abraham, and it rested on His own counsels of love. So time and again, when He might have destroyed them, He spared them, to defend the honour of His great and holy Name.

In His counsels of grace, the honour of Jehovah's Name was bound up with the blessing of His people, and nothing could separate the two. Not even the wickedness of Israel could turn Him from what He had purposed and set His hand to do.

Though the Lord could do no more for Israel, He can, for His own sake, do the wonderful work in them of turning their hearts to Himself. And this will happen: "It is not for your sake, O house of Israel, that I am about to act, but for the sake of My holy name."

It all comes to one solemn statement. Because of the religious man, the Gentiles blaspheme the name of God. The Apostle is speaking of the Jew, but what he says is equally true of the professing Christian. Unbelievers have blasphemed mainly because of the corruptions and degraded practices of professing Christendom.

In sovereign goodness He has blessed us. It was not because of anything in ourselves, or anything we have done. We were only sinners, cut off from God and enemies by wicked works. We know that He has forgiven our sins, and as it is written in 1 John 2:12, it is "for His name's sake."

Such was Israel's way in the land and out of it. Everywhere they were a shame to Him who chose them as His own. In Canaan there was idolatrous corruption and murderous violence; among the nations they profaned His name. And what did He do, the One against whom they had sinned? He is Jehovah and He does not change: therefore they were not consumed. Instead, He had pity for the name they had outraged, and He would sanctify it and be sanctified in them.

By his own account, his boasted knowledge of the law brought him no saving power. It only supplied fuel for his proud misuse of it and his contempt of others. Who, then, dishonoured God more openly? Was it not written even more strongly in their own prophets? What did Isaiah say (Isa. 52:5)? And what did Ezekiel say (Ezek. 36:20-23)? No doubt their foreign masters made them cry out under it. But was it not true that Israel profaned Jehovah's holy name among the nations wherever they went?

Israel will then be restored to the land because of God's sovereign goodness. Had He dealt with them according to their sins, they must have perished. Over and over again, in their long history, they have deserved the unsparing judgment of God. But their blessing rested on His promises to Abraham and on His own counsels of love. It was bound up with the honour of His Name. So time and again, when He might have consumed them, He spared them, to vindicate the honour of His great and holy Name.

But though the Lord could do no more for Israel, He can, for His own sake, do the wonderful work in them of turning their hearts to Himself. And this will happen… "I do not do this for your sakes, O house of Israel, but for My holy name's sake" (v. 22). "Not for your sakes do I this, says the Lord God, be it known to you: be ashamed and confounded for your own ways, O house of Israel" (v. 32).

God is jealous of His holy name; He acts to vindicate it, and in this His people get their full blessing. How gloriously redemption accomplishes both — His glory and our blessing. And so with Israel in that day. But living safely as a regathered people will only give them a deeper sense of their shame and wrongdoing. The grace that restores and blesses writes our failure on the heart more deeply than the rod of judgment does.

Was the Jew — not to speak of Israel — then cleansed from all his filthiness? Malachi tells a different tale; and so in fact did our Lord prove in person. Here, when fulfilled, we have no less a blessing promised than the new birth of the Jewish people. God will give them a new heart and a new spirit, take away the heart of stone, and give a heart of flesh. He will put His Spirit within them, and cause them to walk in holy obedience — they His people, and He their God.

The Lord shows what Nicodemus ought to have known. Even for the earthly promises the testimony of God was clear: Israel had to be born again, born of water and of the Spirit.

In sovereign goodness He has blessed us. It was not because of anything in ourselves, or because of anything that we have done. We were only sinners, alienated from God, and enemies by wicked works. We know that He has forgiven our sins, and as it is written in 1 John 2:12, it is "for His Name's sake."

That was Israel's way in the land and out of it. Everywhere they were a shame to Him who chose them as His own: corruption through idols and murderous violence in Canaan, and the profaning of His name among the nations. And what did He do, the One against whom they had sinned? He is Jehovah and He does not change, so they were not consumed. Instead, He had pity for the name they had outraged, and He would sanctify it and be sanctified in them.

God will then bring Israel back to the land, out of His own sovereign goodness. Had He dealt with them according to their sins, they must have perished. Again and again through their long history they have deserved God's unsparing judgment. But their blessing rested on His promises to Abraham and on His own counsels of love, and it was bound up with the honour of His Name. So time and again, when He might have consumed them, He spared them, to vindicate the honour of His great and holy Name.

But Jehovah would step in and sanctify His great name before the nations. He would do it by bringing His people back from among them and cleansing them from all their filthiness. He would take away the hardness of their hearts, give them His Spirit, and cause them to walk in His statutes. He would plant them in the land which He had given to their fathers, own them as His people, and be Himself their God.

The Lord could do no more for Israel. Even so, He can do the wonderful work in them of turning their hearts to Himself, and He does it for His own sake.

I will take you from the nations (this is how that mighty, world-wide impression comes about) and gather you from all the countries and bring you into your own land… Testimonies like these put it beyond question. Israel's restoration will have one great moral effect on all nations: Jehovah, the one true God, will become known everywhere.

The return from Babylon was no fulfilment, but at most a foretaste. Only a small remnant came back. Ezra 9 does not take the same ground, and does not claim to be what the faithful were waiting for; neither does Nehemiah 9. The one speaks of "our bondage," the other of being "servants this day"… How far this falls short of what Ezekiel promises should need no argument. The mass of Israel remained scattered up and down the nations after the decree of Cyrus.

It all comes down to one solemn statement. The name of God is blasphemed among the Gentiles through the religious man. The Apostle is speaking of the Jew, but what he says is just as true of the professing Christian. Unbelievers have blasphemed mainly because of the corrupt and degraded ways of those who claim the Christian name. Men would not have turned Christian just because Christians lived consistently. But if Christians lived up to what they claim, men would have no reason to blaspheme God.